tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73151595227522272622024-03-05T09:42:07.038-05:00Brandon and Gwen's AdventureThe Libby Family Blog: Here to remember our good times and laugh with friends and family. Hope you Enjoy our moments as much as we do! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-90960937006405073412015-07-09T17:29:00.002-04:002015-07-12T10:23:46.339-04:00Baby Animals!<div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>t's not uncommon to hear Kokopelli's barks resonating in the background. A 12 month old Yorkshire Terrier, she is as spunky and vocal as any other sub 20 pound dog. So, I didn't really think much of it when she kept on for five minutes straight. Afraid the neighbors would take offense to her yapping, I went outside in an attempt to usher her back into the house. She's still young and, as such, is quite strong willed and not exceptionally keen at coming to the door when called on. Pre-coffee and puffy eyed, I slid into a T-shirt, slipped my flip-flops on and headed out the backyard, completely unaware of what lied ahead.</div>
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It seems that young "Pelli", as we often like to call her, had dug up a den of mice that were cuddled together in a tight ball the size of my fist. In her infinite wisdom, defying centuries of maternal instinct, their mother had placed them against the exterior wall of our house, right in our garden. From the sunroom I could see what all the fuss was about. One of the poor bastards had managed to crawl outside of the nest in a feeble attempt to escape what must have been the loudest sound he'd heard in his few days on earth. Pelli was six inches away, her derrière and tail pointed to the sky, nose to the ground, barking as loud as she could muster at the motionless pest. She didn't intend to harm the tiny creature, only to play with it. However, the mouse, who was not privy to this fact, was understandably terrified.<br />
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I hurried to free the small rodent from his personal hell and ushered Kokopelli out of the garden before inspecting the little guy. I scooped him up into the palm of my hand and gave him a once over. Shaken but otherwise unscathed he had successfully endured his first encounter with a predator. Lucky for him it was Pelli and not Ninja (our "adult" Yorkie) who would have produced a much different, and far more morbid outcome. </div>
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Having passed a quick visual inspection, he joined his three siblings in their den. I did my best to reconstruct the damaged exterior of their home and brought the dogs back inside. I had noticed a ton of ants traveling in a row across the wall above the den so I took care of them before returning inside as well. I'd check the mice again later on. </div>
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That evening, just before the sun dipped below the horizon, I returned to the tiny den for a head count. It was hard to tell at first as they were sleeping in a pile (reminiscent of <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>), but there were four little heads packed tight and soundly sleeping -I breathed a sigh of relief, they were all accounted for. A closer look at the brown fur balls revealed a black stripe across their eyes. These weren't mice! They were chipmunks! I took some quick pics with the old iPhone and headed inside to post them on Facebook. </div>
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It didn't take long for the internet to correct my follie. As it turns out, I had neither mice nor chipmunks, but rather baby bunnies on my hands! This, of course, elated my wife and daughter who couldn't wait to meet the fuzzy stowaways. They would have to wait though, Gwen was on night call and Victoria was still in 9 hours Beaufort, SC. They would have to settle for a few pics and a short iPhone video until they could get here. </div>
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I worried that they wouldn't be safe or warm with their nest in such disarray. I decided to craft them a crude bunny hutch. Making my way to the garage, I gathered some scrap plywood from the teardrop camper project and fashioned the pieces into a rudimentary shelter. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It's no Ritz Carlton, but should keep the wrong critters out and the right critters in. </i></td></tr>
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The next morning I left for Beaufort to pick up Victoria. It's a nine hour drive so I set out early. Before hitting the road I took one last peek. All four babies were still inside the hutch and appeared to be doing well. A few hours after I left, Gwen arrived home. Apparently, she had done quite a bit of research online the night before and learned a ton about baby bunnies. She decided that it would be best to place the bunnies back into their nest and covered them with grass clippings, similar to how their mother would. Gwen found that the mortality rate for bunnies whose mother's abandon them is 80%. As it turns out, they depend on their mother's milk to provide the necessary gut bacteria to remain healthy. The alternative would be mixing kitten formula with some of momma's rabbit poo to help infuse them with this bacteria. Needless to say, were weren't excited about this prospect and crossed our fingers that their mother would return soon.<br />
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Victoria and I came in late that night and we were both too tired for bunny duty. The next morning I couldn't wait to check on them. I was pleased to report that they were doing quite well, but there was no sign that their mother had returned. We decided to give her one more night just to be safe. The next morning we went out to check on them and fresh green grass clippings mixed in with a little rabbit fur had replaced the faded clippings Gwen had placed a few days earlier. This was a much welcomed sign as it meant their mother had returned. <i>Rabbits feed their young twice a day, five minutes each time. Once at night just after the sun sets, and then again before sun up. </i>For the next week we checked on them once a day. Each morning, we would carefully push the top of the nest to the side so that we could inspect each bunny individually. We made sure their tummies felt full and that the ants hadn't returned, and that none had wandered off. Then they were placed back into their nest and the top was as carefully replaced as it was removed. After a few days their eyes opened and, if it were possible, they were even cuter.<br />
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After that first week, they grew fearful of us, so we made the difficult (but necessary) decision to leave them be, but to continue to keep an eye on things. So as not to disturb them, I would place a few grass clippings over the top of their nest in the shape of an asterisk. That way we would know when they were dug up for feeding. Each morning when I took the dogs out, I took the opportunity to check on them. By the end of week two, they had either left the nest, or it had been moved. It would be two more weeks after that before we would see them again, nearly fully grown. Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of them feeding at the end of our yard. I'm happy to report that they are healthy and, most importantly, afraid of humans.<br />
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We were excited to have such a rewarding experience, but it could have ended much differently. If you find yourself in a situation where you feel the need to care for feral bunnies yourself (dogs dug them up, lawnmower destroyed the nest, etc.) be sure to do a ton of reading. These little guys are as fragile as they are cute and the odds are stacked against them that they will survive without their mother. The best thing to do is to put them back into their nest and let nature take its course. Mother's will return each night for a week to search for her young. Use your best judgement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just look at that little foot!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gwen refers to this event as the "cutest thing ever".</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Victoria, all smiles. </i></td></tr>
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Brandon</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-63854833700725760172015-05-18T13:49:00.000-04:002015-05-18T13:49:46.566-04:00Buffalos, Bears, and Boots: Wyoming. Here We Come!<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127379138@N06/17019354031" title="Marry up and marry your best friend. It's the only way to go fellas. #blessed #islandinthesky by Brandon Libby, on Flickr"><img alt="Marry up and marry your best friend. It's the only way to go fellas. #blessed #islandinthesky" height="640" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7620/17019354031_d579860c78_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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The year of effort it has taken to make the move to Wyoming happen has nearly come to fruition. We are now one month out until the big push to move "out West", and we couldn't be more excited. Our new home has been selected and boxes have begun to pile up on our spare bedroom floor at our soon to be old house. It feels good to know that in just a few short weeks the fresh air of Wyoming will soon greet us as we reach the next stage of our lives -and I can't think of anyone else I would rather be taking this adventure with than my loving wife.<br />
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It's only been ten years since Gwen and I first met yet I can't think of what life was like before we were together. Her beaming personality, support, and affection toward me has infused itself into the cracks of all past memories; leaving a positive mark on the once familiar ups and downs of life -she is truly my best friend. Of all the things Wyoming has to offer, the potential for adventure is what tugged at our hearts the most. But the appeal of returning to small town life is a close second. I grew up in small town Summerville, SC (pop. 8,600; circa 1980's).<br />
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It's now a booming city as business giants such as Boeing move into nearby areas. The last check of the U.S. Census Bureau website showed nearly 70,000 residents are now calling Summerville their homes. Gwen also grew up in a small town: Hilton Head Island, SC. As an island and golfing destination, most of the property is accounted for and the population remains fairly stable. Having lived in small towns as children one can imagine our excitement at moving to a city with a population of some 10,600 people.<br />
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Unlike many low populace cities in the U.S., Riverton does not have the luxury of tapping into the infrastructure of a larger nearby city. Other than Lander (which has a slightly smaller population), the next major city is well over an hour and a half away. This means no shopping malls, IMAX Theaters, or Zoos. I doubt we will be missing any of these things. Our shopping malls will be replaced by the farmer's market; the IMAX, by glorious sunsets and sunrises; and the cages and fences of zoos will be replaced by seeing animals both born and raised in their natural habitats (Like bears! Bears! They have bears! ...and Buffalos!!!). In preparation for moving to a new lifestyle, we have begun to prep our wardrobes. </div>
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Wyoming is a much colder environment than we are accustomed to so one might assume we picked up some long underwear, thicker coats and at least some warm gloves -no, not the Libby's. Instead, we both purchased Cowboy boots and hats in order to assimilate ourselves with the local people -we wouldn't want to stand out too much, right? Of course not everyone wears these things anymore, but we don't mind being a bit cliché or a touch ironic. After all, we don't see much point in taking ourselves too seriously. It's going to be fun to arrive in town looking like a pair of giddy tourists arriving to a new land for the first time. It's only right that our outward appearance displays the inner joy we are feeling towards our new home in Riverton, Wyoming! </div>
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Brandon<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hQAKYATQ4y0" width="700"></iframe>
We met this guy on our first trip up just outside of Thermopolis, Wy. he was so cool! <i>PSA: I should mention, these are wild animals and should not be approached. We never left the car and our car never left the paved road. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/127379138@N06/15374245323" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A few months ago, we visited the site of our honeymoon, Fontana Village. by Brandon Libby, on Flickr"><img alt="A few months ago, we visited the site of our honeymoon, Fontana Village." height="640" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7532/15374245323_ae2e0452bc_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On another note, our 7th wedding anniversary is almost here as well. I couldn't love this woman more!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-85109813837413649852015-04-22T11:50:00.000-04:002015-04-22T11:51:26.821-04:00First Episode of Overland Roundtable Now Available!<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/3508163/height/360/width/640/theme/standard/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/" height="360" width="640" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-14712576339791346042015-04-20T02:31:00.001-04:002015-04-20T02:47:55.314-04:00Special Announcement I am honored to be taking part in a monthly Google hangout discussion called <a href="http://%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22//www.youtube.com/embed/RBJkGjJPWkk%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">Overland Roundtable</a>. The event is hosted by Dan Cole of 4x4 Podcast fame and will take place on the third Sunday of each month. We will be discussing products, vehicles and other overland related subjects. There will be a total of five regular presenters in addition to guest speakers. If you would like to know more about the show, please tune in for the second episode which will occur on Sunday, May 17th at 8:00 pm Central.<br />
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You can also leave a questions and comments via voicemail at 904.600.DIRT, or if you prefer, email us at overlandroundtable@gmail.com.<br />
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We look forward to hearing from you!<br />
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Brandon<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-90654340812294572492015-04-08T20:29:00.000-04:002015-04-20T02:42:46.798-04:00Easter Jeep Safari 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
Easter Jeep Safari 2015</div>
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I packed the Jeep up while Gwen was working nightt call at the hospital. I managed to pack "ten pounds of .... in a five pound bag". It's impressive how much stuff you can fit in a two door JK if you get creative. Once Gwen got home the next morning we loaded up Ninja and Kokopelli, punched the directions into the GPS and headed out. Gwen tried to catch up on sleep by catching short naps as the miles ticked by in the rearview mirror. </div>
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We made it as far as Oklahoma before popping up the tent and grabbing some sleep. Before we left I had modified the cap to our air mattress to accommodate a valve stem so that we could fill it up with the ARB compressor rather than the silly little battery powered pump that came up with the mattress. With the mattress inflated and the tent popped we settled in for the night. </div>
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The next morning we arose as frozen burritos. What was originally supposed to be 46* ended up 29* and our sleeping arrangements turned out to be seriously inadequate. After packing the tent and air mattress back into their respective bags and rolling the sleeping bag back into a swiss roll, we hit the road again in search of breakfast and more importantly, coffee. </div>
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With the Jeep refueled and our stomachs full, we rolled on again with memories of the cold night fading with each mile. We were more than two thirds of the way there when we made the decision to to find a pet friendly hotel rather than braving the cold in our cheap ass sleeping bags -we really need to address this reality before our next outing. It will certainly make our nights more comfortable and our willingness to camp during the cooler months will be greatly increased. </div>
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We arrived at Kokopelli Lodge in Moab around three o'clock, checked in, and unpacked all of our gear in preparation for hitting the trails on sunday. With the dogs walked and our Jeep unpacked, we headed over to Eddie McStiff's for a bite to eat and a cold beverage before heading back to the Lodge and getting some much needed sleep. Sunday morning we headed over to the Spanish Trail Arena to pick up the information needed to join in on the three trails we signed up for over the week: Seven Mile Rim Trail, Fins 'n' Things, and Dead Man's Point. </div>
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We met up on Main Street just below the Sunset Grill where we receive the obligatory waivers and instructions regarding where we would rendezvous shortly. Waivers in hand and respective CB channel assignments passed out, we headed for the trailhead. We arrived at the trail where tires were aired aired down and a safety meeting was conducted by the trail leader; a member of the Red Rock 4-Wheelers -the respective event host. We were asked to stay on trail, tread lightly, and to avoid stepping on the crypto biotic soil. Apparently, this is the first stage of life in the desert and it creates a stable environment for larger plant life to deposit roots. </div>
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With the education process complete we headed onto the trail where problems began almost immediately. One participant had rented a Jeep from a local rental agency, which will remain nameless for professional reasons, and nearly had a wheel fall off on the first hill climb. Gwen and I were riding behind him and I noticed his left rear wheel was wobbling badly. I honked the horn and flashed my lights frantically before he finally came to a stop. As it turned out, there was one broken stud, a missing lug nut, with the remaining three loose. I had seen this many times before when I used to work pitcrew for a Porsche team. More often than you might think, wheels are over tightened which leads to stretched wheel studs. Once the studs are stretched, it is only a matter of time before the lug nuts work themselves loose. The only remedy is to replace them with new studs and to tighten them to the proper torque with a torque wrench. These specs can usually be found in your owners manual. This phenomenon isn't exclusive to wheel studs either, any bolt that is over torqued will lose strength and eventually fail. Just a little info to keep in mind when you are cranking down on the hardware on your latest project. </div>
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About halfway through the trail, the wheel worked its way free again and the client called the insurance agency where the consensus was reached to leave the Jeep on the trail. So he and his copilot hopped into a generous participant's JKU and we continued on our way. That is until the only non Jeep broke down due to a faulty fuel pump. It was an early 80's, late 70's Chevy pickup that was built up and capable rig. The owner got it up and running during lunch and finished the trail without a hitch. It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed ourselves.</div>
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I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking....</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-92089464791663819782015-01-31T17:38:00.001-05:002015-01-31T17:45:40.899-05:00Huntsville Gun ShowResisting the urge to make "tickets to the gun show" jokes I headed to the Von Braun Center here in Huntsville Alabama. The line to get in was so long you'd think they were giving guns away, not charging $8.00 admission. The folks running the show did a great job moving folks through the door quickly and smoothly. This was my first gun show and took me a minute to learn the strange viewing protocol. I stood by and watched as unofficial lines formed and began to move in directions that seemed to defy reason. Once I learned the steps to this new dance, and was finally able to stop stepping on toes, I found myself overwhelmed with all of the hardware surrounding me.<br />
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Gun culture is still fairly new to me and my greenness showed its head throughout the day. There were old guns, new guns, rare guns, antique guns, golden guns, the kinds of guns that women secretly dream about -there were a lot of guns. WWI and WWII memorabilia, Vietnam War era collectibles and weapons, T-shirts, purses, jewelry, handmade leather sheaths and holsters, cheap knives, well made knives, well made hand crafted knives, hand crafted knives that may have been made while under the influence of meth amphetamines. The turnout was impressive, both in proprietors and consumers alike. Despite spending three hours there, I only spent $50. I only took a fee pics due to the massive crowd and the high level of concentration required to keep in step with the crowd.<br />
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Here they are:<br />
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There were 1911's abound. Every make, era or caliber you prefer, it was there.</div>
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The Nazi memorabilia was present at several booths. If I had enough money I would have bought all of it and set it on fire in the backyard. </div>
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Twins! A pair of PS90's at $1,350 each. It would be a shame to separate them. Someone adopt both please. </div>
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A "pre-banned USR" AUG. These are such cool guns. </div>
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Here's what I picked up. An antique (sorry, hipsters, "vintage") straight razor: $10.00, and a Benchmade folder: $40.00. Trust me, the spending could have been much worse. The lock blade will be my new EDC and I will be restoring the razor so that I can stop flushing money down the sink with disposables.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Brandon</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-78211660645996353402015-01-25T15:28:00.000-05:002015-01-26T12:57:45.602-05:00Our last post eluded to an overland adventure -but that fell through. I wasn't able to finish the teardrop camper in time for our departure, and rather than rushing it along we decided to postpone the build and go without it. Luckily, I have a wonderful wife who put together an exciting trip on very short notice. What could have been a major let down turned into a surprisingly amazing time! In all, we spent ten days in St. Petersburg, FL -or as the locals call it "St. Pete".<br />
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Most people have heard of Clearwater, Florida, but seem to be less familiar with St. Pete. I fell into the latter category. Approximately 250, 000 people call St. Pete home and enjoy an unbelievable average of 361 days of sunshine a year - once hitting 768 consistent days of sunshine; a Guinness World Record. For anyone who has lived in Florida, that is pretty incredible! Gwen and I have been to many cities, both big and small, and we both agree that St. Pete is one of the cleanest we have visited. The locals take cleanliness seriously and the evidence of their pride is also displayed with a heavy emphasis on local art. The city is also home to many museums including the Salvador Dali Museum, one of the largest Holocaust Museums in the U.S., and a Museum of Fine Arts just to name a few.<br />
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St. Pete is a walking city which means that you can enjoy everything it has to offer without the hassle of searching for parking. We stayed at the Hollander, a boutique hotel built in 1933. It's no secret, I have an affinity for old architecture and history and this place was full of character. The Hollander has original hardwood floors throughout, a mixture of new and old fixtures and hand painted artwork adorning the walls. The Hollander Tap Room and Restaurant has a great selection of delicious foods and an extremely friendly staff. A small coffee shop is conveniently located just to the side of the restaurant and is just across from the spa. While we were staying there a pool was being constructed and should be finished soon. The hotel is extremely pet friendly; in fact there were possibly 10-12 dogs staying there during our stay.<br />
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Speaking of dog friendly, St. Pete may be the most dog friendly city I've ever visited. Dogs were welcome in virtually every store and outside of 90% of the restaurants. Water bowls and treats adorned the entrances of nearly every business. Ninja and Kokopelli appreciated escaping the hotel for a chance to stretch their tiny legs. One thing I was surprised of was the abundance of homeless people in the city. There were areas in which they were permitted to sleep outside; one such place was Mirror Lake. They seemed to be welcomed by city officials, but the locals didn't seem to share their enthusiasm. Parking meters placed near the waterfront had been repurposed as "donation stations" for the large homeless population. For the most part they were benign and kept to themselves, with the exception of one in particular who taunted Gwen and I as we crossed the street, but he kept his distance. Locals warned us about pan handling, but neither one of us experienced any in the ten days we were there.<br />
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The time we spent at the Salvador Dali Museum was well worth it. We were fortunate enough to have been there when the Pablo Picasso exhibit was on display. It was an interesting contrast and we learned a lot about the relationship between the two masters of surrealism. Gwen preferred Picasso's style where I favored Dali. I guess that makes sense if you know us.<br />
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The city was beautiful and the locals were very friendly. They were quick to recommend restaurants and their favorite dish. The Parkshore Grill appeared to be a local favorite and I must say for the both of us, their food is amazing! I highly recommend the double lobster tails. If you are into craft brews then you won't be disappointed with this region of Florida. Dunedin (pronounced done-eedan) was home to Florida's oldest craft brewery, Dunedin Brewery -which had some very tasty brews if I do say so myself. Virtually everywhere you go there are taprooms filled with Florida's finest craft brews. Warning: attempting to try them all in under a week may lead to cirrhosis. <br />
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We visited as many restaurants, breweries, and local attractions as we could (a daunting task but somebody's gotta do it) and snapped some pics along the way. Links to most of the places we visited can be found under the photos. <br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/d6029ee0-8290-491b-bf38-c168de0dd683.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=""Are you thinking what we're thinking?" photo d6029ee0-8290-491b-bf38-c168de0dd683.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/d6029ee0-8290-491b-bf38-c168de0dd683.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Gwen and Kokopelli seated outside the Hollander Restaurant and Tap House.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Food</span></b><br />
<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/86788f55-43d8-473f-9031-e89642e687ed.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 86788f55-43d8-473f-9031-e89642e687ed.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/86788f55-43d8-473f-9031-e89642e687ed.jpg" /></a><i><a href="http://www.7venthsun.com/#">7venth Sun Brewery</a> in Dunedin, Fl.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/476666AC-1A8D-4711-B5EA-9E4145F6DEA9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 476666AC-1A8D-4711-B5EA-9E4145F6DEA9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/476666AC-1A8D-4711-B5EA-9E4145F6DEA9.jpg" /></a>
<i>The best burgers in St. Petersburg are at <a href="http://www.no9burgers.com/">Engine Number 9.</a>
I highly recommend the "Dork" burger.</i><br />
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<i>Plaza Tower Courtyard, located downtown was a nice little shopping center with a wine bar, the Wine Madonna, and the Ale and the Witch which had a large selection of local beers on tap.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Blog%20Stuff/A67C436F-4A78-45BF-9650-76DEAC16378C-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo A67C436F-4A78-45BF-9650-76DEAC16378C-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Blog%20Stuff/A67C436F-4A78-45BF-9650-76DEAC16378C-1.jpg" /></a>
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<i>The Plaza has live music at night and tons of outside seating to enjoy an adult beverage or sushi from next door.</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://thealeandthewitch.com/" target="_blank">The Ale and the Witch.</a></i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.winemadonna.com/">The Wine Madonna.</a></i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.dunedinbrewery.com/">Dunedin Brewery</a> "Florida's Oldest Craft Brewery."</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.400beachseafood.com/">400 Beach Seafood and Tap House.</a></i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.crabbybills.com/BW.html">Crabby's Bar and Grill in Clearwater, Fl.</a></i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.parkshoregrill.com/">Parkshore Grill</a>. The Double lobster tails are amazing!</i><br />
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<i>Gwen and I at the Parkshore Grill. I definitely married up!</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.lemongrasstapas.com/VisitTampaBay/">Lemongrass Sushi Restaurant</a>. Where the portions are massive and the sushi rolls are named after rappers -and, unfortunately, tastes like wrappers.</i><br />
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<i><a href="http://stpetebrewingcompany.com/">St. Pete Brewing Company</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/45753b92-85d8-476b-852b-9cb5d576de3f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 45753b92-85d8-476b-852b-9cb5d576de3f.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/45753b92-85d8-476b-852b-9cb5d576de3f.jpg" /></a><i>St. Pete Brewing Company uses chalkboard paint and skateboards to display current offerings.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Blog%20Stuff/49060EBF-827B-4CD5-9814-9EE1A637CEEF-1.jpg.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 49060EBF-827B-4CD5-9814-9EE1A637CEEF-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Blog%20Stuff/49060EBF-827B-4CD5-9814-9EE1A637CEEF-1.jpg" /></a>
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<i><a href="http://worldofbeer.com/" target="_blank">World of Beer.</a></i><br />
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<i>World of Beer has plenty of local and other beers on tap.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Entertainment</span></b><br />
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<i>First Friday. A small festival that takes place the first friday of every month. It occurs in the center of downtown St. Pete with live music, beer trucks and vendors all taking place amidst various restaurants. </i><br />
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<i>One of many "donation stations" to help feed the city's less fortunate. This was near the famous inverted pyramid. </i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/aadfe837-7258-4f1f-8dcc-fd173fbe4fe6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo aadfe837-7258-4f1f-8dcc-fd173fbe4fe6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/aadfe837-7258-4f1f-8dcc-fd173fbe4fe6.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>Clearwater, FL is beautiful. It's allegedly the top beach in the U.S. The restaurant selection and shopping are not the best, though.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Blog%20Stuff/A5E4D246-09FA-41A5-9DC7-7C863818ADB0-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo A5E4D246-09FA-41A5-9DC7-7C863818ADB0-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Blog%20Stuff/A5E4D246-09FA-41A5-9DC7-7C863818ADB0-1.jpg" /></a><i><br /></i><i>The Florida Aquarium was a fun retreat.</i>
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<i><br />Lemurs were an odd site at an aquarium, but they were playful and fun to watch.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/2bbe9f6e-c1b4-4bc1-816f-ceeee3fa2505.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2bbe9f6e-c1b4-4bc1-816f-ceeee3fa2505.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/2bbe9f6e-c1b4-4bc1-816f-ceeee3fa2505.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Blog%20Stuff/24735C7A-B9E6-4CCF-966F-6918BDC56D98-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 24735C7A-B9E6-4CCF-966F-6918BDC56D98-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Blog%20Stuff/24735C7A-B9E6-4CCF-966F-6918BDC56D98-1.jpg" /></a><i><br />These divers had mic's on and performed a small teaching show to educate the audience on what kinds of life can be found in the tank.</i><br />
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Blog%20Stuff/4A7CF074-C56A-4A2B-BC9F-E79F4107CCE8-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 4A7CF074-C56A-4A2B-BC9F-E79F4107CCE8-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Blog%20Stuff/4A7CF074-C56A-4A2B-BC9F-E79F4107CCE8-1.jpg" /></a><i><br /></i><i>There were plenty of stingrays to be viewed throughout the aquarium.<br /><br /><br />
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This little guy was quite curious.</i><br />
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Lionfish!</i><br />
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Ever feel like someone or some"thing" is watching you?
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<i><br /></i><i>Maybe it's not paranoia after all.</i>
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<a href="http://s593.photobucket.com/user/nota944mechanic/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/93b7a5fe-f734-4be0-8d4c-657497dae148.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 93b7a5fe-f734-4be0-8d4c-657497dae148.jpg" border="0" src="http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt19/nota944mechanic/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/93b7a5fe-f734-4be0-8d4c-657497dae148.jpg" /></a><br />
<i>What a cool job this must be!</i><br />
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<i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pics from around Town</b></span><br />
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Cheers,<br />
BrandonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-45414151499763715402014-12-09T14:06:00.000-05:002014-12-26T23:58:37.192-05:00A Handmade Knife for GwenA major part of being an outdoorsman is that you never stop learning new things. One such skill I have been looking to learn is bladesmithing (knife making). OK, maybe bladesmithing is a bit beyond my current skill level (don't expect me to don a leather apron and a pair of dark goggles), but one does not need to be a blacksmith to produce a long lasting, well crafted blade. Like most skills, creating your own made from scratch knife can be both expensive, as well as daunting. But, it doesn't have to be. For example, if you know what you want your knife to look like and possess some level of patience and some common tools normally found in your garage, you are well on your way to creating your first knife. Which is exactly what I have just done.
When my wife added a knife to her Christmas list I immediately began looking for one to suit her needs. She asked for it to be all purpose, durable, with a 3" blade, and a "hint" of pink -because she's a lady :). It didn't take long before I decided that this was the excuse I needed to make my first knife. The best part is it was free! With the exception of purchasing pink paracord -I was fresh out :).
Here is an iPhone pic of what I ended up with:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wRbmssHPtx/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">So here is what I have. She asked for subtle pink. Layer 1: Pink paracord standard wrap. Layer 2: Black paracord (gutted) strider wrap. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being total garbage; 10 being not bad) how did I do? PS: The yellow hue on the blade comes from reflecting the yellow wall paint.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-12-06T16:42:14+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 12, 2014 at 8:42am PST</time></div>
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<i>This began as an old Black Diamond brand flat bastard file.</i>
Like this:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wIel_QHPn2/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">This somewhat illustrates a before and after.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-12-03T05:15:12+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 12, 2014 at 9:15pm PST</time></div>
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Of course, there are other ways to get the metal necessary to craft a blade, such as an online knife supplier like texasknife.com, but I wanted to see if I could be more creative. Besides, if I utterly failed it wouldn't cost me a dime. If you decide you would like to use a file like I did (and many others on the internet) then you will need to get your hands on older files. The reason is simple, older files contain carbon throughout their structure whereas newer files only contain carbon on the surface level. In order to create a strong, sharp, long lasting blade you will need high carbon steel through and through. Older files provide this.
One major difference to using a file vs. purchasing your steel from a supplier is that the file will need to be annealed before beginning the process. This is to soften the metal so that you can work with it. Believe me, these old files are strong as hell! Conversely, the knife supplier will provide you with steel that has already been annealed, thus saving you this step. OK, enough about knife suppliers.
So how do I know if I have found a file that has high carbon content? I'm not an expert in metallurgy, but the easiest way I know is to clamp the file in a vise (with just the narrow tip sticking up), slap on a pair of safety glasses and give it a lateral whack with a hammer. Did it break? If you answered yes, then you have a winner. If it bent, well ...it's back to the pawn shop with you.
Now that you hopefully have found a good piece to work with, it's time to begin the process. The first thing you need to do is anneal the file. The bad news is you need a forge to do this. The good news is....
Here's mine:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v_1aW0nPmF/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Forge made from crap I had laying around.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-29T20:41:25+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 12:41pm PST</time></div>
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<i>Pretty gnarly, isn't it?</i>
There are many ways to make a forge. Some are better than others. I had some old bricks, partially burned logs, starter fluid, and 100' extension cord, and shhh my wife's hair dryer. What you are trying to accomplish here is a tiny recreation of the pits of Hell. You need to heat the steel to ~1000*F to where glows red hot, and then to allow it to slowly cool back down to room temperature. This releases the initial heat treatment and gives you a nice soft piece of metal to work on (your blades and drill bits will thank you). You will need to make a small brick fort, pre-burned coals from the bottom of your firepit, some lighter fluid (to help get this thing going) and a long lighter or match. Once you build your little fort and stuff it with coals, soak the coals in lighter fluid and ignite the coals with your long lighter or match. Use your wife's hairdryer (at your own discretion, don't tell her I said it's OK) to stoke the fire. You can then place the file into the fiery cauldron with a long pair of pliers -be sure to wear gloves!
Now that the blade is in the fire, keep hitting the whole mess with air from the hairdryer. What you are looking for is a bright red glow uniformly across the entirety of the file. Once this is achieved, using extreme caution, remove the file with your pliers and gloves and place it somewhere to cool off slowly. Sneak your wife's slightly melted, somewhat campfire scented hairdryer back into the drawer. Once the file is cooled, the annealing process is complete.
Your file is now ready to be worked.
The first thing you will need is to design and create a template (or you can download them from the internet, like <a href="http://dcknives.blogspot.ca/p/knife-profiles.html">these</a>). I used a piece of paper, a pen, and a few drawing aids to help with making precise circles.
Here is what that looks like:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v6g78ZHPi9/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">So my wife put a knife on her Christmas list. Here goes nothing. #shhh #hopeitdoesntsuck</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-27T19:06:18+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 11:06am PST</time></div>
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My technique was simple, trace the file with a pencil and then draw your knife within the confines of that traced edge.
Then cut it out like so:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v6iNolnPu_/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Under construction: The template sketch is glued to the wood that will serve as the model for the actual blade.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-27T19:17:27+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 11:17am PST</time></div>
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Place your template on a piece of wood that matches the thickness of your file. In this case, mine was ~1/8". Glue your template to the wood and, when it dries, cut it out with a jigsaw.
Like this:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v6n6sEnPtS/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Now to shape the mockup.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-27T20:07:18+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 12:07pm PST</time></div>
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<i>This wooden template will serve as a guide to shaping the knife.</i>
Here is what mine looked like after some serious grinding and cutting:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v63vUnnPsK/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">The metal is slowly taking form.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-27T22:25:33+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 2:25pm PST</time></div>
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Now that you have your basic shape, you can start to taper the edge so it looks like a real knife and not a Hollywood prop.
This is what I had after hitting it with the belt sander a bit:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v7IvTDHPpq/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">This is as far as I got today. I should have annealed it first. It would have saved a ton of time. Oh well. I'll do it before attempting to go any further.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-28T00:54:06+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 4:54pm PST</time></div>
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<i>I was getting pretty excited by this point!</i>
You have some options at this point, you can create several different types of <a href="http://zknives.com/knives/articles/knifeedgetypes.shtml">edge grinds</a> depending on what you plan on doing with this particular knife. Make sure that you leave about 1mm of material thickness at the cutting edge. This is to ensure that this portion does not warp during heat treating. You will remove the remaining material just before the sharpening process.
Now that you have cut out the shape of knife you prefer, shaped the edge grind -remembering to save 1mm of material at the edge you are ready to begin the heat treating process.
Shiny!
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v9c1GZnPpR/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Got some sanding done. Phew! Cutting plunge lines is BRUTAL! Next time I'm ordering flat stock from a knife supplier.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-28T22:28:08+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 2:28pm PST</time></div>
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I'm afraid it's back to the fiery cauldron. Basically, repeat the exact same steps as you did in the annealing process, only this time, quench the red hot glowing blade in used motor oil. You have to do this quickly, do not hesitate or stare at the pretty glowing knife. Drop it in the oil immediately. If you did find yourself in awe of the glowing mass, no worries, simply drop it back in the forge for another 5 minutes or so before pulling it back out (red hot) and quenching it.
Here's an extreme closeup of my process:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/v_1jhDnPnS/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">There's a knife somewhere in there.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-29T20:42:40+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 12:42pm PST</time></div>
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Once the knife is quenched, it will be covered in some nasty scales from scalding the oil. It is best to remove these with sandpaper before the final heat treating process. Note: the final heat treating process should begin within an hour of quenching. So make sure you sand that crap off fairly quickly.
With most of the scaling sanded off you are ready for final heat treatment. To do this, you will place the blade on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for ~2hrs. The temperature you set it at will determine the <a href="http://www.smt.sandvik.com/en/products/strip-steel/strip-products/knife-steel/hardening-guide/purpose-of-hardening-and-tempering/">final hardness</a> of your knife. Don't get too caught up in the science of this. I set my oven at 400*F. I set the timer for 2hrs and went on to other things to keep from pacing back and forth in front of the oven.
Here is what my knife looked like after 2hrs at 400*F:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wAA7-DnPrP/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Fresh out of the oven. Heat treat completed. It has a golden hue indicative of the 400* temper. Once it cools I can carry on with cleaning, polishing and sharpening. I will then wrap the handle and move on to making a sheath.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-11-29T22:22:08+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 2:22pm PST</time></div>
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<i>Fresh out of the oven. Heat treat completed. It has a golden hue indicative of the 400*F temper.</i>
Next, I cleaned it up, cut the 1mm of material down to an edge, and began the polishing process.
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wFdMUAnPg8/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Added a few serrations and hit it with some 3M wet or dry 800 grit sandpaper. Next: 1500 grit; 3000 grit, and polishing compound.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-12-02T01:05:14+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 12, 2014 at 5:05pm PST</time></div>
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<i>I also decided to add a couple of functional serrations for fun.</i>
The polishing process I used was to create a nice finish without going crazy with it. Since this particular blade will see a lot of use, I stopped at 1500 grit sandpaper.
Here is what I did:
Sanded the surface longitudinally with 100 grit.
Sanded the surface longitudinally with 220 grit.
Sanded the surface longitudinally with 320 grit.
Sanded the surface longitudinally with 800 grit.
Sanded the surface longitudinally with 1500 grit.
This is what it looked like:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wIeYNUHPms/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Found some time to work on the knife project today. 1500 grit, some edge shaping, and sharpening happened.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-12-03T05:13:19+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 12, 2014 at 9:13pm PST</time></div>
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<i>You can make out the teardrop camper hatch I'm building in the reflection.</i>
There are an almost infinite number of choices for the handle. I chose to do what is called a strider wrap with paracord. I don't have any pics of the process, but here is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Von04QGoKdE">video</a> I watched to perform this wrap.
Here is the final product one more time:
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/wRbmssHPtx/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">So here is what I have. She asked for subtle pink. Layer 1: Pink paracord standard wrap. Layer 2: Black paracord (gutted) strider wrap. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being total garbage; 10 being not bad) how did I do? PS: The yellow hue on the blade comes from reflecting the yellow wall paint.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby) on <time datetime="2014-12-06T16:42:14+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 12, 2014 at 8:42am PST</time></div>
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That's basically it. I hope this rudimentary post inspires someone else to try this out for themselves.
Cheers,
BrandonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-63126691037359016492014-11-24T01:19:00.000-05:002014-11-24T01:19:57.969-05:00Planning Our Next Trip....<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/vrhTeFHPhl/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Brandon Libby (@brandon_libby)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-11-21T23:20:54+00:00">Nov 11, 2014 at 3:20pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-7091600369783054622014-10-06T16:48:00.002-04:002014-11-25T01:01:45.800-05:00Overland Expo East 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtV_jYapwTW8tzH0naDxWpjSEnn9UcsDdCpR0WFqRP-Mt3pNl9aECrBtSqcpiSB9qF129SJL1pHFaeOh6jnBb3L-cg1kFw4y6bTX_XNQwhBcRF0A3TBQ1PKzlqGesWwvwzwK_6hTifDpGq/s640/blogger-image-2043234737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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Overland Expo East 2014</div>
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtV_jYapwTW8tzH0naDxWpjSEnn9UcsDdCpR0WFqRP-Mt3pNl9aECrBtSqcpiSB9qF129SJL1pHFaeOh6jnBb3L-cg1kFw4y6bTX_XNQwhBcRF0A3TBQ1PKzlqGesWwvwzwK_6hTifDpGq/s640/blogger-image-2043234737.jpg"><br>
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Overland Expo has been around since 2009 and is the largest gathering of its kind. The west coast edition has grown so large so quickly that it only made sense to show the east coast a little love. The first annual Overland Expo East (Oct. 3-4, 2014) was held at Taylor Ranch in Fletcher, NC. The unofficial numbers: there were 5,000 attendees, over 100 vendors, 300 session hours of overlanding courses, all held on a 300 acre horse ranch. We were greeted at the gate by the friendly staff and quickly headed towards the parking lot.<br>
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Having only witnessed Overland Expo on <a href="http://expeditionportal.com/" target="_blank">Expedition Portal</a> and never in person, I was overwhelmed with the amount of exciting things to see. Hell, the parking lot looked like it was torn from the pages of <a href="http://overlandjournal.com/" target="_blank">Overland Journal</a>. After parking, we headed over to registration where we received our credentials and were presented with a pair of swag bags filled with brochures, info about the event -including a map, and some decals -I heart decals.<br>
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We then proceeded to follow the extremely well labeled path towards the rear of the property where we would choose our camping location amongst a sea of roof top tents, Landrovers, Landcruisers, Jeeps, Tacomas, Sportsmobiles, Earthroamers, etc. Luckily, there was still one flat spot right next to the lake to drop the teardrop for the weekend. At our vantage point, we could basically see the entire event from the comfort of our window. Of course, this also meant that where ever we were on the property, we could also see the tiny camper perched on the top of the hill -cool!<br>
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The first night was spent doing some preliminary scouting in order to find out where our classes would be held, be it in a classroom (in a large enclosed tent), or in a unique area that catered to a specific task such as vehicle recovery, field welding, etc.. There were so many cool rigs, trailers, and products in the main vendor area that Gwen had to guide me around by my hand to keep me from running off and getting lost like a little kid at Disney World -did I mention I was overwhelmed?<br>
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Friday morning (Oct. 3rd) began with dual battery basics. The instructor was charming and had a very firm understanding of 12v batteries and how to get the most our of them. It was an interesting class and as appealing as dual batteries are, I think this is one mod that won't find it's way into either of our rigs. More on this later. Next, we headed over to meet up with Rachelle Croft and Rhonda Cahill of Expedition Overland for a lesson in basic compass and map navigation. This was my first experience with using a real compass and I really enjoyed it. The rain didn't stop us from having a great time and we stayed mostly dry, that is until Rhonda managed to soak my backside while trying to drain the pooling water in the canopy. Overall the class was very informative and I walked away with a greater understanding of navigation via map and compass ...and a wet backside.<br>
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We then headed to Basic GPS navigation. There was a lot of information in this course, but for the most part what I learned was to pay close attention to which companies were easiest to share information. Some companies make it difficult to do so. Google Earth is also worth investing in if you aren't already using it to plan your trips.<br>
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In addition to putting on an awesome event, Jonathan Hanson also teaches class as well. We were fortunate enough to spend time learning non lethal Hi-Lift Jack techniques. It was a fairly basic class, but the info is invaluable. I enjoyed lifting his Tacoma by its impressive Pronghorn brand front bumper. Another valuable class consisted of food prep and packaging. There was a lot of info available from the instructor and we learned a lot. Luckily we brought note pads along with us.<br>
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I won't bore you with an account of each class we took as there were numerous, instead I'll just say they were very well thought out and equally informative. We learned to weld with car batteries, purify drinking water, package food, navigate, vehicle recovery and a ton of other fun and useful things. Needless to say, we are looking forward to attending Overland Expo again in the future -next time, in Arizona.<br>
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Oh, I almost forgot, the reason I don't think we will be going with a dual battery system has to do with our needs. Since our main reason for wanting dual batteries was to keep from becoming stranded with a dead battery in the middle of nowhere, we found a better solution: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antigravity-Batteries-Micro-Start-Multi-Function-Personal/dp/B00FDYYK4A/ref=sr_1_27?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1412628152&sr=1-27&keywords=car+jump+starter" target="_blank">Antigravity Micro Starting system.</a> Amazon has them for <$100 USD with free shipping. Despite their small size, they will jump start several dead batteries, charge your iPhone, iPad, etc. several times all on one charge. What ever your needs, they are worth looking into.<br>
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Brandon. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"> </span></span><br>
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<i>ARB 2500 awning mounted and ready to go.</i></div>
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<i>Adventure Trailers flippac equipped JKU. </i></div>
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<i>Exploring Elements was there having just finished up in Alaska. </i></div>
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<i>Paul May from Equipt was very friendly and brought his very well equipped 4 Runner.</i> </div>
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<i>Dave Rees showing Gwen how to field weld using 3 automotive batteries. </i><br>
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<i>Mario Donovan instructing</i>. </div>
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<i>Mario Donovan of Adventure Trailers fame demonstrating safe trailering in technical terrain</i>. </div>
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<i>One of the <b>many </b>Defender 110's in attendance. </i></div>
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<i>Jonathan Hanson's Hi-Lift safety course underway. </i></div>
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<i>How to winch with a Hi-Lift. </i></div>
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<i>NC Transport's Doka. </i></div>
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<i>Every kind of Defender you may desire was in attendance. </i></div>
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<i>Gwen falling in love with this 510hp Supercharged V8 Landrover Sport during her Landrover Experience participation. </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzesSbkBFfwhBbu1ehsBU8KeqV36obkjQ94yNQM2RbKBSR5MconM3YMY2zwgI2Xa_HUeh2sfSL15sLXntLR5KS1XxyTG5Ui1qAafEwYCqKaQcK0PUZeDVR1I5XlE6R66F_iz_0xyCG96p/s640/blogger-image-1772726527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzesSbkBFfwhBbu1ehsBU8KeqV36obkjQ94yNQM2RbKBSR5MconM3YMY2zwgI2Xa_HUeh2sfSL15sLXntLR5KS1XxyTG5Ui1qAafEwYCqKaQcK0PUZeDVR1I5XlE6R66F_iz_0xyCG96p/s640/blogger-image-1772726527.jpg"></a></i></div>
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<i>An all electric Motoped spotted near the fire pit. </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDigJc8OvmR1-o6osJhf-Q0nD35NyfacywC6rMhAc5074KAUJAc9gzRB3ByJzBWQE_qVQOp-10B8vLZuz64ITYqcxF_xuwhGaNmpknIsjk07zt4SdpV3UIfT_eoTxux78zQLcwGh8VTVAg/s640/blogger-image-1302221149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDigJc8OvmR1-o6osJhf-Q0nD35NyfacywC6rMhAc5074KAUJAc9gzRB3ByJzBWQE_qVQOp-10B8vLZuz64ITYqcxF_xuwhGaNmpknIsjk07zt4SdpV3UIfT_eoTxux78zQLcwGh8VTVAg/s640/blogger-image-1302221149.jpg"></a></i></div>
<i>Adventure bikes as far as the eye can see. </i><br>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6uC5Xj91jF6_-mT5_2piMzS18JONu7LmJItI5HAM-tPPdjpL3Z6hgOmAFtnGs5nWqCqj-rQ3Rpav_v32V9wiYQBBRVh7_BkNe6Wn-aGWusukqnfjpWCLq4ZbmbUQ6yR0Tcs-4Yi7o8Sz/s640/blogger-image-508111200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6uC5Xj91jF6_-mT5_2piMzS18JONu7LmJItI5HAM-tPPdjpL3Z6hgOmAFtnGs5nWqCqj-rQ3Rpav_v32V9wiYQBBRVh7_BkNe6Wn-aGWusukqnfjpWCLq4ZbmbUQ6yR0Tcs-4Yi7o8Sz/s640/blogger-image-508111200.jpg"></a></i></div>
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<i>Many people were eager to share their personal vehicle builds with others. </i></div>
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<i>Expedition Overland's Toyota Tacoma.</i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jyMeOaD3iOYli-gAEu2y2qCAJLcKiGps7uLXPjfJ9YxHacMaCboSgSIssU6edLgFmuvYHgIyCIKoAnIbSPf2nvtVo0LUK4DMyZSIBGJH1lLhm9bnC_SgUJSvmCLqpaJH8dygzCJmJOex/s640/blogger-image-2026736175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jyMeOaD3iOYli-gAEu2y2qCAJLcKiGps7uLXPjfJ9YxHacMaCboSgSIssU6edLgFmuvYHgIyCIKoAnIbSPf2nvtVo0LUK4DMyZSIBGJH1lLhm9bnC_SgUJSvmCLqpaJH8dygzCJmJOex/s640/blogger-image-2026736175.jpg"></a></i></div>
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<i>Gwen trying her best to stay warm. Camp fires were forbidden in the campgrounds. </i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemurq0ZE3BUI_bHVh2ZoS49lJ0bMABmaMOx9UZ6f6bC5CuP4c7ucJFvWPF3jOtzpzfsO5PDLZLV_1mxsG2XooOMusLCsqvFnE0vGCxhT7GPtCXuRmVML5Ps2i7jQBFPil2fXV4PAZdHN0/s640/blogger-image--1888571117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemurq0ZE3BUI_bHVh2ZoS49lJ0bMABmaMOx9UZ6f6bC5CuP4c7ucJFvWPF3jOtzpzfsO5PDLZLV_1mxsG2XooOMusLCsqvFnE0vGCxhT7GPtCXuRmVML5Ps2i7jQBFPil2fXV4PAZdHN0/s640/blogger-image--1888571117.jpg"></a></i></div>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-12581624035466155372014-09-19T19:56:00.004-04:002014-09-19T19:56:41.135-04:00Doors but no roof!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-9vAdxnaG89dlC2dynI56EqcZTf78CRBMqFBoIgOgTajHYVF3lc5BMJ5EvuInBdcZ-xzuWK0bK6H5qVhi77ZlOnLH6oZegHBwCGbbcJXBMyb4c5llKfNlR1uYt7ACZRXnHdfEEARL1Nf/s1600/photo+3-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-9vAdxnaG89dlC2dynI56EqcZTf78CRBMqFBoIgOgTajHYVF3lc5BMJ5EvuInBdcZ-xzuWK0bK6H5qVhi77ZlOnLH6oZegHBwCGbbcJXBMyb4c5llKfNlR1uYt7ACZRXnHdfEEARL1Nf/s1600/photo+3-5.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super special teardrop offroad camper door #1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhSeXfrcfu59tP30TaSC4UTI0aG2cT1WPL8A8EDkNzllzMWZJRPBn9V7EzPI_mh1y6ezBbpky6IVt6KjZs_AYdvY9iivy5U4FQkTEaBkRJoZL9I2udxuqWN8eDJjHX3FK0kYbg4AMMcbP/s1600/photo+1-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhSeXfrcfu59tP30TaSC4UTI0aG2cT1WPL8A8EDkNzllzMWZJRPBn9V7EzPI_mh1y6ezBbpky6IVt6KjZs_AYdvY9iivy5U4FQkTEaBkRJoZL9I2udxuqWN8eDJjHX3FK0kYbg4AMMcbP/s1600/photo+1-4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hvoTNXjE5-bzxVznwLOY2I7jJrCpWJENxwlS8GqoK_1mZUA6mXVcEiMAocHcEG1E56md5Ip3nzrUzeDXXG9MHVp4eJ8fh2F_b_nYWCyGs3uGmSBoPHnJvUWqA77htXRzcMqKV5OiE3dV/s1600/photo+1-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hvoTNXjE5-bzxVznwLOY2I7jJrCpWJENxwlS8GqoK_1mZUA6mXVcEiMAocHcEG1E56md5Ip3nzrUzeDXXG9MHVp4eJ8fh2F_b_nYWCyGs3uGmSBoPHnJvUWqA77htXRzcMqKV5OiE3dV/s1600/photo+1-5.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpj9mumSGMIqs6xX7NwatdMrJPdsrxb3q-29Bswy1XZ7bSZmLA1IjT6gIVDXkNSAbr5Rt1yCUJeqGznc-YOKpdtSGjuEHKXyUdAK8-NM3ApAECPHyffLrHZ6j3PSdfKXY_B7rOOYDkuQWE/s1600/photo+2-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpj9mumSGMIqs6xX7NwatdMrJPdsrxb3q-29Bswy1XZ7bSZmLA1IjT6gIVDXkNSAbr5Rt1yCUJeqGznc-YOKpdtSGjuEHKXyUdAK8-NM3ApAECPHyffLrHZ6j3PSdfKXY_B7rOOYDkuQWE/s1600/photo+2-4.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIVaDf64HkK3dfPoWj7hJ1pD2u9v30HtNIXBzR82rtARFbWGTuv5N8zM-Rz5L7HbAeLnFj4lgnpEzkAWTKwPqzIdLvJTE3ck2TpHQJfzyxXHELDgo3oA8uQJ1YchWwddc6AINgK5GnBOG/s1600/photo+2-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIVaDf64HkK3dfPoWj7hJ1pD2u9v30HtNIXBzR82rtARFbWGTuv5N8zM-Rz5L7HbAeLnFj4lgnpEzkAWTKwPqzIdLvJTE3ck2TpHQJfzyxXHELDgo3oA8uQJ1YchWwddc6AINgK5GnBOG/s1600/photo+2-5.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwT6EPwFz7Fjq0LQeqxdxV6MYggxRbkYce_QNJLIvDRhESNmdRJFhWCqk5R9K3W1rfegsIEwn9VR-0iePSREvdc9JRzeFOG1Nty6G5POIB14thz6nY8st2CyTk-n6OR5pwO4zs7Q56B2P/s1600/photo+3-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbwT6EPwFz7Fjq0LQeqxdxV6MYggxRbkYce_QNJLIvDRhESNmdRJFhWCqk5R9K3W1rfegsIEwn9VR-0iePSREvdc9JRzeFOG1Nty6G5POIB14thz6nY8st2CyTk-n6OR5pwO4zs7Q56B2P/s1600/photo+3-4.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water pump</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFG724PiGzkfBmuHASP7vJgbrqlC1zFq_Sg47U4AM_flO2bMujxhsDsZ8I_M7LSw5lfJTeUjbp5PCDn5t8S4SlV6i7JTeSQAuuDla3vu3eCk9q6mBH0I40yAIW6rfC2Op4aaaaFwSk0m6/s1600/photo+4-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFG724PiGzkfBmuHASP7vJgbrqlC1zFq_Sg47U4AM_flO2bMujxhsDsZ8I_M7LSw5lfJTeUjbp5PCDn5t8S4SlV6i7JTeSQAuuDla3vu3eCk9q6mBH0I40yAIW6rfC2Op4aaaaFwSk0m6/s1600/photo+4-4.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water tank fill valve</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBk2lenBXb7dokOToPJt0uZCy7Tqmu_KqsRuQPw8d37mqATi4_MaDB21Ttr0JBQazwLHiFwQzKyHeaN47odffTuC9hN0DKVQzlnXjYrQHEs4r5YcUyus82yxP82F_I7XLxDN4IsFeaFBa5/s1600/photo+5-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBk2lenBXb7dokOToPJt0uZCy7Tqmu_KqsRuQPw8d37mqATi4_MaDB21Ttr0JBQazwLHiFwQzKyHeaN47odffTuC9hN0DKVQzlnXjYrQHEs4r5YcUyus82yxP82F_I7XLxDN4IsFeaFBa5/s1600/photo+5-1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest pumpkins ever!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-69899836820339907412014-09-19T19:43:00.000-04:002014-09-19T19:44:59.844-04:00Putting the pieces together...Brandon fixed my boo boo...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDyNw9LGR1XYLcF09RXeLyH-DiHT3ZX3L_t6x57e2brHRPt_oSlJNR-Kl7KEGZJzmdta5ZUrIXjF8VOx_P7OEEmE_fQqWLgSA5QgaAYVeJSUd7_7VGJ0Qgjeog0mb3tIPtrz4rvGUN0IE/s1600/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDyNw9LGR1XYLcF09RXeLyH-DiHT3ZX3L_t6x57e2brHRPt_oSlJNR-Kl7KEGZJzmdta5ZUrIXjF8VOx_P7OEEmE_fQqWLgSA5QgaAYVeJSUd7_7VGJ0Qgjeog0mb3tIPtrz4rvGUN0IE/s1600/b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGnx5AknjUYZk9LPdTw0U3JJ2HOPWbh7Ex33pcxswTeJwee0APRsoJI4EX_J98Q4xewICxoTU79KgKeMN2heWuhcmCfegFHEHtYrB8BJl87yjF-w-fU-K_EIrdcuZgPp-B-M4fjeYTcx9/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGnx5AknjUYZk9LPdTw0U3JJ2HOPWbh7Ex33pcxswTeJwee0APRsoJI4EX_J98Q4xewICxoTU79KgKeMN2heWuhcmCfegFHEHtYrB8BJl87yjF-w-fU-K_EIrdcuZgPp-B-M4fjeYTcx9/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGnx5AknjUYZk9LPdTw0U3JJ2HOPWbh7Ex33pcxswTeJwee0APRsoJI4EX_J98Q4xewICxoTU79KgKeMN2heWuhcmCfegFHEHtYrB8BJl87yjF-w-fU-K_EIrdcuZgPp-B-M4fjeYTcx9/s1600/a.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcxmOlE0kecHE7zDBDXqZ_k4MqQmjCfDbXgYNVjDsjcar6a-9sD7V0YY9wdK2ahMyIcHeK54neh8cG5XbKO_pvRm3kABPe9UTcJjP5bQPR8kBpp66UfqNEKZ_WJrr_Sp9IbF33HMk8V9M/s1600/c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcxmOlE0kecHE7zDBDXqZ_k4MqQmjCfDbXgYNVjDsjcar6a-9sD7V0YY9wdK2ahMyIcHeK54neh8cG5XbKO_pvRm3kABPe9UTcJjP5bQPR8kBpp66UfqNEKZ_WJrr_Sp9IbF33HMk8V9M/s1600/c.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safety first!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-V58g7nvr1O8tFTmoLS2nG4gPEo98nxXVW24gblHHueUmmz832Pk_oZ-4OoAr9r8CzT5lgKpD1JcZYlASOstOysB37oOdRdwyzlHN1jRUNFgweE19J_qK5nCd7U7YRhPggEIZmOyzLqU/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-V58g7nvr1O8tFTmoLS2nG4gPEo98nxXVW24gblHHueUmmz832Pk_oZ-4OoAr9r8CzT5lgKpD1JcZYlASOstOysB37oOdRdwyzlHN1jRUNFgweE19J_qK5nCd7U7YRhPggEIZmOyzLqU/s1600/d.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supervisor of cuteness!</td></tr>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4qHvANjxTB8%2FVBy9ynuoRyI%2FAAAAAAAAD3g%2FuLex1bHFucI%2Fs1600%2Fa.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGnx5AknjUYZk9LPdTw0U3JJ2HOPWbh7Ex33pcxswTeJwee0APRsoJI4EX_J98Q4xewICxoTU79KgKeMN2heWuhcmCfegFHEHtYrB8BJl87yjF-w-fU-K_EIrdcuZgPp-B-M4fjeYTcx9/s1600/a.jpg" -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-53018802682608891662014-09-07T22:29:00.000-04:002014-09-07T22:47:38.227-04:00And the build begins...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqhNgGgPei1JL5kBPQxA6bukweNOR3t9ajibHMnXbxB6IyJ88yyV2Xw6T8slAGZ2GgEo4eNL6U20RWVjr3MlBPnOuOoqxi4Y0YyDBU4OCI1tL-Zpzljj1nlllAK9lByJP4LKvMI5m4Tt7/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqhNgGgPei1JL5kBPQxA6bukweNOR3t9ajibHMnXbxB6IyJ88yyV2Xw6T8slAGZ2GgEo4eNL6U20RWVjr3MlBPnOuOoqxi4Y0YyDBU4OCI1tL-Zpzljj1nlllAK9lByJP4LKvMI5m4Tt7/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>We have been plotting and planning to build an offroad teardrop type camper and have finally started to get to work. The idea is to be able to offroad and have a quick place to sleep on any terrain. Setting up a tent every night is getting old, and so are we (well at least Brandon is hahaha)! The idea is based of the Moby off-road trailers.<br />
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The build started August 12th...<br />
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The iphone is also the radio, hence the "selfies" all in the same spot :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBax82vkSfx8u__N2e54YQG6pvplgHfW0QOkRXcB-rcxuwhY0cWK1-S8KXBqQAOiiewWZJyBBK1QmVlx3WteY4b9w7X7ih_iI62I9g4yI1pPdAxoy8DcNGW9eZeBxnzlHmRnZ-CPI8IAnr/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBax82vkSfx8u__N2e54YQG6pvplgHfW0QOkRXcB-rcxuwhY0cWK1-S8KXBqQAOiiewWZJyBBK1QmVlx3WteY4b9w7X7ih_iI62I9g4yI1pPdAxoy8DcNGW9eZeBxnzlHmRnZ-CPI8IAnr/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNW9s6c3yi7rA9Wu2R6cuaTsW26jdLIGG2IoSrihxwdI9lHMpCAppod-qvwGkMs-kNlC3H_yCUYt0EjWtlC2q9zjQZNKudt4k9MtEOvnesX2GVe-hSvw2qqEidf7xdy14huu0_uANB2PO/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNW9s6c3yi7rA9Wu2R6cuaTsW26jdLIGG2IoSrihxwdI9lHMpCAppod-qvwGkMs-kNlC3H_yCUYt0EjWtlC2q9zjQZNKudt4k9MtEOvnesX2GVe-hSvw2qqEidf7xdy14huu0_uANB2PO/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done with the base part after multiple <br />
trips to the Lowes and Home Depot! </td></tr>
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We got another yorkie too...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRekAfLvZA_OJ6m5F_ohMiS00acypf3lNPy2kREUO3cdtzf9qK1koqcwkr3BrJ5nC1G9KU2CeLzs8awwzhtNIaI6XKOhmOdf4HcvnHeKG5bXK9RFKsD7xce1l3WkVgFeb34CTbitkJB-X/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRekAfLvZA_OJ6m5F_ohMiS00acypf3lNPy2kREUO3cdtzf9qK1koqcwkr3BrJ5nC1G9KU2CeLzs8awwzhtNIaI6XKOhmOdf4HcvnHeKG5bXK9RFKsD7xce1l3WkVgFeb34CTbitkJB-X/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwerR86KhCXzzdGvqHT3o-wzqA5I0lYs-igFCW12sd6Q7Gp6AFdw1uj5A67g-XQp8cEIJLTp0PVOuhHigmNBR24rVffmf9nHH25nw4PorBLTXJAUS695SeU4BMxR7EJoPXfGvX2GYbs1xI/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwerR86KhCXzzdGvqHT3o-wzqA5I0lYs-igFCW12sd6Q7Gp6AFdw1uj5A67g-XQp8cEIJLTp0PVOuhHigmNBR24rVffmf9nHH25nw4PorBLTXJAUS695SeU4BMxR7EJoPXfGvX2GYbs1xI/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEV8Bg2K3EfiDZm4MhE9kBkexk-Nf4kk8cJsHQwHajYaDoOJui9OPSJLaRpG5sIVyVFJboacEOCsDz2P7QONwuNaHXNn-jVqueM_lPZhYFi1giUycoBm_5hcwgYqwgSctz-htnGK6p9t2/s1600/photo+4-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEV8Bg2K3EfiDZm4MhE9kBkexk-Nf4kk8cJsHQwHajYaDoOJui9OPSJLaRpG5sIVyVFJboacEOCsDz2P7QONwuNaHXNn-jVqueM_lPZhYFi1giUycoBm_5hcwgYqwgSctz-htnGK6p9t2/s1600/photo+4-2.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pen is for size reference. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfWPWzYn_dfF0xsmT3HUqTUlDF5Zr2gg3pxZD71ZZmmXsZsJ1K1U0_f2Wt8mqOlkQmSmTLRwc2AnHHHDCbXt6thv-o2MlhRdFBwNMUUj1zJiYDiJqxvYV3lahDzesjY4gxq4fy0duLrwQ/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfWPWzYn_dfF0xsmT3HUqTUlDF5Zr2gg3pxZD71ZZmmXsZsJ1K1U0_f2Wt8mqOlkQmSmTLRwc2AnHHHDCbXt6thv-o2MlhRdFBwNMUUj1zJiYDiJqxvYV3lahDzesjY4gxq4fy0duLrwQ/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokopelli and Ninja</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmPtE6CopJ_XJr9rv8L3GZCJvru6OoCRKltAaTHmAniwDyejswCf7fLy77PIJSmpQVuoyaw1EHZNxt3Pu9ySMcvp1KxaM5tDPHROo8FxATYuXI1BnUCY1dOZnE3zW0Qo3ChH7Kgug3lbV/s1600/photo+3-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmPtE6CopJ_XJr9rv8L3GZCJvru6OoCRKltAaTHmAniwDyejswCf7fLy77PIJSmpQVuoyaw1EHZNxt3Pu9ySMcvp1KxaM5tDPHROo8FxATYuXI1BnUCY1dOZnE3zW0Qo3ChH7Kgug3lbV/s1600/photo+3-1.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLU8aYf5NXciWVnMV6o6CL0xycQ9VSIfVfNNmu8zlDLsHHnaQzZLtNjAJarAp4Jhiuu676Mm7FIRfw8-8BPknl600z5fKJRVjQGIMllUF9j7ltPMCXGESs7VQnq7uroQSkeXeMso6oF7y/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLU8aYf5NXciWVnMV6o6CL0xycQ9VSIfVfNNmu8zlDLsHHnaQzZLtNjAJarAp4Jhiuu676Mm7FIRfw8-8BPknl600z5fKJRVjQGIMllUF9j7ltPMCXGESs7VQnq7uroQSkeXeMso6oF7y/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this happened today. I was in charge of measuring.<br />
Why do they make millimeters so small!!<br />
And, you know what Brandon said, "Well, at least I get to use the router now." Love that man.</td></tr>
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Overland Expo East in 25 days!!! I hope we get the cabin part done, otherwise we will be in the tent!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-24642440180443509072014-06-03T11:15:00.000-04:002014-06-03T11:20:54.955-04:00Cathedral Caverns State ParkCathedral Caverns State Park is located near Woodville, Alabama and was designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1972. According to our guide, nicknamed "Elmo" -at least I hope it's a nickname, archaeologists state that the cave was inhabited by Native Americans as early as 7000 BCE and as late as 200 years ago.<br />
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<u>Some of the unique features of Cathedral Caverns include</u>:</div>
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<li>A massive cave opening that stands at 126 feet wide and 25 feet tall making it the widest opening of any commercial cave.</li>
<li>A 35 foot wide flow stone wall -which Elmo stated looked like the "southbound end of a northbound pachyderm". </li>
<li>A 792x200ft "Big Room" -which was simply amazing to see in person.</li>
<li>Goliath Column, measured at 45 feet tall.</li>
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It would seem that the cave temperature is fairly stable and quite comfortable throughout the year. I would suggest going when the weather is either too hot or too cold to visit other state parks. Of course, you can visit whenever it is open, but the temperature differential will be appreciated more during extreme outside temperatures. We chose to go when it was hot outside, the inside of the cave was a wonderful escape from the hot humid Alabama air. </div>
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The tour started with a brief introduction from our funny little tour guide, Elmo. I would describe him as being in his late forties, about five feet seven inches tall and round in the middle. He was sporting a pair of denim overalls and his bearded face was adorned with a warm tooth barren smile. With all due respect, Elmo is a really nice host who obviously loves his job very much. The introduction was followed up with the typical: hands off, stay together, keep your hands and feet inside at all times -yes, it's a walking tour (unless you are Elmo, then you ride an electric golf cart out front), but you get the idea.</div>
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As our group moved through the enormous entrance, I couldn't help but to wonder what the first group who passed through this very spot so many years ago must have been thinking -I imagine bears would have been the first thing on my mind. Today the interior is well lit with small incandescent bulbs projecting light from the cave floor toward the ceiling. These lights illuminate the various natural wonders that carry on for over two miles of meandering foot paths. There is a galvanized steel pipe barrier that lines both sides of the sidewalk throughout the tour in order to keep visitors from wandering off into the expansive darkness. Ever so often, Elmo would stop to show us an interesting stalactite (the jagged mineral outcrops that line the ceiling) or stalagmite (similar structures that line the floor). Eventually <a href="http://www.nps.gov/ozar/forteachers/speleothems.htm" target="_blank">stalactites leaking water onto the cave floor would form deposits. These deposits would build up, thus creating stalagmites</a>. After millions of years of doing this, they would eventually meet in the middle. And there is your science lesson for the day. </div>
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Of course, the first people to enter Cathedral Caverns would not have had the luxury of our bearded little guide, nor would they have had indoor lighting. They certainly would have missed out on quite a bit. For example, Elmo stopped us as soon as we hit the first turn and lost the familiar glow of sunlight that was initially leading the way. Here we found ourselves standing on top of a small hill with a small stream a several yards below the railing. He pulled out a flashlight from the center pocket of his overalls and began to scan the walls and ceiling until he came upon what he was searching for. On the right wall about ten yards away, there was a small bat hanging upside down sleeping. According to Elmo, these "chicken nugget" sized mammals are great with sweet and sour dipping sauce. You may deem otherwise, but I'll take his word for it. Having found the little chicken nugget, he switched the golf cart into gear and we moved on.</div>
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<i>If you squint your eyes, you may see a small bat.</i></div>
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As we carried on, the cave began to expand ahead of us and the pathway snaked its way up and down and left and right over and over again. The whole way, Elmo continued to scan the walls for chicken nuggets and occasionally would stop on one long enough for the group to see it. The next attraction was the original pathway where James Gurley, the man responsible for creating the original cave tour, had taken his guests in the 1950's. Where we had a nice wide concrete path with panoramic views of both sides of the cave, early guests would have been hugging the left wall in an attempt to stay upright. Also below was the path and bridge that Gurley would have driven his retired Army Jeep across in order to carry supplies in and out of the cave while he was developing it. The remnants of the old bridge and path were still there but, sadly, they didn't see fit to leave the little Jeep as part of the display. Again, Elmo switched the golf cart into gear and we followed behind. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We then stopped at the flow stone wall. I peered up as I attempted to soak in the enormity of the massive 32 foot wall. The surface glistened and appeared to dance in the incandescent light cast from down below. My eyes followed across the smooth hilly top of the structure and down the grooves that separated the mounds. I decided that they looked like giant molars and snapped a couple of pictures of it. This is when Elmo put his hand on my shoulder and told me that he was going to toss me over the side. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Before the tour kicked off I had made a joke, as I often do, and his idea of retribution was to make me a permanent fixture on the enormous flow stone wall</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">. He pointed at what appeared to be a face on the side of the wall and calmly stated "that was the last guy who made jokes during one of my tours". Of course he was only kidding and I got that, but after he made his way back to the front of the tour, one of the group members said "I didn't know what he was about to do when he snuck up behind you like that". I just laughed and and snapped a few more pictures. Elmo hopped back on the golf cart, and the tour continued.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">As the group ascended into the darkness, I found myself daydreaming again. I tried to imagine what the cave would look like as the light from our torches danced on the walls and stalagmites casting long shadows on the path ahead. I also pondered the likelihood of chicken nugget guano landing on our heads. What are the chances these little guys will wake up while we are down here? I suppose that I could tuck my head into my t-shirt and hope for the best. In some cultures it may be considered good luck to have a bat poo on one's head, but I'm a southern man and 'round here, that's just plain nasty! With that thought, I snapped out of my fantasy state and sped up to catch up with the rest of the group.</span></div>
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The cave was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I won't give away too much of what we saw. It's an experience best enjoyed in person as words don't really do it justice. The entire tour took about an hour and a half so make sure you feed the little ones lunch first. One spoiler, if you are afraid of the dark, this trip is not for you. At one point, in the deepest part of the cave, Elmo cuts off all of the lights, placing you in total darkness. Once the lights come back on the tour is officially over and you can find your way back at your own pace which gives you enough time to snap a few more photos as you leave.<br />
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<i>Elmo photobombed everyone with a camera or camera phone.</i></div>
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There are other activities for the kids, we took Victoria over to the mining area so she could try her hand as a prospector. They basically hand you a bag of sand a sifter and your child pours some sand into the sifter. A trough of flowing water is then used to separate the sand and expose all of the goodies hidden inside. She ended up with some cool rocks to take home along with some memories that hopefully will last a lifetime. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-66412985077145975452014-05-29T16:39:00.001-04:002014-05-30T14:04:45.684-04:00Big Tree vs. the Libby'sThis little outing happened about two months ago….<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_kjJnkB-veTHZNr_dP1zpXZOErPIhn5R8AJII9HYHGuDvMmGrx9Gs6UBnvgNBLUTQtzmCz3whhNTGMz01_AdXc7jf7Rh7C01EYQJ-xr7K56j3T6xaB90TYNxuy_sU40NwNutKK_-B9rM/s640/blogger-image-1248853605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_kjJnkB-veTHZNr_dP1zpXZOErPIhn5R8AJII9HYHGuDvMmGrx9Gs6UBnvgNBLUTQtzmCz3whhNTGMz01_AdXc7jf7Rh7C01EYQJ-xr7K56j3T6xaB90TYNxuy_sU40NwNutKK_-B9rM/s640/blogger-image-1248853605.jpg"></a>So we were excited about our new Jeep JK and the winch which was promptly installed shortly after driving her home. That's when we felt the need to take an afternoon to picnic down some forest service roads here in Alabama. When we we were a good many miles down a particular road, far enough that we didn't want to have to turn around and retrace our muddy tire tracks, we came upon a large pine tree that had fallen across the road after a recent storm. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRBYgeb14WN5EHjzd-ujV0plncJ-5uXw44y-6TPHioEePn_5bUqspwaBTc4tKiMRHw7HcJcozV7_tmkDtMGk8BH9NEPlG1-RFQhty0ax42cDImJGnFuv4h_odGw28V6l3Z_BdsHsd61e/s640/blogger-image-70510265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRBYgeb14WN5EHjzd-ujV0plncJ-5uXw44y-6TPHioEePn_5bUqspwaBTc4tKiMRHw7HcJcozV7_tmkDtMGk8BH9NEPlG1-RFQhty0ax42cDImJGnFuv4h_odGw28V6l3Z_BdsHsd61e/s640/blogger-image-70510265.jpg"></a></div>It rains a lot in Alabama. We're from coastal South Carolina and still can't believe the amount of rainfall (and tornado scares) we've experienced in the short time we've been here. Typically, the rain comes down in massive amounts in a very short period of time which creates flash flooding all over the Tennessee Valley area. This had been one of those storms. The ground had become so saturated that the roots of the tree lost their grip in the squishy mud. When we reached the ill fated tree, it had only been on the ground for maybe 24hrs. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Before this day, I had never attempted to clear an obstacle with a winch. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I saw this as an opportunity to practice using the Warn M8000 that was pulled off of our recently sold Jeep Cherokee to try my hand at it. After closely inspecting the tree from the road, I opened the tailgate and pulled my gloves, winch remote, and a tree strap from the small storage cubby in the trunk floorboard. Then I spooled the winch cable out to the TIQ (tree in question). <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYLnYoT-f-7Pw5D9a__NBIMAO4ESTZHEHmYKnCN1YZog8f7DTR2A3utTWb5nVQ5ct-L94sUg6JABZg_TTlk4voNRv1sDWxzOGdKsYHH4LRuxfhUJPTPsgAtt0hkIRLLf0F3mq2i5ERLVl/s640/blogger-image-1550336809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYLnYoT-f-7Pw5D9a__NBIMAO4ESTZHEHmYKnCN1YZog8f7DTR2A3utTWb5nVQ5ct-L94sUg6JABZg_TTlk4voNRv1sDWxzOGdKsYHH4LRuxfhUJPTPsgAtt0hkIRLLf0F3mq2i5ERLVl/s640/blogger-image-1550336809.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The branches were close together and covered in fresh tree sap -which resulted in some clever dance moves to navigate the labrynth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">First, I wrapped the tree strap around the body of the tree between some hefty branches. The branches kept the strap from sliding up the trunk once the winch was deployed. It's important to keep at least one full wrap of winch line around the drum. This ensures that the friction of the drum does the work of holding the line in place, as opposed to the bolt at the end of the line. Next, I hung a weighted vest over the middle of the winch cable to help reduce the energy of the cable if it broke. With everything in place, I plugged the remote in and made sure my wife and I were safely out of the way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The winch quickly spooled up the slack in the cable and began pulling the tree forward. It was working! Well, not really. The tree was only bending and once it got to a certain point the winch began to groan -as did I. I should have been in the Jeep holding the brake, but I didn't even think about it. Previously, I had only winched my vehicle or another vehicle from a sticky situation -as I said before, I had never attempted to clear an obstacle from the road. The Jeep let out three clicks from underneath as it lunged forward in park. I was terrified that I had broken the parking pawl in my new Jeep. Luckily, it was fine. As the pit in my stomach began to fade, I called myself a few choice names under my breath and moved on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The tree was bending rather than moving. Clearly this meant I needed <i>more power.</i> So I moved the Jeep closer to the tree and looped the cable through a pulley and back to the shackle on my bumper. Gwen climbed into the Jeep and held the brake. It was time to try again. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B8SaErrU5oZMA82Si_XUHc7J2nWGDg6AfBFFfR9d8YEIRaE7m7ukMWmCbyfRWNYKVwEDo4A9KF_5KgsNCeOWTTdP5rHWAajU_qoAC9fVXx1jMxifwY9DzCDCahUOWknR9cn1mobGu4b-/s640/blogger-image--1203357363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B8SaErrU5oZMA82Si_XUHc7J2nWGDg6AfBFFfR9d8YEIRaE7m7ukMWmCbyfRWNYKVwEDo4A9KF_5KgsNCeOWTTdP5rHWAajU_qoAC9fVXx1jMxifwY9DzCDCahUOWknR9cn1mobGu4b-/s640/blogger-image--1203357363.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This time the winch moved the tree slower, but pulled the it much farther. It was obvious how much leverage the pulley provided, but it still only moved the tree a few feet. I relieved the stress on the line, pulled again and moved it a couple more feet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><br></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Remember when I said the ground was squishy? Well the trunk had pushed the ground in on the corner of the road which made a nice pocket to hold it in place</i>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Due to the muddy divot, the our opponent had some serious traction. I let the slack out again and let the winch cool off for a minute. I tried again with similar results -the tree moved a couple of feet, then stopped. Again, I tried, a couple of inches and then …nothing, it just stopped. By this time, a native Alabamian in a red Dodge Dakota had pulled up on the other side of the tree, hopped out, and began to tug on a can of Bud Light. I let the slack out and walked over to say hi and to look at the tree again. I introduced myself and my wife and explained that we were just out exploring until this tree put an end to our fun. He said his name ws, "Bubba" (you can't make this stuff up) and he was out drinking beer and driving the back roads as well -at least he wasn't driving on city streets. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While we were talking, I looked at the base of the tree and noticed it had become wedged between two other, much larger trees. I wasn't going to be able to finish extracting it without a chainsaw. Oh well. I learned a lot and got some much needed clearing practice and I had done it in the appropriate low-stress, safe setting. I bid Bubba adieu, then we headed on our seperate ways. On second thought, that tree may have kept us from a head on collision with Bubba and his case of Bud Light. Perhaps there was a different type of recovery happening right under our noses. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-12412632695734173952012-10-15T20:43:00.002-04:002014-06-03T11:22:45.936-04:00Status Update, Huntsville, Alabama is Our Home<br />
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Huntsville, Alabama</h2>
Population: 170,000<br />
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It's been some time since our last post. Things have been extremely busy around here. After completing our extended Utah trip we have been settling down in our new home in Huntsville, Alabama. It's nice here, the temperature has been consistently lower than that of Columbia, SC, our former home. The humidity is much lower as well. One thing I am looking forward to is the Fall. Beautiful leafy trees replace the ever present pine forest landscape that we are used to. Don't get me wrong, pines are beautiful, but they tend to snuff out all other foliage within reach of their acidic needles. I'm expecting there to be a lot of opportunities to photograph the impressive array of colors that this new backdrop will provide for us. The farms here are incredibly beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyx2Pbi_SEcY9BX-kygJaEDL1fROpyyj4Xqn3lkL0oeoXfzvVvjUZAogZANSDoFbAqbIXmQ9-_QHWBqkXKatJaOMzPzuSGRPhGvkAshU-i29DoG57LIXHudM-aFOFHJwM2bJWyA-Q7ARB/s1600/IMG_6571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyx2Pbi_SEcY9BX-kygJaEDL1fROpyyj4Xqn3lkL0oeoXfzvVvjUZAogZANSDoFbAqbIXmQ9-_QHWBqkXKatJaOMzPzuSGRPhGvkAshU-i29DoG57LIXHudM-aFOFHJwM2bJWyA-Q7ARB/s320/IMG_6571.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took this pic with my iPhone 3GS today on the way home. We are only 12 miles outside of the city and yet we are surrounded by beautiful cotton and corn fields. All of the corn has been cut down for the season, but the cotton is flourishing. This stuff make quite a mess of the local roads with loose cotton balls rolling any way the wind blows like tiny white tumbleweed. We also find ourselves surrounded by horses, cattle, and chickens as well! I love that we can live in "the country" without being too far from jobs or local culture.<br />
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In the spirit of our new surroundings, we have taken up gardening. This year we successfully tended to three bountiful tomato plants, and a ridiculously productive green bean plant. We even managed to grow some cucumbers and basil! We also unsuccessfully planted pumpkins the plant grew large and strong and even flowered, but we planted too late in the season so no pumpkins. Unfortunately the local Lowe's didn't have a very large seed collection for us to choose from. Next year we will have to hunt down a local Mom and Pop store for some seeds and advice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuwX58pudmDjAJpypObJxVvUzkjqlq8OSPeY9li6KAOrjnOoP2I0jaMmXUBATmofuYLowR96UONw9XSmUEtcKzYJEvfkIwfeSGyZyZRPTJU_guszB4WHNFrKSudYgYcI_nTB_mPGxP1rC/s1600/24edcb34d4db11e1b03f1231381004f4_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuwX58pudmDjAJpypObJxVvUzkjqlq8OSPeY9li6KAOrjnOoP2I0jaMmXUBATmofuYLowR96UONw9XSmUEtcKzYJEvfkIwfeSGyZyZRPTJU_guszB4WHNFrKSudYgYcI_nTB_mPGxP1rC/s320/24edcb34d4db11e1b03f1231381004f4_7.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i>Here are some of our tomatoes just waiting to be plucked, sliced, and eaten. This is as fresh as it gets.</i><br />
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<i>You don't have to travel far to see local wildlife. Nature can be viewed from our glassed in back porch.</i><br />
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<i>Praying Mantis.</i><br />
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<i>The skies here are absolutely stunning. Here are a couple pics taken from the backyard.</i><br />
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<i>Ninja really likes Huntsville. We are renting a house that sits on one half of an acre. Needless to say, Ninja runs rampant across the backyard chasing everything from bunnies to skinks or even giant crows. What can I say, she's the definition of a small dog.</i><br />
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<i>Ninja even made a new friend, say hi to Emma. She's a sweet dog, a big baby really. She stayed with us for a few days while her mom traveled. Her and Ninja get along great.</i><br />
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Gwen has been working non stop since we got here. We have been fortunate enough to spend some real quality time together on several weekends, but they are spread out most of the time. She loves puzzles and has put a few together since beginning her hectic schedule. She also likes to paint, this painting was done on some old canvases we had lying around for some time.<br />
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This was completed in an afternoon. I am admittedly biased, but I really think it turned out great! Gwen is the true talent around here. All things considered, Huntsville is a very nice city and is definitely different to other cities in Alabama. We are pleased to call this place home.<br />
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BrandonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-13854775280784871592012-06-09T18:44:00.001-04:002014-06-03T11:28:01.151-04:00Ten things I (Brandon) learned from our trip1. You can bring too much stuff<br />
2. Buy ice in blocks, not cubed<br />
3. Gwen did not read the directions. <br />
4. Buy a leatherman<br />
5. It is possible to shower with one gallon of water. <br />
6. Your jeep is more capable than you are. <br />
7. There is nothing to winch to in Moab<br />
8. Bring something soft to lay on because the ground is hard and you will be under the jeep. <br />
9. Avoid the bumpy blue roads. <br />
10. You can do Poison Spider on 31's<br />
-Brandon<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-60987599845288013172012-06-07T09:52:00.001-04:002014-06-03T11:27:43.049-04:00Car Camping in KansasFYI Kansas has some killer storms. We chased this thing through Denver and tornado warnings and then wanted to get far enough from it to be safe camping. Well around 11pm (our time) we stopped in Colby, Kansas at a truck stop to sleep in the car. We opened up our table over the cooler and camping stuff and laid the foampad and sleeping bags on it. Brandon, being 6'2 slept in the middle with his toes on the dash and forehead on the back hatch window. I am sure the truck drivers were laughing as we crawled into the little space we had. I got clostraphobic so my head was just behind the drivers seat headrest next to an open window. Ninja looked frantic and pissed. She finally settled down in her carseat but may never forgive us. And now we are listening to Ace of Base "the sign" (you know the song) eating gas station donuts and coffee. Life is good ;) we both slept great!!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-47336613174494830812012-06-06T22:14:00.001-04:002014-06-03T11:29:13.765-04:00Vail, ColoradoI want you to picture this world class ski resort for a minute. Now place our loud rumbling, muffler-free, dirty red jeep driving through. Bwahahaha. Beautiful to finally see during the summer. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-15348438809135277872012-06-06T15:55:00.001-04:002012-06-06T16:34:31.398-04:00Colorado!We couldn't stand the heat both day and night any longer, so we packed up and are headed to the Rockies. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aE6tq3WO-HfdRSgluOz3OzWVYpmLxpVsxPKE-PeWn_wB50Na-720KJAFDFiu65DP26J3ymppzm3Agt82OCR5ZmcA4WGm8yy65XsVb8mUS8JrXtBQ2YUCTWBbnIbWCOjKtP1OqBROuFHY/s640/blogger-image-1055975323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aE6tq3WO-HfdRSgluOz3OzWVYpmLxpVsxPKE-PeWn_wB50Na-720KJAFDFiu65DP26J3ymppzm3Agt82OCR5ZmcA4WGm8yy65XsVb8mUS8JrXtBQ2YUCTWBbnIbWCOjKtP1OqBROuFHY/s640/blogger-image-1055975323.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRhKIDabYt7qftLRrZ4RcyZbWOqLV6SiMySfxHAk5QXpO12QLwzGlrFHWeiKm_bk1lzDCtfCV0xeUYZCP322m4OaxsfYQmFHRJzZQEXPX4KL_V_DbzBKs4YqtUMIRWLB5FW9ui1bF3xZ8/s640/blogger-image-672103008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRhKIDabYt7qftLRrZ4RcyZbWOqLV6SiMySfxHAk5QXpO12QLwzGlrFHWeiKm_bk1lzDCtfCV0xeUYZCP322m4OaxsfYQmFHRJzZQEXPX4KL_V_DbzBKs4YqtUMIRWLB5FW9ui1bF3xZ8/s640/blogger-image-672103008.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2U3sIny6UQPFhB7FrXnAB-7KOQJag2zbdAGX3Xn1NM37tIeZpAOpbF1cMWfRdxZ0OI2ft9RpuAYcGZVbpZ6Ng85-iZjIZLrjFZw5uN3ij5mmgiC3vlBmLP1IR57yKsVbZu6CAAsHwgQ1/s640/blogger-image-1454662937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2U3sIny6UQPFhB7FrXnAB-7KOQJag2zbdAGX3Xn1NM37tIeZpAOpbF1cMWfRdxZ0OI2ft9RpuAYcGZVbpZ6Ng85-iZjIZLrjFZw5uN3ij5mmgiC3vlBmLP1IR57yKsVbZu6CAAsHwgQ1/s640/blogger-image-1454662937.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wVWuHgUt7J_pgrKhZxRvplvCv4a26hunPPqCuUrnQZ-I9MqEnk-5A-qff3f_kgZi4RSy0deGEGtXyYaQmKPpXf_KKH5_maMRO52PrIkOfWgKFZYDVcB9Ub6C1doahzkQWg0Pd8pHcpzk/s640/blogger-image-643253960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wVWuHgUt7J_pgrKhZxRvplvCv4a26hunPPqCuUrnQZ-I9MqEnk-5A-qff3f_kgZi4RSy0deGEGtXyYaQmKPpXf_KKH5_maMRO52PrIkOfWgKFZYDVcB9Ub6C1doahzkQWg0Pd8pHcpzk/s640/blogger-image-643253960.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-75550531657627469532012-06-06T14:54:00.001-04:002014-06-03T11:29:43.929-04:00Geyser passNice and cool to escape the 90 degrees in Moab. Had a nice nap by the lake. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-9804165088626755772012-06-04T20:19:00.001-04:002014-06-03T11:34:18.914-04:00La Sal PassAfter a few too many hot days, we headed up into the snowy mountains again for some fresh, cool air. <br />
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<i>The trees were truly magnificent! Unfortunately, some folks defaced many of them by carving their names onto them.</i></div>
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<i>One of the many small water crossings we experienced on this trip.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-49446521790504722652012-06-04T20:18:00.001-04:002012-06-04T20:19:07.308-04:00Ten Pearls of wisdom I have learned1. Learn to pee outside.<br />
2. You are going to eat bugs. Get over it. <br />
3. Your feet will always be a little dirty. <br />
4. Utah only sells Mikes Hard Lemonade in liquor stores, so stop asking gas station cashiers for it. <br />
5. Nobody cares that you are from the other side of the country, they only care about your cute dog. <br />
6. Never use a "vault" or "pit" toilet" . Evil lives down there. <br />
7. Bring Seinfeld series on DVD. You will run out of things to fight about. <br />
8. Wave when you pass people on trails. You are a douche if you dont't. <br />
9. Put your phone down, there's no reception here... Or here... Or over there. <br />
10. Ice cold beer is heaven sent at the end of the day, so plan ahead. <br />
- Gwen<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqG_G245PHtZ2-1xgfNK3Yawk3ZFRP1sCFOR64Ksy0H_FY4zGDAmHr1IoHyzQWK6ZxMQ6-lanWzHalsalTB_wx-Hb1RqUuVgldFTrqS1uVqx2P_WnF7A3RzwG4NSczLGzVmkQPH_1ZRhDf/s640/blogger-image--1235715824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqG_G245PHtZ2-1xgfNK3Yawk3ZFRP1sCFOR64Ksy0H_FY4zGDAmHr1IoHyzQWK6ZxMQ6-lanWzHalsalTB_wx-Hb1RqUuVgldFTrqS1uVqx2P_WnF7A3RzwG4NSczLGzVmkQPH_1ZRhDf/s640/blogger-image--1235715824.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-15984708898686504782012-06-03T18:50:00.001-04:002012-06-03T18:50:55.247-04:00Playing Chicken!Today we ventured out to Hurrah Pass and Chicken Corners. It was freakin' hot. We also lost out muffler and tailpipe which was going to hang proudly in our garage after being crumpled on steel bender. We are relaxing now and as you can see Brandon is double fisting ice cream bars! And Ninja has her head in the jerky bag. Some petroglyphs, cave homes, and scenery pics too! One more week and then we start our trek home! <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMV-zfz7ydVDXY7d9MSzIgpIHEZDm8vHfmiHM9cF5NCb6db9mGbvR6X9985hjxs_UELQR4BT37Mu3fKYlS_pfF29t9Bjj1DgW6jl-sOZX5chVndqZ_oR1uCXTNTELfG5v1c1hYhWTRmjoc/s640/blogger-image--1321077912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMV-zfz7ydVDXY7d9MSzIgpIHEZDm8vHfmiHM9cF5NCb6db9mGbvR6X9985hjxs_UELQR4BT37Mu3fKYlS_pfF29t9Bjj1DgW6jl-sOZX5chVndqZ_oR1uCXTNTELfG5v1c1hYhWTRmjoc/s640/blogger-image--1321077912.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6qYX0g-LhZTr3ouvv4aYXITCwgdVowTh03xL50IxmyKDtnEpndsiHk1czO0ILi4Ey4ejQaEQe5hGpSrr8vUhkkLU4yatr6pc7cziWfohFWz0kIHXL-j5U9a0HGh7V_M8m373ug0jyJAr/s640/blogger-image-1450008984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QY0nDXXg6lUSdDBCIFLME1KOYp4ZxMOgvvHEi0R5t805vwO-6IdSOe3Ay2YyRDcxN36bCkoy-pGIR82tFZQfsbL6VK5OokxwVJq64hdszX0LbggLfNMdZXynhN5AyZTJ7ao2tc-qXyN6/s640/blogger-image-258516884.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7315159522752227262.post-68490460662069655832012-06-02T13:19:00.001-04:002012-06-02T13:19:31.645-04:00Downtown MoabYesterday we walked around town and did some shopping. Moab really is a cute little town with Navajo and Western themed stores, hippie restaurants, microbreweries, and tons of tourist shops. Then we went to Arches National Park which was beautiful, but there were only five or so natural arches. Still very beautiful area out here. Pictures on my DSLR to come. <br />
Today we are running some errands and will try to fix the bad sensor on the jeep. It is running really rich and hot, luckily I have a brilliant man with me <br />
Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. -The Mechanic <br />
The quote above just 'autotexted' in. And i can't remove it. So there is some wisdom for you. <br />
It will probably rain today and you can really get in trouble with rain in the desert (ironic, right?) because the roads wash out and areas flood. We will stick close to camp. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxDYgt6iUpxXA_wsWbO6dDpcAiTchwpA-RG7-lXKWcT8p4lBUQhr7IJXccMFUntnVIPcbODvV0PadGDvC6ha8ovd6b0WXhwCzn69C6T_4zO-2Dos78KVJ25UHcLDhBZGVaAWgFNb94MsF/s640/blogger-image--1725507733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxDYgt6iUpxXA_wsWbO6dDpcAiTchwpA-RG7-lXKWcT8p4lBUQhr7IJXccMFUntnVIPcbODvV0PadGDvC6ha8ovd6b0WXhwCzn69C6T_4zO-2Dos78KVJ25UHcLDhBZGVaAWgFNb94MsF/s640/blogger-image--1725507733.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNKi6QvPY6zpVo1r6YCVpRgtvPvZE50kc8j2VneD889vdW2_YROtqMH1p5NOGhkwRO7Z2O7FmvlVMyv9b3qqG_U_twBmX_NPsPwkd2NFVLahgkJZ-aEFNrthgTd7GX0jXhc_97gFq8U8e/s640/blogger-image-135915117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNKi6QvPY6zpVo1r6YCVpRgtvPvZE50kc8j2VneD889vdW2_YROtqMH1p5NOGhkwRO7Z2O7FmvlVMyv9b3qqG_U_twBmX_NPsPwkd2NFVLahgkJZ-aEFNrthgTd7GX0jXhc_97gFq8U8e/s640/blogger-image-135915117.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537243254300506598noreply@blogger.com1