A Fish Tale

  Some parts of this story might be true, other parts are going back over 75 years ago so I might not have it all as it was. My daddy died over 20 years ago so I can’t fact check.

 I was with my daddy and he bought a new pole and reel. The next morning at zero dark we headed to a lake up by Bishop Ca. We set up and sometime after sunup this man showed up and asked my daddy if he had a fishing license my daddy said he wasn’t fishing he was catching. He pulled his line

out of the water and said see I caught a worm. Well even as a little kid I knew that was pretty funny, but the game warden didn’t even smile. So my daddy said son pull up your line so I did. My daddy said well look at that he caught a grasshopper. No smile, but the mean man told my daddy he was going to write him a citation for no fishing license. My daddy said well the clerk at the store never mentioned a thing about a license nor was there Anything in the box the pole came in or in the box the reel it came in.

 Somewhere about here the game man got mad at my innocent daddy. I recall my daddy said “well sir you are not going to make me look bad in front of my son, he could grow up to not like game wardens”  “Your actions could affect him for the rest of his life”. After that things are a little unclear, but no citation and a lot of mumbling by the mean game man. My daddy thanked the mean man as he walked away still talking to himself about some people are just not worth educating. I knew he could not be talking about my daddy cuz he knew everything and always answered all my questions. I knew he knew more about catching fish than that mean man.

by Dude McLean

Are You Present?

   

   Not being a wise guy here… but are you here in the right now, or are you always planning on doing a project or going on an adventure in the future and not living right now in the present. Nothing wrong with planning for anything at a later date, but do not forget the now of your life. Although it is prudent to plan things in advance, but that advance isn’t here yet is it. Hopefully it will be, but in the

meantime, you have a present life to live and enjoy. Just the simple things are still a wonder to me; watching a raven fly over me, looking at a pretty butterfly or a flower, talking with a friend, walking with my dog, feeling the morning air, the sun on my face, smoking a fine cigar in the evening, (although finding a fine cigar that I can afford has become a real challenge) but it’s all in the present and the trick is to enjoy it all! Pretty simple and we can all do it, all it takes is being aware this what life is… a bunch of little simple things all tied up in a bow for us to enjoy if we know how to live in the present.

  That’s it no big message, except not to forget to live right now.

by Dude McLean

Face Down in the Dirt

 

The other day a guy says to me “well you ain’t nutin but a tree hugger” So I thought for just a second, and yep I am that and; a cactus huger
a rock hugger
and a dirt hugger
a whale hugger
I m a hugger of any critter that is about gone from the earth.
a turkey vulture hugger
a pro-gun hugger and a pro hunter hugger, but I don’t like trophy hunting. Why would you take out the top DNA of any species? That makes no sense to me.
a hugger of any of the few uncontacted tribes, leave them alone.
I m a hugger of primitive skills. There is more to hug, but my brain is tired now you get the drift.

    by Dude McLean

Signs Of The Times

Here are a few things I don’t like, or they scare me or both or I just do not understand them.

 Let’s take a look 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE what do they mean? Scares the hell out of me.

DRONES the private little ones sent by a nosy jerk.

who the hell do they think they are just cheap spies swooping down on you sending back your picture to who?

FENCES

I have used fences myself, but I don’t like them and the signs that go with them! NO

TRESPASSING AND KEEP OUT how about;

 NO SMOKING signs

 BEWARE OF DOGS what kind of dog? Here bow wow eat this steak

 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY okay that means us you and me

 OFFICIAL USE ONLY I am official at all times.

By Dude McLean

Wildwood Wisdom

In the scheme of things, not so many years ago, we went from hunter gatherers to settlements and to being farmers. That move shifted at lightning speed to the industrial revolution bringing much of the life we have today. History calls it progress, but I believe it was not so good for mankind. We lost so much of our ability to be at one with the earth and nature in general,

The ancient ways were forgotten and, in many cases, perhaps lost forever. Few today can ID an edible plant. Do you anyone who can tell you ten plants that are safe to eat that grow in the wild? The ability to move and be like a recent ancestor identifying the gifts found growing in the wild is a rare thing. To be able to walk in those ancient footprints should bring joy to those who can follow the footprints.

 Real wildwood wisdom is a thing only a few ever get to witness or be a part of in the world today, I’m a lucky man because I know a few of these folks. I have traveled a few paths with them as I strive to learn the earth and the ancient ways no matter what part of the world they come from. We are all connected somehow. We all cannot live in the past and that is not what I’m saying here, but to learn the old ways is a fine goal I believe. To live a simple life and enjoying the bounty of the earth seems to be a mighty fine thing in my humble opinion.

I have tried to surround myself with the kind of people who are living like this, and as I get older it seems to be more important that the skills be passed on. For your consideration

   by Dude McLean

Earth Skills

                                                                EARTH SKILLS by Dude McLean

  The concept of the tribe was lost once we started to farm and live in one place. The hunter gatherer life was over, and the skills involved died out leaving only a few elders to remember. Once they died so did the wisdom of a hunter gatherer lifestyle. If you are among the lucky smart ones you may have taken some plant walk classes with Christopher Nyerges. Count yourselves as being part of a tribe, if only for a few hours. This is what it used to take to eat well, the tribe working together gathering the gifts from the earth with a leader showing the way, some might even say a medicine man. Earth wisdom in a classic setting led by a true elder who has gained the wisdom of what it offered in the dirt.

 Very few have the deep level of knowledge of plants as my Friend Christopher owns. I have been on his plant walks for 25 years at least. He is honest and humble about what he knows. When on the plant walk as he teaches and harvests plants, you are taking part in an age-old tradition as ancient as it gets. You are a member of the tribe or even a pack if you will, I consider it a gift to be a part of the walks every time I go, and it never gets old.

 So all the skills and wisdom is not lost but it is rare. Now track Christopher down and take a class or two and start to learn the plants for your life.

WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT

                                                                     

     

 Having amassed a great deal of books over the years on the skills and different methods of "survival", plus practicing the skills for years, it seems to me we have lost the idea of being in the wild. Concentrating on survival as dictated to us by our "leaders" in the survival world. What happened to going out and learning about the wild life & the plants? Planted in the back of our minds, oh my god, what if this bad thing happens. I don’t have the right knife or the right clothes, I will die on this spot. Hell, when I was a kid we didn’t even think about those things, we had water and some food with us that was it. Keeping things simple is the key, you want to enjoy the outdoors, not be

afraid with every step you take. If you have done a bit of basic homework like; shelter building and lighting a fire, you are good. Think back how many times have you really been lost. Really lost is a little unsettling, but in today’s world there are homing devices that call in for you and bam rescue is
on the way. Or lacking the device, the morning brings a new understanding of your direction. It is about participating in nature not fighting it.

Now I might be off my rocker, some think so, but I think it’s time to relax about being out in the wild blue yonder, a few basic preps should do you just fine. Practice the skills so they are second nature ... if you are just starting out, keep your trips short and quiet. It is not a contest, learn the wild life, the plants and what they can do for you. Study the best right now shelters to crawl into no matter where you are on the trail.. I like to take my time and study what is around me. Well to be honest at this point in my life I have to take my time, I’m just not in the hurry most seem to be in.. Enjoy your surroundings and sun on your face. In a another article I talked about the use of plastics, at one time I would have rejected the idea. Right damn now, however I have found

many interesting ways to use this world of plastic. It works for me and might work for you as well. I am still experimenting and finding ways to use these items.

The idea that going into the wild is only about survival, is crap, going into the wild should be about the joy and wonder of nature, not that a bad thing will happen. I don’t mean to be all Pollyanna about it but at almost 80 years old and having behind me more time on  trails than most of you are old, the times I have been in a survival situation are less than the fingers on one hand. You can even chop a few of those off and still it doesn’t amount to squat. Oh I know we can point out some really dumb moves by folks but I’m betting most of you are at least above the bonehead level. Good old common sense needs a comeback. The thing to remember is the products being touted by some expert are being made to sell to you out of fear. Sure some are really good but most will never be needed or used. Go out and have

fun be not afraid! Contrary to some who are making a buck off of your fears that they seem to delight in. In most parts of the USA you can find classes given by instructors who are not all caught up in gear and gizmos. Useless crap soon finds its way to the trash if you caught up in the fear, try not to be that guy, we all make mistakes. That’s the learning curve, but being in the wild is not rocket science, it is where we came from.  Be with it, the plants, the trees and the rocks are all living. Talk to them and get to know them, I think you will like what you find.

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                                                                             Dude McLean