A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

get outside

Focusing on life and getting out more

“It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living. Or get busy dying.”

Those words echo toward the end of the Shawshank Redemption. Words spoken by Tim Robbins’ character as he sits in prison for a murder he did not commit as he talked with Morgan Freeman’s character.

Not too much longer, Freeman’s character, free on parole echoes the words.

“Get busy living. Or get busy dying. That’s goddamn right.”

Over the past year and change, I’ve worked to get myself into better health. I’m not where I need or fully want to be yet – lots more weight to lose and still needing to control the diabetes much better, but I’m on the right path.

Now it’s time to work on other things to go with that.

The area in which I live – central New York – has so much to offer. There are amazing things to see and do and places to get outdoors and explore.

If you expand a bit – into Northeast Pennsylvania, for example, the activities and opportunities become even more.

I love the outdoors. I love the indoors as well, don’t get me wrong. I mean a night of television or messing on the computer is a good time, but being outdoors is a lot of fun and it doesn’t require going through the middle of woods, bushwhacking, and things like that.

Get out and explore!

Instead, there are wonderful trails to wander and see; nature to enjoy and photograph; and plenty of wildlife to see and admire. There are man made and natural made areas that are amazing to the eyes. And though my interest in the bulk of geocaching has waned recently, there are plenty of them to find out in the woods. I’d like to explore some bike trails, too, and just wander along and enjoy the atmosphere. I’m looking to eventually invest in a bike rack/kayak rack for my car, as well as a kayak. That would be something I’d like to do more in the warmer months.

And I never will forget about baseball in the summer!

There are urban developments with some fantastic museums and activities not far away. There are ways to broaden your horizons and see different things within a semi-quick car ride. Breweries and great places to eat are everywhere now. There’s definitely things to do.

So maybe it’s time to start doing things like this.

One thing I really want to get back into is more photography. Because I do it so much during my professional day, I tend not to take my main camera when out and about. I mean, the iPhone is a wonderful tool – it really is. But I miss using the camera and different lenses… or pushing things to see what I can create. Especially when it comes to things like waterfalls and covered bridges, and other items that really interest me.

In the grand scheme of things, life is short. Even if you are one of the lucky ones who lives to 100 or a bit more, that’s just a speck of time when considering how long some form of life has been on Earth. So while you are here, see things. Do things. Live things.

I can’t say I’m always going to follow this mantra. I’m just as guilty of plopping down on the couch for some television or hours online. But if I’m going to do that – I need to make sure I’m balanced and I get out and see some wonderful things as well.

My DayZero list is a start.

On January 1, 2019, I started my third round with the DayZero Project. I have on it more than the 101 goals because I need to trim. I’ve looked to see what is something that can be done – be it hard or not – as compared to dreams. This is a starting point as some of it gets me outdoors.

I have life goals and life plans and hopes – all of which intermingle with one another. But as the two characters in the Shawshank Redemption noted – get busy living, or get busy dying.

In the past couple of months or so, I think I’ve gotten busy living – at least in some aspects. And my mental being seems to be doing much better. But there’s still a lot to grow from and I look forward to trying to do more (to be fair, it’s much easier to do in warmer weather).

The world is a wonderful place if you find the right angle. Now get out and find it. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Quest Scouts – an adventure in scouting for adults

Passport programs – or something like them – are becoming more and more popular, especially when you are talking about games such as geocaching and outdoor adventure-type things.

Enter Quest Scouts — a way for people to get out and do different tasks and earn badges along the way.

Basically it’s another reason to explore a little and broaden horizons.

questscouts

The originator of this idea is Dylan Waller of Portland, Oregon. A geocacher and a hiker, Waller got the idea for Quest Scouts on a trip to the Grand Canyon.

“My friends and I were going for a terrain-five geocache that involves backpacking for several days from rim to rim,” Waller said. “I was ecstatic during the trip, and wanted to figure out a way to bottle that feeling.

“I decided what I needed to do was make sure I was continually exposed to new experiences,” he continued. “And thus, Quest Scouts was born. I created it because I needed it in my life, and I’m happy to get to share it with others.”

Waller spends the majority of his time working on Quest Scouts. When not working on it, he’s a geocacher and a hiker. He’s also an avid board game player and plays with a group about once a week. He’s also been designing a board game for more than a year.

What is Quest Scouts and how does it work?

Basically, Waller said, it’s scouting for adults.

“It was created to help myself and others get the most out of life through stepping out of our everyday routines and having new experiences,” Waller said. “We’re an online community where you can complete objectives to earn points and earn physical badges.”

The themes for the 2015 badge book were decided before the books were printed, thus giving a bit of a head start in regard to helping shape the program.

“I’m a curious and creative person, and come up with most of the objectives myself,” Waller said. “I have taken suggestions from time to time though.”

Quest Scouts is an easy game to play. Each month, there is a new quest. You have to complete objectives to earn points. Once you reach a certain level, you can then claim the sticker (or the mini-token, if you’ve done that) for completion of the quest.

The tasks vary from watching videos, reading a book, photography, geocaching and more. They are also connected to the month’s theme.

It’s noteworthy, too, that it’s free to participate. One doesn’t have to purchase anything to play the game. But, the passport, stickers, and tokens are available for sale on the website. A PDF version of the month’s quest is also there, in case you just want to do it that way.

Each month, there are many different ways to earn the needed points, which should make it easier for anybody to play the game.

“It is very important to me to have a variety of objectives to choose from,” Waller said. “I want people to have the option to stay within their comfort zone or venture out. I have different ‘characters’ that I think of when I review the objectives. Would a person without a car be able to get 1,000 points? Would a person who reads all day at work and doesn’t want to read to relax be able to get 1,000 points?”

For those who are paying members, this is how it works (this is based on the Scout Plus Pack membership):

Each month, members are sent a pack. You’ll get a printed Quest Card, the previous month’s sticker badge (for your book) and a metal tag. All they ask is to not display badges until after completing the quest.

Scout packs also contain a small surprise each month. So far, that’s included a small card game, sunprint paper, and other goodies. Sometimes, the extra will correspond with the current theme. On top of that, members have access to online printables and monthly member’s only micro quests.

Waller said he hopes Quest Scouts continues to evolve and grow.

He said he’s working on future themes (all of the 2015 ones are in the badge book), and there’s a chance there could be a discount if one signs up for a longer term. That, however, will be based on the numbers of members etc.

“I’d love to invite anyone who is interested to join us,” he said. “Our community is still small, and I plan on doing something special for all who are around prior to our first 200 members. I want our ‘original scouts’ to have proof that they were with us from the beginning.

“Quest Scouts is a work in progress,” he continued. “Feel free to give suggestions.”

On the web:

  • Website (http://www.questscouts.com/)
  • Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quest-Scouts/1547779125454010)
  • Twitter (https://twitter.com/QuestScouts)
  • Instagram (https://instagram.com/questscouts/)

Coming soon: A review of Quest Scouts (as soon as I complete one of the quests!)

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!