One good thing about all the rain we've had lately is that I have done alot of writing during my time inside. Check out my two new articles that have been published on Associated Content:
Five Essentials for Women Traveling Alone
6 Ways to Save Money and Stay Healthy
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
New Article Published
Hi Guys! Check out my article on Associated Content about the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Preserve in Oklahoma.
A Rare and Ancient Treasure in the Oklahoma Mountains
A Rare and Ancient Treasure in the Oklahoma Mountains
Now That The Sun is Shining
The sun has been shining now for a few days. Pretty amazing. I almost forgot what the sun looked and felt like. I go south for the winter because I really don’t enjoy cold dreary weather. Growing up in the Northeast, I remember the long, cold, dreary winters. We didn’t really get much snow. It was mostly just cold and wet for the entire winter. Dry cold is different than wet cold. I’ve been in dry cold. It is easier to stay warm in dry cold. But wet cold chills to the bone, and then it takes a really long time to get warm again. I remember that I used to get pretty sick of being cold all the time.
After 6 weeks of cold rainy weather, my nice tan complexion is fading and my attitude has begun to go with it. Thank goodness the sun is out again. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine is crucial to my happiness and good health.
Several years ago I went to Northern Norway – to the Land of the Midnight Sun- way north of the Arctic Circle. In the summer time the sun never sets. That’s why it’s called Midnight Sun. The opposite happens in the winter- the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. The brightest it gets is like dusk and then the sun dips down below the horizon again. Continual darkness affects the people very negatively. The depression rate goes up, the suicide rate goes up, the rate of drunkenness goes up. I understand that really well after the past 6 weeks of rain. Even though it wasn’t total darkness, the gloominess was really beginning to get to me.
Here’s some food for thought: does the rise in childhood depression have anything to do with the rise in indoor activity? Kids spend way more time watching TV, playing video and computer games, and hanging out on the internet than they used to even a half-generation ago. We can look at the correlation between obesity and these things. How about depression? Does the fact that kids don’t go outside and play as much anymore have something to do with this? I wonder how many kids could be taken off meds if they were going outside to play in the fresh air and sunshine every day inside of sitting in front of a screen soaking up artificial lighting? Now I know there are many more factors that weigh in here, but it’s just something I considered in light of all the rain and gloominess.
We hear a lot about the negative effects of sunlight, like skin cancer, and how to protect ourselves from the sun. But how much do we really know about the positive, and possibly vital, effects sunlight has on our health and well-being? Studies are starting to be done that look at this. NDD (Nature Deficit Disorder and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are being given a lot of weight lately. No Child Left Inside legislation provides funding for outdoor education programs so kids can learn about Nature out in Nature. In my opinion if we got back to our roots and got outside more, many of the problems kids have today like ADD and ADHD, childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and the like would probably disappear.
When I was a kid, my Mom couldn't keep me inside- even when the weather was nasty. My brother and I were always out hiking, playing in the streams or the woods, riding our bikes, playing sports, or any number of things. I could be happy all day collecting rocks or exploring the woods. As an instructor in "outdoor stuff" I have seen kids' entire perspective on the world change when they experience some new outdoor activity like rockhounding or paddling, and they are used to only doing indoor things. Let's get the kids out there hiking, climbing, rockhounding, and camping. Get a gold pan in their hands and take them down to a stream and let them "play in the mud". Take them hunting and fishing.
I wonder how many of the problems with the kids today would be solved if they spent more time outdoors? Just food for thought. As for me, I'm getting away from my computer and going outside to play.
-Jedidiah Free
After 6 weeks of cold rainy weather, my nice tan complexion is fading and my attitude has begun to go with it. Thank goodness the sun is out again. Being out in the fresh air and sunshine is crucial to my happiness and good health.
Several years ago I went to Northern Norway – to the Land of the Midnight Sun- way north of the Arctic Circle. In the summer time the sun never sets. That’s why it’s called Midnight Sun. The opposite happens in the winter- the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. The brightest it gets is like dusk and then the sun dips down below the horizon again. Continual darkness affects the people very negatively. The depression rate goes up, the suicide rate goes up, the rate of drunkenness goes up. I understand that really well after the past 6 weeks of rain. Even though it wasn’t total darkness, the gloominess was really beginning to get to me.
Here’s some food for thought: does the rise in childhood depression have anything to do with the rise in indoor activity? Kids spend way more time watching TV, playing video and computer games, and hanging out on the internet than they used to even a half-generation ago. We can look at the correlation between obesity and these things. How about depression? Does the fact that kids don’t go outside and play as much anymore have something to do with this? I wonder how many kids could be taken off meds if they were going outside to play in the fresh air and sunshine every day inside of sitting in front of a screen soaking up artificial lighting? Now I know there are many more factors that weigh in here, but it’s just something I considered in light of all the rain and gloominess.
We hear a lot about the negative effects of sunlight, like skin cancer, and how to protect ourselves from the sun. But how much do we really know about the positive, and possibly vital, effects sunlight has on our health and well-being? Studies are starting to be done that look at this. NDD (Nature Deficit Disorder and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are being given a lot of weight lately. No Child Left Inside legislation provides funding for outdoor education programs so kids can learn about Nature out in Nature. In my opinion if we got back to our roots and got outside more, many of the problems kids have today like ADD and ADHD, childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and the like would probably disappear.
When I was a kid, my Mom couldn't keep me inside- even when the weather was nasty. My brother and I were always out hiking, playing in the streams or the woods, riding our bikes, playing sports, or any number of things. I could be happy all day collecting rocks or exploring the woods. As an instructor in "outdoor stuff" I have seen kids' entire perspective on the world change when they experience some new outdoor activity like rockhounding or paddling, and they are used to only doing indoor things. Let's get the kids out there hiking, climbing, rockhounding, and camping. Get a gold pan in their hands and take them down to a stream and let them "play in the mud". Take them hunting and fishing.
I wonder how many of the problems with the kids today would be solved if they spent more time outdoors? Just food for thought. As for me, I'm getting away from my computer and going outside to play.
-Jedidiah Free
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
When Will It Stop Raining?
There is so much talk about climate change these days. The debate is going strong. The way I look at it is, while I read alot about the facts and the evidence, listen to the debates, and understand all the theories, nothing beats a good history of personal experiences. I have been on the road for a long time, living, rockhounding, prospecting, and working in various places for usually anywhere from 1 week to 6 months at a time. Everywhere I have been for the past few years the weather story is the same: "This is the most unusual weather we have EVER had." It is either the rainiest, the hottest, the coldest, or the stormiest season ever recorded.
When I was in Louisiana it was the worst hurricane season. When I was in Florida for the winter and the temperature was in the 100's in March, it was the hottest it had EVER been in March. Several of the places I have been have had the rainiest wet seasons they have ever had, with floods and flash floods in record numbers. Now I am in Texas. I am working as a paddling, hiking, archery, and climbing instructor in outdoor education. The keyword here is "Outdoor". My co-workers and I have realized that, with the exception of one or two sunny days, it has pretty much rained here for over a month straight. We have been counting. After all, we are outside in the rain every day. We ought to know. And all I have heard for the past month is how NOT normal this much rain is for this part of Texas at this time of the year.
Now, maybe I have a cloud following me around like Pigpen in the Peanuts who brings his dust with him everywhere he goes. Or maybe there really is something to this climate change stuff. There really is no denying all the times and places lately that I have heard the locals say "this is the worse weather we have ever had". In addition to all the rain, the temperatures have been much colder here than they are supposed to be here in the beginning of October. At the same time, on the news there is record cold in Colorado and record heat in Arizona, and the list goes on.
It is quite obvious that things are not normal and are out of balance. So while there are Climate Change Summits taking place, Debates going on, Books being written, Legislation being argued, and Research being done by people who are INSIDE all day long everyday, those of us who spend our lives OUTSIDE can tell you that something is definately wrong.
About 8 months ago I splurged and bought some really expensive rain gear- Marmot Precip to be exact. I saw it reviewed in Backpacker magazine and then I caught it on sale at REI. Maybe that was the day I also purchased the rain cloud that has been following me. I can honestly say that with all the "worst and most rain we have ever seen here" that I have encountered since I bought that rain gear, I no longer doubt the wisdom of that investment. Being prepared for the worst has taken on new meaning with all the crazy changes in the environment. It makes me wonder how much more prepared we need to start being- and what types of "worsts" might be in store in the future to try to be prepared for.
I don't know about you, but I will be prepared, no matter what happens.
When I was in Louisiana it was the worst hurricane season. When I was in Florida for the winter and the temperature was in the 100's in March, it was the hottest it had EVER been in March. Several of the places I have been have had the rainiest wet seasons they have ever had, with floods and flash floods in record numbers. Now I am in Texas. I am working as a paddling, hiking, archery, and climbing instructor in outdoor education. The keyword here is "Outdoor". My co-workers and I have realized that, with the exception of one or two sunny days, it has pretty much rained here for over a month straight. We have been counting. After all, we are outside in the rain every day. We ought to know. And all I have heard for the past month is how NOT normal this much rain is for this part of Texas at this time of the year.
Now, maybe I have a cloud following me around like Pigpen in the Peanuts who brings his dust with him everywhere he goes. Or maybe there really is something to this climate change stuff. There really is no denying all the times and places lately that I have heard the locals say "this is the worse weather we have ever had". In addition to all the rain, the temperatures have been much colder here than they are supposed to be here in the beginning of October. At the same time, on the news there is record cold in Colorado and record heat in Arizona, and the list goes on.
It is quite obvious that things are not normal and are out of balance. So while there are Climate Change Summits taking place, Debates going on, Books being written, Legislation being argued, and Research being done by people who are INSIDE all day long everyday, those of us who spend our lives OUTSIDE can tell you that something is definately wrong.
About 8 months ago I splurged and bought some really expensive rain gear- Marmot Precip to be exact. I saw it reviewed in Backpacker magazine and then I caught it on sale at REI. Maybe that was the day I also purchased the rain cloud that has been following me. I can honestly say that with all the "worst and most rain we have ever seen here" that I have encountered since I bought that rain gear, I no longer doubt the wisdom of that investment. Being prepared for the worst has taken on new meaning with all the crazy changes in the environment. It makes me wonder how much more prepared we need to start being- and what types of "worsts" might be in store in the future to try to be prepared for.
I don't know about you, but I will be prepared, no matter what happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)