Outside

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, adventure, canoeing, dreamer, Fishing, fishing adventure, Food, Gary Fultz, Gary Fultz Blog, Nature, outdoor adventure, Peace, perspective, Photography, purpose of life, quality of life, victorious living, Work HardTags:, , , , , , , , ,

I have been outside this summer except when in caregiver mode. I believe I’m hundreds of emails behind and wish to at least touch base with all you great bloggers and readers. I get to read a few blogs about every other day and sacrifice the interaction which is the best part of being a reader and blogger.

I thought I would at least put up a small gallery of pictures. small because I have not taken many pictures either. I have built a cabin in the woods. A few people have stayed there with rave reviews. Some have raved about the amount of mosquitoes outside the cabin but inside is great in those evening insect feeding hours. I have been busy taking grandkids fishing, wood cutting and gardening a few hours a day around a 24/7 caregiving (our daughter) schedule for my wife and I.

Click to enlarge any picture and then there are arrows for the next slide.

I realize some of these need explanation, especially taking down a tree threatening the house. I have been dehydrating things like rhubarb and making jerky. It’s all good. It’s late and I have another outside day tomorrow…I’ll stop by now and then for the next couple months…hope your summer is going well.

There is a time for everything. For more on the cabin click here

Gary

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

98 thoughts on “Outside”

  1. So nice to catch up with all your activities, Gary. I love this list: “I have been busy taking grandkids fishing, wood cutting and gardening a few hours a day.” The pictures are great – especially the front of that canoe. You’re right – there is a time for everything. Thank you for reminding me and showing how you do it!

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    1. Thanks Wynne. I know I skimmed the surface. I hoped the pictures would say the most. I think we all have that experience of the one day looking at our kids and saying “when did you grow up so fast?” And we suspect we missed some of the pieces in our busyness. Same with grandkids…only we miss most of those pieces…

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    2. My youngest grand kids do not have phones. When they come over they fill a bin full of garden snakes and copper bellies just to let them go later. frogs thankfully get their own bin. I could not bring myself to post a photo of those. yes…every kid needs that kind of interaction

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      1. I totally agree. To get their hands dirty with soil. Plant a tree. Watch a caterpillar develop into a beautiful butterfly.

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    1. Thank you Malcolm. The downward slide of our handicapped daughter is hard to watch. The joys of loving deeply by her toward others is indescribable. Even people who seemingly forget about her for months and then pay her a visit are loved deeply. Sometimes an image of God and how I treat him for seasons comes to mind.

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    1. You get it Erroll. Family is of utmost importance. There is much preparing the soil and seed bed then watering and weeding with those relationships. “on the water time” is only 10% of what fishing is about. Life lessons and dreams shared between bites…so good.

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  6. Gary, you are doing everything God has called you to do! I pray for you and your family daily, my friend. The cabin, the beautiful smiles, nature…God bless you, my friend! You’re a blessing to us all! Stay safe and blessed as you carry on! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

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  7. Thanks for the update, Gary. It’s great to hear from you again.

    Thanks for sharing the photos. The cabin looks adorable–a great getaway in nature! I enjoyed a laugh at your “Why Women Live Longer” photo. Prayers for you, your wife, and your daughter.

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  8. I was wondering where you were and hoping everything was ok. I said a few prayers for you and your family as I wondered. It looks like things are more than ok! You’ve been very productive and you’re accomplishing important things. Thanks for stopping in to share it with us!

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    1. Thank you Mama Lava. OK is a relative term these days. In comparison to the rest of the world in general we are light years ahead of OK. I felt I needed to check in and offer a flicker of light from my little corner of life’s wilderness. I’m just glad we are not lost.

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  10. No better way to spend time Gary . . . Outside building a cabin, feeding mosquitoes 😊, and building memories that will last a lifetime reflected in the smiles in your pictures.
    Be Blessed brother . . . U R . . .and so M l

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    1. Yes we are Fred. Some day I will write more on the cabin as I built it for friends visiting should you get this way. My wife and I need a quiet place sometimes. We go there. It’s 70 yards from the house but in the woods. It could be half way around the world and feel the same once entered…like a strange vortex….or a meeting place with God

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      1. I know that mystical feeling of God’s presence brother. Don’t know if we’ll ever get up that way before finally heading Home brother, but know that the same open invitation extends to you and yours at our Last Frontier digs, or wherever he sends us next.
        Regardless, looking forward to sharing those eternal cabins already constructed for us with you someday brother, and I bet there won’t be any mosquitoes 😄

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  13. Your rhythm of life feels perfectly in sync to me! Thank you for this window opening to your beautiful life. Prayers for you and your wife and your daughter – there is indeed a time for everything,

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    1. Thanks Cindy. A very small group as the little cabin is a stout 12×16 and built for two maximum.
      our Bowling green kids have stayed there as well as their college age daughter who flew up for this past week (thus pictures). She helped put in the stepping blocks of oak that weigh about 50 lbs each.

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    1. I have never understood why word press works differently in so many ways. I experience different features with different blogs.
      My computer works when my phone does not. Certain blogs only My phone works.
      Thanks for trying Brian. I think of you often. I

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  18. The cabin is awesome, and I like the walkway!!! Praying for your daughter, your wife, and also for you. You are a beautiful stronghold of love, one to another. Love is the most powerful force…God hears our every prayer! The photos are amazing and such a joy to look at!

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    1. Thanks Linda. The cabin is a personal retreat cabin. A labor of love. Fiends and family welcome to use.
      My wife and I find ourselves out there just enjoying the tranquility. The owls have adopted the surrounding trees so they add much to the other night (sometimes daytime) nature sounds. It seems natural to pray there even when we know God hears from our heart wherever we are.
      We like the walkway and deck areas as well. I’m thinking of those little solar lights to line the path from the woods edge. Our grand daughter went down the wrong trail in the woods and had quite a tour (in pitch black with a cell phone light) of the woods before doubling back to find the cabin. “spooky” was one of the words she said.

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      1. Those little lights would be very nice…Your ‘labor of love’ turned out wonderfully! I am glad your granddaughter was able to find her way…Those cell phones do come in handy! 🙂

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    1. Yes, very full. I smoked a huge roast today so I ran a meal to my neighbor, a widow now. I thought I was helping but came back with more than I brought…She loves a smoked juicy roast though. It is good to determine the cost of being busy and meter it out. Plus age has a way of slowing one in small bits.

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    1. Very true AJ. My daughter likes the nice even hamburger jerky in the dehydrator, and I like it when the freezer has too many roasts so I cut strips and use the smoker grill and baste the strips. The strips worked well in the BWCA rehydrated in stew and definitely in the canoe with trail mix while fishing.

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      1. Have you played around with the “meat guns” that allow you to season your (lean) hamburger and shoot strips into the trays? I’ve had really good luck with that, and slicing “top round” roasts, too. The smoker you mentioned sounds delicious – I use liquid smoke and it can’t be as good as the real deal… very cool.

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    2. Yes, I have a “jerky shooter. I mix my seasoning all together like a marinade, mix into the hamburger and let it sit in the frig overnight to let the seasonings “release” and swell. then shoot strips on the trays. I also marinade the roast /steak strips overnight and baste them with the marinade while smoke/drying. Nothing store bought can touch it. 10 lbs of strips made a couple gallon ziplocks full of great jerky. 9 trays of jerky makes 5 quarts of hamburger jerky. I keep it in the freezer because I do not use preservatives other than canning salt.

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  22. Gary, Look like I might have to come and spend a night or two in that cabin!
    I also want to say that you should never post a picture used in another post that might be entitled “Why Women Live Longer”.

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  23. Gary,
    I love the cabin. It looks homey, rustic, and cheery all at the same time. It’s definitely a wonderful retreat. I’ve experienced somewhat the same thing when I’ve walked on the trail, or even gone in the backyard. It’s as though all my troubles are gone when I close the door and go out walking.

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    1. What a great comment. It’s so true that all one’s troubles are left behind. I should put up a small sign “No Troubles trail” upon entering the woods edge, even though the cabin is not far away.

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  25. Beautiful pictures! I do remember those bird-like mosquitoes when we were in northern mn on a mission trip. Beautiful country, though. I’m so glad you and your family got to enjoy so much together. Your cabin looks like a writer’s dream. I saw only one thing totally wrong-I do not keep the 11th commandment! Ha! Ha!

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    1. Ah, those pesky mosquitoes…we have 10 times the little birds this year. They really are not bad right now. I also stocked the cabin with some teas and hot chocolate. Yes the cabin could be-should be used for writing…a perfect place to gather thoughts and small enough so they don’t get-away.

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    1. My spam folder is aggressive as well. I have to do raids on it almost weekly. It always boils down to priorities. Writing for me has never been higher than the lower part of the top ten list.

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  27. Beautiful!!!

    …dehydrated rhubarb huh? Never heard of that BUT I’ve got some rhubarb in the freezer and a dehydrator too…might have to give it a whirl!! Already have plans to pick apples out back and dehydrate those!!

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    1. The rhubarb was an experiment to see how well it rehydrate. It comes back about 2/3rds with a 1 cup dried rhubarb to 4 cups water. Then it makes a perfect sauce…good and thick if strawberries or raspberries are added. Great alone or over pancakes or ice cream. I think pie would work making it thicker and it would tast a bit concentrate. In my mind, really good”
      I have a post in mind on my God’s ways are different blog with a picture of your creation for the cabin. Everyone has loved the verse to swing out of bed, look forward and there it is…a perfect verse to start one’s day in the cabin
      Thanks again.

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  28. The nature images you shared are fabulous, Gary. I also enjoyed seeing pictures of your unique cabin and beautiful family. What a blessing you are to your them and your family to you. Thank you for sharing the beauty of God’s world-even the giant mosquitos!

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    1. Thank you Nancy
      The cabin is a little personal retreat from caregiving for my wife and I. We do live in a very wild-lots of nature area. Most people do not have to scan the yard and woods line for bear, bobcat or the occasional skunk before going to the shop, orchard or garden. The fishing is good and the grandkids love all of it.

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    1. Thanks Alan. The wood slices are probably more common here in the woods. My grand daughter is quite an artist and helped me put in the 4 inch slices of big white oak. They are about 50 pounds apiece so when we took a break, it was in the boat on the lake.
      We are enjoying summer. Only June was hot (80s sometimes) today s high in the 60’s. There is probably only a couple weeks left of summer weather or September could be very nice (50-70)).
      I would die in Texas. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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    1. Thank you Stacy. I accomplished many goals which made me feel good about this project. I mostly used materials on hand (90%), I usually asked the question “How can I keep this cabin looking and feeling rustic but not sacrifice quality of experience in comfort and charm?”
      “Would friends, relatives and the grand kids feel secure in the woods?”
      “in what ways can I invite others to feel a part of the building?”
      SO, I have a few things in the cabin that others have created, with some more additions to come. My grand daughter laid out the wood slice steps with her artists eye for instance. I’ll write up a post on the cabin in my “Gods ways are different” blog hopefully this next week.

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  32. Sounds like the best of summers Gary, especially time with grandkids. You’ve given them memories they’ll always cherish. Your cabin creation looks like a beautiful place of solitude where one can away and get alone with God. May it bless all who stay.

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    1. It’s been a great summer Beth. I’m still sorting priorities after closing a career and moving back home as semi-retired. The cabin will help us as well as make a more welcome place for friends, relatives and possibly blogger friends that get this way.
      I was asked today about opening up the cabin to a relatives friend who needs a place of solitude to finish editing-revising her book to publish…Our way of helping where we can.

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    1. Thanks Autumn, The cabin has been more of a blessing than anticipated. It sits just in the woods almost out of sight. The owls love to congregate there and make lots of night sounds (which has spooked a couple guests nicely).

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  35. The great outdoors your happy place. Sometimes I think you should have been born at the same time as Daniel Boone so the two of you could hangout 🙂

    I think maybe your granddaughter caught the most fish.

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    1. True on the era of life Matt. My wife agrees with you. Also my grand daughter did catch the most fish…the most little ones and the number of “keepers”
      I told her she has to marry well. A guy who loves Jesus, knows how to fish and hunt, lives in the country side and has a nice boat.
      you know… Grandfather talk stuff while fishing.

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  37. Pingback: Only 79 Steps – Gods Ways are…Different

    1. Thanks Pete. I think so too. I just received a text from someone asking to use the cabin for “Personal retreat.” Those kind of things are very worth it. There will be a time to blog soon as well.

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  40. Cabin looks a treat, cosy and warm. Looks like you caught plenty of fish on those trips to the water! And your photography is grand! In particular I like the way the light glistens off the drops of water on the underside of the flowers. 🙂

    I hope you and family are as well as can be, and that the sunshine keeps shining on you all. As my grandad would say, God bless.

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