Campfire Magic and the Compulsion of B.S.
©Bert Gildart: And so we spend the evenings sitting around a pine wood fire, spinning stories about our days’ adventures. Sometimes it’s just Janie and me, but other times it includes a few of our Peg Leg neighbors. The other night it included (L to R) Rich Charpentier, Randy and his dog Jack; and Mike Gibbs. Janie, of course, is also in the mix. We’re all knowledgeable about B.S (Borrego Springs, of course!) so our range of tales is spread thickly. Randy’s story included one about his dog, Jack, and it seems that once when Randy was flying commercially an acquaintance who was bordering hollered out “Hi-Jack.” Randy says the name “almost got Jack and me thrown off the plane.”
Campfire settings
But last night it was just Janie and me, and on nights when we’re unaccompanied we use the app on our cell phone to identify stars, constellations and planets. We’re familiar enough now with this southeastern California sky to instantly identify Jupiter; Taurus the bull; Orion the hunter; Cirrus, brightest star in the sky; and Cassiopeia, a vain Queen from Egyptian history.
Of course we’re seeing other stars, which we can also I.D., but the above are some of the more familiar heavenly bodies. We have seen four other planets, and when the skies are really clear we can see the Pleiades. Borrego Springs prides itself on its dark skies.
And so concludes a brief summary of nights spent ‘round the fire and narrations about B.S.
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Airstream Travels One Year Ago:
*Brave New World In A Desert Heartland
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
Big Sky Country is beautiful
Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
What makes Glacier, Glacier?
Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
