One Man's Wilderness
A while back on the long weekend over the Thanksgiving holiday, we decided to go on a local road trip and so I did a little google magic and found some places near my home turf that I had never heard about or seen. One was an apple orchard, another a creamery and a third was, I'm not sure how to describe it, a truck farm turned into a tourist destination, relatively speaking. It essentially was a hobby farm where the owners raised local produce and had seasonal activities to draw people in to buy said produce.
It turned out to be a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time spent at those places, all new to me. At the orchard, they had a barn with some goats and miniature ponies for the kids (and adults like me) to look at while the others were inside sampling the wares. Eventually my kids and I wandered into the barn where they had more pens, two of which contained animals that I can't identify. Anyone out there?
A fancy bird and an albino kangaroo?
But the highlight of the trip for me happened quite by accident. In googling up the above places, I also found a listing for a historic cabin built by a person whose name didn't mean anything to me, that was preserved in a museum along with various hand tools and implements of the time. We stopped at it which turned out to be in the corner of the local public library. It wasn't terribly interesting and I quickly realized that it was a modern replica of a log cabin but all that changed when I began to read the history of the man who built the original log cabin this one was modeled after.
It was all about Richard Proenneke who was the source for the book "One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey" which I had read many years ago and remains one of my favorite books. Turns out, before his Alaskan Odyssey, he was born and raised in my neck of the woods and I never knew it until that instant. For those who haven't heard or read the book, it is written off the journals of Proenneke who gave up everything and moved to Alaska where he built a cabin out in the wilderness and lived well into his 80's. There is even a documentary of him that I have seen in the years since.
A day of little wonders for you. Gotta love that bird.
ReplyDeleteI feel more rounded having explored these places near me.
DeleteThat book does sound interesting, I think I'd like to read that. Ed your photo of that "fancy bird" is cool, love the red breast--what the heck is that? Anyway, good blog here!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the bird or the mini albino kangaroo (or I suppose large albino rat) are. I'm most curious about the latter animal than the former.
DeleteEd, I was googling albino kangaroos and they sure look like the one in your picture! That's wild 🙂
DeleteI hope you are not thinking of following Richard Proenneke's example. Your wife and daughters would surely miss you. Besides you have not clad Ed's Shed yet. By the way, I believe the bird is a golden pheasant.
ReplyDeletePerhaps in my younger years, it would have appealed to me but yeah, it isn't in my cards right now. I believe you are right on the Golden Pheasant. It doesn't look anything like our native Ring Neck Pheasants. I wonder if it tastes similar? I really like eating our native pheasants but haven't had one in probably a couple decades.
DeleteI'm glad the bird has been identified. Now for the albino whatever. There are many places within day-trip range of me that I need to visit. Glad you found some new ones in your area!
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised!
DeleteEd! I loved that book. Have you seen the PBS documentary? Beautifully done. You can buy it for less than $20. Gift idea for Mrs Ed?
ReplyDeleteI have a long time ago. I think that is where I saw the video on him. I did buy the 50th anniversary copy of the book complete with lots of pictures so I plan to reread it again soon.
DeleteI have no idea what the animals are but the visits sound wonderful. People are turning farms into interesting places with things to see and lots to buy. There are many around here that do seasonal activities.
ReplyDeleteThere certainly are a lot in this area too, I just didn't realize they were close to where I grew up. I guess that shows how much that industry has grown if they are way out in rural America.
DeleteCould the white animal be an albino wallaby?
ReplyDeleteWow, I think you are probably right on the money. I knew the good folks out there might know the answers.
Deletehttps://www.thetravellinglindfields.com/2016/12/the-white-wallabies-of-bruny-island.html
ReplyDeleteHuge fan of Richard Proenneke! 👍
ReplyDeleteI guess I was too even if his name escaped my mind until seeing his cabin in a library near where I grew up.
DeleteI have never heard of Richard Proennecke. I'll have to keep an eye out for that book. I think the mysterious white animal might be a wallaby? Looks too small to be a kangaroo -- not that I am an expert!
ReplyDeleteI'm not either but I think the wallaby answer is probably correct. According to google, they are fairly rare but not unheard.
DeleteI just bought a 50th anniversary edition of the book so perhaps there might be some for sale here and there. More than likely though, the original book would probably be hard to find. I'm not sure where I found mine but I'm guessing at a used book sale somewhere.
Since I don't like to travel unless I really need to, I love finding interesting places in my area. You certainly found good ones!
ReplyDeleteI like seeing new far off places, just not this time of year when everyone is out and about.
DeleteThe best I can tell from Google, it's illegal in Iowa to own a wallaby. However, if you were visiting in Illinois when you saw it, it's legal as long as it was born in the USA and if you have a license that permits it.
ReplyDeleteIt was in Iowa but my understanding is that Iowa only bans having dangerous exotic pets, the key word being dangerous and listed out. The list I found didn't include wallabies as dangerous.
DeleteAh, so now I know.
DeleteSounds like a book I would like to read. I'll look for it.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely was a good book, especially if you ever harbored a fantasy of going out into the woods and roughing it.
DeleteLooks like a lovely outing Ed.
ReplyDeleteI have read One Man's Wilderness -but I had no idea he was from your neck of the woods! It has been some years since I have read the book; I should revisit it.
It has been ages for me too which is why I ended up buy a 50th anniversary copy of the book. It is on my side table waiting for me to finish my current book.
DeleteHappy accidents are awesome. Glad you had one, Ed. I need to check out the documentary as it sounds quite interesting. I can provide no help with the bird ID. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly make the day!
DeleteAn albino kangaroo, very cool! Looks like a really nice place to visit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the book recommendation, too. I'm always looking for a good read.
It's right up your alley as Richard was almost entirely self sufficient.
DeleteI was going to say albino wallaby. We have wallabies in Hawaii, but certainly not albinos which are very rare, I imagine. That bird looks like a fancy chicken to me.
ReplyDelete