Podcasts about Rugged

How do you launch a rugged, modular battery system and raise over $100,000 with your first product? In this episode, we speak with Marco Vanella, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of MAAK Outdoor, the company behind the Scout Battery. Designed for off-grid professionals, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who needs reliable power in the field, the Scout Battery is a smart, stackable energy solution that just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign. We talk about: The origin story of Scout and how it solves real-world energy problems Marco's background in industrial design and product development How MAAK overcame the challenges of launching a hardware product What worked in their campaign strategy — and what they'd do differently If you're building a hardware product or launching something rugged and outdoorsy, this interview is packed with practical insight. Resources and Tools Mentioned: Book a coaching call Subscribe for Weekly Crowdfunding Tips Fulfillrite: Kickstarter and crowdfunding reward fulfillment services. They come highly recommended! Download their free shipping and fulfillment checklist FREE Kickstarter Course Kickstarter Launch Formula Audiobook Scout Battery: Smart, Rugged, and Modular Power on Kickstarter MAAK Outdoor Website

Date: 28th of July, 2025Location: Madeira, PortugalA Note To The Runners: ⁠⁠⁠Get my book here.⁠Join The JL Mentorship: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Fill out the form here.⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy me a coffee here: ⁠ My go to order is a long black. Poem:A bucket of beans picked by leathered hands,left in the sun, awaiting validation from the rain.Rugged concrete walls, acting as living roomsFor washing lines, lizards of the north, and summer flowers.An old buoy, I walk into it three times a day,Rusted pegs, and a knife turning battered, blackened, peppered, and salted.Windows facing seacliffs, million dollar views, no-ones cares.Fruit, yet to ripen, one day to be savoured, maybe wasted.Every Sunday, a meeting spot for the family,A few kids not knowing their fortune,Wishing away the riches of boredom.Brick behind my front right tyre,And my stick left in third, ignition off.Stalling on start, a clunky first gear,A little humid without the windows downI keep forgetting to get cash, Cash for flowers.Lady on the corner. A few bunches left. Can I send them home?I've been waiting round fora note from home,Forgetting, home is always in the details you choose to notice.So, I go on, 40km over the speed limit.Running into the wind and the blackberries.

A Hiking Accident brings Mark and Carrie Together.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Mark and Carrie never met before, until an accident to Carrie, brought them together, and now maybe for good.Chapter 1.I'm Mark. 39 years old, single, a computer geek who is lucky enough that I can work from home, and make my own hours. I wasn't always like this. When I was 18, I had a choice, jail or join the service. I just made some bad decisions back then, doing drugs and getting in fights. So I opted for the Marines. I spent 15 years with them, and advanced to Master Sergeant, which is the fourth highest position an NCO can go. Served 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are true shit holes. Great thing about the service, besides 3 square meals a day and a place to sleep, you can be taught almost any useful job in the world, which is where I learned computer programing.Now I pretty much free-lance my abilities out and make a good wage. Most times I have jobs to do, but sometimes I don't and have lots of free time. If I do have jobs, I can make my own hours.I don't have a steady woman at this time, and I am  okay with that. Being deployed all the time, whether it was in the Middle East, or on some ship with a bunch of Squids, I really had no time for a relationship.I had been out almost a year this past August, when I decided I needed some down time. I decided I was going to the Adirondacks and do some hiking. I grew up outside of Syracuse NY., and have always wanted to go there. My one uncle owns a cabin up there and offered it to me when he heard I wanted to go hiking up there. He told me it had one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and a living room with fireplace. It had running water and electricity. He warned me that I would need to turn on the hot water tank, since they shut it down last fall, after they used it last.I had decided that I would take two weeks to explore all the different mountain ranges this area had, finishing up at Mt. Marcy, the highest of them all. Since it was just after Labor Day, tourism should be at a low, with vacationers and school kids back into their routines. My plan was to hike daily, a different range, and if need be, camp out at night. Being a Marine, we are taught all types of survival skills, so this would be no problem for me. One thing my uncle did ask me to do, is stop at the Ranger station and let them know I would be occupying the cabin for a length of time. People sometimes like to use squatter rights and just use cabins, regardless if they are allowed, or not.I also like that the temperature doesn't get to warm up there either. I prefer cool nights and just warm days. Maybe it's because of my time in that hell hole of the middle east. My trip took almost 4 hours to get to where I wanted to go.Chapter 2.The skies were quite cloudy when I pulled into the Ranger Station. I got out of my truck and headed to the stations door, and when I opened it, a woman was coming out at the same time and we bumped into each other. We both apologized, then laughed, and then she continued on to her vehicle.After letting a ranger know where I was going and for how long, I exited the station and headed back to my truck. That's when I noticed her again. She was 5 '7, maybe 130 lbs., caramel colored skin, hair just past her shoulders, when she let it down. From the side, she did not look like she had very big boobs, they were smallish medium, just the way I actually like them. She was wearing camo style shorts, and a tan polo shirt. Boy, she had nice legs, long and muscular, very toned. If I had to guess her age, early 30's. Whoever was getting lucky with that, was one lucky son of a bitch. One thing I did notice, she was wearing white running shoes, and not hiking boots. Judging from the backpack she was attempting to put on, she was going hiking and camping out. Running shoes are not the smartest thing to wear hiking. No ankle support what so ever.As I drove off, I stole another look at her, as I drove by. Great looking ass. Bigger than a model would have, but smaller than many of the women I have seen in my lifetime. I exited the parking lot and started heading up Whiteface Mountain. My uncle's cabin is up about 4 miles from this point, on a long and windy road. If I had to guess, it would be about a third of the way up the mountain, and only because of the road, which I believed was cut out by a snake.Once I arrived, I unloaded everything into the cabin. Found the circuit breaker and turned them on, especially the hot water tank. Too many cold showers in my life, so no need to suffer this time now. One thing I did notice too, the temp was cooler up this high. It was around 70 down by the station, but I bet it dropped a good 10 degrees.Next, I unload my coolers, which had meats and eggs, butter, and all of the necessities needed to eat well. I had enough for 2 weeks, if not more. Also brought along two 12 packs of beer as well, and water. Man I love roughing it.After stowing away my gear and food, I checked the place out. Nice queen size bed, in the bedroom. They even had TV, which I could care less about. May to use for the weather is all I can see a use for it. I'm not one to sit and watch TV much, except for football and maybe playoff baseball.I then went and checked the area out. The back porch had a gas grill on it, plus what looked like a cord of wood. I figured if I used any, I could go into town and buy some to replenish, unless Unc had a chain saw, then I would do my own. I then went for a small hike just around the area.I did not want to venture to far today. It was already after 4pm, and the skies were really getting dark, so some rain, if not storms, were moving in soon. About a 1/4 mile into the woods, was a hiking trail, well used too. I wondered if that lady was on this trail, if she even made up this far yet. If she did, she better start preparing her campsite for the weather that was due in soon. I kept hiking for another 30 minutes before heading back to the cabin. I figured a good early start in the morning, may get me to the top by the afternoon, early evening.Chapter 3.I was now back from my little hike and relaxing, but also getting hungry. I settled on frying up some home fries and grill up some Polish kielbasa. I cooked up the potatoes first, and then set the pan in the oven and set it to warm. Then took the meat out to the porch and fired up the grill.It was a little after 6 now and the wind had really picked up and the skies hung low, full of rain that to start shortly. As I waited for the grill to heat up some, I thought I heard someone cry out. At first I thought it could be just the wind, but then I heard it again.I stepped off the porch and headed towards the trail, behind the cabin. As I got on the trail, I heard the cry again, but this time could make out the word Help. I yelled out for the person to keep yelling, so I could judge where it was actually coming from.Whoever it was, must have heard me because the Helps were coming more quickly. I was at least a good half mile now from the cabin when I came upon a woman, lying on the ground, holding her foot. It was the lady I saw down by the ranger station when I first arrived.When she saw me coming she said, "Oh Thank God. I wasn't sure anyone could hear me.""What happened?" I asked. "Oh stupid me wasn't watching where I stepped and then all of a sudden, I'm on the ground from twisting my ankle." she explained, then went on,"I tried walking on it, but damn, it hurts. I don't think it is broken." I kneeled in front of her and took off her shoe, then her wool sock, and could see the ankle was swollen and just starting to turn a little purplish. I'm no doctor, nor was I corpsman in the service, but I have had my share, and have seen many a sprained ankle, and this sure did look like one.After looking at it, I looked up at her face and could see the pain written all over her gorgeous face. I then gently removed her backpack, which had to weigh a good 25 to 30 pounds. "Christ, what the hell is she carrying in this.", I thought. Then I put the backpack on over my shoulders. Just then, the rain started. "Great, just what I needed", I thought."Oh damn. This isn't good. What are we going to do now?" she asked."First off, grab my arm and let's get you up, then we'll hike back down to my cabin, which I think is about a 1/2 mile from here." I said. "By the way, my name is Mark" She retorted back to me "Carolyn, or Carrie to my friends, which you are fast becoming."With my help, she stood up, using her good leg. Now I am not a tall man, 5' 10 175 lbs., and still in great shape, since I work out 4 times a week. I then asked her to put her right arm around my neck and I would hold her waist, and we would try and keep all the weight off of the foot.We did quite well actually, and she didn't complain one time. Only twice did we have to stop and rest a minute. That didn't matter, we were both soaked to our skin by now, and it was quite chilly out. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes to walk, turned into almost 25 minutes, by the time we got back to the porch of the cabin. At one point, I felt I should have just carried her fireman's style, just to speed this up.We then entered the cabin. Luckily it was still pretty warm in there, but I knew that wouldn't last long. I guided her over to a leather chair and had her sit. Then went and got some towels to at least dry off some of the rain.I then went into the bathroom and saw that my uncle had 2 inch wide medical tape and some gauze. I went into my pack and pulled out some Aleve. I came back out, got some water and then handed her the medicine. Then I knelt down and removed her shoe again, sans the sock, since we didn't put that back on. I carefully dried her foot and ankle, and then wrapped gauze around it, then taped it up.After I finished, I could see she was shaking from being cold now. Both of us were soaked to the skin. I went into my uncles dresser and looked around. My aunt had a set sweats in there. I hope they fit her. My aunt is only 5'4, but is big chested, so the top should be fine. I also pulled out some socks for her as well. I then looked in the closet, and in the back, found a pair of crutches. Uncle's family comes up here a lot to ski, so crutches would be a wise investment, especially for my one cousin Carol, she is a klutz.I came back into the living room and looked down at her. " How does that feel now Carrie""Still hurts, but not like it was, and thank you." she said. I extended a hand to her and told her to grab it, then pulled her up. "I got you some clothes to change into, and these crutches. The shower is down the hall. A good hot shower should help you warm up a bit . Also, take this baggie and wrap it around your foot and ankle and tape off the top, to keep it dry.""Oh My God, you are so nice. I am so sorry for being a pain in your ass, but thank you so much."She trudged down the hall to the bath. I couldn't help but look at her great legs and chubby ass as she went. I did notice she wore no wedding, or engagement ring, so that was a good thing. Just before she opened the bathroom door, I told her I was going to finish making dinner. She just grinned, but said nothing. Before I did that though, I pulled out some sweats. Both the top and the bottoms had the Marine logo on it. Those sweats last forever.I had to reheat the fried potatoes and then went and relit the grill. The kielbasa was done in about 10 minutes. So when I came back in, she was still not out of the shower. "Women", I thought. They take so friggin long to get clean. Although I did have some thoughts about how she looked in the shower.I had just finished setting the table, when she arrived back out in the living room. The sweat top was definitely too big for her, yet looked cute. The sweat pants were a little snug and stopped short about two inches from the top of her feet. She was like staring at me, but didn't speak."Is something wrong?" I asked. "No, not a thing, except for those Jarhead sweats you have on.""What? You don't like Marines?" She laughed and said, "They are okay, but to a Navy gal, they don't get my motor running""Oh shit. I helped a god damn Squid? Christ sakes", then laughed, and so did she. "Come on, let's eat"I asked her what she would like to drink, which was limited to beer or water. She chose a water, as I did too, and sat down to our little feast.Chapter 4.She was quiet at first, so I broke the silence and asked her "So Miss Carrie, and I presume Miss, what has you up here by yourself?"She chuckled then spoke " I love hiking and always wanted to come explore these mountains. And Yes, I am a miss. Divorced actually, 5 years now. I have a 20 year daughter too, who attends Syracuse University.“Good God” I interjected; “How the hell did you ly you way into the navy as a 10 year old? You can't be past your early thirties!”I spent 14 years in the Navy. I was also a Navy brat too. My dad and mom live in Pensacola, after he retired from the Navy as a Master Chief. I left the Navy 7 years ago, but that's another story."She took a drink of water, then continued. " I live right outside of Syracuse now, mostly to be close to my daughter. We adopted her when she was 3 years old. I couldn't have kids, and she was orphaned when her parents were killed in an auto accident in Norfolk. What about you Mr. Mark?"I smiled at her and looked her right in the eye, which were hazel in color. "Let's see, I spent 20 good years in the Navy, and then retired from it. I did pick up a good vocation, programming computers, so that's what I do now. Mostly free-lance myself out. I make a good wage doing it. My uncle owns this cabin and I needed a vacation, so I too, wanted to explore here. I took the next two weeks off and hope to finish up on Mt. Marcy. I grew up just east of Syracuse and moved back there. Both of my parents are deceased now, and I have one sister, who is two years older than me"She then asked, "What did you end up at?""An E8, Master Sergeant,” I answered. “and you?"She chuckled and said, "E8 as well, Senior Chief. How many deployments?""3 tours in the sandpit, then countless boat rides. Served on the George Washington and the Lincoln, and ended my career at Quantico.""Oh shit. My dad served on the Lincoln too, John Reynolds. Master Chief of the Boat."I laughed and said, "I know your old man. I served with him on the Lincoln for 6 months. At the time I was a E6 (Staff Sergeant), but I got to know him well. I even got to meet your mom too, when we got done at Norfolk. Beautiful lady and not being forward, I can see where you get your looks. Your old man had a way with the crew. They all respected him and did anything he told them to do. I can still remember his one saying, "Son. Don't fail me, or I will open a can of whoop ass on you.” Usually scared the shit out of some teenage kid"She laughed and said, "Yeah, he did have their respect, but at home he was a teddy bear, at least to me and mom. I remember in high school, any boy I would date, he would just stare at them, which usually scared the shit out of them"We laughed and told stories about our time in the service. Then I did the dishes up while I had her go relax on the couch. When I finished, I asked if she would like a beer now, which she gladly accepted. Before I came out with the beers, I wrote down my name, address and phone number, and handed it to her."What's this for?" I told her, "Look. You were injured and I would like you to call your family and tell them and that you will be staying here tonight. Plus give you peace of mind that you are not bunking with some crazy guy in the woods. So let them know that info, and all should be good."She chuckled then said, "Well, for one. all of you jarheads are crazy, so I am not too sure how safe I am with you, but so far, you haven't shown any craziness. But I will call my daughter and let her know."She then called her daughter and explained the situation to her. They chatted for about 10 minutes or so. Her daughter must have asked her if I was cute, because she softly spoke, "yeah. pretty cute" After that she hung up her phone and sat back on the couch."I want to thank you again for saving me from a very bad situation. I know I have to be a pain in the ass to you, and you weren't planning on someone screwing up your vacation like this." Carrie said."Number one, you are not a pain in the ass at all, and two, you haven't screwed anything up. I rather enjoy your company, if I am being honest here. Granted, I came up here alone, but now I have made a friend, or at least, an acquaintance, and if I may add a very beautiful one at that..Carrie blushed, "Thank you. I mean for a Gyrene, you are pretty nice, and a bonus, you can cook too. How come some pretty woman hasn't snatched you up?"I just chuckled at that, "Well, you know how it is in the service. Always deployed to some ungodly place, or never being able to put roots down in one place. That's not fair to anyone. Plus, there has been no one who really rocked my world. The closest I came was living with this one girl for like 6 months, but she opted out after seeing me off to Iraq, and just couldn't handle the unknown. When I got back 8 months later, she was long gone. Never heard a word from her either, except for the letter she left behind. So from that point on, I just dated here and there, nothing steady. And now, I haven't really looked. You say you are divorced, what happened there, if you don't mind telling."She smiled, and when she did, her whole face smiled. Her almond shaped eyes were to die for. A man could get lost in those eyes. I know I was. I also wondered if she had a special man in her life. If so, he was a complete idiot for letting her go on this by herself. Not to keep her safe, or anything like that, but just to be with her."We met at Pensacola when I was just 2 years into my first term. He was a Seal. So of course he hung the moon and stars. But growing up Navy, I knew what this entailed. We had a great marriage, at least I thought we did. Only when he got deployed, did I get scared. You know how it is with them, they are not going to some amusement park. When he got transferred to a base, I got one too, since I worked in procurement and distribution, it was no big deal."She took a swig of her beer and breathed out, then continued. "We tried having kids, but I came to find out that my tubes were closed and I couldn't have any. So we started looking at adoption and then about a year later we were informed about Jenny. Her parents killed in an auto accident and she had no living relatives. We took her in as a foster child and then about a year after, we adopted her. Things were going good for us. We both got transferred to Norfolk, and luckily, Dad was stationed there too, but as usual, out on a boat. Then Jack started to change. He became withdrawn and started drinking more."I put my hand on her shoulder and told her she didn't have to continue. I knew this story well, which was one of the reasons I never settled down. Seen to many start drinking, and relived the action in their heads, and shut out their loved ones."No. I'm good. Any ways, about 9 years ago, he went on deployment and was gone a month. Who knows where, but called the night before and said he'd be home around 1700 hours. I was excited, yet nervous too. So, and I can't believe I am telling you this, (chuckled), but I left work early that next day. I wanted to make it special for him. Jenny was going to stay with my mom. So I left around 2 and went home. When I got there, his car was already in the drive. We lived off base then. So I rushed from the car and went inside. I didn't see or hear him, so I thought he was upstairs. Oh God... (chuckling again), I stripped down and figured I would surprise him being nude. I walked silently up the stairs and saw the bedroom door closed. Then I heard muffled sounds, so I opened the door, and there he was, on the bed. But he wasn't alone. Our neighbor Joann, who lives two doors down, was there too. She was on top of him fucking him.""Oh shit Carrie, I am so sorry" This must have been bad for her, because tears were streaming down her face now. I didn't know what to do actually. I am not good with women crying, and since I hardly knew her, I knew not to reach out and try and hold her.She fought through it and smiled a little, "It's  okay, it really is. Joann was a divorcee and always flirted with the husbands around her. Lord knows how many time she and Jack fucked before I caught them. I shouted at them, which startled them both and I told her to get her skanky ass out of my bed. Then I told Jack to pack his things and get out. He did too, never saying a word to me as he did. About a month later, he was transferred to San Diego. I know in my heart, my dad had something to do with that. He had many big wig contacts. It took 2 years for the divorce to be finalized because he was never in the area. I had just ended my time in the service and wanted to get away from there. Dad and mom had already moved down to Florida, so I had really no one, so why stay. The next 5 years, I lived down near my parents, so I could give Jenny a new start, like me. Then she said in her senior year she got accepted to Syracuse. I was working for a big fabric company, in logistics and put in for a transfer, since they had a big distribution center up here. Another good thing is, my mom's mother still lives in Syracuse, and I have lots of cousins I never knew I had until now.""Wow", is all I could say at first. "Now you see why I never married? Could have easily happened to me, but I come home and find her sleeping with some asshole." Then I chuckled, which turned into a laugh. "What's so funny?""When I was aboard the Lincoln, I was hitting on this young petty officer. Your dad took notice and pulled me aside. "Son. One thing you never do is shit where you eat. So keep your cock in your pants and stay away from them broads. Remember, you knock one up and they'll throw you in Leavenworth for destroying government property." I took him to heart too, that, and the fact your old man scared the shit out of me."She sat there and laughed and laughed, "Yep, that's my dad. Gruff and to the point. He must have liked you, otherwise he'd let you screw up on your own and not say anything to you."It was now going on 10 pm, and she was getting real tired. I went into the bedroom and found a sheet and a blanket, and took one of the pillows off the bed. I came back out and threw them in a chair. I reached my hand out to her, so I could help her stand.  “okay Squid lady, you take the bunk in the bedroom and I'll be out here." She shook her head, "No way Mark. I'll sleep out here.""Please just take the bed. You'll be much more comfortable in there, than on this couch. I'll be fine. In the morning we'll have breakfast and see how your ankle is. Maybe you should take a couple more Aleve too.""See. I told Ya. I am a pain in the ass." and huffed, as she got her crutch and started moving towards the bedroom. I just stared at her ass as she hobbled away from me. "God damn, what an ass", I thought to myself.After she went to the bathroom, I heard the bedroom door shut. I got my area ready for sleep. As I lay there, I could just think how sexy she had to have looked coming into the bedroom naked, ready to fuck her husband silly too. My cock started growing then, just thinking how hot I bet she looks naked. But, there was no way I was going to pound one off now, with her just down the hall.Chapter 5.I awoke the next morning around 6 am, which is about normal for me now. It used to be 4:30am, when I was in the service. But I don't run and do workouts like that anymore. I still work out, but nothing crazy like that. After relieving myself, and getting rid of the piss hard, I went out to the kitchen and opened the back door. It was quite chilly out and still raining. Now that could put a damper on the day. I thought I should check the weather a little later, once Carrie got up.I was on my second cup of coffee, and had bacon in the oven when I heard the bedroom door squeak open. Then a few minutes later, the toilet flushed. So I got up and started the stove to cook some eggs. As I was preparing to cook, Carrie came into the kitchen. I turned when she said good morning, and was awe struck. All she was wearing was a red, plaid flannel shirt that came about mid-thigh on her. Of course my depraved mind wondered how sexy she looked without it, but I'll take this any day.One thing my mind did wonder about, was if she was wearing anything under it. When I went to pee last night before bed, she had draped her shirt, shorts and a black pair of thongs over the top of the shower curtain bar. Oh well, one thing to ponder over and never find out."Morning Squid. How did you sleep and how is the ankle?""I slept really well, actually. It throbbed at first, but this morning it feels so much better. Not even using the crutch. That bed is so comfy. Thank you again for letting me use it. And, thank you again for everything you have done for me. Even if you are a bonehead Jarhead.""Ouch. That hurts. And here, I thought you liked me", then chuckled. "Sit. Let me get you some coffee and the eggs will be done in a minute or so."We sat and ate, with little talk between us. Once we were finished, she made a remark about the weather looking quite shitty out. I agreed with her on that and told her I checked the weather channel, and it said it was going to rain all day today and finally move out this evening, then the next few days it would be clear and cool, up in the mountains."Well, I have another favor I am going to ask of you. Could you possibly drive me down to my car? Then I am going to rent a room for tonight and see how my ankle feels tomorrow. If all is well, I'll try and tackle this mountain again." she said.I looked up at her and smiled, "I was thinking." She laughed, "Now that will be a first. A Marine that thinks. No. Go on"I grinned at her, "I see you have your dad's wit too.... I was thinking, why don't we do this together. I mean, we get along well, and it would probably be more fun doing it together, than alone. Your virtue would be safe with me. And, not sure if you know this, but there are quite a few animals out there that don't really care for humans. Having a buddy around would make it safer."She sat and pondered for a moment, then after a bit, finally spoke. "You know, that isn't a bad idea really. But understand, I am not going to cook everything and do the cleaning, we share duties. As for my virtue, I think I am pretty safe with you. Plus, I have been around 41 years and done quite well, taking care of my own virtue. Plus, if I know Jenny, she was on the phone with dad and mom last night telling them everything that went on here. And daddy would hunt you down, if you hurt his little girl." then laughed at her remark.I started laughing, and shook my head. "What?" she asked. I calmed a bit and said, "Well, I should never try and do that age guessing game at carnivals. I'd lose big time." She grinned and asked what I thought she was. "When I saw you at the ranger station, I put you in your early 30's, not 40. Just a tad off I'd say."She laughed and said, "Yeah, just a little bit off, but thank you. I might like you more now."I told her the rest of my thoughts. After cleaning up and showering, we could go into Lake Placid. I need to get more tape and gauze, for her ankle. Some more food. And, she needed to buy some hiking boots, so her feet and ankles had better support. Depending on the time, maybe grab dinner down there too. Then pick up your car and drive it up here and we'll make this our base of operation. She laughed at the last statement and I asked what was so funny."Oh nothing, except, you can take the Jarhead out of the Marines, but you will never take the Marine out of the Jarhead, that's for sure. Base of operations? sheesh.", then laughed again.I started doing the dishes, and she joined me. Drying as I washed. I told her she didn't have to, but she said to shut up. I was beginning to like her more and more. I like a woman with spunk, and speaks her mind. Granted, I like a woman who is also feminine too, which I believe she is. There is 3 things I find so sexy in a woman. Her eyes. They hold the keys to her being. Next is her attitude. If she doesn't wilt when faced with conflict and then the sexiest is her ass and legs. If she has that, she is the total package to me. I just never found one yet. But now, I think I may have found one. Only time will tell.We decided to take off around noon, and about 20 minutes before we left, my phone chimed. It was a text coming through. Only a handful of people knew I was going up here, and any of the companies I was working with knew I was on vacation and wouldn't be available.I was sitting in the leather chair when I opened the text. It stated, "You fucking Devil Dog. Thank You for taking care of my baby girl. Just remember who her old man is and not take any liberties that I would not approve of." I sat there and started laughing. Carrie came out of the bathroom and asked what was so funny. So I showed her the text. She too started laughing."See. I told you Jenny would call them. She even gave them your number. Too funny."I texted him back. "You fucking OLD sea dog. Shock was an understatement when I found out who her old man was. Small world. We are going to tackle these mountains together. She'll be in good hands Sir." and I hit send.A minute later, the phone rang. Carrie laughed, then I answer it. "Sir? you fucking idiot. You save that for those weenie ass officers, who still need their mommy's to wipe their asses.""Aye Aye, Master Chief.""Mark. Not sure how you two stumbled onto each other, but actually I am glad. She's a tough girl, but knowing you are there makes my stomach calm a bit. I wasn't too keen on her doing this alone as it was. I know those woods. Lots of animals up there that don't take to humans, especially the cougars and bears. So please be careful.""We will Chief. No harm will come to either of us. Your daughter will be in good hands.""Now why'd you have to say that shithead. Remember what I told you back when you were eyeing up that young PO. It definitely goes for now (laughing). Seriously Mark. I know she is. Just keep my baby girl safe. And for now on, call me John. We served our time."  “okay John. I will. I'll let you speak to Carrie." and handed the phone to her. They chatted for a few minutes. I caught her rolling her eyes a few times, but she was also glad her dad had called.I wish I had a dad that care, like he did. Mine was a cruel SOB. I am not sure why my mom ever stayed with him. Hell, when he died, I did not even make an attempt to go home for the funeral. My sister did, but only because she wanted to be there for mom. I did go home for mom's, when she died a few years later.Carrie said her goodbye's, then handed the phone back to me. She just shook her head and then laughed. She kept on laughing then too. I was perplexed, as to what she found so funny.She calmed a bit, then said, "God Mark. When you answered the phone and heard his voice, you went parade dress attention. I bet you didn't even know you were doing it. It was so cute. But you know what, now that I really think of it, you are a lot like him in so many ways""Is that a bad thing?" I asked. "Hell no. Just funny though. He never liked Jack. Jack would never look him in the eye, and that bothered dad. Can't trust a man who won't look you in the eye, he used to say. Guess he was right. He must like you some, or he wouldn't have called you like that."Chapter 6.Carrie was dressed in tight jeans and a sweat shirt, This sweat shirt hugged her body nicely, and judging from the two peaks I saw, she wasn't wearing a bra either. Her ass was like a dream to me. Nice and full, and the way the seam disappeared into her as, just made me think of badly I would love to be those pants right now.We got the Lake Placid and found a sporting goods store. Inside, she tried on a few pairs of boot, until she found one she said really fit her nicely. Even the swollen ankle fit into it, which kind of surprised me. She also bought some socks. A couple of thin one's to use on her bad foot and some thicker woolen type socks. Of course they matched.Carrie also bought a new rain slicker, with hood, and I figured, what the hell, and bought one too. Mine was old and ragged looking. After our purchases, she sat down in a chair at the front of the store and put on her new socks and boots. She said she wanted to start breaking them in. Of course I asked how they felt around her injured ankle, and she said great, but who knows for sure.The rest of the afternoon, we did the basic sightseeing around town. Every once in a while, we found a place to sit, that was out of the weather, so she could rest her ankle. She said it felt fine, but never complained when I suggested a rest.By 5pm, we were both pretty hungry, so we started looking for a place to eat. We found this quaint little restaurant that served American flavor. I opted for a steak, and she did too. The girl could eat, but lord knows where it goes on her. We had a really good time while eating. We found out stuff about our early lives. Of course, hers was moving from base to base, and mine was not really giving a crap about school and getting into stupid trouble. She also found out how I detested my father when I was a teen.For me, this felt like a date. I usually am tongue tied during these events. But with her, I felt really at ease and conversations moved smoothly, like we have known each other our whole lives. One thing I did notice, that anytime her parents were mentions, she had this twinkle in her eye. She adored them, which was hard for me to understand. My parents weren't all that interested in what I did, and I pretty much gave up trying to get them to show me any affection or love when I hit 14, it just wasn't going to happen. To my mom, my sister was an angel, and I was the devil. For Carrie, she was their parents whole world, especially her dad.She had me in tears with some of the dumb things her dad used to do with her. Playing dress up and Barbies and such. If you knew her dad the way I know him, you would never think in a million years he would do things like this. For some reason, the more she talked, the more I was beginning to really like her, and I mean like in how a man wants to be with a woman. To share things with, and be with.We left the restaurant about an hour and a half later. The rain had stopped, so we decided to just walk around a little more. As we walked, she took my hand in hers, like two teens would do. Now I am not the type that shows public displays of affection. I never did that, only because I really never saw it from my parents when I was growing up. But, her hand in mine felt so good to me. Then she just leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.I looked at her with a questioning look. "Thank you again. My vacation could have been ruined, or even worse, still stuck up on that mountain side.""Actually" I said, "Maybe it is fate, we found each other. But I will say this. I really like being with you" She just looked at me and smiled, and gave my hand a little squeeze in acknowledgement."Mark? Weird question." she paused, then asked, "What's your perfect woman to be with?""Oh God" I said, "Actually, I don't want a perfect woman. I want one that when we are together, we can laugh, or cry, without feeling it's not right to do. I'd want one who is independent, and doesn't need me to keep her happy, but also, wants me in her life because I do make her happy, and she makes me happy too. She should be one with a strong mind and not afraid to speak her mind, or argue. But if we do argue, it is about something important in our lives, and not something petty, like I see so many do nowadays. When I commit to someone like that, I want that same commitment in return. It's either all or nothing, because I only want to do this once in my life, and as you can see, I have never found her, nor have I really looked all that hard either. And lastly, when we are apart, she is the only person I am thinking of, and wishing I was with her, even if it is occupying the same room with her...... What's your perfect man you want to be with ?"She laughed, then got a very serious look on her face. "To be honest, I am not sure anymore. I thought when I met, and then married Jack, he was the perfect man. Rugged, good looking, and always attentive, when he wasn't deployed. But as time wore on, he quit being attentive and acted like I was there to serve him. I felt as though I was raising two kids at times. I guess I want what you want, but in a man. I want it an equal partnership, and I base that on dad and mom, because they have that and always have, and it is what I grew up with. I want him on my mind 24 / 7 when we are apart, and when we are together, there is no one else alive that makes us happy, well except Jenny. I want to be able to look across the room at him and just make love with our eyes. I know, sounds corny, but that's what I want. As for love making, that's exactly what I want, love making. Pleasuring my man like no other woman can, and he pleasure me in the same way. To that end, it is a two way street. If you give 100%, expect to receive 100%. back. The last couple of years of marriage, now that I think back on it, it was mostly I gave, he took, and could care less about my needs at all, and I doubt highly he was even thinking of me then."With that, I just looked at her and said, "Well, sounds like we have some things in common again. As silly as this sounds, but this feels like a date we are on. But you know, it feels good. I'll be honest Carrie. I have never been in love before. I am not sure what that feels like. But I won't lie either, never have since being in the service, and I never will either, I like being with you.""Good to know Jarhead. I like being with you too. But, does my race bother you at all?""You're kidding right? I think you are one beautiful woman. And if I may be so bold, a very sexy one too. Granted, you have a better tan than me, but that's only because of my Irish blood. We don't tan well. All kidding aside, why would you ever think that it would bother me?""Oh Mark. I didn't mean it in a bad way but, when I was growing up, kids weren't so nice about, from both races. About 4 years ago, I was dating a guy and he met my parents. Even though mom comes from a mix race parents, she is darker than me, and when he saw that, he sort of just couldn't handle that. Since then, I haven't dated at all."I chuckled, then said, "Good thing I already know your parents and I like them. I definitely respect them even more. Back when they got together, and hell, even your grandparents, that was a lot harder to live with. People are so judgmental and mean. But No, your race means nothing to me. To me Squid, you are one Hot looking woman.""Keep talking like that Jarhead, and I just may let you stick around me another day or two."After driving back up to the cabin, our talk turned to our hike in the morning. We decided to look over the maps and see how we would tackle it and what to bring. I asked her if she minded sharing a tent with me. I told her it was a 4 man tent, and would lighten the load of the pack. She even agreed to that. My backpack was almost as big as the one I had in the service, which is called a rucksack. I will be able to get the tent and my sleeping bag in it, along with a small shovel and then a lighter, and food. If I pack right, I can get her sleeping bag into it and give her the lighter things like a coffee pot and water, and her carry the food. Just take enough for the day, and no more. Plenty of food bars and the such and canned stew. After eating M R Ees most of my life, canned stew is gourmet eating.Once we got back to the cabin, we laid out the map and plotted our course. Once that was done, I went and showered, then packed my pack. Carrie was showering then. I changed into just running shorts and a t-shirt. When Carrie finished, she came out wearing just a flannel shirt again. Last time she had it on, she had it buttoned all the way to the top, except for the last button. This time, the top 3 buttons were left undone. "Damn. She does look sexy like that." I thought.We packed up her backpack, with food and such, and even a change of clothes for the both of us. I recommended sweats for at night, since it will be chilly up there, but she also pack a flannel, which she said she prefers sleeping in. One thing I did pack in my pack, was my 9millimeter Glock. I have a permit for it, and I did inform the rangers that I was carrying it up there. Way too many wild animals that could prey on us. But, I did not tell Carrie this. Not sure how she would react. Hopefully, we'll never have to use it. One thing I did pack, was a roll of toilet paper. Carrie laughed at that one. But once you are in the field, like I have been on patrol, it's a comfort of home you want more than anything, and it beats leaves.After packing, we retired to the living room, where Carrie turned on the TV. Checking the weather first, then some sappy movie she liked. I got us some beers, to which she toasted, "To a great adventure tomorrow.", as we clinked bottles together. I then pulled out the ace bandage we bought earlier that day.As she sat on the couch, she placed her bad leg over her good one and let me take off the tape, It ankle was a bit swollen, but not like it was yesterday. It was very hard to keep my concentration on her foot, because of her sexy legs right there. "God, I wish we were lovers. I would love nothing more than to kiss my way to heaven right now." is all I could think about. But I pushed those thoughts aside, knowing my chances of that were quite slim, for now.Once I had her all wrapped up, I suggested she use the thinner of the socks tomorrow. She said her ankle feels really good wrapped like this. She then patted the couch seat next to her, for me to join her. She was sitting next to me with her legs folded under her. As we watched the movie, not much was said. We just enjoyed each other's company. I wondered if this how couples spent evenings together. I had never been in one before, and still am not in one, but this is close, I guess.I have never let a woman get that close, even the one I lived with. To her, I was a place to live and a fuck. And I viewed her pretty much the same way. We never got mushy or even showed PDA. We just existed together and pretty much fucked. Of course, back then, I was in my 20's and sex was all I had in mind. Not once was, I love you, ever spoken between us.... When the movie ended, Carrie stretched and said she was tired and needed some sleep."So Jarhead, you take the bunk tonight and I'll use the couch.""No. You take the bed. Please. I am fine out here. This couch is pretty comfortable actually." though I was lying through my teeth. The couch sucked. But I was raised with some manners, mostly obtained in the Marines."God. You Gyrene's are so bull headed. Next time, I take the couch."I don't know what possessed me, but I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, and as I got close, she turn her face to me and it landed on her lips. It was a quick one, intended for her cheek.I stammered then saying, "Sorry. That was meant for your cheek. And thank you for a great day. I really like being with you"She giggled, then grabbed my face with both of her hands and kissed me on the lips."I prefer the lips to a cheek, any day of the week Grunt." then stood and walked towards the bedroom. I couldn't help but watch her fine looking legs and ass, as she disappeared down the hall, saying good night to me, softly.Chapter 7.I was up at 6am. I got coffee going and changed into jeans and a polo shirt. About an hour later, I heard the toilet flush, so I started breakfast, It was best to eat a big breakfast, since lunch would consist of power bars and water.Carrie came out in the same flannel that she had on the night before. "God this woman makes me crazy for her. " I thought. One thing I have noticed, she is not big with wearing make-up. She doesn't need too. She's one of those women who could easily go without it. I bet she is smoking hot when she is made up.After eating, I did the dishes up, and she went and changed. The weather called for a daytime temp of 70 and tonight in the 50's. But on the mountain top, it would be in the 40's.Carrie came back to the living room, dressed and ready to go. She had on a pair of khaki shorts, that hugged her frame nicely and a light green shirt, and judging from the way the nipples were poking through, no bra. This could be a long hike today. I must keep my mind out of the proverbial gutter.I asked how her ankle felt, and she said fine, just a little bit of stiffness. I told her we would rest as many times as she thought it was needed. It should take about 4 or 5 hours to get to the top. After putting on our gear, which included now, a thermal mat to put under the sleeping bags my uncle had, we left, making sure the cabin was secure.The trail we chose was not all that hard, compared to some of the places I had to climb in Afghanistan. Carrie was keeping up too without a problem, If her ankle hurt, she surely didn't say. Most times I would let her lead, and got to watch not only the scenery, but also her lovely ass and legs. Now that was picture perfect. Her body could put 20 something year olds to shame.We stopped for lunch about a mile and a half from the top. There was a clearing that overlooked a valley below, and the sight was breathtaking to say the least. Carrie was all giddy about this and took out her phone and started taking pictures, commenting how beautiful it was. I too, took a few photo's with my phone as well.After a brief rest period, we continued our trek up the mountain. The higher we climb, you could feel the air getting cooler, but not cold. That would come later this evening, but we were prepared for that.I was letting Carrie lead us this time, and I could not help but watch her body as she walked up the trail. She had asked the previous day, what my perfect woman would be. Well, if it was just the body, then hers would be it. Toned legs, and a great ass. Slim waist line, and a shocker to most, but small boobs. I have always preferred a woman with smaller chests. I just think they look incredibly sexy. So Carrie fit that build to a tee.Would I like to be her lover? Hell yes. Who wouldn't want too. But, there was no way I would ever make the first move. Not only out of respect for her, but also for her dad, who I respected a great deal. If sex was in the cards for us, she would have to initiate it. But in reality, any time you have sex with a woman, it is always her call, unless you are a complete asshole.As we continued our climb, a couple, not more than 25 I'd say, was descending from the top. They greeted us and told us what an awesome view we were to behold, once we made it to the top. We found out too, that they were on their honeymoon. They, like us, camped overnight up there and said it was the most romantic place on earth. They then departed after a short rest, and we wished them well on their journey down.Finally, around 3 in the afternoon, we were at the top. The air was cool, but not too bad actually. With the sun beating down, I would venture to say it was in the 50's. I saw a clearing and put my rucksack down, and took Carrie's from her. She ran up another 1000 feet to the top and a clearing. One thing about up here, it is a tourist attraction and has manmade lookout observatories, which takes away from the place. We are going to camp right by a wooded area, away from the trails.Chapter 8."Mark, Mark" she yelled. "Come up and see this."I dropped what I was doing and trekked up to her and she grabbed my hand, pulling me along faster. She was so excited, almost like a kid on Christmas morning. Once up there, we could see all around, and off in the distance, loomed Mt. Marcy, the tallest of these over 40 high peak mountains that made up this range. It was a majestic sight to behold.She skipped up and onto a rock formation to get a better view, and left me with another beautiful view, her. God she was intoxicating to look at."God. This is so awesome. What a beautiful site. Don't you think Mark?"I chuckled to myself, then said, "Yes. It is a gorgeous sight to behold" Now I was staring at her body, and had no thoughts of the surrounding area then.She turned her head, back towards me, and just smiled, and motioned me to join her. She was right, it was breathtaking to look out over the area. Ponds and streams below us. We could actually see a herd of Moose below, by one of the streams. We both took out our phones and took pictures. Carrie cursed herself for not bringing her digital camera. I don't own one, and thought may be when we got back down, we could go to a store and buy one.I suggested she explore a bit while I set up camp. One great thing about this place, it had bathrooms. One for men, and one for women. I figured they were outhouses, but was wrong when I went to relieve myself. Actual running toilets and sinks. I knew some of the other areas we were not going to be that lucky.About an hour later, she came strolling back to where I set up the tent. I had just finished laying out the pad, and placed the sleeping bags on top of it. I wasn't too sure how she would feel about being right next to me, but the pad was only so wide, like the width of a queen size bed.She came inside and looked around. "That looks cozy", then smiled at me. That made me feel a little better. I surely did not want her to get the wrong ideas, like I wanted to do something with her, even though I really did.I got us a fire going then and cooked up a scrumptious dinner of beef stew, and canned corn. We even had bread for dipping. We ate without complaint. In fact, it was quite good. Trust me, after eating M R Ees (meals ready to eat) in the service, your own boot would taste good.After cleaning up, which included taking our bowls, and the pan to the bathroom and washing them in the sink, I came back and made sure the fire stayed nice. We again sat and talked about our adventure so far."Mark. This has been so amazing today. I cannot believe the sights I have seen so far. And being totally honest. I am so glad to be spending this time with you. God. I love it up here.""I'm glad you feel that way. I am not sure I would find this as amazing as I do now, with you with me. What I am really looking forward too, is the night sky, with all the bright stars. It has to breath taking. Just like you."I think the comment just flew over her head, because she made no remark at all about it. Then said, "I bet sunset is really cool looking up here. Especially when it starts dipping behind these mountain peaks all around us."We finished cleaning up the area. No need for unwanted guest later. I suggested going back up to the top and watch the sunset. I was surprised because as we walked, she hardly limped at all. I figured with the rest we just had, her ankle would be screaming to her.We reached the summit again and surprisingly, no one was there, except for us. We sat on this crop of rocks and just marveled at the sight. The majestic mountains all around us, and the sun slowly setting in the west. A big orange ball.Carrie grabbed her phone again, turned it on and took a picture. Then she asked me to sit close to her and face away from the sun, so she could do a selfie of us, with the sun behind us. That took a good minute to set up, and get it just right in the picture.As we were doing this, a lady ranger just happened to be walking up our way. She was checking the area out, making sure all was fine up here."Would you guys like me to take the picture of you two, with this gorgeous sunset?" she asked."Oh God, would you please?" Carrie answered back.Carrie set the camera back to take normal pictures and handed it to her. The lady gladly took a couple for us, then asked, "How about you two love birds kiss while the sun is behind you. It's so romantic like that."I looked at Carrie, and she at me. I raised my eyebrows like Groucho Marx used to do in his movies. That made Carrie giggle, but then she leaned in and softly kissed me on the lips. I so wanted to part her lips and taste her tongue, but why ruin a good moment. The only lasted a few seconds, when we heard the ranger say she got it. But during that time, Carrie's hand rested on my one thigh. The kiss alone brought a strange sensation to me. One I have never felt before. Maybe it was fear if her dad found out we kissed up here. "Christ", I thought to myself, "I'm acting like some dumb teenager.When we broke away, she smiled a very bright smile. I smiled too, then thanked the ranger for helping us out. She did caution us on making sure we take care of the fire we had, and to make sure all food was secure, and away from our sleeping area.Her hand was still on my leg as the ranger walked back down the hill, towards her car. I looked back at Carrie and she sort of had her head down, like she was embarrassed. I surely wasn't. The kiss brought me alive actually, and if her hand was any closer to my crotch, she may notice that something else enjoyed her lips."Sorry about that" she said. "What. I found the kiss very nice. You have soft lips. Very kissable lips in fact. If given the opportunity again, I would jump at the chance." I boldly stated.We turned again and sat there and watched the sun start to sink behind the mountain tops. As it did, we just talked about our work lives, and things we did during the course of a normal day. Mine is pretty boring actually. I work a great deal. I don't go out much. I am not a bar type of person and have just a few select friends. It's been ages since I went out with a woman. Most that I do know are either married, or divorced with young kids. It's not that I don't like kids, I just don't relate well with them. The only two I get along with are my niece and nephew, but they are teens now and could care less about old Uncle Mark.To be continued, by T. Foxal.

A Hiking Accident brings Mark and Carrie Together.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Mark and Carrie never met before, until an accident to Carrie, brought them together, and now maybe for good.Chapter 1.I'm Mark. 39 years old, single, a computer geek who is lucky enough that I can work from home, and make my own hours. I wasn't always like this. When I was 18, I had a choice, jail or join the service. I just made some bad decisions back then, doing drugs and getting in fights. So I opted for the Marines. I spent 15 years with them, and advanced to Master Sergeant, which is the fourth highest position an NCO can go. Served 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are true shit holes. Great thing about the service, besides 3 square meals a day and a place to sleep, you can be taught almost any useful job in the world, which is where I learned computer programing.Now I pretty much free-lance my abilities out and make a good wage. Most times I have jobs to do, but sometimes I don't and have lots of free time. If I do have jobs, I can make my own hours.I don't have a steady woman at this time, and I am  okay with that. Being deployed all the time, whether it was in the Middle East, or on some ship with a bunch of Squids, I really had no time for a relationship.I had been out almost a year this past August, when I decided I needed some down time. I decided I was going to the Adirondacks and do some hiking. I grew up outside of Syracuse NY., and have always wanted to go there. My one uncle owns a cabin up there and offered it to me when he heard I wanted to go hiking up there. He told me it had one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and a living room with fireplace. It had running water and electricity. He warned me that I would need to turn on the hot water tank, since they shut it down last fall, after they used it last.I had decided that I would take two weeks to explore all the different mountain ranges this area had, finishing up at Mt. Marcy, the highest of them all. Since it was just after Labor Day, tourism should be at a low, with vacationers and school kids back into their routines. My plan was to hike daily, a different range, and if need be, camp out at night. Being a Marine, we are taught all types of survival skills, so this would be no problem for me. One thing my uncle did ask me to do, is stop at the Ranger station and let them know I would be occupying the cabin for a length of time. People sometimes like to use squatter rights and just use cabins, regardless if they are allowed, or not.I also like that the temperature doesn't get to warm up there either. I prefer cool nights and just warm days. Maybe it's because of my time in that hell hole of the middle east. My trip took almost 4 hours to get to where I wanted to go.Chapter 2.The skies were quite cloudy when I pulled into the Ranger Station. I got out of my truck and headed to the stations door, and when I opened it, a woman was coming out at the same time and we bumped into each other. We both apologized, then laughed, and then she continued on to her vehicle.After letting a ranger know where I was going and for how long, I exited the station and headed back to my truck. That's when I noticed her again. She was 5 '7, maybe 130 lbs., caramel colored skin, hair just past her shoulders, when she let it down. From the side, she did not look like she had very big boobs, they were smallish medium, just the way I actually like them. She was wearing camo style shorts, and a tan polo shirt. Boy, she had nice legs, long and muscular, very toned. If I had to guess her age, early 30's. Whoever was getting lucky with that, was one lucky son of a bitch. One thing I did notice, she was wearing white running shoes, and not hiking boots. Judging from the backpack she was attempting to put on, she was going hiking and camping out. Running shoes are not the smartest thing to wear hiking. No ankle support what so ever.As I drove off, I stole another look at her, as I drove by. Great looking ass. Bigger than a model would have, but smaller than many of the women I have seen in my lifetime. I exited the parking lot and started heading up Whiteface Mountain. My uncle's cabin is up about 4 miles from this point, on a long and windy road. If I had to guess, it would be about a third of the way up the mountain, and only because of the road, which I believed was cut out by a snake.Once I arrived, I unloaded everything into the cabin. Found the circuit breaker and turned them on, especially the hot water tank. Too many cold showers in my life, so no need to suffer this time now. One thing I did notice too, the temp was cooler up this high. It was around 70 down by the station, but I bet it dropped a good 10 degrees.Next, I unload my coolers, which had meats and eggs, butter, and all of the necessities needed to eat well. I had enough for 2 weeks, if not more. Also brought along two 12 packs of beer as well, and water. Man I love roughing it.After stowing away my gear and food, I checked the place out. Nice queen size bed, in the bedroom. They even had TV, which I could care less about. May to use for the weather is all I can see a use for it. I'm not one to sit and watch TV much, except for football and maybe playoff baseball.I then went and checked the area out. The back porch had a gas grill on it, plus what looked like a cord of wood. I figured if I used any, I could go into town and buy some to replenish, unless Unc had a chain saw, then I would do my own. I then went for a small hike just around the area.I did not want to venture to far today. It was already after 4pm, and the skies were really getting dark, so some rain, if not storms, were moving in soon. About a 1/4 mile into the woods, was a hiking trail, well used too. I wondered if that lady was on this trail, if she even made up this far yet. If she did, she better start preparing her campsite for the weather that was due in soon. I kept hiking for another 30 minutes before heading back to the cabin. I figured a good early start in the morning, may get me to the top by the afternoon, early evening.Chapter 3.I was now back from my little hike and relaxing, but also getting hungry. I settled on frying up some home fries and grill up some Polish kielbasa. I cooked up the potatoes first, and then set the pan in the oven and set it to warm. Then took the meat out to the porch and fired up the grill.It was a little after 6 now and the wind had really picked up and the skies hung low, full of rain that to start shortly. As I waited for the grill to heat up some, I thought I heard someone cry out. At first I thought it could be just the wind, but then I heard it again.I stepped off the porch and headed towards the trail, behind the cabin. As I got on the trail, I heard the cry again, but this time could make out the word Help. I yelled out for the person to keep yelling, so I could judge where it was actually coming from.Whoever it was, must have heard me because the Helps were coming more quickly. I was at least a good half mile now from the cabin when I came upon a woman, lying on the ground, holding her foot. It was the lady I saw down by the ranger station when I first arrived.When she saw me coming she said, "Oh Thank God. I wasn't sure anyone could hear me.""What happened?" I asked. "Oh stupid me wasn't watching where I stepped and then all of a sudden, I'm on the ground from twisting my ankle." she explained, then went on,"I tried walking on it, but damn, it hurts. I don't think it is broken." I kneeled in front of her and took off her shoe, then her wool sock, and could see the ankle was swollen and just starting to turn a little purplish. I'm no doctor, nor was I corpsman in the service, but I have had my share, and have seen many a sprained ankle, and this sure did look like one.After looking at it, I looked up at her face and could see the pain written all over her gorgeous face. I then gently removed her backpack, which had to weigh a good 25 to 30 pounds. "Christ, what the hell is she carrying in this.", I thought. Then I put the backpack on over my shoulders. Just then, the rain started. "Great, just what I needed", I thought."Oh damn. This isn't good. What are we going to do now?" she asked."First off, grab my arm and let's get you up, then we'll hike back down to my cabin, which I think is about a 1/2 mile from here." I said. "By the way, my name is Mark" She retorted back to me "Carolyn, or Carrie to my friends, which you are fast becoming."With my help, she stood up, using her good leg. Now I am not a tall man, 5' 10 175 lbs., and still in great shape, since I work out 4 times a week. I then asked her to put her right arm around my neck and I would hold her waist, and we would try and keep all the weight off of the foot.We did quite well actually, and she didn't complain one time. Only twice did we have to stop and rest a minute. That didn't matter, we were both soaked to our skin by now, and it was quite chilly out. What should have taken maybe 5 minutes to walk, turned into almost 25 minutes, by the time we got back to the porch of the cabin. At one point, I felt I should have just carried her fireman's style, just to speed this up.We then entered the cabin. Luckily it was still pretty warm in there, but I knew that wouldn't last long. I guided her over to a leather chair and had her sit. Then went and got some towels to at least dry off some of the rain.I then went into the bathroom and saw that my uncle had 2 inch wide medical tape and some gauze. I went into my pack and pulled out some Aleve. I came back out, got some water and then handed her the medicine. Then I knelt down and removed her shoe again, sans the sock, since we didn't put that back on. I carefully dried her foot and ankle, and then wrapped gauze around it, then taped it up.After I finished, I could see she was shaking from being cold now. Both of us were soaked to the skin. I went into my uncles dresser and looked around. My aunt had a set sweats in there. I hope they fit her. My aunt is only 5'4, but is big chested, so the top should be fine. I also pulled out some socks for her as well. I then looked in the closet, and in the back, found a pair of crutches. Uncle's family comes up here a lot to ski, so crutches would be a wise investment, especially for my one cousin Carol, she is a klutz.I came back into the living room and looked down at her. " How does that feel now Carrie""Still hurts, but not like it was, and thank you." she said. I extended a hand to her and told her to grab it, then pulled her up. "I got you some clothes to change into, and these crutches. The shower is down the hall. A good hot shower should help you warm up a bit . Also, take this baggie and wrap it around your foot and ankle and tape off the top, to keep it dry.""Oh My God, you are so nice. I am so sorry for being a pain in your ass, but thank you so much."She trudged down the hall to the bath. I couldn't help but look at her great legs and chubby ass as she went. I did notice she wore no wedding, or engagement ring, so that was a good thing. Just before she opened the bathroom door, I told her I was going to finish making dinner. She just grinned, but said nothing. Before I did that though, I pulled out some sweats. Both the top and the bottoms had the Marine logo on it. Those sweats last forever.I had to reheat the fried potatoes and then went and relit the grill. The kielbasa was done in about 10 minutes. So when I came back in, she was still not out of the shower. "Women", I thought. They take so friggin long to get clean. Although I did have some thoughts about how she looked in the shower.I had just finished setting the table, when she arrived back out in the living room. The sweat top was definitely too big for her, yet looked cute. The sweat pants were a little snug and stopped short about two inches from the top of her feet. She was like staring at me, but didn't speak."Is something wrong?" I asked. "No, not a thing, except for those Jarhead sweats you have on.""What? You don't like Marines?" She laughed and said, "They are okay, but to a Navy gal, they don't get my motor running""Oh shit. I helped a god damn Squid? Christ sakes", then laughed, and so did she. "Come on, let's eat"I asked her what she would like to drink, which was limited to beer or water. She chose a water, as I did too, and sat down to our little feast.Chapter 4.She was quiet at first, so I broke the silence and asked her "So Miss Carrie, and I presume Miss, what has you up here by yourself?"She chuckled then spoke " I love hiking and always wanted to come explore these mountains. And Yes, I am a miss. Divorced actually, 5 years now. I have a 20 year daughter too, who attends Syracuse University.“Good God” I interjected; “How the hell did you ly you way into the navy as a 10 year old? You can't be past your early thirties!”I spent 14 years in the Navy. I was also a Navy brat too. My dad and mom live in Pensacola, after he retired from the Navy as a Master Chief. I left the Navy 7 years ago, but that's another story."She took a drink of water, then continued. " I live right outside of Syracuse now, mostly to be close to my daughter. We adopted her when she was 3 years old. I couldn't have kids, and she was orphaned when her parents were killed in an auto accident in Norfolk. What about you Mr. Mark?"I smiled at her and looked her right in the eye, which were hazel in color. "Let's see, I spent 20 good years in the Navy, and then retired from it. I did pick up a good vocation, programming computers, so that's what I do now. Mostly free-lance myself out. I make a good wage doing it. My uncle owns this cabin and I needed a vacation, so I too, wanted to explore here. I took the next two weeks off and hope to finish up on Mt. Marcy. I grew up just east of Syracuse and moved back there. Both of my parents are deceased now, and I have one sister, who is two years older than me"She then asked, "What did you end up at?""An E8, Master Sergeant,” I answered. “and you?"She chuckled and said, "E8 as well, Senior Chief. How many deployments?""3 tours in the sandpit, then countless boat rides. Served on the George Washington and the Lincoln, and ended my career at Quantico.""Oh shit. My dad served on the Lincoln too, John Reynolds. Master Chief of the Boat."I laughed and said, "I know your old man. I served with him on the Lincoln for 6 months. At the time I was a E6 (Staff Sergeant), but I got to know him well. I even got to meet your mom too, when we got done at Norfolk. Beautiful lady and not being forward, I can see where you get your looks. Your old man had a way with the crew. They all respected him and did anything he told them to do. I can still remember his one saying, "Son. Don't fail me, or I will open a can of whoop ass on you.” Usually scared the shit out of some teenage kid"She laughed and said, "Yeah, he did have their respect, but at home he was a teddy bear, at least to me and mom. I remember in high school, any boy I would date, he would just stare at them, which usually scared the shit out of them"We laughed and told stories about our time in the service. Then I did the dishes up while I had her go relax on the couch. When I finished, I asked if she would like a beer now, which she gladly accepted. Before I came out with the beers, I wrote down my name, address and phone number, and handed it to her."What's this for?" I told her, "Look. You were injured and I would like you to call your family and tell them and that you will be staying here tonight. Plus give you peace of mind that you are not bunking with some crazy guy in the woods. So let them know that info, and all should be good."She chuckled then said, "Well, for one. all of you jarheads are crazy, so I am not too sure how safe I am with you, but so far, you haven't shown any craziness. But I will call my daughter and let her know."She then called her daughter and explained the situation to her. They chatted for about 10 minutes or so. Her daughter must have asked her if I was cute, because she softly spoke, "yeah. pretty cute" After that she hung up her phone and sat back on the couch."I want to thank you again for saving me from a very bad situation. I know I have to be a pain in the ass to you, and you weren't planning on someone screwing up your vacation like this." Carrie said."Number one, you are not a pain in the ass at all, and two, you haven't screwed anything up. I rather enjoy your company, if I am being honest here. Granted, I came up here alone, but now I have made a friend, or at least, an acquaintance, and if I may add a very beautiful one at that..Carrie blushed, "Thank you. I mean for a Gyrene, you are pretty nice, and a bonus, you can cook too. How come some pretty woman hasn't snatched you up?"I just chuckled at that, "Well, you know how it is in the service. Always deployed to some ungodly place, or never being able to put roots down in one place. That's not fair to anyone. Plus, there has been no one who really rocked my world. The closest I came was living with this one girl for like 6 months, but she opted out after seeing me off to Iraq, and just couldn't handle the unknown. When I got back 8 months later, she was long gone. Never heard a word from her either, except for the letter she left behind. So from that point on, I just dated here and there, nothing steady. And now, I haven't really looked. You say you are divorced, what happened there, if you don't mind telling."She smiled, and when she did, her whole face smiled. Her almond shaped eyes were to die for. A man could get lost in those eyes. I know I was. I also wondered if she had a special man in her life. If so, he was a complete idiot for letting her go on this by herself. Not to keep her safe, or anything like that, but just to be with her."We met at Pensacola when I was just 2 years into my first term. He was a Seal. So of course he hung the moon and stars. But growing up Navy, I knew what this entailed. We had a great marriage, at least I thought we did. Only when he got deployed, did I get scared. You know how it is with them, they are not going to some amusement park. When he got transferred to a base, I got one too, since I worked in procurement and distribution, it was no big deal."She took a swig of her beer and breathed out, then continued. "We tried having kids, but I came to find out that my tubes were closed and I couldn't have any. So we started looking at adoption and then about a year later we were informed about Jenny. Her parents killed in an auto accident and she had no living relatives. We took her in as a foster child and then about a year after, we adopted her. Things were going good for us. We both got transferred to Norfolk, and luckily, Dad was stationed there too, but as usual, out on a boat. Then Jack started to change. He became withdrawn and started drinking more."I put my hand on her shoulder and told her she didn't have to continue. I knew this story well, which was one of the reasons I never settled down. Seen to many start drinking, and relived the action in their heads, and shut out their loved ones."No. I'm good. Any ways, about 9 years ago, he went on deployment and was gone a month. Who knows where, but called the night before and said he'd be home around 1700 hours. I was excited, yet nervous too. So, and I can't believe I am telling you this, (chuckled), but I left work early that next day. I wanted to make it special for him. Jenny was going to stay with my mom. So I left around 2 and went home. When I got there, his car was already in the drive. We lived off base then. So I rushed from the car and went inside. I didn't see or hear him, so I thought he was upstairs. Oh God... (chuckling again), I stripped down and figured I would surprise him being nude. I walked silently up the stairs and saw the bedroom door closed. Then I heard muffled sounds, so I opened the door, and there he was, on the bed. But he wasn't alone. Our neighbor Joann, who lives two doors down, was there too. She was on top of him fucking him.""Oh shit Carrie, I am so sorry" This must have been bad for her, because tears were streaming down her face now. I didn't know what to do actually. I am not good with women crying, and since I hardly knew her, I knew not to reach out and try and hold her.She fought through it and smiled a little, "It's  okay, it really is. Joann was a divorcee and always flirted with the husbands around her. Lord knows how many time she and Jack fucked before I caught them. I shouted at them, which startled them both and I told her to get her skanky ass out of my bed. Then I told Jack to pack his things and get out. He did too, never saying a word to me as he did. About a month later, he was transferred to San Diego. I know in my heart, my dad had something to do with that. He had many big wig contacts. It took 2 years for the divorce to be finalized because he was never in the area. I had just ended my time in the service and wanted to get away from there. Dad and mom had already moved down to Florida, so I had really no one, so why stay. The next 5 years, I lived down near my parents, so I could give Jenny a new start, like me. Then she said in her senior year she got accepted to Syracuse. I was working for a big fabric company, in logistics and put in for a transfer, since they had a big distribution center up here. Another good thing is, my mom's mother still lives in Syracuse, and I have lots of cousins I never knew I had until now.""Wow", is all I could say at first. "Now you see why I never married? Could have easily happened to me, but I come home and find her sleeping with some asshole." Then I chuckled, which turned into a laugh. "What's so funny?""When I was aboard the Lincoln, I was hitting on this young petty officer. Your dad took notice and pulled me aside. "Son. One thing you never do is shit where you eat. So keep your cock in your pants and stay away from them broads. Remember, you knock one up and they'll throw you in Leavenworth for destroying government property." I took him to heart too, that, and the fact your old man scared the shit out of me."She sat there and laughed and laughed, "Yep, that's my dad. Gruff and to the point. He must have liked you, otherwise he'd let you screw up on your own and not say anything to you."It was now going on 10 pm, and she was getting real tired. I went into the bedroom and found a sheet and a blanket, and took one of the pillows off the bed. I came back out and threw them in a chair. I reached my hand out to her, so I could help her stand.  “okay Squid lady, you take the bunk in the bedroom and I'll be out here." She shook her head, "No way Mark. I'll sleep out here.""Please just take the bed. You'll be much more comfortable in there, than on this couch. I'll be fine. In the morning we'll have breakfast and see how your ankle is. Maybe you should take a couple more Aleve too.""See. I told Ya. I am a pain in the ass." and huffed, as she got her crutch and started moving towards the bedroom. I just stared at her ass as she hobbled away from me. "God damn, what an ass", I thought to myself.After she went to the bathroom, I heard the bedroom door shut. I got my area ready for sleep. As I lay there, I could just think how sexy she had to have looked coming into the bedroom naked, ready to fuck her husband silly too. My cock started growing then, just thinking how hot I bet she looks naked. But, there was no way I was going to pound one off now, with her just down the hall.Chapter 5.I awoke the next morning around 6 am, which is about normal for me now. It used to be 4:30am, when I was in the service. But I don't run and do workouts like that anymore. I still work out, but nothing crazy like that. After relieving myself, and getting rid of the piss hard, I went out to the kitchen and opened the back door. It was quite chilly out and still raining. Now that could put a damper on the day. I thought I should check the weather a little later, once Carrie got up.I was on my second cup of coffee, and had bacon in the oven when I heard the bedroom door squeak open. Then a few minutes later, the toilet flushed. So I got up and started the stove to cook some eggs. As I was preparing to cook, Carrie came into the kitchen. I turned when she said good morning, and was awe struck. All she was wearing was a red, plaid flannel shirt that came about mid-thigh on her. Of course my depraved mind wondered how sexy she looked without it, but I'll take this any day.One thing my mind did wonder about, was if she was wearing anything under it. When I went to pee last night before bed, she had draped her shirt, shorts and a black pair of thongs over the top of the shower curtain bar. Oh well, one thing to ponder over and never find out."Morning Squid. How did you sleep and how is the ankle?""I slept really well, actually. It throbbed at first, but this morning it feels so much better. Not even using the crutch. That bed is so comfy. Thank you again for letting me use it. And, thank you again for everything you have done for me. Even if you are a bonehead Jarhead.""Ouch. That hurts. And here, I thought you liked me", then chuckled. "Sit. Let me get you some coffee and the eggs will be done in a minute or so."We sat and ate, with little talk between us. Once we were finished, she made a remark about the weather looking quite shitty out. I agreed with her on that and told her I checked the weather channel, and it said it was going to rain all day today and finally move out this evening, then the next few days it would be clear and cool, up in the mountains."Well, I have another favor I am going to ask of you. Could you possibly drive me down to my car? Then I am going to rent a room for tonight and see how my ankle feels tomorrow. If all is well, I'll try and tackle this mountain again." she said.I looked up at her and smiled, "I was thinking." She laughed, "Now that will be a first. A Marine that thinks. No. Go on"I grinned at her, "I see you have your dad's wit too.... I was thinking, why don't we do this together. I mean, we get along well, and it would probably be more fun doing it together, than alone. Your virtue would be safe with me. And, not sure if you know this, but there are quite a few animals out there that don't really care for humans. Having a buddy around would make it safer."She sat and pondered for a moment, then after a bit, finally spoke. "You know, that isn't a bad idea really. But understand, I am not going to cook everything and do the cleaning, we share duties. As for my virtue, I think I am pretty safe with you. Plus, I have been around 41 years and done quite well, taking care of my own virtue. Plus, if I know Jenny, she was on the phone with dad and mom last night telling them everything that went on here. And daddy would hunt you down, if you hurt his little girl." then laughed at her remark.I started laughing, and shook my head. "What?" she asked. I calmed a bit and said, "Well, I should never try and do that age guessing game at carnivals. I'd lose big time." She grinned and asked what I thought she was. "When I saw you at the ranger station, I put you in your early 30's, not 40. Just a tad off I'd say."She laughed and said, "Yeah, just a little bit off, but thank you. I might like you more now."I told her the rest of my thoughts. After cleaning up and showering, we could go into Lake Placid. I need to get more tape and gauze, for her ankle. Some more food. And, she needed to buy some hiking boots, so her feet and ankles had better support. Depending on the time, maybe grab dinner down there too. Then pick up your car and drive it up here and we'll make this our base of operation. She laughed at the last statement and I asked what was so funny."Oh nothing, except, you can take the Jarhead out of the Marines, but you will never take the Marine out of the Jarhead, that's for sure. Base of operations? sheesh.", then laughed again.I started doing the dishes, and she joined me. Drying as I washed. I told her she didn't have to, but she said to shut up. I was beginning to like her more and more. I like a woman with spunk, and speaks her mind. Granted, I like a woman who is also feminine too, which I believe she is. There is 3 things I find so sexy in a woman. Her eyes. They hold the keys to her being. Next is her attitude. If she doesn't wilt when faced with conflict and then the sexiest is her ass and legs. If she has that, she is the total package to me. I just never found one yet. But now, I think I may have found one. Only time will tell.We decided to take off around noon, and about 20 minutes before we left, my phone chimed. It was a text coming through. Only a handful of people knew I was going up here, and any of the companies I was working with knew I was on vacation and wouldn't be available.I was sitting in the leather chair when I opened the text. It stated, "You fucking Devil Dog. Thank You for taking care of my baby girl. Just remember who her old man is and not take any liberties that I would not approve of." I sat there and started laughing. Carrie came out of the bathroom and asked what was so funny. So I showed her the text. She too started laughing."See. I told you Jenny would call them. She even gave them your number. Too funny."I texted him back. "You fucking OLD sea dog. Shock was an understatement when I found out who her old man was. Small world. We are going to tackle these mountains together. She'll be in good hands Sir." and I hit send.A minute later, the phone rang. Carrie laughed, then I answer it. "Sir? you fucking idiot. You save that for those weenie ass officers, who still need their mommy's to wipe their asses.""Aye Aye, Master Chief.""Mark. Not sure how you two stumbled onto each other, but actually I am glad. She's a tough girl, but knowing you are there makes my stomach calm a bit. I wasn't too keen on her doing this alone as it was. I know those woods. Lots of animals up there that don't take to humans, especially the cougars and bears. So please be careful.""We will Chief. No harm will come to either of us. Your daughter will be in good hands.""Now why'd you have to say that shithead. Remember what I told you back when you were eyeing up that young PO. It definitely goes for now (laughing). Seriously Mark. I know she is. Just keep my baby girl safe. And for now on, call me John. We served our time."  “okay John. I will. I'll let you speak to Carrie." and handed the phone to her. They chatted for a few minutes. I caught her rolling her eyes a few times, but she was also glad her dad had called.I wish I had a dad that care, like he did. Mine was a cruel SOB. I am not sure why my mom ever stayed with him. Hell, when he died, I did not even make an attempt to go home for the funeral. My sister did, but only because she wanted to be there for mom. I did go home for mom's, when she died a few years later.Carrie said her goodbye's, then handed the phone back to me. She just shook her head and then laughed. She kept on laughing then too. I was perplexed, as to what she found so funny.She calmed a bit, then said, "God Mark. When you answered the phone and heard his voice, you went parade dress attention. I bet you didn't even know you were doing it. It was so cute. But you know what, now that I really think of it, you are a lot like him in so many ways""Is that a bad thing?" I asked. "Hell no. Just funny though. He never liked Jack. Jack would never look him in the eye, and that bothered dad. Can't trust a man who won't look you in the eye, he used to say. Guess he was right. He must like you some, or he wouldn't have called you like that."Chapter 6.Carrie was dressed in tight jeans and a sweat shirt, This sweat shirt hugged her body nicely, and judging from the two peaks I saw, she wasn't wearing a bra either. Her ass was like a dream to me. Nice and full, and the way the seam disappeared into her as, just made me think of badly I would love to be those pants right now.We got the Lake Placid and found a sporting goods store. Inside, she tried on a few pairs of boot, until she found one she said really fit her nicely. Even the swollen ankle fit into it, which kind of surprised me. She also bought some socks. A couple of thin one's to use on her bad foot and some thicker woolen type socks. Of course they matched.Carrie also bought a new rain slicker, with hood, and I figured, what the hell, and bought one too. Mine was old and ragged looking. After our purchases, she sat down in a chair at the front of the store and put on her new socks and boots. She said she wanted to start breaking them in. Of course I asked how they felt around her injured ankle, and she said great, but who knows for sure.The rest of the afternoon, we did the basic sightseeing around town. Every once in a while, we found a place to sit, that was out of the weather, so she could rest her ankle. She said it felt fine, but never complained when I suggested a rest.By 5pm, we were both pretty hungry, so we started looking for a place to eat. We found this quaint little restaurant that served American flavor. I opted for a steak, and she did too. The girl could eat, but lord knows where it goes on her. We had a really good time while eating. We found out stuff about our early lives. Of course, hers was moving from base to base, and mine was not really giving a crap about school and getting into stupid trouble. She also found out how I detested my father when I was a teen.For me, this felt like a date. I usually am tongue tied during these events. But with her, I felt really at ease and conversations moved smoothly, like we have known each other our whole lives. One thing I did notice, that anytime her parents were mentions, she had this twinkle in her eye. She adored them, which was hard for me to understand. My parents weren't all that interested in what I did, and I pretty much gave up trying to get them to show me any affection or love when I hit 14, it just wasn't going to happen. To my mom, my sister was an angel, and I was the devil. For Carrie, she was their parents whole world, especially her dad.She had me in tears with some of the dumb things her dad used to do with her. Playing dress up and Barbies and such. If you knew her dad the way I know him, you would never think in a million years he would do things like this. For some reason, the more she talked, the more I was beginning to really like her, and I mean like in how a man wants to be with a woman. To share things with, and be with.We left the restaurant about an hour and a half later. The rain had stopped, so we decided to just walk around a little more. As we walked, she took my hand in hers, like two teens would do. Now I am not the type that shows public displays of affection. I never did that, only because I really never saw it from my parents when I was growing up. But, her hand in mine felt so good to me. Then she just leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.I looked at her with a questioning look. "Thank you again. My vacation could have been ruined, or even worse, still stuck up on that mountain side.""Actually" I said, "Maybe it is fate, we found each other. But I will say this. I really like being with you" She just looked at me and smiled, and gave my hand a little squeeze in acknowledgement."Mark? Weird question." she paused, then asked, "What's your perfect woman to be with?""Oh God" I said, "Actually, I don't want a perfect woman. I want one that when we are together, we can laugh, or cry, without feeling it's not right to do. I'd want one who is independent, and doesn't need me to keep her happy, but also, wants me in her life because I do make her happy, and she makes me happy too. She should be one with a strong mind and not afraid to speak her mind, or argue. But if we do argue, it is about something important in our lives, and not something petty, like I see so many do nowadays. When I commit to someone like that, I want that same commitment in return. It's either all or nothing, because I only want to do this once in my life, and as you can see, I have never found her, nor have I really looked all that hard either. And lastly, when we are apart, she is the only person I am thinking of, and wishing I was with her, even if it is occupying the same room with her...... What's your perfect man you want to be with ?"She laughed, then got a very serious look on her face. "To be honest, I am not sure anymore. I thought when I met, and then married Jack, he was the perfect man. Rugged, good looking, and always attentive, when he wasn't deployed. But as time wore on, he quit being attentive and acted like I was there to serve him. I felt as though I was raising two kids at times. I guess I want what you want, but in a man. I want it an equal partnership, and I base that on dad and mom, because they have that and always have, and it is what I grew up with. I want him on my mind 24 / 7 when we are apart, and when we are together, there is no one else alive that makes us happy, well except Jenny. I want to be able to look across the room at him and just make love with our eyes. I know, sounds corny, but that's what I want. As for love making, that's exactly what I want, love making. Pleasuring my man like no other woman can, and he pleasure me in the same way. To that end, it is a two way street. If you give 100%, expect to receive 100%. back. The last couple of years of marriage, now that I think back on it, it was mostly I gave, he took, and could care less about my needs at all, and I doubt highly he was even thinking of me then."With that, I just looked at her and said, "Well, sounds like we have some things in common again. As silly as this sounds, but this feels like a date we are on. But you know, it feels good. I'll be honest Carrie. I have never been in love before. I am not sure what that feels like. But I won't lie either, never have since being in the service, and I never will either, I like being with you.""Good to know Jarhead. I like being with you too. But, does my race bother you at all?""You're kidding right? I think you are one beautiful woman. And if I may be so bold, a very sexy one too. Granted, you have a better tan than me, but that's only because of my Irish blood. We don't tan well. All kidding aside, why would you ever think that it would bother me?""Oh Mark. I didn't mean it in a bad way but, when I was growing up, kids weren't so nice about, from both races. About 4 years ago, I was dating a guy and he met my parents. Even though mom comes from a mix race parents, she is darker than me, and when he saw that, he sort of just couldn't handle that. Since then, I haven't dated at all."I chuckled, then said, "Good thing I already know your parents and I like them. I definitely respect them even more. Back when they got together, and hell, even your grandparents, that was a lot harder to live with. People are so judgmental and mean. But No, your race means nothing to me. To me Squid, you are one Hot looking woman.""Keep talking like that Jarhead, and I just may let you stick around me another day or two."After driving back up to the cabin, our talk turned to our hike in the morning. We decided to look over the maps and see how we would tackle it and what to bring. I asked her if she minded sharing a tent with me. I told her it was a 4 man tent, and would lighten the load of the pack. She even agreed to that. My backpack was almost as big as the one I had in the service, which is called a rucksack. I will be able to get the tent and my sleeping bag in it, along with a small shovel and then a lighter, and food. If I pack right, I can get her sleeping bag into it and give her the lighter things like a coffee pot and water, and her carry the food. Just take enough for the day, and no more. Plenty of food bars and the such and canned stew. After eating M R Ees most of my life, canned stew is gourmet eating.Once we got back to the cabin, we laid out the map and plotted our course. Once that was done, I went and showered, then packed my pack. Carrie was showering then. I changed into just running shorts and a t-shirt. When Carrie finished, she came out wearing just a flannel shirt again. Last time she had it on, she had it buttoned all the way to the top, except for the last button. This time, the top 3 buttons were left undone. "Damn. She does look sexy like that." I thought.We packed up her backpack, with food and such, and even a change of clothes for the both of us. I recommended sweats for at night, since it will be chilly up there, but she also pack a flannel, which she said she prefers sleeping in. One thing I did pack in my pack, was my 9millimeter Glock. I have a permit for it, and I did inform the rangers that I was carrying it up there. Way too many wild animals that could prey on us. But, I did not tell Carrie this. Not sure how she would react. Hopefully, we'll never have to use it. One thing I did pack, was a roll of toilet paper. Carrie laughed at that one. But once you are in the field, like I have been on patrol, it's a comfort of home you want more than anything, and it beats leaves.After packing, we retired to the living room, where Carrie turned on the TV. Checking the weather first, then some sappy movie she liked. I got us some beers, to which she toasted, "To a great adventure tomorrow.", as we clinked bottles together. I then pulled out the ace bandage we bought earlier that day.As she sat on the couch, she placed her bad leg over her good one and let me take off the tape, It ankle was a bit swollen, but not like it was yesterday. It was very hard to keep my concentration on her foot, because of her sexy legs right there. "God, I wish we were lovers. I would love nothing more than to kiss my way to heaven right now." is all I could think about. But I pushed those thoughts aside, knowing my chances of that were quite slim, for now.Once I had her all wrapped up, I suggested she use the thinner of the socks tomorrow. She said her ankle feels really good wrapped like this. She then patted the couch seat next to her, for me to join her. She was sitting next to me with her legs folded under her. As we watched the movie, not much was said. We just enjoyed each other's company. I wondered if this how couples spent evenings together. I had never been in one before, and still am not in one, but this is close, I guess.I have never let a woman get that close, even the one I lived with. To her, I was a place to live and a fuck. And I viewed her pretty much the same way. We never got mushy or even showed PDA. We just existed together and pretty much fucked. Of course, back then, I was in my 20's and sex was all I had in mind. Not once was, I love you, ever spoken between us.... When the movie ended, Carrie stretched and said she was tired and needed some sleep."So Jarhead, you take the bunk tonight and I'll use the couch.""No. You take the bed. Please. I am fine out here. This couch is pretty comfortable actually." though I was lying through my teeth. The couch sucked. But I was raised with some manners, mostly obtained in the Marines."God. You Gyrene's are so bull headed. Next time, I take the couch."I don't know what possessed me, but I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, and as I got close, she turn her face to me and it landed on her lips. It was a quick one, intended for her cheek.I stammered then saying, "Sorry. That was meant for your cheek. And thank you for a great day. I really like being with you"She giggled, then grabbed my face with both of her hands and kissed me on the lips."I prefer the lips to a cheek, any day of the week Grunt." then stood and walked towards the bedroom. I couldn't help but watch her fine looking legs and ass, as she disappeared down the hall, saying good night to me, softly.Chapter 7.I was up at 6am. I got coffee going and changed into jeans and a polo shirt. About an hour later, I heard the toilet flush, so I started breakfast, It was best to eat a big breakfast, since lunch would consist of power bars and water.Carrie came out in the same flannel that she had on the night before. "God this woman makes me crazy for her. " I thought. One thing I have noticed, she is not big with wearing make-up. She doesn't need too. She's one of those women who could easily go without it. I bet she is smoking hot when she is made up.After eating, I did the dishes up, and she went and changed. The weather called for a daytime temp of 70 and tonight in the 50's. But on the mountain top, it would be in the 40's.Carrie came back to the living room, dressed and ready to go. She had on a pair of khaki shorts, that hugged her frame nicely and a light green shirt, and judging from the way the nipples were poking through, no bra. This could be a long hike today. I must keep my mind out of the proverbial gutter.I asked how her ankle felt, and she said fine, just a little bit of stiffness. I told her we would rest as many times as she thought it was needed. It should take about 4 or 5 hours to get to the top. After putting on our gear, which included now, a thermal mat to put under the sleeping bags my uncle had, we left, making sure the cabin was secure.The trail we chose was not all that hard, compared to some of the places I had to climb in Afghanistan. Carrie was keeping up too without a problem, If her ankle hurt, she surely didn't say. Most times I would let her lead, and got to watch not only the scenery, but also her lovely ass and legs. Now that was picture perfect. Her body could put 20 something year olds to shame.We stopped for lunch about a mile and a half from the top. There was a clearing that overlooked a valley below, and the sight was breathtaking to say the least. Carrie was all giddy about this and took out her phone and started taking pictures, commenting how beautiful it was. I too, took a few photo's with my phone as well.After a brief rest period, we continued our trek up the mountain. The higher we climb, you could feel the air getting cooler, but not cold. That would come later this evening, but we were prepared for that.I was letting Carrie lead us this time, and I could not help but watch her body as she walked up the trail. She had asked the previous day, what my perfect woman would be. Well, if it was just the body, then hers would be it. Toned legs, and a great ass. Slim waist line, and a shocker to most, but small boobs. I have always preferred a woman with smaller chests. I just think they look incredibly sexy. So Carrie fit that build to a tee.Would I like to be her lover? Hell yes. Who wouldn't want too. But, there was no way I would ever make the first move. Not only out of respect for her, but also for her dad, who I respected a great deal. If sex was in the cards for us, she would have to initiate it. But in reality, any time you have sex with a woman, it is always her call, unless you are a complete asshole.As we continued our climb, a couple, not more than 25 I'd say, was descending from the top. They greeted us and told us what an awesome view we were to behold, once we made it to the top. We found out too, that they were on their honeymoon. They, like us, camped overnight up there and said it was the most romantic place on earth. They then departed after a short rest, and we wished them well on their journey down.Finally, around 3 in the afternoon, we were at the top. The air was cool, but not too bad actually. With the sun beating down, I would venture to say it was in the 50's. I saw a clearing and put my rucksack down, and took Carrie's from her. She ran up another 1000 feet to the top and a clearing. One thing about up here, it is a tourist attraction and has manmade lookout observatories, which takes away from the place. We are going to camp right by a wooded area, away from the trails.Chapter 8."Mark, Mark" she yelled. "Come up and see this."I dropped what I was doing and trekked up to her and she grabbed my hand, pulling me along faster. She was so excited, almost like a kid on Christmas morning. Once up there, we could see all around, and off in the distance, loomed Mt. Marcy, the tallest of these over 40 high peak mountains that made up this range. It was a majestic sight to behold.She skipped up and onto a rock formation to get a better view, and left me with another beautiful view, her. God she was intoxicating to look at."God. This is so awesome. What a beautiful site. Don't you think Mark?"I chuckled to myself, then said, "Yes. It is a gorgeous sight to behold" Now I was staring at her body, and had no thoughts of the surrounding area then.She turned her head, back towards me, and just smiled, and motioned me to join her. She was right, it was breathtaking to look out over the area. Ponds and streams below us. We could actually see a herd of Moose below, by one of the streams. We both took out our phones and took pictures. Carrie cursed herself for not bringing her digital camera. I don't own one, and thought may be when we got back down, we could go to a store and buy one.I suggested she explore a bit while I set up camp. One great thing about this place, it had bathrooms. One for men, and one for women. I figured they were outhouses, but was wrong when I went to relieve myself. Actual running toilets and sinks. I knew some of the other areas we were not going to be that lucky.About an hour later, she came strolling back to where I set up the tent. I had just finished laying out the pad, and placed the sleeping bags on top of it. I wasn't too sure how she would feel about being right next to me, but the pad was only so wide, like the width of a queen size bed.She came inside and looked around. "That looks cozy", then smiled at me. That made me feel a little better. I surely did not want her to get the wrong ideas, like I wanted to do something with her, even though I really did.I got us a fire going then and cooked up a scrumptious dinner of beef stew, and canned corn. We even had bread for dipping. We ate without complaint. In fact, it was quite good. Trust me, after eating M R Ees (meals ready to eat) in the service, your own boot would taste good.After cleaning up, which included taking our bowls, and the pan to the bathroom and washing them in the sink, I came back and made sure the fire stayed nice. We again sat and talked about our adventure so far."Mark. This has been so amazing today. I cannot believe the sights I have seen so far. And being totally honest. I am so glad to be spending this time with you. God. I love it up here.""I'm glad you feel that way. I am not sure I would find this as amazing as I do now, with you with me. What I am really looking forward too, is the night sky, with all the bright stars. It has to breath taking. Just like you."I think the comment just flew over her head, because she made no remark at all about it. Then said, "I bet sunset is really cool looking up here. Especially when it starts dipping behind these mountain peaks all around us."We finished cleaning up the area. No need for unwanted guest later. I suggested going back up to the top and watch the sunset. I was surprised because as we walked, she hardly limped at all. I figured with the rest we just had, her ankle would be screaming to her.We reached the summit again and surprisingly, no one was there, except for us. We sat on this crop of rocks and just marveled at the sight. The majestic mountains all around us, and the sun slowly setting in the west. A big orange ball.Carrie grabbed her phone again, turned it on and took a picture. Then she asked me to sit close to her and face away from the sun, so she could do a selfie of us, with the sun behind us. That took a good minute to set up, and get it just right in the picture.As we were doing this, a lady ranger just happened to be walking up our way. She was checking the area out, making sure all was fine up here."Would you guys like me to take the picture of you two, with this gorgeous sunset?" she asked."Oh God, would you please?" Carrie answered back.Carrie set the camera back to take normal pictures and handed it to her. The lady gladly took a couple for us, then asked, "How about you two love birds kiss while the sun is behind you. It's so romantic like that."I looked at Carrie, and she at me. I raised my eyebrows like Groucho Marx used to do in his movies. That made Carrie giggle, but then she leaned in and softly kissed me on the lips. I so wanted to part her lips and taste her tongue, but why ruin a good moment. The only lasted a few seconds, when we heard the ranger say she got it. But during that time, Carrie's hand rested on my one thigh. The kiss alone brought a strange sensation to me. One I have never felt before. Maybe it was fear if her dad found out we kissed up here. "Christ", I thought to myself, "I'm acting like some dumb teenager.When we broke away, she smiled a very bright smile. I smiled too, then thanked the ranger for helping us out. She did caution us on making sure we take care of the fire we had, and to make sure all food was secure, and away from our sleeping area.Her hand was still on my leg as the ranger walked back down the hill, towards her car. I looked back at Carrie and she sort of had her head down, like she was embarrassed. I surely wasn't. The kiss brought me alive actually, and if her hand was any closer to my crotch, she may notice that something else enjoyed her lips."Sorry about that" she said. "What. I found the kiss very nice. You have soft lips. Very kissable lips in fact. If given the opportunity again, I would jump at the chance." I boldly stated.We turned again and sat there and watched the sun start to sink behind the mountain tops. As it did, we just talked about our work lives, and things we did during the course of a normal day. Mine is pretty boring actually. I work a great deal. I don't go out much. I am not a bar type of person and have just a few select friends. It's been ages since I went out with a woman. Most that I do know are either married, or divorced with young kids. It's not that I don't like kids, I just don't relate well with them. The only two I get along with are my niece and nephew, but they are teens now and could care less about old Uncle Mark.To be continued, by T. Foxal.

Democrats are making a big mistake by joining the Trump-Epstein scandal. MAGA health insurance will double. Rugged individualist MAGA caller exposed. Epstein mistake.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Frances The Mute feat. Prima - Good LovinVibeRaiders - Heavens Gates9th-Uno feat. Le Zeppo & Detales - TalumChiinnnuz - Chiinnnuz FreestyleSankofa - Kerosene Clouds6th Floor feat. Caos & Muzikk - WinJxck Birxch - Carry OnNatalya - Show MeNayyah x Nikz - When I Call YouJ Cliff x MR B x INOS - StillShortsam & Jones feat. Tiske Sanka - Chef de familleMz True World - Mary J (Feel My Pain)José Reinaldo - Where Did You GoCmelyza - Pray 5XFreestyle Session - Street Da Villan (Part 2)Street Da Villan (part 2)Kyle Reece - Love Of My LifeVan Gunz feat. Sha-Elemental,Mallz and Poe Mack - The WordB1 The Architect & Sythe feat. Daniel Son & Grand Imperial Kilocee - Find OutuMaNg & B.B.Z Darney feat. Shabaam Sahdeeq - Return 2 The ClassicsD'shon El Villano - I'm BackVerbalist - Highly VenomousDJ Chase feat. Kashaveli - SatisfactionBlak Ram - Blood GoldFlaign3 - Know You're LyingJJackpot - 25 RedD.R.U.M.S. Rugged feat. DJ Glibstylez - AngelFlaytones - This YearBigredcap - Get FadedNapoleon Da Legend - Grown AdultsPreed One & Ruste Juxx feat. DJ TMB - Blabber MouthJFliz feat. G Fam Black, Mike Titan & DJ Lump - Knuckle Up Buckle DownAceWonda - God Bless Black AmericaShowrocka feat. YaH-Ra & Din Cooks - Blackity Black (Remix)

A MAGA caller called in defending Trump/MAGA policies, claiming he did not want to pay taxes, and all social programs should be gutted. Unfortunately, his argument was destroyed by his own words. Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Thank you P. J. Schuster, Mary B, Susan Jagoda, Jane B In NC

There is no shortage of options in the digital watch world today.  From watches loaded with more technological features than most people could ever hope to use to models and brands with basic weather and navigational capabilities included, there's a digital option to suit most budgets.  But where do we draw the line on tech reliance in the field? Especially when our phones and satellite messaging devices can already do so much? Enter traditional tool watches.   Simple. Practical. Rugged. Dependable. Do we really need more from our timepieces?   There seems to be more and more interest in classic or traditional watches today, but a lot of that content focuses on fairly high-end brands that many of you will recognize and maybe can't afford.    But for 80+ years, a Canadian company, leveraging Swiss manufacturing has been quietly but confidently building watches for the most demanding and extreme use cases and customers. And they come at a price that most people can manage, especially when compared to the cost of a lot of the other hunting/outdoor gear we spend our money on.   Marathon Watch has an incredible history and legacy within the watch community and, if you've never heard of them before, we hope this episode exposes you to a brand that should be a household name within our community too.    NOTABLE QUOTES:  “One of our customers was deployed in the Middle East when his convoy was caught in an IED. He lost his arm, but the watch survived.”  @marathonwatch   ---------------------------  DEALS & OFFERS:  Get FREE SHIPPING from Spartan Precision Equipment with code BTK25 and be sure to check out their new Springbok line of products.  OnX Maps is now available in Canada! Get your FREE trial today. And if you're already a member, check out the exclusive offers and perks available when you upgrade to an Elite Member.   Tired of gut rotting instant coffee? Check out This Is Coffee and get yourself some great instant coffee for when you're in the backcountry or on the road.  ---------------------------  SUPPORT WILD SHEEP:  Go to Wild Sheep Foundation to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to wild sheep.  SUPPORT MOUNTAIN GOATS:  Go to Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance to find a membership option that suits your budget and commitment to conserving mountain goats and their habitat.   

SPONSORS: SimpliSafe Visit https://www.SimpliSafe.com/HONEYDEW to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and get your first month free! My HoneyDew this week is comedian Ali Siddiq! Check out Ali's latest special Rugged, out now on YouTube. Ali joins me to Highlight the Lowlights of his journey through fatherhood. He shares what it's like being a dad of nine, dives into the unique personality traits that set each of his kids apart, and reflects on some of his favorite things about each of them. SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE and watch full episodes of The Dew every toozdee! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON - The HoneyDew with Y'all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y'all! Get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It's only $5/month! AND we just added a second tier. For a total of $8/month, you get everything from the first tier, PLUS The Wayback a day early, ad-free AND censor free AND extra bonus content you won't see anywhere else! http://patreon.com/RyanSickler What's your story?? Submit at honeydewpodcast@gmail.com Get Your HoneyDew Gear Today! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ Ringtones Are Available Now! https://www.apple.com/itunes/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187

In this episode of Beyond The Wheel, we're joined by Jeff and Shrinka from Overland Outfitters—makers of premium, handcrafted storage solutions for Jeeps, overland vehicles, and RVs. You'll hear how their company combines rugged function with vintage style, and how their mission extends far beyond just selling gear. Jeff shares the design process behind their leather-and-canvas […] The post Overland Outfitters: Vintage Style, Rugged Function appeared first on Beyond The Wheel. The post Overland Outfitters: Vintage Style, Rugged Function appeared first on Beyond The Wheel.

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Send us a textRetired Marine Raider and author John Dailey joins the podcast to discuss his memoir, Tough Rugged Bastards, and the hard-earned lessons from a lifetime in Marine special operations.In this episode, Joe and John explore:The story behind the founding of Marine Special Operations—and what it took to prove they belongedWhy breath work, meditation, and reading became essential tools for combat and recoveryThe power of broad commander's intent—and how trust enables bottom-up innovationHow journaling and writing helped John process his experiences and reconnect with identity post-serviceWhy being yourself is a leadership superpower—and how John learned to take off the many "coats" he wore in uniformWhat it means to “do windows”—and why no task is ever beneath the leaderJohn Dailey left his home in West Virginia at seventeen to join the Marines, which led to a career of over twenty years. As a Platoon Sergeant in the Marine Corps' 1st Force Reconnaissance Company on deployment in Australia on Sep. 11th, 2001, he and his men soon found themselves in Afghanistan battling the Taliban. In 2003 he was selected to serve as a team leader in the first Marine Corps unit assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command —Detachment-1. Det -1's 2004 Iraq deployment solidified the Marines' place in special operations and led to the formation of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). John received his MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington in 2018. John continues to train Marine Raiders, and he provides leadership training and performance coaching through his company, Walking Point LLC. He lives in Hubert, North Carolina with his wife, Tracy. A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Meet ROGER Bank—a modern, digital bank built for military members, by military members. With early payday, no fees, high-yield accounts, and real support, it's banking that gets you. Funds are FDIC insured through Citizens Bank of Edmond, so you can bank with confidence and peace of mind. 

When grit speaks from the heart, it doesn't whisper. It echoes. Rugged, raw, and unmistakably sincere, this is the voice of a man who meant every word. Through powerful verses wrapped in orchestral warmth, a deeper love for a land and its people takes center stage. These reflections cut through the noise and stir something buried deep—calling back what too many have forgotten. Get your copy of the FAMOUS CD TODAY! https://www.swrc.com/product/america-why-i-love-her-john-wayne/

Hello Denimheads and welcome to the 42nd episode of The Sons of Selvedge Podcast, where a group of friends get together to talk about denim and related interests. In this episode the founders talk about travel with rugged goods. Please subscribe to us wherever you enjoy our content: YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Google or Stitcher. Check us out on Instagram @‌sonsofselvedgepodcast. Give us a shout with any questions, or if you'd like to join our Discord Server. Photography by @‌illcutzBackground music by Yshwa (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Yshwa)

Ali Siddiq joins the pod to discuss his new specials MY TWO SONS and RUGGED, how comics would be feeling themselves after getting on ComicView, why his daughter will be spoiled, his prison run-in with NFL player Dexter Manley, his dad being a smooth ladies man, his scary uncles, and much more. Ali and Stav help callers including a guy wondering if he should tell his friend that his fiancee is cheating on him, and a guy who plans on breaking up with his girlfriend but wants to wait after they take a planned vacation together. Watch Ali Siddiq's specials MY TWO SONS, RUGGED, and much more at his Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AliSiddiqComedy Follow Ali Siddiq and see him live: https://alisiddiq.com/ https://www.instagram.com/alisiddiq/ https://www.facebook.com/ali.siddiq.92/ https://x.com/Ali_Speaks https://www.youtube.com/@AliSiddiqComedy  https://www.tiktok.com/@thealisiddiq  Get 20% off your first 6 months of Open Phone by visiting https://www.openphone.com/perks/stavvy Visit Cornbread Hemp at https://www.cornbreadhemp.com/stavvy and use code STAVVY for 30% off your first order and enjoy free shipping on orders over $75.

Comedian Ali Siddiq joins the podcast fresh off dropping two new YouTube specials — My Two Sons and Rugged. He also executive produced Marcus D. Wiley's new special, Marriage is Major Surgery. Anjelah and Ali swap stories about catching fans trying to record their sets and what really goes into filming a comedy special — including having to reshoot one when the original footage gets lost. For Ali, it's never been about the paycheck or where his name falls on the lineup. It's about being honest, telling real stories, and connecting with people through comedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Misti and Arla chat with Ricky, Bill, and Deb of Atlas Outdoors. Atlas Outdoors is a St. George, Utah-based manufacturer of rugged, off-road camper trailers designed to bring comfort to remote, off-grid camping. Their lineup currently features two models: the TetonX and the AppalachianX. The TetonX is a larger, family-friendly "expedition trailer" with a full pop-top, offering a spacious interior with sleeping capacity for up to five, a versatile kitchen design, and a proprietary "go-anywhere" air suspension. The AppalachianX is a more compact and lightweight "smaller but mighty" option, ideal for solo adventurers or couples, featuring composite walls, a full slide-out outdoor kitchen, and a queen bed, while still being capable on tighter off-road trails and towable by smaller vehicles. Both trailers emphasize durable construction and off-grid capabilities.

Comedian Ali Siddiq talks about his newest comedy special "Rugged," streaming now on YouTube, and why Vulture declared him to be stand-up comedy's most prolific storyteller.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Pendleton County CVB: Dark Skies, Rugged Trails, and Hidden Gems.Welcome back to the Outdoor Adventure Series! In today's episode, we're heading deep into the ridges and valleys of Pendleton County, West Virginia, with Annie Humes, Executive Director of the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pendleton County is an area that stands apart for its untouched natural beauty, rugged mountains, and a quiet charm that's becoming rare in our world of constant connectivity. Annie shares what makes Pendleton County a unique destination for outdoor enthusiasts and slow travelers alike.DISCUSSION00:00 Unique West Virginia Experience03:30 Pendleton County's Iconic Landscapes06:57 "Accessible Wilderness Near East Coast"11:06 Small Community, Vast Spaces14:13 Adventurous Caving in Rugged Landscapes16:36 Optimal Outdoor Accommodations22:42 Local Attractions and Activities25:37 Maple Syrup Curiosity and Coffee27:33 Local Dining: Orange Cat Cafe & Ancient Oak29:52 Bridge, Beverage, and Website TourATTRACTIONSNelson Rocks - https://www.nrocks.com/Seneca Caverns - http://www.senecacaverns.com/Monongahela National Forest - https://www.fs.usda.gov/mnfPendleton County Historical Society - http://www.pchswv.com/Seneca Rocks Discovery Center - https://wvtourism.com/company/seneca-rocks-discovery-center/CONNECT WITH THE PENDLETON COUNTY CVBTo Learn more about what Pendleton County, WV has to offer, visit their website at https://www.pendletoncountywv.com/ and follow their social sites: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PenCoWV/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penco_wv/NEXT STEPSVisit us at https://outdooradventureseries.com to like, comment, and share our episodes.KEYWORDSAnnie Humes, Pendleton County WV, Pendleton Rocks, Seneca Caverns, Monongahela National Forest, Outdoor Adventure Series, Podcast#PendletonRocks #SenecaCaverns #MonongahelaNationalFores #OutdoorAdventureSeries #Podcast My Favorite Podcast Tools: Production by Descript Hosting Buzzsprout Show Notes by Castmagic Website powered by Podpage Be a Podcast Guest by PodMatch

In Episode 431 of the Survival Punk Podcast, we're cracking open the lid on one of the most versatile tools in off-grid cooking: the Dutch oven. Rugged, reliable, and ridiculously useful, this heavy chunk of cast iron can feed you like royalty long after the microwave is dead and gone.

In Episode 431 of the Survival Punk Podcast, we're cracking open the lid on one of the most versatile tools in off-grid cooking: the Dutch oven. Rugged, reliable, and ridiculously useful, this heavy chunk of cast iron can feed you like royalty long after the microwave is dead and gone. "Dutch Oven Cooking: Off-Grid Meals That Matter | Episode 431" The post Dutch Oven Cooking: Off-Grid Meals That Matter | Episode 431 appeared first on Survivalpunk.

**Thank you for supporting this ministry, I lovingly refer to as "The Little Green Pasture." Click here: PayPal: http://paypal.me/JoanStahl **Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joaniestahl **Contact Email: jsfieldnotes@gmail.com **Subscribe to me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-534183There is something notable in the lives of many true born again believers. They start out in their youth always being with many others. But when they begin to advance in years, many of those they first started out with go another direction. I remember this was the case for me. As I continued to mature in Christ, the less I felt the need to always lean on the arm of flesh but more and more on the arm of Jesus Christ alone. Jesus started out with few disciples, then many, then seventy, then multitudes. But when He began to teach and tell them things they did not understand, they began to leave Him for good. Eventually Judas left Him, "then they all fled," meaning the remaining eleven. Jesus then went the rest of the way alone carrying His Cross to Golgotha. This is always the path of many saints, and those who fill up heaven. Who started out with many and went the rest of the way alone with Christ up into heaven. When this begins to happen, you will begin noticing another kind of abounding walk in Christ you would never turn back from. You become partakers of His life in greater blossoming fulness. There is no turning back.If there are people in your life that have left you because you are flourishing in spiritual growth, let them go. When they do, you will start to thrive in ways you could never before. “One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”― Elisabeth Elliot

If you've ever longed for a corner of Ireland that feels untouched, authentic, and refreshingly uncrowded, set your sights on the Loop Head Peninsula in County Clare. Tucked away from the tourist-heavy paths of the Wild Atlantic Way, Loop Head offers a blend of natural beauty, history, and heartfelt hospitality that rewards those who take... The post Discovering Loop Head Peninsula: Ireland's Rugged Beauty Without the Crowds appeared first on Ireland Family Vacations.

What does it take to create a hospitality experience so unique that guests become your greatest advocates? In this episode of The Turndown, Brad Steward shares the philosophy behind Caravan Outpost, a place where intentional design and experiential travel collide. Drawing on his background as a snowboarder, designer, and brand innovator, Brad brings a unique perspective to hospitality. Discover how his philosophy of “rugged luxury” combines innovation, storytelling, and hands-on craftsmanship to deliver experiences that speak directly to his guests' desires—making them his brand's biggest advocates and fans.  

We talk to inventor/innovator/thinker Derek Fergus about fly-fishing concepts, putting maps and historical data to work in the field and a better way of thinking about the use of decoys. Especially for bowhunters and muzzleloader hunters. This is a must listen. Check out Derek Fergus's website at https://www.dfergus.com/If you want to support free speech and good hunting content in the Internet Age, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/We have a new sponsor for the podcast! It's a company out of Philomath, Oregon, family made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. It's West Coast Floats. check them out at https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Camp Chef, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, Pro-Cure Bait Scents, Sullivan Glove Company, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

This week, John A. Dailey, a veteran Marine with over 20 years in special operations and author of the memoir 'Tough Rugged Bastards.' Dailey recounts his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, emphasizing the importance of actions over words. The discussion highlights Dailey's military background, insights on leadership, and the concept of achieving a flow state during high-stakes operations. Dailey also explores the psychological challenges faced by veterans and the critical importance of finding purpose after military service. The conversation dives into the necessity of maintaining ethics in combat and the struggles of transitioning back to civilian life while retaining one's core values. Episode Highlights: 04:04 Combat Experiences and Flow State 08:03 The Physiology of Combat 12:56 Applying Military Lessons to Civilian Life 33:36 Misconceptions About Leadership 35:41 Creative Thinking in Problem Solving 43:08 Finding Purpose After Military Service 54:34 Moral Injury and Rules of Engagement John Dailey left his home in West Virginia at seventeen to join the Marines, which led to a career of over twenty years. As a Platoon Sergeant in the Marine Corps’ 1st Force Reconnaissance Company on deployment in Australia on Sep. 11th, 2001, he and his men soon found themselves in Afghanistan battling the Taliban. In 2003 he was selected to serve as a team leader in the first Marine Corps unit assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command —Detachment-1. Det -1’s 2004 Iraq deployment solidified the Marines’ place in special operations and led to the formation of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). John received his MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington in 2018. John continues to train Marine Raiders, and he provides leadership training and performance coaching through his company, Walking Point LLC. He lives in Hubert, North Carolina with his wife, Tracy. Get the book here: https://a.co/d/bRU0DZh Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A British motoring icon made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30th April, 1948: the Land Rover. The UK's first off-road vehicle (that wasn't a tractor!) had been sketched in sand by its creator, Maurice Wilks.  Heavily inspired by the American Willys Jeep, the first Land Rovers were simple, no-frills workhorses with no roof, no heater, and barely any doors — just half-height flaps to keep you from falling out. And at £450, they were priced for farmers, not aristocrats. But the car soon caught on, with everyone from Winston Churchill to Bob Marley. Despite being noisy, leaky and slow, the Land Rover's charm wasn't about comfort — it was about practicality, reliability, and an unmistakably rugged, "real" vibe that everyone could get behind. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick how the marque inspired explorers, aid workers, and adventurers; consider why the British Army abandoned the vehicle in the 21st century; and discover why the steering wheel on the first models was placed in the middle… Further Reading: • ‘Why everyone wants a classic Land Rover' (The Times, 2022): https://www.thetimes.com/article/7e9e5d1e-7dec-11ec-b216-7a521e8f125c • ‘Land Rover Design - 70 Years of Success by Nick Hull' (David & Charles, 2018): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Land_Rover_Design_70_Years_of_Success/w9IjEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=maurice+wilks&pg=PT19&printsec=frontcover • ‘History Of Land Rover: Discover the Amazing Story Behind the Land Rover!' (Land Rover World, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV3BIQ6WfR8 #Motoring #Design #40s #UK #Inventions Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Has the Decline of U.S. Christianity Finally Stopped? Ryan Clark on X: "Josh Jacobs was supposed to go out with Henry Riggs on the night he was arrested. @iAM_JoshJacobs feels Tina Tintor’s death should’ve been avoided, & Henry Ruggs could be free. In his anger Jacobs expressed as much to Rugged’ family! Jacobs & Ruggs are still close. The two talk https://t.co/XufCJWWzNy" / X Autistic artist, city council implement 'happy to talk' benches to combat loneliness - Not All News is Bad! Watch: Snake falls from restaurant ceiling, lands in diner's margarita Randy Alcorn on X: "I’ve seen a few things about astronaut Butch Wilmore, who was stuck in space for nine months and recently returned to earth, and it appears he is a sincere and committed follower of Jesus. https://t.co/yaRTfHX2QF" / X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For pop-up shops, home storage, construction site facilities, and more, 10ft shipping containers from Conexwest are compact, durable, and ready to roll. Delivered in days, they're the ultimate solution for businesses and homeowners who need extra space, fast. Learn more at https://www.conexwest.com/shipping-containers-sale/10ft-standard-storage-container Conexwest City: Fontana Address: 14774 Jurupa Ave Website: https://www.conexwest.com

John Dailey is a United States Marine Corps Special Operations veteran and the author of TOUGH RUGGED BASTARDS, a memoir detailing his time as a sniper, Force Recon Marine, and founding member of MARSOC Det One - the first USMC SOCOM unit. After retiring in 2008, after two decades of service, John shaped the future of Marine special operations as Training and Education Branch Director at the Marine Raider Training Center.  FOLLOW JOHNInstagram:  @j.a.dailey Facebook: @WaIkingPointOrgLinkedIn: @daileyjaWebsite: https://www.jadailey.com/FOLLOW JACKInstagram: @JackCarrUSA X:  @JackCarrUSAFacebook:  @JackCarr YouTube:  @JackCarrUSASPONSORSCRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/cry-havoc/Bravo Company Manufacturing - BCM Stock MOD3:https://bravocompanyusa.com/bcm-stock-mod-3-black/  and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSATHE SIGs of Jack Carr  P365 Collection: P365XL with Red Dot Optic, P365, P365X-Macro, P365 Custom with True Precision, and P365 Legion.Visit https://www.sigsauer.com/ and on Instagram @sigsauerinc Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here: https://jackcarr.co/gear 

  Double Tap Episode 405 This episode of Double Tap is brought to you by: Brownells, Black Rhino Concealment, Swampfox Optics, Die Free Co., Medical Gear Outfitters, and XTech Tactical    Welcome to Double Tap, episode 405! Your hosts tonight are Jeremy Pozderac, Aaron Krieger, Nick Lynch, and me Shawn Herrin, welcome to the show! GOALS August 9th and 10th in Knoxville, Tennessee. https://events.goa.org/goals/   GunCon PUBLIC EVENT - June 28th Location - Cleveland, Ohio at the Twist Drill Building (1242 E 49th St) Industry/Media Events - June 25-28 (Mixed locations around the Cleveland area) https://guncon.net/event/guncon-2025/   WLS Shirt Winner - Mark S. DT Shirt Winner - Roger B. - Dear WLS Mike Rochishairy - I have zero medical gear knowledge but want to put together a range day med kit. My range is 30 minutes to the nearest emergency room and would like a minimalistic kit in case of a ricochet or some boomer fudd does boomer fudd shit. No notes.     Jimmy A - What are you guys' thoughts and opinions on .257 Roberts? I have started a collection of lesser known and oddball cartridges and thought about adding a rifle in their caliber to it. Also, it seems like it would be a decent coyote, varmint, deer round for my farm in Southern Indiana. It seems somewhat similar to .243 Winchester but not near as readily available. What rifle do you suggest for this round? Thanks guys     Ben B - I will be finishing an ar15 build in the near future. It will be a suppressed 14.5 5.56 and I want to put an adjustable gas block on it so it can be tuned. My question is what is the best AGB when you balance quality and budget?   Stu Pidass - If you lost your non dominant hand and had to permanently replace it with a hand gun, which would you pick?     Dutch Walker - Gentlemen, I'm going to build a .338 ARC and plan on shooting it suppressed. I have a Rugged Obsidian9, and it's the only can I have that has a large enough aperture to handle the .338. How confident would you be shooting subsonic rounds through it without damaging it? For reference, Rugged says it will handle a 300 BlkOut subsonic rounds. See you at GunCon. Aaron, you owe me $40.   CD M - Ahoy boys, as we approach the sweaty time of the year I am returning to my summertime carry. The Keltec p32. My question relates to hollow points out of small barrels, are there any brands that would reliably expand? I have always just run FMJ out of mouse guns (if you can't expand, penetrate as deeply as possible), but would love to hear other opinions   Harvey - Me being cheap Arken optics caught my eye. Seen two people not speak to highly but most reviews are good. One guy claimed they where buying you tube reviews. So anyone use one and have any expericance with it? Thinking of attempting a long range class with HEARTLAND PRECISION RIFLE since their range is close to me. But don't really have a big budget or great gun for it. But have a 6mm creedmoor savage model 10 long range cabelas exclusive I picked up like 5 years ago for 300 on clearance. Hopefully its not to long. No Knots   The winner of this week's swag pack is Jimmy A! To win your own, go to welikeshooting.com/dashboard and submit a question!   Gun Industry News New Waterproof Stuffbags for Adventure Gear Tasmanian Tiger released the TT Waterproof Stuffbag WPV, a tough waterproof bag for military and outdoor use. It's made from durable materials and comes in three sizes: 15L, 25L, and 48L. The bag is dustproof and protects against water splashes. It has features like a secure roll closure and compression valve. The price details were not mentioned. The product is currently available.     Celebrating 75 Years: The HK Limited Edition Knife Heckler & Koch is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a limited edition knife. The HK 75th Anniversary Knife has a hand-forged Damascus steel blade,

Last time we spoke about Yamato's Last Stand. In the spring of 1945, as WW2 intensified, the US Marines commenced a fierce assault on Okinawa. Amidst heavy bombardment, the Japanese 32nd Army fortified their positions, preparing for a desperate counteroffensive. Codenamed Operation Ten-Ichi-Go, Japan's final bid involved the legendary battleship Yamato, tasked with a suicidal mission to confront the American fleet. On April 7, 1945, as the Yamato sailed towards its fate, American forces were ready. Hundreds of aircraft descended upon the ship in a coordinated attack, unleashing bombs and torpedoes. Despite its infamous firepower, Yamato struggled against the relentless onslaught. With its systems failing, Captain Aruga and Admiral Ito made the agonizing decision to go down with their ship. As the proud battleship sank, it symbolized both Japan's indomitable spirit and the crushing weight of defeat, forever etching its story into the annals of military history. This episode is the First Okinawa Counteroffensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Picking up from last time. The Japanese naval-air counteroffensive against Admiral Spruance's forces at Okinawa had been decisively defeated with minimal losses, allowing General Buckner's 10th Army to proceed with the land offensive largely without interference. While General Geiger's Marines advanced toward the sparse Japanese defenses in northern Okinawa, General Hodge's 24th Corps in the south encountered the main enemy line of resistance centered around the Shuri fortified zone. Initially, the 32nd Army had declined to launch a land counteroffensive in conjunction with Operation Ten-Go and the Yamato's suicide attack, fearing that the Americans might execute another amphibious landing at Machinato while the Japanese wasted their strength in a futile effort to reclaim the airfields. However, pressure from Tokyo and Formosa compelled General Ushijima to resume planning for this operation. Ultimately, it was decided that instead of initiating a broad counterattack, the Japanese would deploy a brigade-strength force overnight on April 12 to breach the American lines and advance approximately six miles. If successful, this would be followed by a general attack. Accordingly, Colonel Yoshida Masaru's 22nd Regiment was assigned to the 62nd Division and assembled northeast of Shuri, tasked with attacking through enemy lines east of the Ginowan Road and advancing toward Shimabuku. To bolster this offensive, General Fujioka was also instructed to deploy three reserve battalions for a three-pronged attack from the west aimed at Chatan. However, Colonel Yahara, 32nd Army operations chief, strongly opposed the counterattack plan, feeling that it was not in keeping with the army's defensive mission and that it would waste men. He succeeded in getting the 1st Battalion of the 22d Regiment and elements of the 23d IIB cut from the counterattack force. He made a dire prediction that the infiltrating units, unfamiliar with the terrain in their attack sectors, would get lost, confused, and cut to pieces during a night assault. Taking a sidenote here, I read Yahara's rather famous novel about his experience of the battle for Okinawa and I highly recommend it to all of you. It's a great insight into the perspective of the Japanese and how the leadership were beginning to change their mind on how to go about the war. Yahara, acting without Ushijima's knowledge, advised Fujioka to commit only four battalions to the attack, predicting it would inevitably fail. Meanwhile, the American offensive was still in progress. On April 9, as Major-General George Griner's 27th Division landed at the Orange Beaches near Kadena, the ships of Colonel Waltern Winn's 105th Regiment met with Admiral Blandy's Eastern Islands Attack and Fire Support Group at the Kerama Islands, preparing to move to Tsugen Island overnight. Following a preliminary air and naval bombardment, which saw some Japanese mortar fire in response, Winn's 3rd Battalion successfully landed on the morning of April 10. The Americans then advanced inland with light resistance, quickly securing the northern part of the island but failing to overrun the entrenched enemy positions in Tsugen village. The assault continued the next day against persistent opposition, but organized resistance gradually diminished, allowing the Americans to secure the rest of the island by nightfall, marking the conclusion of the Eastern Islands operation. On April 11, General Shepherd's Marines continued to probe for the main enemy positions in northern Okinawa; the 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines patrolled eastward from their new base at Shana Wan, while the 29th Marines advanced toward Manna. Due to this progress, Buckner decided to fully merge Phases I and II, ordering the 77th Division to capture Iejima on April 16. To the south, Colonel Albert Stebbins's 106th Regiment was attached to the 96th Division, moving toward that division's reserve area, while Colonel Gerard Kelley's 165th Regiment relieved the 17th Regiment in the corps service area. Most significantly, General Bradley continued his attacks on Kakazu Ridge, with the 1st Battalion, 381st Regiment attempting to assault the western slopes but halted short of the ridge crest by determined defenders. At the same time, the 3rd Battalion, 383rd Regiment pushed up the northwest slopes of Kakazu Ridge but was also pinned down by intense Japanese fire. Simultaneously, following an intense artillery bombardment, the 1st Battalion of the 32nd Regiment finally succeeded in breaking into Ouki. However, additional reinforcements were thwarted by heavy Japanese fire, forcing the troops to retreat. With no further advancements, the 7th Division and the 382nd Regiment were relegated to patrolling and mopping up their designated areas over the next few days. At sea, Admiral Ugaki resumed his kamikaze assaults that day, damaging the carriers Essex and Enterprise, the battleship Missouri, and eight destroyers. However, his primary operation commenced on April 12, when he launched approximately 380 aircraft for a second mass Kikisui attack, primarily targeting Admiral Turner's Task Force 51 west of Okinawa. Thanks to cryptanalysis warnings, Turner scrambled his own fighter planes, which successfully shot down 298 Japanese aircraft. Despite attempting numerous missions, Kanoya's specially trained 721st Kokutai Jinrai-Butai “Divine Thunder” unit had so far failed to launch a single Ohka suicide rocket against the Americans. On April 12, however, eight Betty bombers would finally launch six Ohkas against the 5th Fleet, although five Betties never returned. At RPS-14, about 70nm northwest of Okinawa, a Zero plowed into Mannert L. Abele's engine room at 14:40, its 500lb bomb exploding and leaving the destroyer dead in the water. One minute later an Ohka came screaming in at 575mph, slammed into Mannert L. Abele and exploded. She sank in five minutes, losing 97 dead. Mannert L. Abele was the first destroyer hit by an Ohka and the last sunk by one. Destroyer-minesweeper Jeffers, en route to assist Mannert L. Abele, observed a twin-engined bomber eight miles away drop a smoking “belly tank” that suddenly rocketed towards Jeffers “at terrific speed.” Numerous 40mm hits and hard maneuvering saw the Ohka miss Jeffers astern and disintegrate. Additionally 3 battleships, 14 destroyers, 2 destroyer minesweepers, and another landing craft were damaged. Meanwhile, Admiral Rawlings' Task Force 57 was ordered to strike the Shinchiku and Matsuyama airfields in northern Formosa, and over the next two days, 48 Avengers and 40 fighters successfully attacked Shinchiku and Kiirun Harbor. On Okinawa, the 6th Reconnaissance Company captured Bise Saki with minimal resistance, while the 29th Marines faced significant opposition southeast of Manna near Mount Yae-Take, indicating where the main enemy forces were located. This prompted Shepherd to reposition the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines to Awa as his new divisional reserve. At the same time, Japanese guerrillas managed to retake Ishikawa, which they would hold for the following two days. Facing south, the 96th Division made another attempt to capture Kakazu but was once again thwarted by the determined defenders. By this time, approximately 5,750 Japanese soldiers were estimated to have been killed in the southern region, while the 24th Corps suffered losses of 451 men killed, 2,198 wounded, and 241 missing. In the afternoon of April 12, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia, while sitting for a portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "I have a terrific headache." He then slumped forward in his chair, unconscious, and was carried into his bedroom. The president's attending cardiologist, Howard Bruenn, diagnosed a massive intracerebral hemorrhage. At 3:35 pm, Roosevelt died at the age of 63. His declining health had been kept secret from the public, leading to shock and sorrow worldwide upon the news of his death. Harry Truman, who was serving as vice president in 1945, succeeded FDR as president. Meanwhile, back in Okinawa, Fujioka initiated his counteroffensive after a heavy artillery bombardment, advancing his four battalions to secretly infiltrate the American lines. On the eastern front, the 22nd Regiment struggled to advance due to becoming disoriented in unfamiliar terrain.  The night attacks suffered from several unexpected problems. Heavy shelling had changed the landscape, blasting away villages and thickets, so that even though night infiltrators knew their maps and thought they knew the terrain, they lacked the landmarks needed to tell them where they actually were. Moreover, frequent illumination shells forced the eyes of night infiltrators to adjust so many times that their capacity to adjust was lost. They became temporarily blinded and so were unable to move. Because of the unfamiliar terrain and flash blindness, the Japanese night fighters had difficulty reaching their assigned objectives. In fact, it was hard for them to reach their jumping-off points. Continuous naval bombardment of crossroads and bridges forced units to rush across in small groups between shells so that the units became strung out on the roads and difficult to control. It was hard to move heavy ammunition and supplies forward because of these interdiction points and the generally churned up roads. Even when units reached their northward assembly points safely by night, they were immediately exposed to aerial observation and artillery fire at dawn, since they lacked enough time to dig in. Units that attacked across American lines safely in darkness had the same problem: they lacked time to dig in and so were utterly exposed to artillery fire at morning light. Night attacks, like flanking maneuvers, were a kind of cure-all in prewar Japanese doctrine. But they failed to provide the expeditious results on Okinawa that IJA doctrine had led the 32d Army Staff to expect. Consequently, Yoshida's four infiltration attempts, each involving about a squad, were effectively repelled by troops from the 32nd, 184th, and 382nd Regiments before midnight. The only significant attack came from around 45 Japanese soldiers against the positions held by Company G of the 184th, which quickly returned fire, forcing the enemy to retreat to their caves and trenches. In contrast, the assault on the 96th Division on the western front was intense, sustained, and well-coordinated. The forward units of Major-General Nakajima Tokutaro's 63rd Brigade launched their own local offensive to maintain pressure on the thin line held by the 382nd and 383rd Regiments, while elements from the 23rd, 272nd, and 273rd Independent Battalions infiltrated the American lines and moved into the Ginowan area. The majority of the 272nd Division launched an assault on American positions at Kakazu Ridge, enduring intense naval and artillery fire but ultimately being repelled by the determined defenders after several hours of combat. By morning, the bodies of 317 enemy soldiers were counted on the ridge, whereas the Americans suffered 50 casualties. Meanwhile, the 273rd Division attacked along the west coast against the recently arrived 2nd Battalion of the 106th Regiment, which decisively repelled the Japanese assault and nearly annihilated the independent battalion. Despite this, some units from the 23rd and 272nd Independent Battalions managed to penetrate approximately 1,000 yards behind American lines between Nishibaru and Kaniku but became isolated after dawn on April 13. Throughout the day, Bradley's troops worked to eliminate these infiltrators, many of whom detonated explosives when trapped. When these units retreated into Japanese lines later that night, only half of their original numbers had survived. Just before midnight, the reserve 9th Company of the 22nd Regiment launched an attack against the 184th Regiment following preparatory artillery fire, but this offensive was quickly disrupted by artillery, mortars, and machine-gun fire. On April 14, Nakajima's forces attempted two more assaults on Kakazu in the early hours, but these attempts were similarly thwarted by artillery and machine-gun fire. Given the failures of the offensives, Ushijima had no choice but to order a suspension of the attack, resulting in a shift to a defensive posture for the Japanese. Over the two days of combat, the 24th Corps reported killing 1,594 Japanese soldiers and capturing four, with losses of fewer than 100 American troops. In the northern region, an extensive air and naval bombardment of Iejima commenced while the Fleet Marine Force Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion landed on Minna Island, securing it without encountering resistance to position artillery units for General Bruce's upcoming attack, which would involve the 305th and 306th Regiments. Meanwhile, in northern Okinawa, the 29th Marines continued to advance against enemy positions at Yae-Take through vigorous patrolling, preparing for a morning assault the next day. Concerned about the pace of progress, Shepherd relieved Colonel Bleasdale of command, replacing him with veteran Colonel William Whaling. However, Shepherd recognized that taking the 1,200-foot summit would require more than one regiment, so he ordered the 4th Marines to move from the east coast to Yofuke and then to the southwest corner of the Motobu Peninsula. Additionally, Colonel Shapley's 3rd Battalion was tasked with moving to Kawada, while the reinforced 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Marines rapidly advanced up the west coast to secure Hedo Misaki. On April 14, Shepherd initiated a coordinated assault on Yae-Take, with Whaling's 3rd Battalion and Shapley's 2nd Battalion advancing from the area around Toguchi against unexpectedly light resistance, while the rest of the 29th Marines moved out from Itomi to clear the Itomi-Toguchi Road. Although the eastern front faced strong opposition and required a change in strategy to advance southwesterly for better elevation advantage, rapid progress was made on the west, prompting Shapley to commit his reserve 1st Battalion to secure the exposed right flank. At the same time, Whaling's 3rd Battalion and Shapley's 2nd Battalion continued their advance against significantly strengthened enemy resistance, ultimately capturing another ridge located 1,000 yards ahead. Initial opposition consisted of small enemy groups. These hostile covering forces employed every available means to delay and disorganize the advance, and to mislead the attackers as to the location of the battle position. The Japanese would lie in concealment, with weapons zeroed in on a portion of a trail, allowing a considerable number of Marines to pass before opening up on a choice target. An entire platoon was permitted to pass a point on a trail without interference, but when the company commander reached that point with his headquarters section, a burst of machine-gun fire killed him and several others. Officer casualties were excessively high. In an area in which there had been no firing for over half an hour, Major Bernard W. Green, commanding the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, was killed instantly by machine-gun fire. No one else was hurt, although Major Green was standing with his operations and intelligence officers on either side of him. Lieutenant Colonel Fred D. Beans, Regimental Executive Officer, assumed command of the battalion. "It was like fighting a phantom enemy." For while the hills and ravines were apparently swarming with Japanese, it was difficult to close with them. The small enemy groups, usually built around a heavy Hotchkiss machine gun augmented by Nambus, would frequently change positions in the dense vegetation. Hostile volleys elicited furious Marine fusillades into the area from whence the firing had come. But after laboriously working their way to the spot, the Marines came upon only an occasional bloodstain on the ground. Neither live nor dead Japanese were to be found. One Marine registered his impression of these tactics by blurting out, "Jeez, they've all got Nambus, but where are they?" Meanwhile, the 29th Marines advanced 800 yards up steep slopes despite facing fierce opposition; however, the 1st Battalion eventually found itself pinned down by intense Japanese gunfire. Additionally, Shapley's 3rd Battalion crossed the island via motor march to relieve the 3rd Battalion of the 22nd Marines in division reserve, which then returned to its patrol base at Majiya. To the south, Hodge recognized the need for a full-scale effort to penetrate the fortified Shuri area, so he scheduled a corps attack involving three divisions abreast for April 19. In preparation, he dedicated the following four days to organizing the assault, with the 27th Division taking over from the 96th Division in the western region of its zone, while smaller local attacks were conducted to enhance forward positions. Aware of the impending major attack, the Japanese used this preparatory period to bolster their defenses with additional supporting weapons. Back to the north, on April 15, most of the 29th Marines consolidated their defenses on high ground and exerted constant pressure on the rear of the Yae-Take position through vigorous patrols to the west and northwest. On the other hand, Whaling's 3rd Battalion advanced east and south approximately 900 yards amidst heavy machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire before being halted by a strong enemy position on Hill 210. Additionally, the 4th Marines faced fierce resistance as Shapley's battalions finally secured Hill 200 and a critical hill mass just southwest of Yae-Take. Fully aware that his primary positions would soon be overrun, Colonel Udo decided to transition to guerrilla tactics by nightfall, relocating his command to the mountainous regions of northern Okinawa via Itomi. In light of these developments, the 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines was placed into division reserve at Awa to allow Shapley's 3rd Battalion to prepare for the following day's assault. On April 16, the offensive resumed, with Whaling's 3rd Battalion swiftly capturing Hill 210 in conjunction with Shapley's 2nd Battalion. Meanwhile, the rest of the 4th Marines secured a ridge just below Yae-Take by midday, while the 29th Marines applied continuous pressure on the rear of Udo's fortified stronghold. While the 4th Marines was storming the fortified position on Yae-Take, the 29th Marines maintained relentless pressure against its rear. The opposition which faced the 29th was similar to that on the front of the 4th. From log-revetted bunkers and occasional concrete emplacements the enemy resisted the advance with increasing stubbornness, supported by machine-guns, mortars, and artillery concealed in ravines and in caves on the high ground. Rugged terrain and an acute supply situation also contributed to the difficulties confronting the 29th Marines in accomplishing its task of clearing the high ground flanking the Itomi-Toguchi Road. The enemy displayed his usual ability to exploit the terrain and derived the maximum benefit from his weapons emplaced in caves and pits and concealed by natural cover. Particularly noteworthy was his use of 20mm dual-purpose cannon against personnel. Fire from these weapons on battalion CPs was a daily occurrence. All roads and natural avenues of approach were covered. Any attempt to move over the easier routes was met with bitter and effective resistance. Consequently, "the method of reducing the enemy positions followed a pattern of 'ridgehopping'," covered by the fires of all supporting weapons. This tactic enabled the attacker to envelop the hostile defenses and reduce them in detail. Numerous abandoned positions and weapons encountered by the 29th indicated that the determination of the Japanese to resist diminished considerably when they were taken from the flank. In contrast to a coordinated advance with all units in contact across a broad front, the action in the zone of the 29th Marines was characterized by attacks that, even when delivered simultaneously, constituted a series of local patrol actions to seize critical positions, followed by mopping up activity within the area. In the afternoon, Shapley's 1st and 3rd Battalions assaulted the formidable mountain, gradually making their way up the steep slope under light and scattered small-arms fire. However, as the Marines reached the peak, they encountered intense fire at close range, which quickly forced them to pull back. After a fierce and close engagement, the 1st Battalion ultimately regained control of Yae-Take, managing to hold the summit against strong Japanese counterattacks, aided by artillery support and Shapley's 2nd Battalion. Meanwhile, at dawn on April 16, two battleships, four cruisers, and seven destroyers under Rear-Admiral Bertram Rodgers launched a heavy bombardment on Iejima, while aircraft bombed and rocketed the island, dropping tanks of napalm on and behind the beaches. Approximately 2,000 Japanese troops, led by Major Igawa Masashi, had destroyed Iejima's airfields and strengthened the central eastern region of the island in an effort to entice the invaders to approach the vulnerable southeastern beaches. Their aim was to annihilate them with concentrated fire from numerous hidden positions in the Pinnacle and the town of Ie. However, the Americans saw through this strategy. Bruce's plan involved landing Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Coolidge's 305th Regiment on the Red Beaches along the southern coast of Iejima and Colonel Aubrey Smith's 306th Regiment on the Green Beach at the island's southwest tip. The 305th was tasked with advancing eastward to capture additional landing areas, while the 306th was to move north and take control of the airfield. Both regiments would then focus on neutralizing enemy strongholds at the island's eastern end. Following intense air and naval bombardments, amphibious tanks and subsequent waves of amphibious tractors surged toward the landing beaches that morning, supported by rocket fire from LCI gunboats. At 07:58, the forward elements of the 1st Battalion, 305th Regiment successfully landed on the southern coast of Iejima, just south of the airfield, while the 3rd Battalion landed on a different beach, 600 yards to the left, three minutes later. At 08:07, the first waves of the 306th Regiment made landfall on Green Beach. The 305th moved swiftly inland over high dunes and then turned east toward Ie, while the 306th advanced 2,000 yards inland to the airfield's western edge, with the reserve 3rd Battalion securing the island's western end. By the afternoon, the troops advanced rapidly, seizing the airfield with only light resistance, achieving a total gain of about 5,500 yards by nightfall. Conversely, the 305th faced stiffer opposition on its way to Ie, managing to advance only about 800 yards eastward while defending against strong nighttime counterattacks. During the night of 16 April the enemy launched a coordinated attack on the 3d Battalion of the 305th. The attack came with suicidal recklessness. The Japanese were supported by mortars and 70-mm. guns, and were armed with small arms, sharpened stakes, bags of hand grenades, and literally hundreds of satchel charges, some of which had been improvised from mortar shells. Japanese worked up to the perimeters in small groups and either threw their satchel charges at close range or blew themselves up in an effort to take Americans with them. Some of the human bombs were successful, but most of the Japanese were killed before they came within effective range. One American had his arm broken by the flying leg of a Japanese soldier who had blown himself up. After hours of wild fighting in the dark the enemy withdrew, leaving 152 of his dead in and around the 3d Battalion's position.  While back at sea, Admiral Mitscher's Task Force 58 had effectively launched attacks on Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, Kikaijima, and southern Kyushu over the past four days, the Japanese responded with a series of scattered kamikaze assaults that caused damage to the battleship New York and four destroyers. On April 16, Ugaki initiated his third large-scale Kikisui attack, acutely aware that another failure in the air could spell the doom of Operation Ten-Go. Despite Mitscher's preemptive strikes against Kyushu, where Americans claimed to have destroyed 202 aircraft and damaged 79 at the cost of only nine planes, at least 289 Japanese attackers were still able to launch missions against Spruance's 5th Fleet. Although American interceptors and anti-aircraft fire recorded another 217 kills, the surviving kamikaze pilots managed to sink the destroyer Pringle and inflict damage on the carrier Intrepid, the battleship Missouri, three destroyers, two destroyer minesweepers, and two landing craft. Notably, the destroyer Laffey withstood six kamikaze impacts, four bomb hits, and numerous strafing runs, resulting in 32 fatalities and 71 injuries among its crew. The following day, a smaller attack on April 17 resulted in additional damage to the light carrier Bataan and one destroyer, yet Americans claimed another 49 kills. However, Ugaki had exhausted much of his strength since the invasion began and was left with approximately 598 operational planes. Meanwhile, fighting continued in northern Okinawa, where some surviving troops from Udo advanced toward Nakaoshi to escape the Motobu Peninsula. Supported by heavy artillery barrages and battleship gunfire, the 29th Marines slowly progressed over challenging terrain, encountering only light resistance, as they successfully secured the mountainous area ahead and connected with the 4th Marines. Shapley's 1st and 3rd Battalions continued their push northward toward the Itomi-Toguchi Road, swiftly advancing downhill and completely overwhelming all Japanese defenses in the region. By nightfall, the 4th and 29th Marines had positioned themselves along the elevated terrain overlooking the Itomi-Toguchi Road. The 305th resumed its assault, aiming to capture the high ground behind Red Beaches 3 and 4. The 1st Battalion encountered only minimal resistance along the coast, allowing them to make significant progress, while the 3rd Battalion quickly secured the high ground in its area before being halted by intense machine-gun fire from caves in the coral slopes to the north. A maneuvering strategy followed by an infantry-tank assault eventually neutralized this enemy position, enabling the advance to continue steadily until the 3rd Battalion reached the outskirts of Ie. Due to the strong resistance faced, Bruce opted to deploy Colonel Stephen Hamilton's 307th Regiment on the beaches southwest of Ie. The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were subsequently landed there and launched an attack northeast, quickly advancing approximately 400 yards despite increasingly fierce resistance, ultimately being halted by heavy enemy fire from Bloody Ridge and Government House Hill. Meanwhile, the 306th Regiment maintained its defensive position while probing the enemy's fortifications around Iegusugu. The next day, the 306th began to pivot its right flank and launched an attack toward the Pinnacle with two battalions, making notable progress throughout the day. Concurrently, the 307th continued its advance into Ie despite facing heavy resistance, quickly reaching a standstill in front of Government House Hill. As a result, with the 2nd Battalion effectively immobilized, the decision was made to deploy the 3rd Battalion around to the right flank to launch an assault toward the northeast in the eastern part of the town, while the 3rd Battalion of the 305th Regiment advanced eastward toward Iegusugu. After a heavy preparation by the artillery on Minna Shima, the 3d Battalion, 305th, attacked at 1130 on an 800-yard front. A house-to-house fight ensued amid the rubble of Ie. "Every street became a phase line," one observer reported. The necessity of forming a connecting link over the wide area between the 306th and the 307th made the fight harder. Artillery was ineffective against many enemy positions and could not be used freely because other friendly units were so close by. Self-propelled guns were held up by mines and debris in the narrow streets. After working about halfway through the northwestern section of the town, the troops withdrew to a more secure position on the outskirts, their right (south) flank then being 500 yards west of Government House Hill, and their left (north) flank 100 yards west of the base of Iegusugu. They had made a net gain of only about 350 yards for the day. Similarly, Hamilton's 3rd Battalion achieved moderate success, advancing to a position 300 yards north of the village of Agarii-mae. To protect its right flank, the 1st Battalion of the 305th Regiment positioned itself alongside the 3rd Battalion of the 307th Regiment and launched a northern attack, gaining approximately 1000 yards by day's end before withdrawing to a position about 600 yards east of Agarii-mae. Medium tanks and self-propelled guns covered the gap that developed between the two battalions of the 307th. These weapons put direct fire into caves, pillboxes, and enemy gun positions in the town of Ie and the Pinnacle. They could not be moved close to the enemy positions, however; deadly machine-gun and mortar fire held the infantry back and left the armor vulnerable to suicide attacks by Japanese armed with satchel charges, who hid in holes until the tanks and guns came within range. Meanwhile, after four days of intense fighting, activities in the Motobu area on April 18 were limited to reorganization, consolidating the gains from the previous day, patrolling the Itomi-Toguchi Road, and resupplying. Looking south, Griner called for a nighttime preliminary attack to secure the Machinato Inlet and the Urasoe-Mura Escarpment. As the area was shrouded in smoke during the afternoon, Company G of the 106th Regiment swiftly crossed the inlet and successfully secured Machinato by nightfall, while bridges were constructed at the inlet. The 106th then moved across the bridges, stealthily advancing toward the Urasoe-Mura Escarpment without encountering opposition. Near the summit, the troops launched a surprise ambush against the defenders, ultimately forcing the Japanese to retreat in chaos. With the escarpment secured by dawn, the 106th was prepared to participate in the general attack to the south. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The first Okinawa counteroffensive, as part of Operation Ten-Ichi-Go was not achieving results. Despite overwhelming sacrifices of men and supplies, it seemed hopeless for the Japanese on Okinawa. Those like Colonel Yahara could see the paint on the wall, much to their growing depression.

Are you hungry for guidance about mindset, relationships, health, finances, career decisions, and dealing with your past? I'm Trey Tucker, Licensed Therapist and Speaker and host of Rugged, a podcast where I help young men and women navigate life's challenges and find solutions to help them live lives of service and meaning. In this podcast, you will learn mindset strategies to harness your thoughts & emotions in ways that help you achieve your goals. I bring a blend of straight talk and empathy, and I'm open to addressing any topic and treating it -- and the people connected to it -- with respect and curiosity. Come join us, we have a space for you. Make sure to hit the follow button on this podcast so new, weekly episodes will be delivered straight to your personal podcast feed. My hope is that this podcast would leave you feeling encouraged and empowered to take charge of your life and close the gap between who you are and who you want to be.

Nic Barca grew up on Kaua`i and learned to hunt while in his teens. His hunting experience ranges from bow and arrow, to dog and knife hunting pigs, goats and most recently shooting black tail deer. For the past 17 years, he has worked as The Nature Conservancy's Field Coordinator trapping and hunting animals from the far reaches of the Alaka`i plateau's bogs to Wainiha valley. He reveals his insights into seasonal animal movements, the evolution of efficient trapping and snaring programs, and the importance of documenting invasive animals–from determining what they are eating, how often they are reproducing, and the density of animals in a particular ecosystem.

The Arctic is still wintry when male Snow Buntings return to nesting areas in April. There's a big benefit to arriving early enough to claim a prime nest cavity in a rock face or under boulders, where it will be safer from predators. Nesting in chilly rock cavities means extra care must be taken to keep eggs and nestlings warm. That's why, unlike many other bird species, female Snow Buntings never come off the nest. The males bring them food, giving them more continuous time on the eggs.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

The Trojan Man, Tremendous 1990's Nostalgia, Rough Rugged Love Makin', & MORE lolol full 1002 Wed, 02 Apr 2025 23:27:27 +0000 6XeZc72GW8DgUb2iB9va670Xl5SmV4Uo sports The Drive with Stoerner and Hughley sports The Trojan Man, Tremendous 1990's Nostalgia, Rough Rugged Love Makin', & MORE lolol 2-6PM M-F 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports False https://p

There's an enormous chasm between evangelical thought/praxis, and the actual teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels. In this episode, we ask: how is it possible to sway so many evangelical traditions away from Jesus? We peel back the layers to reveal the methods that shape and form malformed beliefs, before describing the impact on evangelical culture. One of the primary tools used is the widespread adoption of conspiracy theories. Jared Stacy joins to share his insights on the ways conspiracy theories are entangled with evangelicalism. We then pivot to name how the reliance on conspiracy theories shapes evangelical culture with guest Dr. Ed Ng. We discuss how the religious right is shaped to stay rooted in fear as a key to guiding belief systems. “…when it’s ancient we call it a legend, when it’s modern we call it a conspiracy theory. – Jared Stacy” Episode 3 – Show Notes (00:00) – Introduction (05:30) – Jared Stacy on a history of conspiracy theory. (12:00) – Conspiracy theory in the 20th century. (19:00) – Naming some of the mechanism propogating conpsiracy in the 20th century. (25:17) – The use of media in consipracy. (29:00) – Introducing Dr. Ed Ng (30:00) – Dr. Ng on Terror Management Theory (37:30) – Describing contirbuting social conditions in the Religious Right. (44:00) – Rugged individualism and Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. (52:00) – Outro Featuring your host, Rohadi (from Rohadi.com). Special guests in Episode 3: Theologian/Author – Jared C Stacy Jared Stacy is a theologian and ethicist and former pastor to evangelical churches. He received a PhD in moral & practical theology from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. His research focuses on the intersection of theology and politics. Specifically on ethics, extremism/conspiracy theory and US evangelicalism. Jared’s work & story has been featured on platforms like TIME, NPR, NBC News, the BBC, and Christianity Today. Psychologist – Dr. Ed Ng Ed Ng is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Vancouver and is the founder and director of Eastgate Psychological Services. Ed has taught at Trinity Western University and Regent College in the areas of diversity and counselling. He is also the founder of the Eastgate Project and hosts its podcast, which focuses on the intersections of psychology, theology, and the experiences of the Asian diaspora. Intro Music by Jesse Peters. Bumper music by Daniel Wheat.

Bitcoin's SECRET Reversal is here—and it's shaking up the crypto world! In this episode, we dive deep into the latest market signals revealing a hidden shift no one saw coming. Listen now to uncover the details, analyze the charts, and see how this could impact your crypto strategy!  

It's been a long time. An hours worth of mid 90's East Coast Hip Hop Enjoy Ruff Rugged and Raw 5 : Mixed by AllyAl Real Raw - Craig MackReady to Rock Rough Rhymes - Das EFX The Ultimate ( Instrumental ) - ArtifactsSet it Off ft Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Shaqueen - Main SourceThe Militia ( Pete Rock Remix ft Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx ) - Gang StarrThe Main Ingredient - Pete Rock & CL Smooth Hush Hush Tip ft Method Man - N-Tyce Music Makes Me High - Lost BoyzDrama Lord - M.O.P.9th Wonder ( Blackitolism ) - Digable Planets One For The Trouble - A.D.O.R. Crooklyn - Crooklyn Dodgers Whutcha Want ? - Nine Sure Shot ( instrumental ) - Beastie BoysPass Da Mic - Da Youngsta'sThe Rhythologist - Jamose 

What if the way you pay attention is shaping who you're becoming? What if your deepest fears of being abandoned—whether real or anticipated—are keeping you locked in patterns of anxiety, shame, and self-protection? Today, Dr. Curt Thompson joins us to unpack the profound ways our minds and relationships shape our formation. We're talking about anticipated abandonment, the neuroscience of attachment, and how to cultivate rugged flexibility in the face of life's uncertainties. Dr. Thompson, a psychiatrist and expert in interpersonal neurobiology, reveals how the way we focus our attention—consciously or not—rewires our brains and forms our identity. If you've ever felt stuck in relational wounds or struggled to trust God and others, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we discuss: Why anticipated abandonment keeps us stuck in fear and self-protection The neuroscience behind shame and relational wounds How rugged flexibility helps us navigate pain without losing hope Why we become what we pay attention to—and how to shift our focus for transformation This is a deep, thought-provoking conversation that will challenge how you see yourself, your relationships, and your faith. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my NEW BOOK "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. • • Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Today, I'm joined by John Dailey, and we're talking about Leading a Team of Tough Rugged Bastards. John spent over 20 years in the Marines, mostly in special operations. When the Twin Towers went down, Dailey was in Australia with his platoon. He knew immediately that things would never be the same. He was hand-picked to be a part of Detachment One (Det-1), the USMC's newly formed special operations command in the early days of the War on Terror. He is the author of Tough Rugged Bastards, where he tells the story of the creation, training, and volatile 2004 Iraq deployment of Task Unit Raider that led to the creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command. I am excited to have him on the show to hear more about Leading a Team of Tough Rugged Bastards. Show resources: jadailey.com Tough Rugged Bastards book Sponsors: Cadre of Men Farrow Skin Care Salty Sailor Coffee Company Leader Connect The Qualified Leadership Series ____ Get all of Jon Rennie's bestselling leadership books for 15% off the regular price today! HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Americans still embody the principle of rugged individualism? Is there still a reverence and appreciation for our personal liberties, or would we gladly trade them in for more safety and comfort? What does the future hold for our Country? George G digs into whether or not most Americans still want their personal liberties, or if they'd be happier letting someone else control their lives! You can learn more about us at LifeBlood.Live, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook or you'd like to be a guest on the show, contact us at contact@LifeBlood.Live.  Stay up to date by getting our monthly updates. Want to say “Thanks!” You can buy us a cup of coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeblood Get your copy of The Purpose Book here: https://amzn.to/47Y2u98  You can get a free digital download of The Purpose Book here: https://moneyalignmentacademy.thinkific.com/enroll/2554435?price_id=3360279  Get our monthly updates here: https://george-grombacher.aweb.page/ Thanks, as always for listening! If you got some value and enjoyed the show, please leave us a review here: ​​https://ratethispodcast.com/lifebloodpodcast You can learn more about us at LifeBlood.Live, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook or you'd like to be a guest on the show, contact us at contact@LifeBlood.Live.  Stay up to date by getting our monthly updates. Want to say “Thanks!” You can buy us a cup of coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifeblood

BitMemeCoin? I'd buy that for a dollar! FEATURING:Ben Arc (https://twitter.com/arcbtc)Josh Scigala (https://twitter.com/JScigala)Thomas Hunt (https://twitter.com/MadBitcoins)THIS WEEK:Crypto worth $99 million withdrawn from Milei-backed Libra token, researchers sayhttps://www.reuters.com/world/americas/crypto-worth-99-million-withdrawn-milei-backed-libra-token-researchers-say-2025-02-20/Source: ReutersBitcoin Reaching $100K Is Start of 'Massive Wave' of Institutional Interest: Samson Mowhttps://decrypt.co/306716/bitcoin-100k-massive-wave-institutional-interest-samson-mowSource: DecryptThere's a hot new theory about Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto's true identityhttps://qz.com/jack-dorsey-bitcoin-creator-satoshi-nakamoto-matt-sigel-1851765281Source: QZThere's a hot new theory about Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto's true identityhttps://www.tipranks.com/news/coinbase-ceo-brian-armstrong-labels-bitcoin-as-somewhat-of-a-memecoinSource: TipranksMicroStrategy has cut 20% of its workforce as its bitcoin buying multiplieshttps://www.marketwatch.com/story/microstrategy-has-cut-20-of-its-workforce-as-its-bitcoin-buying-multiplies-ae8c1b5bSource: MarketwatchIdocracy - Brawndo Stock Drops to Zerohttps://youtu.be/jBFREFtFEgs?si=BFSgCWGu3IRaFUtGSource: YoutubeSaylor's Strategy to Raise Another $2 Billion for Bitcoinhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-18/saylor-s-strategy-to-raise-another-2-billion-for-bitcoin-buyingSource: BloombergMilei: I didn't promote it, I shared it.https://twitter.com/tier10k/status/1891630044448977082?s=46Source: Twitter/XJUST IN: Fold to become the first #Bitcoin only financial services company to go public on the NASDAQ tomorrowhttps://twitter.com/bitcoinmagazine/status/1891872430513095156?s=46Source: Twitter/XLNbits v1 has an insanely cool exchange https://twitter.com/arcbtc/status/1891808190913778126?s=46Source: Twitter/X5 years and 8.5k commits laterhttps://twitter.com/arcbtc/status/1891025516460724585?s=4Source: Twitter/X________________________________________World Crypto Networkhttps://www.worldcryptonetwork.com/On This Day in World Crypto Network Historyhttps://www.worldcryptonetwork.com/onthisday/-----------------------------------------------------Please Subscribe to our Youtube Channelhttps://m.youtube.com/channel/UCR9gdpWisRwnk_k23GsHf

Send us a textToday, we have a truly special guest: John A Dailey—a retired Marine Corps Force Recon sniper, founding member of MARSOC, the Marine Corps' first official unit under SOCOM, and author of Tough Rugged Bastards. If you're curious about how an elite group of Marines forged a brand-new special operations detachment at the height of the post-9/11 conflicts, then this episode is for you.John will share what it took to create and lead a pioneering special operations team—one that had to earn its place on the battlefield and prove skeptics wrong. We'll talk about everything from the interplay between Marines and Navy SEALs in Iraq, to John's hard-won lessons on leadership, teamwork, and resilience. Whether you're in the military, in business, or just looking to push your own personal boundaries, you'll find something valuable in John's experiences and insights. Thank you so much for tuning in! We hope you enjoy the episode. Don't forget to check out our Patreon channel for additional content and subscriber-only episodes. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving us a review and, more importantly, sharing it with a friend.Thank you for your time and remember: Training Changes Behavior!Order "Tough Rugged Bastards" here: AMAZONSupport the showWebsite: https://thehumanbehaviorpodcast.buzzsprout.com/shareFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHumanBehaviorPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehumanbehaviorpodcast/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ArcadiaCognerati More about Greg and Brian: https://arcadiacognerati.com/arcadia-cognerati-leadership-team/

Brad Sturdy, Kedric Prince & Mike Cagley talk the Fighting Illini's hard-earned win over UCLA 83-78. Share this podcast on your social media! We ask YOU to help Big Sports Radio & IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular grow on social media by following us on all our social media and engaging with the content posted. Every like, love, comment & share help Big Sports Radio and IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular reach more people and establish our position as the leader in entertaining, fast-paced, non-political sports programming. Don't miss our college sports focused podcasts: Big Sports Radio IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular I on the Illini Mike Cagley's Heat Checks & Hail Marys Thanks for listening!

Part 5/6 In Book of Ruth Series

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Kevin Davis, the mastermind behind Detailers Helper, Rugged Restore, and Revenue Officer at Detailers Roadmap. We dive deep into the world of detailing—not just the techniques, but the business side of it all. Kevin shares his journey, the lessons he's learned from growing multiple successful brands, and practical tips for detailers looking to level up their business. We cover everything from marketing strategies to the challenges detailers face today, and Kevin drops some serious knowledge bombs that you won't want to miss. Whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game for years, this episode is packed with insights to help you grow your detailing business. Buy Jimbo's Detailing Products here: https://JimbosDetailing.com or on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Wpoq93 JOIN THE GIVEAWAY: https://jimbosdetailing.com/giveaway  SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/jbalaam?sub_confirmation=1  CONNECT WITH JIMBO: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jimbobalaam/ PODCAST: http://www.AutoDetailingPodcast.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/AutoDetailingPodcast or http://www.facebook.com/jimbo.balaam

Host John Duffin welcomes Dennis Mark Introdonato, a true renaissance man. Dennis Mark is a former army drill sergeant turned realtor, with an intriguing background-including a military family and running a successful motorcycle club. Dennis shares his journey to finding purpose in the military, the impact of being a drill sergeant, and the value of effective communication and authenticity in both personal and professional settings.  We delve into Dennis' struggles with bipolar disorder and how he's managed it throughout his career. It's so important to hear how Dennis explains the process of navigating these challenges, which has greatly shaped his relationships and professional life. Dennis also discusses his passion for riding with his motorcycle club and his work in real estate, emphasizing the importance of patience, strategy, and authenticity.  The episode wraps up with some seriously mouthwatering tips about Dennis's passion for food-diner food especially- and how Dennis regularly reviews these diners (top 10% in Google!) The breadth of topics we cover, makes this episode an inspirational listen for anyone looking to improve their communication and authenticity in life. 01:17 Meet Dennis Mark Interdonato 01:54 Dennis's Military Background 04:58 Becoming a Drill Sergeant 11:51 Life Lessons from the Military 13:19 Motorcycle Club Experiences 21:34 Family Dynamics and Personal Struggles 30:54 Balancing Work and Personal Life 31:57 Compartmentalizing Emotions 33:09 Real Estate Journey and Self-Reliance 35:36 Embracing Change in Career 37:49 Communication Evolution 41:01 Lessons from My Father 47:25 Diner Reviews and Food Preferences 54:41 Wrapping Up and Contact Information When you want to learn more about Dennis Mark Interdonato- maybe take a ride, grab a bite at a diner… Phone 732-598-2672 Social Media https://www.facebook.com/DennisMarkInterdonato https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismarkinterdonato/ website https://dennismark.kw.com/ As always, Want to be a guest on Your Message Received... Finding your Business Voice!? Send John Duffin a message on PodMatch, here:  ⁠⁠https://www.podmatch.com/.../1684959784828x29467220990920⁠...⁠

Today's Topics:1. Sound Signature Review 6.172 – Rugged Suppressors Obsidian 9 on the HK P30L. Long configuration AND short configuration. Two tests. Chances are, you have shot this. This is the technical discussion of the article published 27-NOV. (00:06:33)2. Sound Signature Review 6.173 – LMT AT ION LT on the standard 556 MK18. Lewis Machine & Tool has an Advanced Technologies division. We have been working with them as their 3rd party performance validator during some of their system development. This is an introductory discussion for the ION LT report published today. (00:48:11)Sponsored by - Silencer Shop, Top Gun Range Houston, Legion Athletics, Capitol Armory, and the PEW Science Laboratory!Legion Athletics: use code pewscience for 20% off your first order and double points!Magpul: Use code PSTEN to receive $10 off your order of $100 or more at Magpul