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I was born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania. I quickly found
solace in the outdoors. One thing about growing up in the country,
is you learn from the jump, to respect nature in its various forms.
My grandmothers taught and told stories of days gone by where their
families hunted and trapped. Stories about my great grandparents
picking Dandelions to make salad. So as a natural progression, I guess I took after what I was taught. I too trapped, stomped, hunted and fished. It wasn't something I was taught so much, as it was something that is genetic. It just flows forth from you, for no other reason, other than it's part of your very being. It wasn't till I was roughly about 10, that a man named Ned Smith came into the picture. His articles, artwork, and infinite wisdom of Pennsylvania outdoors captured my imagination and lit a fire in me. A fire, that after 23 years, still burns strong. I have been fortunate enough to live in a few states. First, the New England state of Rhode Island, where I was humbled by the power of the Atlantic Ocean. For the first time, I saw a totally different world, than I was used too, the very lifeblood of the entire world, one of the oceans. Texas offered something of it's own as well, with exotic species I had only read about in Pennsylvania. Last, but not least, Kentucky. Where in the course of a year, I had seen EVERYTHING I had searched for in PA, but never found. Kentucky is much like southwestern PA, but it offers a more diverse selection of wildlife (at least that is my standpoint). I learned more in a few short months, than most people do in a lifetime. That was a time in my life, I don't think I will ever match. |
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