More and more people are coming to me with questions regarding prepping.  Preparedness once was something that was done by the average American much like squirrels gathering nuts.  It didn't have a name, it was simply part of life.  As time went on and the typical American family departed from the majority being on or near farms, the ideas embedded in us for storing up for the winter, preparing for planting, readying the harvest were lost among, iPhones, internet, and bustling streets with produce from Argentina and clothing from Indonesia.

Today we find ourselves in a restless nation.  We have those who believe a different view of law and order and a different method of keeping it.  Basically the idea of law and order is now a moveable dial depending on whether it has good optics or not.  The reality is defending the law is sometimes an ugly business, and due to it being managed by humans, mistakes will always be made.  Period.  But, historically as a society we chose, as a collective, to deal with the injustices and hopefully right the wrongs along the way so there maintains a balance between keeping the peace through force and over arching dictatorial rule.  An entire section of society today has determined it to be ok to commit certain law breaking as long as it is in the guise of protest.  It is ok to break a law as long as no one gets hurt, scratch that, killed.  It is ok to fight the law because it is now known that the law won't always win, and they are all racist anyway.  This has triggered more and more of the very thing that the movement was supposedly trying to reduce.  By fighting the law, it escalates the need for the law to fight back... And so it goes.  All while citizens are killing citizens at an alarming rate (while the media ignores it) while law enforcement is on its heels trying to figure out what they can and can't enforce not based on laws but based on the elected officials who have suddenly become experts at law enforcement.

We are embarking on a new time in human history that will potentially be remembered much like many of the major shifts in humanity be it world wars or plagues or when space exploration became known as possible.  We are currently writing this history but rather than bringing us together as a species, we find ourselves being torn apart.  Not by the disease but by the discussion of it, with the very technologies that were supposedly to bring us together.

Science now tells us that the actual death rate of the disease is quite low, .05 or so percent given current data (including asymtomatics) but the changes we continue to make to society will never likely be undone, not entirely.  The changes we choose to allow be it government control, restricted connections, tracking, limited beliefs of what is possible is not who we are.  Through all the years there have been wars that have killed millions. Tyrants who have wiped out huge swaths of people due to ideology or race or simply the desire for power.  Some not that many years ago.  Our history isn't pretty but sanitizing history has the profound ability to allow us to repeat it.  Now our history can be deleted with the ease of the delete key.  Is it too much to believe that the bad side of human nature didn't drastically disappear over 50 years but has simply been quietly waiting to reemerge?  If millions could be manipulated into being loaded onto train cars to meet their demise only 50+ years ago is it so hard to believe that it couldn't happen again?

The old adage the pen is mightier than the sword could not be more true today.  Combine that with the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words then that makes a video worth a million and you see how powerful the media has become as well as the tech giants who now filter what we see and hear and as a result think.  We, as a people, are losing our ability to debate based on core logic and critical thinking and rather connect every decision made with feelings in spite of facts.  We hold to our ideals so tightly that anything to the contrary is labeled as something horrible, while it could simply be a different idea or perspective.  Even powerful awakenings such as the Me Too movement have been first weaponized by the Kavanaugh hearings then sabotaged by elevating Biden to democratic nominee even with plausible accusations. 

Beliefs from anyone with a dissenting view of the mainstream ideals being presented are quickly being "fact checked" as wrong or simply pulled from the main media distribution.  Not because they were factually incorrect in many cases.  Even those with qualifications to  to present such ideas are being censored and discredited.  All because they didn't go along with the current viewpoint pushed by the powers that be.  We no longer need a fire to burn books.  It can happen with a simple algorithm.  And its being applauded as great because it doesn't apply to our "community standards".  Standards being chosen FOR you, not BY you.

Life is not easy.  Life can not be sanitized.  Bad things happen to good people no matter your religious beliefs.  Why?  Because its life.  There will always be the poor, the sick, the in need.  There will always be war, strife, pain, sorrow.  One can never appreciate happiness if they never feel sadness.  One can not appreciate a body without pain without having at some point felt it.  Such is the human experience.  This doesn't mean we should be callused at the reality of such predicaments such as we find ourselves in today but rather we should always work to do what we can to support each other in times of need.  It also means we must reflect on the good that happens in the world every day rather than only concentrating on where we fail.  For every video that pops up showing someone being angry with a fellow human there are instances all over of videos NOT MADE of a human caring for another without questioning it or being concerned of the potential views it would get if recorded.  Bad news gets good ratings.

We will always fail.  In one way or another it is part of the process of being human as well.  Our country was formed to be a "more perfect union".  The goal was not perfection because that is impossible.  Perfection isn't where we find our strengths.  We grow because we fail.  We fail because we try.  We keep trying and therefore we succeed.  If we never fail then we are likely not doing something right.  The question is will we learn from our failure?  Not if we burn the evidence of it.  Our history both long term as well as 2 months ago.  The computer models used to predict the death outcomes from this contagion were wrong.  The epidemiologist who made the predictions was wrong.  The use of ventilators is being proven to not be an effective treatment.  Anti-virals because they were mentioned by Trump were met with scorn.  However, more and more doctors are coming out speaking about what they are finding with their own patients through their own experiences.  And it doesn't jive with the public message that we are all going to die if we don't hide from each other.  They are finding therapeutics that work and are cheap.  What are we willing to destroy in order to maintain a false premise?  Does all this mean the virus is a hoax?  Absolutely not.  But it does put into question our response to the virus.  Again, if we don't have the guts to modify our response based on continuing mounting evidence we are doomed as a nation because the precedent will live far longer than the virus ever could.

We are more than the what is represented through the keyboard in front of us, through the FaceTime camera that connects us.  More than the masked version of ourselves we currently present to the world.  We are as limitless as our belief in ourselves and our fellow person.  

There is evil in the world.  There always has been.  Always will be.  Just because a person has a degree doesn't mean they don't have an agenda.  Just because a person has money, doesn't make them evil.  Just because they have a non-profit, doesn't make them God.  Bias cuts both ways.  Facts cut through lies.  Critical thinking helps to determine facts from lies.

Are you willing to shift your belief or mindset in the face of new information?  Are you willing to research further than your favorite news station to determine if what you are being fed is actually truth?  In my 20's I looked at politics as something that didn't really matter because both sides went back and forth and whined and cried about the other side but in the end it really didn't affect me as I could always go do whatever I wanted to do and make money however I wanted to make it (within reasonable legal limits of course) and it really just didn't matter.  So I ignored it.  After 911 I was pissed.  I wanted justice.  But then issues raised with 911 caused me to question the narrative.  The War with Iraq happened and the promises of WMD which never materialized.  I was pissed again.  But not at a radicalist across the world but at my own government for invading a nation with our soldiers on a false pretense (WMD).  This ultimately kept us at war from then on.  I voted for Obama in 2008 because it was time to stop the war machine.  We wanted "change".  Unknowingly I aided in a carrying on of villianous actions (many just now coming to light) and the change we wanted was far different than what we received.  

I voted against Obama in 2012 in fear that we were slowly losing our country through poor decisions and outright determined actions to destroy our nation.  Over the next 4 years I continued to awaken to the reality that what we are being sold has a darker truth.  The media has become a propaganda machine not for the government but simply one side of the government.  Perhaps not even a side.. But an undercurrent, a dark force that is determined to bring this country down at all costs.

In 2016, I placed my bet.  Many don't like Trump.  Many absolutely love Trump.  I personally like the policies for the most part he has implemented.  I cringe at some of the tweets.  I completely agree with his foreign policy.  From tariffs to wiping out a terrorist, I'd do the same thing given the shoes.  I would prefer not to have all the name calling although at this point, I'd probably do the same.  I'm not a racist.  I have black friends, asian friends, Mexican friends, you name it.  I do believe there is racism in America.  I also believe racism can go both ways.  I also believe that everything that happens is not automatically racist and that before labeling a person as such you better be damn well sure you are right.  I believe gangs are bad, regardless of their skin color.  I believe a child trafficker should be skinned alive, on tv.  It will never happen but I guarantee you it would reduce the occurrence.  The Super Bowl is the number one event for human trafficking in the world.  If the rich celebrities were really worried about children from 3rd world countries they would help stop it.  Putting a knee to the flag, or buying box seats doesn't cut it.  I have no empathy for a gang member who drives by and kills innocents or forces young people who have lost hope into their memberships.  I have no empathy for Coyotes who cross our border with children paired with adults who are not their parents because our immigration laws are stupid.  I believe that we should continue to have the right to succeed and fail in America.  Because it is that push that makes America great.  I believe that there should be a safety net for those who against all efforts failed and found themselves in bad situations.  I believe capitalism is good.  I believe the current implementation of capitalism is destroying America.  I believe socialism will never work, history proves it.  I believe socialism is communism lite.  We have texts from socialist leaders who tell us this.  I believe we should believe them.

Having the ability to hold 2 thoughts or opinions in ones head simultaneously allows us to do the hard part of weighing them.  If you no longer see the other perspective then the mental scales of justice in your head have failed you.  And by doing so there is no justice.

I beg of you if you have followed me to the end of this to simply question the narrative.  Regardless which side you are on because right now your "side" may be presenting the facts.  And the scales of justice may way in your paradigms favor.  But be warned, tides turn, and if you don't remain vigilant your thoughts become swayed to push someone else's agenda and then our republic falls.

With love to all who seek the truth and a dire warning to those who seek evil.  We are awake.

David

I want to preface this article with the statement that infection rate, method of transmission, and many other facets of the COVID-19 virus at the time of this writing are still not nailed down.  We do however know more than we did and more is coming out with each passing day and week.  This article outlines some of the reasons why, as the CDC said, the virus could disrupt our lives as a result of its spread.  And it still isn't the virus itself that could likely be the biggest issue however that could change in time.  Americans (and there are many) over 55 the virus could be life threatening especially given hospitals will surely be overwhelmed so I don't want to under play this at all.  There is a reason China decided to build a hospital in 10 days and it wasn't due to them announcing the issue this year.  They had been fighting it since November.

The virus outbreak is something that while horrible, shouldn't come as a complete shock to many of us who have been preparing for such an event for upwards of 10 years.  My family has been preparing for some level of breakdown in supply chains, food, medications, you name it since 2010.  We were quietly (ok, maybe not too quiet given we went on a national tv show) preparing for what we hoped never would happen but knew, given the worlds reliance on each other, was a possibility.  Whether it was a wide spread natural disaster such as an earthquake or something more invasive like a virus outbreak, we knew that the world-wide system we all know and love including next day shipping to your house, could fail.  Just in time inventory is a large part of this fragility.  Wal-mart doesn't maintain huge storehouses.  Amazon doesn't either although theirs are larger than Wal-Mart.  They realize that inventory costs money.  And with the ability to receive shipments quickly from around the world and the complicated computer systems monitoring consumption, its easier to order as needed using prediction methodologies.

Before I continue I want to again state that I'm still not saying that we are on the brink of the inevitable.  I still believe as summer nears that the virus will reduce and disappear.  However, there is no guarantee it will and certainly no guarantee it won't come back next year.  The symptoms are very similar to the common cold or flu.  Infection rate seems to be much higher however.  So next year, you get a cough and think nothing of it.  Come to find you had COVID-19.  From the time you thought you had a common cold to the time you knew you had COVID-19, how many people did you contact?  You can see how this will be a problem until there is a solid vaccine out there assuming it doesn't mutate.

10 years ago we started preparing for what might be a disruption of our daily lives.  We have food storage, weapons, water purification, the list goes on.  8 years ago we discovered essential oils and they became a core part of our prep.  They changed our lives from a level of how we see managing our health.  And for the most part it's worked.  8 years later we haven't gone to the doctor for a cold or flu.  We use doctors when we need them but only when we truly need them.  We have also not purchased over the counter solutions either.  Prior to this shift in mindset and EO use I was getting strep 2 times a year, flu 1 time per year.  So for those out there who don't believe, well, the earth is round too.  There is too much science out to support efficacy of EO's to ignore their benefit.

Until there is a vaccine for COVID-19 the most of what the healthcare system can do for you is support your respiratory system, provide fluids, antibiotics (to keep you from getting something else - likely picked up in the hospital) and WAIT.   Wait for your body to take care of itself.  I'm not saying you don't need to get medical treatment in the event of contracting this.  You do.  For the sake of everyone around you as much as yourself.  I'm saying the strength of your body and its immune system is the primary defense that will determine whether you succeed or fail.  Oils help the body boost its immune system and prepare for the fight.

For those of you who are my friends and use oils (I know they are many) now is the time to be vigilant regarding use of diffusion in your home, using protective blends topically, stocking up on protective gelcaps (on guard +).  Respiratory blends such as Breathe and Cardamom.  Cleansing oils such as Purify, OnGuard surface cleansing options, OnGuard hand sanitizer (lots of it).  Foundational support to give your body the needed nutrients so its not starving on a micronutrient level so its able to fight the good fight.

For those of you who have been following me and are curious what essential oils could do for you and your family, please reach out.  Simply click on the Health4ADV logo on the right and you will have the opportunity to connect directly to us.  If you want to learn what products we recommend to be using now, watch the video below.  I can get into why I chose dōTERRA and why so many of the so called oils out there won't have the effects I'm speaking of but that is a topic all on its own.  I CAN say dōTERRA has unique delivery methods that will be critical to support your body during this from nutritional supplements to gelcaps that target the immune system to natural hand sanitizers and surface cleansers that work better than more toxic options on the market.

For those of you who still think I'm crazy, well, you are always welcome to come over to the dark side, we have health :).  If not, and you still think the government will save you.  Good luck, you might need it.

Winter camping on a motorcycle has a few extra considerations to take into account or your time in the elements can be uncomfortable at best and flat out dangerous at worst.  Motorcycle camping in any season tends to take a great deal of gear but adding the cold element add to the load.  The potential for snow, short days, damp wood, bitter winds and more all are set to put a cramp in your camping style.
Fair weather camping sets you up for certain conveniences that allow you to skimp on gear or ignore it entirely.  Winter camping can be far more brutal should you find yourself lacking in critical items.  In the warmer months if you have less quality gear it might be uncomfortable but it certainly isn't going to be dangerous.  Consider these as must haves for a comfortable winter camp.
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1.  4 season tent.  Most tents are not made for 4 seasons.  Even when they say they are.  If you find a tent that is comfortable in the winter most often that means you will burn up in the heat of the summer.  My snugpak Scorpion 3 tent was an example of such a tent.  It was comfortable in Fall, Winter, and Spring but there was simply no way to get enough ventilation to keep from getting hot in the summer.  I upgraded last fall to the Hilleberg Nammatj 3GT and of course had to test it in cold camping as soon as possible.  After camping in low 20's on the crest of a mountain with relatively high wind I can say this tent fit the bill for what I was looking for.  The front of the tent has a large vestibule allowing me to store my gear and even due to the wind and cold and lack of decent firewood get in from the elements while still having the ability to cook hot tea and food.  (precautions much be taken when cooking inside a tent but out of the scope of this article).  Again motorcycle camping lends you to having more equipment especially in the winter so having a dry place to store your suit, helmet and other gear without having to crawl around it is welcomed.

I had the pleasure to meet up with Simon and Lisa along with Candida Louis and stay at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast at Penmerryl Farm right after Overland Expo East.  Spending time with amazing people like this as well as Laura Pittkin (one of the owners and fellow rider) who joined us for the evening is truly what travel is all about.
This farm is tucked away in the Shenandoah Valley and has one of the most exquisite breakfasts I've had at a Bed and Breakfast.  The owners love motorcycles and ride themselves.  The area is only a few miles away from the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Travelers coming either direction on the Blue Ridge can find rest at this wonderful location.  It is surrounded by great rides and curvy roads are literally everywhere.  You can stay comfortably and cozy in a cabin complete with a full kitchen or stay in one of the lodge rooms that is setup more like a typical hotel room..  Well, except for the amazing breakfast in the morning.

The property is complete with horses and donkeys as well as a lake in the back where a tall tree hosts a nest of bald eagles that if you are lucky will be in view.  They don't provide rental horses but they do allow you to bring your own and enjoy the trails in the area.  You can even choose to stay in your horse trailer if it is so equipped for a lesser amount.
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They also have a tavern on the property complete with pool table and bar although the bar isn't in action just yet.  They are working on it though so stay tuned.

Happy Birthday wishes are flooding in from close and far friends from about every electronic platform I subscribe to.  I'm grateful to all of those and feel loved by having so many reach out.  It's become easier to wish someone a birthday wish than in the past, now its just a small slice of time but even then with so many things tugging at our focus, even that is something to be cherished.

As I wake up to the realization of being on this planet for 47 years I recognize I'm not the typical "party hard" for my birthday but I tend to go down more of a reflective course.  Where am I with my life, who have I surrounded myself with, what connections have I made, where have I been, where am I going.  Thoughts that could lead one down a path of self deprecation or perhaps a path of hope in the future.  I choose hope.  I have determined one never gets everything done they want either in a day or a decade or a life time.  I find myself passionate about a lot of things, from filmmaking to photography to health to adventure in all forms.  I also realize time is real and it continues to move no matter our best intentions of ignoring it.

What we do with the time we are given on this planet matters.  Or at least it should.  Who do we matter to, whose lives have we touched.  Were we a positive or negative to that life.  When it is all said and done, why were we here in the first place and would we be missed.  What legacy do we leave behind.  I just returned from an event where many of those I call close friends are literally 1/2 my age.  Seeing life through their lenses is an interesting experiment and one that can invoke youth back in ones own thinking.  I highly recommend it.  Having the courage of youth with the wisdom of age is likely the best takeaway I could make to my real life character I am portraying.

In the book, The ONE Thing,  it speaks of the path of mastery.  "When you can see mastery as a path you go down instead of a destination you arrive at, it starts to feel accessible and attainable."  At 47 I realize there is no destination per se but rather a journey that continues to blossom along the way.  Wisdom comes from applied experience.  Experience is typically what you get when you are not getting what you want.  And there is the rub.  If we don't fail, we can't succeed.  Fear of failure can paralyze some while catapulting others.  The beauty is, it's always our choice.  The book also speaks of mastery coming from doing the one thing for 10,000 hours.  The 1993 psychologist K. Anders Ericsson published "The role of deliberate Practice" stating that the 10k hours is a rule, not a guideline.  Consistent effort over time trumps natural talent every time.  Golf legend Jack Nicholas spoke of his body shape not being ideal but that his practice couldn't be beat.  He practiced himself to greatness.  His stubby fingers and stocky build be damned.

I find myself passionate about so many different things it is easy to feel overwhelmed on whether I will ever master any of them but instead be the Jack of many trades.  I've never liked the term btw.  But I press on and follow those passions and incorporate as many as I can into my life as long as they give me growth and enjoyment.  Stretching oneself is likely the best way to never grow old.  Once we believe (inaccurately) that we have arrived...  We have lost.  Once we believe we can no longer make a difference.  We have failed.  Once we believe that who we are is all we can be, we are forgotten.

I truly believe that anyone can achieve what they set out to be, do, become.  It takes time, consistent effort, and a passion within to find what moves your soul.  As I enjoy my 47th I hope to all of you who read this to enjoy your day as well and realize there will never be another day like today.  Take it, love it, absorb it, record it however you must.  But above all remember it.  And take each day to grow just a little bit.  And when you are 47 or whatever that number is for you, you will look back on all those days and discover how they were all responsible for making you who you are today.  Hopefully someone you can be happy with knowing.

I am happy with who I am, where I have been (good and bad) and where I am going and especially who I have become in the process.  I look forward to the next 10 years or even 20.  Life is a mystery and our thoughts ultimately give definition to that mystery.  The wave becomes the particle. (a topic perhaps for another time).

So, here's to 47!  Cheers!!

David

That's part of what made this year difficult for me.  Over all the years of motorcycling, through all the bikes and well over 150k miles, I never had a wreck outside of tumbles off road (which are kind of expected).  And then this year happened.  I had just upgraded from my beloved 2014 BMW GSA to the BMW Triple Black 2018 R1200GSA. What a beauty.  Bought it in late Oct 2017 and had a couple thousand miles on it when a friend and I were riding off-road in January and I was following him. Between a taillight covered in mud, a missed turn recognized late and stopping to turn back, combined with sun blazing at my 10 o'clock, the year of accidents began.  How could this happen?  Literally it was seconds and poof, I'm flying and bike is going one way and me the other.  How could I be so stupid to actually hit him?

Rode the bike all the way home only to find the damage sustained totaled the bike.  Wow, 2 accidents and one bike down.  Surely this is the end of my bad luck streak, right?  This is when the loving non-motorcycle riding friends started to say... "Um.. perhaps you should take up a less dangerous sport?"  I get it. I love you too, but it doesn't work that way for me.  Let's just get another bike, shall we?

Enter 2018 BMW Triple Black GSA #2.  200 miles on the clock and I'm loving the new bike I'm feeling confident again (having to ride the GSA 1  1600 miles home did a lot of curbing the "nervous feelings" of throwing a leg over after an accident).  My wife Holly and I plan a trip to a cabin a few hundred miles away as a belated anniversary get away combined with a work trip and as a break-in for her getting to ride on the new bike.  30 minutes from arrival at the cabin and a blue truck waiting to turning left across my path whom I made eye contact with, yet he decided to make a go of it anyway.  Traveling about 45 mph I slammed on the brakes and just before slamming into the side of the truck told Holly in a probably too calm of voice, "We're going to hit".  She had already slammed into me from my braking, so upon impact we both went simultaneously off the bike and toward the truck.  I hit the side of the truck and she bounced off of me and back onto the ground.  Thankfully, I learned a few lessons from the years ago "shorts, short sleeves, carefree riding style" on the Nighthawk.  All three accidents this year I was dawning top level Klim gear and Adventure boots and Holly equally equipped with BMW gear.  We both sustained injuries but compared to what it could have been we were fortunate.

​8 weeks of therapy (Kudos to Dr. Corey Idrogo at Centerpointe Health and Wellness) and healing from a knee injury and Holly with bruised ribs and other bruises gave us some time to think.  Do we get another bike?  Are we mitigating risk as much as possible?  Is it worth it?  What about our 15 yr old son?  Is it selfish to do this activity knowing that at any point something like this could happen and have long lasting results?

​And then I thought, what would I teach him by giving it up?  Yes, I love it but, better not do it because there is risk?  What in life can you do and not have risk?  Can you really eliminate all risk, and if you could, would you want to?  Isn't the risk part of what drives us forward?  To press ahead aware of the possible negative outcome but hopeful for the prize?  Overcome the challenge?

The motorcycle industry has been shrinking over the years and all the manufacturers are still scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly why.  The adventure market is the only segment that has remained steady and you are seeing manufacturers such as Harley Davidson enter the market in hopes of reviving their own market share and take on the younger generation of riders.  Many look at stagnant wages, job uncertainty, or perhaps the reality of far more distracted drivers on the road today (hello cell phones) as being the culprit.  While all of these certainly are factors I believe there is a fundamental shift that is happening in the US and perhaps the world that I see to be far more devastating not only to motorcycling but life in general.  We, as a people, are losing the ability to dream.  To shoot for the stars.  To do something not because it makes a buck but because you just need to do it.  In the world of warning labels on everything from straws to vehicles we are programmed by the media to fear everything.  I still believe all things are possible and I believe that everything has risk and I would rather do what I love and mitigate the risk as much as possible than to live to a ripe old age thinking about all the things I chose not to do because I was scared of what "might" happen.  Fear is a matter of perspective.  The same thing that gives a person sweaty palms, fast heart-rate, dilated pupils and is explained as terrified is the same physical response described by a person who is excited and ready to take on the next challenge.

Anniversaries are something to be cherished and celebrated although for some reason Holly and I seem to have something scheduled on top of our anniversary every year.  So each year we promise to take a little time away specific to the celebration but many times, if not most times, it never quite happens and another year slips away.

This year would be different we said.  Although we missed again celebrating on April 25 we had plans to do something special that was just for us.  Deanna Naddie, a friend of ours through dōTERRA (how we earn our living) reached out prior stating she had a cabin for rent that had openings during the six week blueberry season.  I love blueberries and love staying in a quaint cabin where internet and even cell phone service can't pierce the tranquility.  However, this time we would find that lack of communications was not freeing at all on this trip.  Regardless, we were in.  Although it was a couple months after our actual date, Holly and I were excited to be actually celebrating 17 years of marriage, and although not a "special number" 17 is a lot of years together.

We made all the necessary arrangements to have our son stay with his cousin, get the cats taken care of, and all the typical running around you do prior to leaving even for a few days.  I'm reminded how complex life can be even when you fill it with good things.  Things still require attention.  A thought to ponder at another time perhaps.

Both of us in gowns and placed in facing ER rooms we were realizing this would likely be an anniversary celebration we would never forget. The hospital verified what we had hoped that there were no broken bones but that I had a possible knee strain if not a tear.  More testing would be required to know.  Holly had bruised ribs although not broken but follow up would also be needed to be certain.  Not how I intended to spend our time.  But it is what it is..  The hospital provided a brace and crutches for my leg and they stated I needed to have it looked at further to determine if there was soft tissue damage.  Having had tendon damage in my shoulder in the past I was not looking forward to any prognosis especially with my legs because that limits just about everything I like to do from hiking to photography to camping much less motorcycling.  Hoping for the best on that one.

Now the reality of an accident while on the road away from home on a motorcycle sets in.  Luckily Deanna was not far away and was kind enough to come get us and after a much needed dinner took us back to the cabin so we could figure out what we do next.

It wasn't long before rain started and became quite fierce in different stages.  This is when it would have been incredible to have a camera at the ready.  Around 5pm, we had made it back to i24 from 840, the most direct route home, meaning we were on the road with mostly people who were tired from a long days work and were already mentally sitting at home ready to enjoy their evening.  About that time I looked left and saw a vehicle who had been traveling to close to the car in front of him slam on the brakes and enter into a full on skid due to the lead car having to mash the brakes.  The skidding vehicle stayed calm however still encroaching on the slowing vehicle to the point where I thought he would clip the vehicle in the left rear.  This of course would have sent the nose of the vehicle into our lane and once again I would be making a call to our embattled insurance company.  Luckily the car, while continuing to skid, gently moved to the left and into the median and came to a safe although "wrecker required" stop.  Holly and I looked at each other and decided if we can just get home we might just stay there for a while.

We made it home without further incident and spent the better part of the day working to insure everything is being handled as it is supposed to with regard to our vehicles and medical etc..  That process we would find is not anywhere close to being over.  I have discovered there is never a winner in an accident no matter whose fault it is.  So much time required to deal with all the factors.
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Even though this adventure did not go as planned we still made the best of it and above all did it together and we were able to come home together, for the most part, in good health all considering. To that we are both blessed and grateful.

Until our next adventure!! ​

David

So let's be honest..  We love to travel and get in hard to get to locations but at the same time we are dreadfully stressed over taking our gear into these same locations.  It would seem through all the bag purchases that I have made no one bag ever fits my exact needs and so... I look for the "next" bag in hopes it will fill my needs.  Then I have non-photography bags that fit certain needs for the function they were made such as hiking or climbing but not photography needs so I find myself moving my gear from one bag to the next in hopes of some compromise only to find some of my needed hiking/climbing/adventuring gear got scuttled in lieu of camera gear.  The process is frustrating to say the least.

I may have found the ultimate solution and in doing so added security for my camera and gear while keeping the flexibility of different purposes whether it is on the bike, in a backpack, overnight hike, whatever.  Flexibility along with padded protection for the sensitive gear is something we all look for but typically give up one or the other just to get the job done.