Who Is Hunting The Hunter?

 The woods of the Grand Nor Du Boise, are for the most part safe, pleasant, and some of the most beautiful hiking you'll experience anywhere on our Great Mother Earth.  Here in the North Country we don't have an excessive population of large predators. Taking a hike here in the forests is fairly safe, and all who have grown here are weened on the skills of watching for mamma bear, moose, and packs of coyotes or coydogs that group up and yap late into the evening.  

I come from a different set of woods.  The mountains I hail from have a whole different set of big toothy critters that have been know to set their sights on the slow two footed snack in the woods.  There are areas in the mountains of my home that you need to hire a professional guide in order to go safely into the night.  These armed mountain guides carry large guns to possibly dispatch the large people eating monsters that do wander to and fro amongst the higher elevations.  

When you grow up walking and riding along some of these places you develop a sense of being followed or watched.  When walking in the woods if a critter runs past in front of your stride, or has the courage to walk up to you in front of your path, that critter is not intending to do you harm.  Often, as we all know, in The Great North Woods, you'll come across bear, moose and even other two legged, most of the time your not going to have a negative experience.  The two of you will most likely have some sort of exchange, a look, a gaze, even a sound, then each goes your merry ways.  Nothing to fear.  However, if you're walking or riding along a path and suddenly get the urge to turn and look behind you, or get the uneasy feeling you're being followed or watched, chances are very high you are being followed or watched.  

In the big woods if you're being followed or watched and get that extremely uncomfortable feeling in the pit that something is not right, you must follow your instincts.  We have the same set of instincts that keeps the fuzzy bunny alive, the squirrel scampering the tree, and yes the people to remain people.  We have a very practiced set of survival skills.  We have developed them over millions of years of evolution and change.  We, because of our nature, are also the ones that do the following, and the watching. We are predators after all.   

Friends will walk up to you and shake your hand in welcome and respect.  They will come to you and introduce themselves.  Animals will come into your field of vision if they do not fear you for much the same reason people do as an introduction.  If you're in the woods and get that feeling, and you turn to look to see nothing, but know something is there, you must follow your instincts because you are being Hunted...

Peace and Balance,

John

Surviving the Return

 

So we've survived the return to school, and in retrospect survived the holiday break.  Not to many complaints from students about the nature of the Claus.  No one received a lump of coal even though they may have deserved one or more.  Lends me to believe the Claus is a softy and has a big heart.  The children were amused and happy, assuming that's their thing.  

Now we have a few weeks before a break at the end of February, then again in April.  Ya know, teaching is a good gig.  We deal with crazy kids, wigged out administration, and stressed peers for a few short weeks at a time and have breaks of comfort that lead into three months of summertime, yes indeed a good gig.  

However, many of us in this profession are looking to congress at this time wondering if they will get their heads out of a proverbial uncomfortable spot and let pass President Biden's education loan forgiveness bill.  In my situation it would completely clear up the rest of my student loans and let the funds that have been flowing in and out of my bank account continue to do so in the manner it is.  I can pay my bills without worrying to dang much and I like it that way.  

Problem is, the, "Haves" don't like the idea of giving to those that fit into the, "Have Not" crowd.  If the Have Nots suddenly had the ability to be somewhat independent of the Haves, then who would be in power?  That is a question the Moral Majority fears.  That represents freedom for the Have Nots from them, and who would mow their lawns?

I mow my own lawn, and I generally don't let a few power hungry folk lean on me to much.  I generally keep the ear buds in and listen to my classic rock as I mow, and ignore the Have's.  Yep, teaching is a good gig.  Thing is I haven't really been teaching long enough to have any kind of saved up retirement.  I started kinda late in the game and will have to rely on Social Security, and my past skills to maintain independence.   Also another good gig.  

Peace and Balance,

John