I have been remiss in not keeping up with my blog. That’s a bit of an understatement. It’s been nine months since my last entry. I could string together a bunch of how time flies cliches but suffice to say my life has been frenetic and keeping up with the blog was not high on my priority list. Followers, please forgive.
A brief update of my trail since July and after an outstanding visit with Myles and Lisa Carter at Nonacho Lake Northwest Territories. After 3+ weeks at Nonacho, I did some book readings and drove from Yellowknife to Minneapolis with Sue Plankis while stopping at national parks, wilderness areas and museums to discover and learn.
Late August and September included a Boundary Waters canoe trip, hiking, and elk watching in Rocky Mtn National Park, a canoe and hiking trip at Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone with Dan Cooke and the Laplantes. Wind Cave National Park, and me leading six full-day student leadership programs in MN.
In October, I visited my nephew, Brian and Valerie in Seattle. Took advantage of a free week at Myrtle Beach, SC where Sue and I also visited Congaree National Park. In November, I went on a deer hunt with Royal Jaros and the boys in northern MN before driving to Houston for Thanksgiving with my niece Emily and her family, but first a stop at my friends Dale and Judy Mill’s in Iowa to lead a program on Bears, Musk-Ox and Caribou and a quick paddle on the Winnebago River. Before the month was over, I led a group of hopeful SCUBA divers to the Honduran Island of Roatan to get certified and have some fun snorkeling and diving the fantastic coral reefs there.
After some more camping in Texas, I drove back to Minneapolis and flew to my daughter, Trinity’s gemutlich cottage on the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron for a family Christmas. Going sledding with my almost three-year-old grandson Nicholas was beautiful.
In January a drive to Virginia to see my sister, dogsit, and visit Thomas Jefferson’s pad. But too soon I had to rush back to Minneapolis to catch a flight to Costa Rica for a 7-day sea kayak trip in the Golfo Dulce followed by co-leading a group of sea kayakers on an 8-day trip weaving through the Guna Yala (San Blas Islands) of Panama. Then back to MN to hook up Cliff Jacobson’s 39-year old canoe trailer for a drive down to Big Bend, Texas and to lead two back-to-back 8-day canoe trips down through the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande. Then a rush through snow and ice storms with canoes in tow to speak at the Quiet Water Symposium in Lansing. Then a visit with the Captn in Dryden before speaking a slew of programs at Canocopia in Madison. Then I led a couple of leadership seminars in MN before flying down to Panama for another 8-day Guna Yala sea kayak.
So many incredible adventures in the last nine months! I love being homeless and as always tantalized by putting my hand in the mouth of the tiger. Of course it can be busy which is not an excuse for not keeping up with my blog, but maybe an explanation.
Now I am stuck in a blizzard in Lexington Nebraska (in April no less). Camping at a county fairgrounds with access to hot showers, perfect, and only ten bucks a night. So finally time to write a blog. A much more meaningful blog about a cool initiative Stave Staton is taking on with my new book will be soon to follow this rambling travelog.
best
Rob
Rob Kesselring
Guide Service Anywhere
rob@robkesselring.com
