I don't read a lot of books in my spare time. Whereas my wife can devour a full length novel in a matter of hours, it generally takes something pretty compelling to draw me in and hold my interest (perhaps that's a refined way of saying I have a short attention span).
Either way, that wasn't an issue with I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, the first full-length novel by hardcore troubadour Steve Earle. Clocking in at 256 pages, it's not an intimidating tome, but you'll find yourself wishing it was a lot longer as you delve into it.
It's a quirky story that takes place in 1963 on the seamy side of San Antonio. The story's protagonist is Doc Ebersole, a morphine-addled doctor that supports his habit by performing flophouse abortions. He's haunted by the ghost of Hank Williams, aided by a young illegal Mexican immigrant with strange powers, and pursued by a priest that may not always be doing the Lord's work. Still with me?
It does require a certain suspension of disbelief by the reader, but it's pretty easy to get sucked in by Earle's writing and storytelling. And it's almost physically painful to read his description of Doc's self-destructive addiction -- demons that Earle fought firsthand for a number of years.
The novel -- along with his new album of the same title -- mark a strong resurgence of this talented artist. I had grown tired of his leftist screeds and these efforts are a welcome departure. Both were composed during a time in which the 56-year-old Earle lost his father, and it shows. Throughout the novel and the album, he thoughtfully grapples with death, yet both writing and recording are ultimately about redemption.
The book feels like it probably should have gone on a little longer -- the end seems a bit forced -- but it's a fun read nonetheless. "Wrestling a novel to the ground was about 100 times harder than I expected," Earle told the L.A. Times. "In the middle of it, I swore I'd never do it again. But now that it's done, I've got another idea."
Pardon my absence from the blogosphere, but I've got good reason. Mrs. Scampwalker and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary recently in Belize. And what a terrific place it is. The people are friendly, the weather is sunny, and the scenery is exceedingly beautiful.
We based out of the Xanadu Resort on Ambergris Caye. They were excellent accommodations, and Ambergris was developed, yet still had a rustic charm. The tallest building on the island was two stories, so it's definitely less glitzy and obnoxious than many Caribbean destinations.
We ate fresh seafood nonstop -- including spiny lobster, which had just come into season.
We also swam with the seafood, including these rather sizeable (yet ostensibly harmless) nurse sharks. The Belize Barrier Reef is about a mile off the coast of Ambergris Caye, and at 185 miles long, it's the second largest reef in the world. And that makes for some truly breathtaking snorkeling.
The fishing ain't bad either. Not being much of a fly fisherman, I opted to take Mrs. S on an evening fishing excursion among the mangroves. We tore up the snapper, grouper, and jack crevalle. I swear our guide Armando was the prototype for Hemingway's Santiago in Old Man and the Sea.
And while we didn't do battle with a marlin, I won't soon forget the brief after-sundown battle my wife waged against a 60-pound tarpon. The beast tail-danced just like I've always read about, and it was an amazing sight reflecting off the full moon's glow.
Not a bad way to celebrate with a woman who's put up with the likes of me for 20 years!
Today is the day that every parent works toward, yet somewhat dreads. Their kid is going to college.
It's still a ways away for my God-given progeny, but my other pride and joy -- my 16-month-old pointer LuLu -- is headed to charm school today. She's been a terrific young dog and a pleasure to train with a ton of natural ability. But I'm smart enough to realize that I don't have the time, knowledge, patience, or wild birds to help her reach her full potential.
Enter Nolan Huffman. I was introduced to Nolan and his wife Danelle last fall while chasing birds last October up near Lewistown, Montana. But his reputation preceded him. A season before, I had the treat of hunting in Aspermont, Texas on Rick Snipes' ranch, and he proudly told me his string of pointers had been trained by Nolan. So it all kind of came together for me.
From there, he'll head up to his training grounds around Lewistown, and he'll have LuLu until we come up to hunt in October. I am expecting great things in the next four months (no pressure, Nolan).
It's a sad time (not so much for the kids, who are the primary turd shovelers), but also an expectant time. Wish us all luck!
Glove Love: Bean's new Technical Upland Shooting Gloves
It's still months before any of us can fire the first shot of the 2011-2012 upland hunting season, but if you're like me, you're already spending time daydreaming about this fall. I typically spend this time of year organizing my gear and (much to the chagrin of Mrs. Scampwalker) spend more than a little time online scoping out new must-have stuff.I've been impressed with some of the newer gear that's being marketed by L.L. Bean, including their Technical Upland Boots, and I recently posted on that particular product's uncertain status. Despite that setback, the Bean guys are still rolling out some really interesting new technical gear for this fall.
As promised, here's a recap of the email interview I did a week or two ago with Jeff Miller, L.L. Bean's Senior Developer for the Tecnical Upland line.
How did the Technical Upland concept originate at LL Bean?
I had been wearing traditional upland pants for many years and frankly they served me pretty well but when I was hiking, fishing or dog training I was typically wearing some "climbing" pant or similar which gave me a great range of motion with more dynamic fabrics and gusseted knees. They were pretty durable, wicked moisture well and dried quickly. If they would turn briars a little better I'm certain I would have reached for them in the fall. As I thought about it more it seemed relatively silly that the upland market hadn't taken advantage of new fabrics and designs that much of the outdoor market was enjoying. So we designed the Technical Upland Pant using a relatively lightweight polyester fabric with a little stretch and great moisture management as far as wicking and fast drying, great articulation through the nylon reinforced knees and then trimmed the cuffs with a bomb-proof, body armor fabric to keep the cuffs from fraying all apart in a season or two. We had some success and have been building on it ever since.
The Performance Hunter Orange Cap -- not your grandaddy's lid!
Hunters are a pretty traditional lot, and your Technical Upland line features a lot of new fabrics, styles and designs. What kind of feedback have you gotten from bird hunters on them?
Hunters are fairly traditional and Upland Hunters are the most traditional (exception maybe waterfowlers) and wasn't even sure if the market would be ready to accept "technical". Thankfully the were ready and have carved a nice little niche in the upland market - with more and more guys interested every year. We do hear about those that are still reluctant to give up their tried and true favorites but I have heard very few that have tried any of the Technical pieces that didn't absolutely love them. Now we all still have traditional pieces in our "quiver" - I mean it's all about the gear - but I think most are finding themselves reaching less and less for them and are preferring the benefits that some of this new stuff brings to the table. Overwhelmingly the feedback continues to be very positive.
What kind of customer is gravitating to the Technical Upland line? Traditional LL Bean customers, or are you getting new ones? My guess is that they skew a bit younger and more receptive to non-traditional designs... is that off base?
I don't think that is off base at all and I think its those same customers that, like me, have been using more technical pieces for their other outdoor endeavors. So yes, I'd say we have gained some new customers with this technical assortment and we have also engaged many of our traditional customers in it as well.
L.L. Bean is continually improving its popular (and bombproof) Upland Briar Shirt. Note: Bean realizes that some of us use our LEFT shoulder to mount a gun!
What new Technical Upland goodies will Bean offer for the upcoming hunting season?
Well specifically to the Technical Upland assortment, we have only added a performance hunter orange hat - inspired by running ball caps - with tremendous moisture management/movement and ventilation and a shooting glove - inspired by mechanic/motocross gloves - with great dexterity, protection and a form fit. Now I will also add that we updated our traditional strap vest (Pa'tridge Strap Vest) with a great shoulder harness/lumbar belt system which should make a popular traditional piece even more functional and yet still maintain a traditional look. We didn't classify it in the technical assortment but it's a nice" bridge" piece for the guy looking for updated technology in a traditional design.
L.L. Bean's New Pa'tridge Strap Vest - Note the new lumbar support strap.
Beyond apparel, what other Bean gear is new or unique this year for the upland bird hunter?
Beyond apparel/vests/packs for the upland guy we didn't find or develop much other than a cool little bird and trout knife. It's hard to find gear or even ideas for new hardgoods in this category - short of dog supplies - what's an avid upland guy need (specific to upland)??
Between us, Jeff, we both know it has nothing to do with NEED. But it sure is nice to get some new kit now and then, and I applaud you for your innovation. You keep building it, we'll keep buying it!
In my previous post, I discussed the very worthwhile Pass It On Outdoor Mentors benefit that my ten-year-old son Jack and I attended last weekend. Like most fundraisers of the outdoor ilk, there was an obligatory auction featuring some nice fishing and hunting trips, good-looking shotguns, a chance to fly in an open cockpit Stearman airplane, and more.
It was the "more" that caught the attention of me and my son. The winning bidder would receive the chance to shoot a Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber semi-automatic rifle. The .50 BMG cartridge was originally designed about 100 years ago by the esteemed John Browning to take out lightly armored vehicles and airplanes (and any personnel that happened to get in the way). It hurls a 661 grain projectile at a muzzle velocity of nearly 3,000 feet per second. For the non-gun nuts, the average deer rifle shoots a puny 150 grain bullet at more or less the same speed. It remains a mainstay machine gun round that serves allied forces well in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
The Barrett, however, is a different beast. Sure, it's the same day-ruining round, but the M82 is, believe it or not, more of a finesse weapon. The military variant is used to take out single Al Qaeda targets and other unsavory types from over a mile away.
So the bidding started. We stayed on the sidelines, and as the auctioneer droned on, Jack whispered to me. "I really want to do this, dad. It would be so awesome to tell my friends about!" I paused. The bid was $50. "Jack, do your friends even know what a Barrett is?" I asked. "Sure they do... from video games."
The bidding had stopped, and the Barrett's owner took the stage, in hopes of raising the stakes. "C'mon, guys, 50 bucks won't even cover the cost of ammo. If you bid this thing up, we'll throw in some Tannerite to shoot at."
And that's when my son's hand went up. Tannerite, for the uninitiated, is a perfectly legal "binary target" that, when mixed together, explodes upon impact by a high-velocity centerfire rifle round. You can drop it, or shoot at it with a handgun round (though I'm not testing this assertion), and it won't go off.
A flurry of bidding ensued, but when the dust settled, Jack and I were proud owners of ten rounds of the largest production centerfire rifle ever manufactured, and a gun to shoot them in.
The next afternoon, after a great round of sporting clays and lunch, it was time to go shooting. We were escorted out to Flint Oak's range, along with 15 or so curious onlookers. Jack was nervous, and even though I knew firsthand that this menacing-looking gun's recoil was about the same as a standard 12 gauge, I was a little nervous for him.
The video below, while amazingly cool, doesn't do it justice. Simply racking a round into this massive gun puts chills down your spine. Bystanders experience a soul-shuddering whoosh of air each time the trigger is pulled. Jack is aiming at a target about 125 yards or so away, and the exploding Tannerite was the size of a small house --- the secondary report from the explosion is even more rattling. See for yourself.
Dad of the year, anyone? It was a teriffic experience for both of us, and I'm glad we got the chance to fire one. At $8500.00, it's not likely I'm buying one anytime soon, and even if I could afford the gun, the ammo is sky-high and I don't have a place that I could shoot it. If you ever get a chance to shoot one of these beasts, by all means, do so.
Scampwalker's common sense disclaimer: I fully support the ownership and legal use of the .50 BMG and Tannerite. Please help keep them legal by using common sense. Don't use them to destroy property that isn't your own, and if you shoot stuff, pick up the junk afterwards. Don't make more noise than is reasonable, and wear hearing protection, for the love of God. Be a good neighbor and an ambassador of our Second Amendment!
Pass It On is a nationwide program that helps connect mentors to at-risk kids who aren't fortunate enough to experience the outdoors. The group hosts camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and shooting events that provide kids with activities and opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't ever experience. It benefits the kids, the mentors, and helps stem the declining ranks of anglers and hunters.
Jack and I raised money for the group, and in turn, we were treated to a steak dinner, evening auction, and subsequent morning on the finest clays course I've ever had the chance to visit. It's been called the Pebble Beach of clays shooting, and now I know why. The grounds are immaculate, and the stations present pretty much every conceivable shooting opportunity. And brother is it humbling.
But back to the kids. Organizers say they raised nearly $40,000 for their group last weekend. I sincerely believe that each and every sportsman should have at least one cause that they're willing to back with their monetary resources and old-fashioned sweat equity. I think I found my new group. Some of you contributed to the cause. A sincere thank you!
Nearly a month ago, on April 23rd, I received this note (above) from the fine folks at L.L. Bean, informing me that they were canceling my backorder for a new pair of Technical Upland Boots. Many of you know that I've been raving about these incredibly comfortable (if a bit silly looking) boots ever since Bean began offering them about a year ago. They quickly became my go-to boot, and saw extensive duty in midwestern CRP and cornfields, Minnesota grousewoods, Montana prairies, and Texas brush country.
Towards the end of the season, the toe bumper and an external arch tab began separating from the Superfabric upper. Bad news. Once the season was over, I decided to test the company's exchange policy, and they happily agreed to swap out my boots for a new pair, once they had a new shipment in the warehouse. Good news.
And then this note came. Bad news again. I was curious, so I decided to contact the company's media relations guy, Mac McKeever. Mac quickly put me in touch with Jeff Miller, a Senior Developer for L.L. Bean's Upland Technical line, which was definitely good news.
Jeff is a lifelong birdhunter, and grew up in the shadow of the L.L. Bean mothership in Freeport, Maine. "I have been chasing grouse and woodcock around for over 35yrs - starting around six years old with a pneumatic cork gun that I carried while my dad hunted over a good friend's setters," Miller emailed me. For the last 15 or so years, he's been raising and training his own shorthairs. Good guy, and the real deal.
But back to the boots. I explained my situation to him, and asked him why my order was canceled and the boots are no longer avaialble on the website. Here's his emailed reply.
"You and I are both big fans, as well as a bunch of other guys, and I'm sorry to say that I don't currently have the toe-bumper/mudguard issue solved for [fall 2011]. The last revision was improved considerably but after several weeks in the field we saw signs of the same potential issue and I am in the middle of the fourth revision/redesign to solve the problem. I assure you, I am doing everything I can to resolve it quickly and get them back on the market - they really are great boots but unfortunately it doesn't look good for this October."
Major bad news. But I'm going to give Jeff and the folks at L.L. Bean some major credit on this. There are a lot of companies out there that would capitalize on the buzz around a new product and churn out junk, just to make a quick buck. But that's not L.L. Bean's way of doing business, and I applaud them for it.
So I'll wait. As long as my current pair stay comfortable, I'm going to continue wearing them. They may need a dab of Liquid Nails here and there, but that's the cost of being an "early adopter." It also makes me comfortable to know that when they finally DO have a design that passes the torture tests, it's more than likely going to be bombproof. The most important thing? L.L. Bean just earned a lifelong customer.
And good thing, too, because Jeff and I got to talking about some of the other Technical Upland gear that his company is pioneering. I'll have more about that in an upcoming post.
