**Ishmael by Daniel Quinn ** Not exactly about religion but a turning point for me.

Ishmael is a half ton silverback gorilla. He is a student of ecology, life, freedom, and the human condition. He is also a teacher. He teaches that which all humans need to learn — must learn — if our species, and the rest of life on Earth as we know it, is to survive.

The book opens with a deceptively ordinary personals ad: “Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world.” Seeking a direction for his life, a young man answers the ad and is startled to find that the teacher is a lowland gorilla named Ishmael, a creature uniquely placed to vision anew the human story.

done this monthly since his innauguration. Its like its his menstrual cycle or something.

Female here - I thought this was hysterical & am going to offer it up to my girlfriends as a sign at the next protest.

He worked to build Home Depot and now Trump is using tariffs to pump & dump the stock market for his and his cronies gains. Business owners, who provide product, service or goods are not in on the pump & dump.

So now they are experiencing the leopard first hand.

lol, how long before the prison Nazis get tired of his shit.

I thought the tariffs would bring manufacturing jobs to America. Are there no competent advisors in this administration?

This. The tariffs will be damaging but long term loss of confidence in the US will be worse.

When we still had kids at home I had a 2-week meal plan. Just rotated thru it every 2 weeks. So much easier. After they grew up and moved out I got into more ‘gourmet’ cooking but now that we are retired I’m seriously thinking of going back to the 2-week meal plan. We just need to eat simpler & less.

I just saw the Resource for How to ask for a shakedown, sooooo.

Where are you going and when: Canyonlands National Park, 3 days kayaking thru Stillwater Canyon, 3 days hiking in the Maze.

What temp range and weather do you expect: temp can run from a low in the 30’s to highs in the 70’s

Goal Baseweight (BPW): it’s currently around 15 according to Lighterpack but I’m not sure what it should include.

Budget: up to $500

Non-negotiable Items: insulated thick air mattress (I’m a side sleeper), my high back chair, knee brace

Solo or with another person?: with a group of 6 people

Additional Information: I need to address my first aid kits. I’m mainly concerned about bone breaks & bleeding out.

Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/w827c5

I’ve been working on my kit lately due to what I learned in a Wilderness First Aid course I took. Of course I have the usual Ibuprofen, Tylenol, bandaids, & blister bandages, etc. But one of my big fears is falling and getting a big gash/cut that’s bleeding out so I also added a splint, tourniquet, sling,& elastic bandage. I want to create enough time for SAR to get to me or a companion.

lol, I’m somewhere in the middle. Yes, I have hills I will die on.

I bought a Naturhike UL tent on Temu, set it up but haven’t camped in it yet. Just bought a similar Big Agnus tent (3/4 lb lighter) on clearance for $299 and am curious to set them up side by side. Anyway, the Naturehike tent looked fine and for $100 bucks & easier on the budget than most local options. And if it fails in a few years (which I think all UL tents do) then I can see what the latest tech is. Also bought a 30liter backpack on Temu, totally unbranded for $50 and am pleasantly surprised at its features. I could go do half a pound but loose the internal frame which is a no-go for me.

FYI, if your searching Temu, click on the ‘Filter’ drop down, scroll to the bottom to select ‘Local’ for items that will ship from a local warehouse if your concerned with tariffs kicking in.