Into the Night...

   To get back to the story on how I ditched my fear of the dark, Buddy's Uncle Joe said to only bring what we could carry in our pockets or on our belts. NO BACKPACKS. Man -- I don't like to go anywhere without my backpack. I've got all my survival stuff in there. But --  hey-- we were going with a real Wilderness Expert, so we went with it. We ended up taking our emergency fire starter, a pocket-knife, our map (stuffed inside Buddy's shirt), and a flashlight clipped onto my belt.

   But here's the weird thing. The day before we were supposed to go, we had to bury the clothes we were gonna wear on the night expedition in the dirt overnight. Can you believe it? We also couldn't use any soap or shampoo in the shower before we went, either. On account of animals can smell that perfumed stuff a mile away. That's why we all smelled like dirt when we met up at the observation post the next day. We didn't look so good, either. But -- like I say -- after a while, it was too dark to notice, anyway.

   The first thing we did was tromp down to the creek, pick out a tree that hung over it about ten feet, and climbed up there. At least, Buddy and I did. Uncle Joe searched around below until he found some animal tracks leading down to the water. He said it was a major drinking spot, and all we had to do was wait around until we heard noises down there, click on our light, and we'd see whatever animal it was. Then he told us to keep quiet (or nobody would come around), don't waste our batteries (or we wouldn't have any way to see anything once somebody did come around). After that, he told us to meet him back at the Observation Post in two hours.

   Two hours in the dark by ourselves? If I hadn't been so worried about getting called a chicken, I would have hollered, "No way!" right then. To tell you the truth, I wish I had. Because he hadn't been gone ten minutes before something way scary happened. Like I dropped my flashlight in the water. Which is how I ran head-on into PANIC ATTACK #1.

   But I'll have to tell you about that tomorrow. Right now, I gotta head on over to WKC and make my last Mystery Guest contest entry. I really think I know who it is, this time. Heh, heh, heh...

   Later,
   W.K.

Back to WKC

A Confession...

   Yesterday, I said I was gonna tell how I ditched my fear of the dark. Since I'm trying to be be a man of my word (hey-- as Captain of our patrol, I've had to make some changes in my personality, or nobody would respect me), I guess I'll have to do it. So, here goes. It happened on our first night patrol, when Buddy and I were still the only members.

   We had documented all the wildlife that lived in our area, but we had no idea what sort of creatures came out at night. So, we figured we better do a night patrol. First off, Mom said, "No." She wasn't gonna let us go tromping around in the woods after dark, and that was that. Mom never changes her mind. And since you can't pick your mother, I just have to live with it. Anyway, we thought of setting up a camera with a motion-sensor, instead... but we didn't have one, so, that was out.

   Then Buddy's uncle agreed to go with us. Which made Mom agree, on account of he was an adult and that changed things. I'll say it did. And I'll say something else, too. Up until then, what we had been doing in the wilderness would mostly have to come under the category of playing. Sad but true. Because the truth is, we didn't know what we were doing out there. And we sure didn't know what we were getting into when we decided to do a night patrol with Uncle Joe.

      We should have known something was up when he gave us a list of things to bring. Then he started handing out rules. Some really strange ones. I mean, if Mom would have heard some of those, she'd have said, "No," all over, again. Only she didn't have a clue. Neither did we, or we wouldn't have taken off with more excitement than leaving for summer camp.

   It was not like summer camp. But you'll have to come back tomorrow if you want to hear the rest, on account of tomorrow is the LAST DAY OF THE MYSTERY GUEST CONTEST over at WKC, and I have a little more research to do tonight before I make my last guess. Gotta make sure I win a copy of that FIRE BOOK for my field journal. Heh, heh, heh...

Later,
W.K.

Back to WKC...

This is Important...

   Now, we are really getting down to some business. Because -- as a Wilderness Protector -- you absolutely have to know how to get yourself in and out of places. Without scaring yourself. Seriously, if Buddy and I hadn't known a few basic things when we first started all this, we never would have had the courage to claim a piece of wilderness for our very own.

    Look at all the adventures we would have missed! Look at all the cool -- and I mean way cool -- people we never would have met! Not to mention I'm not afraid of the dark, anymore. But that's another story. Right now, I have to remind all you Wilderness Protectors out there to get your whole patrol over to WKC and read What To Do If You Get Lost. You might be way glad you did.

I know I was.
   W.K.

PS... OK, so come back tomorrow, and I'll tell how I ditched my fear of the dark...

Change of Pace...

     OK. So, I made a deal with the staff over at WKC to slow down a little bit. That's on account of we need way more time to try out some of the stuff we're learning over there. They said, all right -- under one condition. Our patrol has to share some of the expedition gear we made ourselves, so other kids could make some of their own stuff, too. Like the map case Buddy made for our map of the wilderness.

     The cool thing is, it's waterproof. It had to be. Because we tromp around out here even when it's raining, and we're always making important changes to that thing. Like adding where all the ant colonies are. We actually had to re-draw it a couple times because it was always getting soaked. Until Buddy came up with that brilliant map case, that is. So, he's gonna share how he put it together sometime next week.

     Meanwhile, we're practicing some of those "360 stops" they talked about on the WKC Feature, yesterday, so we can improve our landmark navigation. We're downloading a couple copies of the WKC Big 10 for the girls, too. On account of the only thing they've been bringing in their backpacks is snacks and film equipment.

     Which did not help out the other day when we needed way more band-aids than Buddy and I brought along.

     Like I say, we need some changes around here.

     Have a great weekend!
     W.K.

I Give My First Order...

   OK. Now we are getting down to what really matters in the wilderness. Like How NOT to Get Lost... which is today's feature over at WKC. I wish I had known this stuff last year, when Buddy and I were wandering all over the place trying to find our way out of here. Before we got familiar with our territory, I mean. It definitely would have saved me having to do so many chores when I was late for dinner all those times.

   Which is why I've decided to make it a priority for our whole patrol to get in on all the survival features in this series. Even C. and S., who keep saying they're way too busy editing the Ant World documentary. So, I guess I'm gonna have to insist. On account of I'm the Captain around here, and I get to do that. Heh, heh, heh...

Don't you miss it, either.
W.K.

The Need to Survive...

   Hey-- our experience, yesterday, made us realize something. We need way more information on tromping around in the wilderness. Even in our little piece of it. That's why I am really glad they are starting the new feature series on SURVIVAL IN THE WILDERNESS over at Wilderness Kids Club, tomorrow.

   I had fun finding out all that cool stuff about ants, all right. In fact, I seriously think THE NATURE CHANNEL would like the video footage we got, yesterday. That is, if we could take out all the screaming and hollering (C. and S. are working on that, now). And Hey-- did you get a look at that amazing ant city video? I'm just glad we didn't stumble into one of those on our expedition! Sheesh.

   You can bet I won't be missing, tomorrow's survival feature. On account of I want to survive long enough to win a Mystery Guest Contest prize. I bet I'm the only one who can figure it out. Heh, heh, heh...

   Later,
   W.K.

Run for your lives...

   With all the planning we do before an expedition, I don't know why we keep getting caught off guard. But that's what happened to us, yesterday. It was bad enough having to tromp through a sticker patch to follow the ant trail, but we don't have any wimps in our patrol, and even the girls did it. The trouble happened when we decided to pick up that rotten log over the top of the ant hill so we could see better.

   We saw better, all right. Man-- we saw better than TV. Ants running all over the place to save their kids (OK, they were still just eggs -- but you wouldn't believe how they all worked together to carry them away safe somewhere). It was way amazing, and C. and S. were getting it all on film. I mean, we were really into it. Only just about the time I was figuring this was gonna be so good The Nature Channel would probably want it...

   The ants attacked! And I'm not just talking a bite, or two, here. I'm telling you -- they had to be mobilized like a regular army, or something. Because they sneaked up onto our feet and legs by the hundreds before we even realized it, then bit us all at the same time. No kidding. They must have been soldier ants. Probably had to go through some kind of training to learn that stuff.

    Anyway, we hauled off to the creek to get rid of them (more stickers, but we didn't even feel it till later). Had to go in up to our knees before we finally got everything under control, again. It's a good thing I had the first aid kit in my backpack, so we could take care of all those scratches and bites. Which -- being the Captain -- I felt pretty good that I was prepared for all that.

   I'm not way proud about how much I hollered, though. But I'll tell you something. The next time we go busting into some ant city, again...

   I'm gonna keep my eyes on the soldiers instead of the babies.
   W.K.

PS... I think maybe Buddy hollered even louder than me. He said next time he goes in, it'll be with armor. Hey-- I wonder if they know anything about ant armor over at Wilderness Kids club...