Just finished up the traditional ways gathering.  Was a good time, I’ll add a post about it soon.  I was able to, among other things, finish up my bow.

Wisconsin is beautiful country, though the weather is a bit unpredictable.

I plan to spending the rest of the month in Northern Wisconsin, probably will not be updating the blog for at least a week or two.

On the bus to Ithica, ny to get my car.

Geez louise, about time for an update. I spent three weeks at the Rainbow nationals and had an amazing time. I went and told everybody to check out my blog and have not even bothered to update it yet. So here’s a quick update.

May 20, approximately 4:20pm - Aaron Wolf is highest man in New York

After spending a three days in Burlington I was off to ascend Mt. Marcy the highest point in New York. My objective for this hike was simple: to be the highest man in New York.

Left Georgia and headed North East to New Jersey, back to the Tracker School this time to help out with the standard class. I had about a week before the class started so I decided to head to North Carolina and maybe hike the Smoky Mountains. I drove straight to Gatlinburg TN and got a room. May is a great time to find cheap rooms in Gatlinburg; I got a nice room with a balcony overlooking a flowing mountain stream for $50…far out.

Think of the many articles one can find every year in the Wall Street Journal describing some entrepreneur or businessmen as being a “pioneer” or a “maverick” or a “cowboy.” Think of the many times these ambitious modern men are described as “staking their claim” or boldly pushing themselves “beyond the frontier” or even “riding into the sunset.” We still use these words today to describe our boldest citizens, but it’s really a code now, because these guys aren’t actually pioneers; they are talented computer programmers, biogenetic researchers, politicians, or media mongrels making a big splash in a fast modern economy.

But when Eustace Conway talks about staking a claim, the guy is literally talking about staking a goddam claim.

- Elizabeth Gilbert, The Last American Man

Her’s some video of Eustace Conway speaking at Earthskills Rendezvous. After reading The Last American Man it’s easy to dismiss Eustace Conway as a delusional disgruntled survivalist turned homesteader turned mad man in the woods louring prospective wifes to his work farm. Such is the fallout when you let a coyote ugly bartender chick (who now that she’s a mom and been to India and all should probably be referred to as “woman”, or as Eustace Conway would probably say “female”) write what would appear to be your biography.

dawn at rivercane earthskills gathering

Spent the last week of April attending the earthskills rendezvous. These folks actually do two gatherings, the Spring gathering is known as the Rivercane Rendezvous and the Fall gathering is the Falling Leafs Rendezvous. Information for both events can be found at Earthskills Rendezvous.com.

The 25th Rivercane anniversary attracted about 250 participants making this years gathering the largest in the the organizations history. Darry Wood described the first ever Rivrcane gathering as “5 guys standing around a dead deer” (for more history see the Earthskills website).

Two of the Rivercane Rendezvous original founders Darry Wood and Snow Bear.

Left Sarasota Friday on my way to Georgia to check out the Earthskills Rendezvous. I’ll be there for a week, then to New Jersey to volunteer at the Tracker school, and finally back to Indiana. Should arrive in Bloomington in about three weeks in time for Elf Fest. Have a few other trips already in the worked for this summer.

In Gainesville Friday night, stopped in the yearling restaurant, Willie Green sings  blues there every weekend.

Sarasota is full of surprises, including a cool kayak trail through mangrove tunnels located on South Lido Beach. Since I had attempted to sail in Sarasota Bay early that day I got a somewhat late start and did not get to the launch site until around three o’clock. Worked out well though because the last guided tour was leaving and I had the mangroves all to myself. Some photos from the trip are posted below.

Back in Sarasota. Spent about two weeks with the Rainbow Family gathering in Apalachicola State Forest. Pretty mellow gathering. I picked up a friend in Gainsville and we made it to the gathering after dark around 9pm. It was raining on and off all evening so I decided to find a spot and get set up as soon as I arrived. Trying to find a spot in the dark can be a bit challenging but I ran into a dude who pointed me to a recently abandoned camp site. Turned out to be a really sweet spot, back away form the main trail on the edge of a Cypress swamp.

So a major update is order but unfortunately this is not going to be it. I just don’t have the time or – apparently – the clarity of mind to get into any details right now.

Egret haing out in the front lawn.

In short, I’m back in Sarasota staying with my Dad. There’s always a lot going on in the yard. Hawks in the backyard picking off an occasional pigeon leaving piles of bloody feathers, Egrets hanging out in the front yard. Just the other day I saw a squirrel building some kind of leaf nest in the crook of a tree (see photo below). I’m guessing it may be some kind of matting display as the next day (which would be today) he had some grooming company and was running around like a madman, falling about 30 feet from a tree at one point. Now it’s dark outside and for the first time I can hear birds chirping at night. Spring celebrations have begun.