dual personalities

and an excellent brother to boot! When I visited him in Maine, he took me exploring in a canoe

Every mountain man carries a side arm

and when I graduated from college he took me to climb my first mountain, Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire. Back then, he climbed a mountain a day.

Above the tree line and the bugs

I, by contrast, was out of shape, improperly attired (no hiking boots) and generally horrified by the swarms of black flies. He was endlessly patient, though, and just kept encouraging me to “take one step at a time and go slowly, but keep moving”. I made it and have to admit that I was very proud of myself. Here I am about half way up, trying to look game.

Are we there yet?

He also taught his sisters how to shoot. Hey, dual personality, do you remember the time we went plinking and the dog came out of nowhere and relieved himself on your down vest, which you had taken off? I have never laughed harder. I couldn’t find a picture with my darling sister in it, but here I am ready to take action against unsuspecting rotten vegetables:

And, finally, what is cooler than a brother who plays the fiddle at the top of a waterfall in the middle of the woods?

a waterfall somewhere in Maine

So cheers to the best brother — and happy (early) birthday!