Following my Passion - Valentine's Day 2015

As a woman in a male dominated profession I've heard it all. The minute colleagues learn I'm headed out for a wilderness adventure or even a day hike at a state park the teasing begins. Bears, snakes, and various other forms of the Boogeyman, according to the guys, lurk out there waiting to "get" me.

Eventually they get around to asking the inevitable. Why would I want to get out there in the cold-rain-heat-bugs anyhow? For love. That's why. Love. Plain and simple.

Love for the solitude and beauty of nature. Love for the haunting calls of loons across misty lakes. Love for the smell of earth, rain, hickory. Love for the thrill of what's around the next bend. Love for making outdoor memories with those I hold dear.