This time last year we were driving around the UK in the vehicle you see here, pictured with my wife *Faith*. We hired it in Falmouth, Cornwall and were making our way north to eventually hand it back at Oxford after almost 4 weeks of zig-zagging from the east to west coast and in between. It was a pretty sweet trip and we did loads of things, saw amazingness at every turn and hit a fucking tree. Yeah. A fucking tree.

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/nmy3DAiF-IMG_0454201.jpg

It's ok, we were unhurt and were able to drive the car away however it was a close thing. Here's the story.

We'd set out from Wells in the county of Somerset heading to Dunster Castle, also in Somerset, which is now a *country house* (a huge one) but was formerly a motte and bailey castle, fortified since the Anglo-Saxon period. It is beautiful, brutal and rumoured to be haunted. It was a great day that started with a drive through Exmoor National Park and wandering the streets of Dunster, the village that sprung up around the original castle around 1090, just after the Norman conquest of 1066. A quaint little village of around only 800 people.

We headed up the Tor to the castle and enjoyed a day there then got back into the car for the drive back to Wells and our B&B accommodation. 

I can't recall the name of the town however it was around 4pm when we accelerated out of a very small *fly-speck* village and hit the speed limit of 50mph (about 80kph) quite quickly. Now, I'm a great driver, attentive and all, and usually stay on the speed limit so there I was, doing the right thing, watching the road, doing the speed limit and discussing the day with Faith like normal.

The road curved slightly to the left ahead and was covered by a thick canopy of overhanging trees, close by the road, which caused a fairly deep shadow on the roadway. A typical scene in this part of the world.

**First error**
*I did not remove my Oakley's which left my vision impaired in the reduced-light situation.*

Coming the other way was two vehicles. A horse float truck (lorry they would say I guess) with a passenger vehicle behind. I would pass the truck right on the apex of the sweeping bend, so half way through.

**Second error**
*I decided, due to the reasonably narrow section of road (one lane in either direction), that I would drift left slightly to give the truck a little more room to pass.*

There was a white painted line to the extreme edge of the road so I knew I was still safely *on the road*. 

I was in the middle of saying something to Faith, not expecting anything out of the ordinary considering I had the scenario covered, it being a pretty straightforward driving scenario and all...When I head an almighty BANG and the car leapt up on the left side. That's when things went into slow motion. 

I recall looking at the truck and wondering if the car would come down, hit the road and skew right into its path, then I looked at the car behind it to determine the same thing. At the same time my left arm shot out instinctively to cover Faith and I turned to look at her, upwards due to the acute angle of the vehicle, then back to the road as the car landed. 

It came down hard, but straight, and I pressed the brake, not hard as I didn't want to unsettle the vehicle if it had broken suspension components, and my left hand returned to the wheel for additional control for the same reason. We rolled to a stop in a farmer's driveway entrance and took stock. The car was running so I shut it off to avoid pumping its liquids all over the place in the advent of ruptures. *Ok, what the actual fuck just happened,* I thought.

Turning to Faith I asked if she was ok. She said, *"what the fuck!"*. She doesn't swear much so I knew she was shaken up. At that stage I didn't know what had really happened, only that I had just hit something.

We exited the car quickly, taking wallets and important things in case it caught fire, and I walked around the front to survey what I fully expected was going to be a fucking mangled front end and left side. The further I got around the car, (I was walking very slowly), the more surprised I became. Nothing. I made it to the left side and...Nothing.

I looked at Faith and simply said *"what the fuck."* We had not damaged the car at all. When I say *we* I mean me.

I checked under the hood and there were no leaks...Restarted the car, no noises. Ok, now I was puzzled. I had expected to see a destroyed corner, a shattered wheel at the very least. The last thing to check was the tyre...Visually it looked ok but on closer inspection, there it was. The damage. It was bulged out in one location, about the size of an egg, and for a low-profile tyre it was a problem. It would be a problem on any tyre. It was fucked. I was expecting it to deflate but it held fortunately.

We took a short hike back a few hundred meters to the tree on the apex of that sweeper to try and work out what had happened and then it all made sense. 

The tree, which sat right on the edge of the road, *literally* on the edge, had a root system, a root-bole, at the base that was sticking out into the road. It was *on* the road, so much so that the road was laid *around* the root bole. Even the white line was painted around it in almost a perfect semi-circle...Straight, semi-circle around the tree then straight again. WTF.

That's what I had hit. Despite placing my left side wheels just inside the white line to give the truck room the tree was still in my path. We hit it at 80kph and it threw the left side of the car into the air, so much so that the rear wheels cleared it altogether. Dukes of Hazard style.

So, my errors culminated in what could have been a terrible accident. We would most certainly have been seriously injured or killed if we landed and skewed into the path of the oncoming traffic or had hit the tree more square on. I should have taken my glasses off in the dim conditions which might have given me the chance to see the obstacle. Was it a mistake leaving a little more room for the truck? In that case not doing so would have meant avoiding the tree but maybe it could have brought different issues if I didn't.

I took some air out of the tyre to alleviate the pressure on the weak spot, got back in the car and drove it carefully back to Wells. The next day I called the hire company and told them. They referred me to a small town only 12 miles away and I called the repairer there with an approval number. They had the tyre I needed but only the premium (expensive) one so they needed another approval which they obtained. We drove there, dropped it off, went for coffee and two hours later were on our way back to Wells to continue our holiday, not a cent out of pocket. Phew.

To this day I marvel at how a vehicle can take that sort of punishment and only receive a fatal dent to the tyre. The wheel alignment wasn't even out! The car drove like brand new, (it only had 2000 miles on the clock.) We hit motorways doing 70mph (112kph) with not even a vibration, small country roads and everything in between...It drove like new.

We were lucky that day, very lucky. Looking back at it I think how close we came to a massive wreck. A few more inches and we might have wrapped it around that tree. A different landing and a 30 tonne truck might have ploughed through us. Instead we did a little stunt driving, learned some valuable lessons and found one more reason to be thankful, grateful and respectful of each other and the lives we have...We never know what's around the corner and when life could be torn away.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺

*This image taken in Dartmoor National Park. (Prior to the tree incident.) This car was a great way to travel the UK. It had every feature we could want, was fast, comfortable and enjoyable to drive. They use these cars for cop cars here in Adelaide and until I drove one I wouldn't have bought one...I would now though...If I wasn't into four wheel drives.*



The hire car and the tree: A lamentable (true) story

It's been a long time coming but 10,000SP is about to happen on my account. I'm not quite sure what it means in a real-world scenario however it's the culmination of a lot of effort since June 13th 2017. A lot of blogging and a very small amount of fiat investment. [I don't have much to spare for this sort of thing so it's small through necessity.]

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I'm not sure how much steem has been purchased with fiat however at a guess I'd say around 1000. It has helped that the steem price has been low...But it can rise anytime from now. Quite probably I need to wait until get to around 11,000 before I start getting excited about my small SP achievement however I think just reaching the five figure mark is a reasonable effort all things considered. I've had to blog a lot, certainly over once a day in every single day since my account went live. It's taken effort and considering my blogs are rarely less that 500 words...Well, it's been time consuming. 

I've read a few reasonably negative blogs from a few users mainly in respect of the toxicity that seems to plague steem, quite possibly sparked by HF21 and ill-feeling harboured from situations from the past and I sort of get it. I agree in the main. Having said that I'd like to see things come together, to coalesce into something great, which I'm sure it can. If only we could find some consensus rather than bicker, bitch and moan about things, argue and complain like a bunch of asshole politicians in the real world. You know, all the things that we hate about the real world, the bullshit that brought us here to this decentralised arena in the first place. Funny that many just perpetuate the idiocy they claim to repudiate in the real world...

It's quiet here at the moment however maybe that's a great time for some of the smaller accounts to get noticed, for some of the larger ones to take a look around and see what's out there, who they can comment on and engage with. Take it from me, *large accounts*, a little engagement from you, a comment and some encouragement, for us small people can mean a lot. 

Anyway, 10,000 will happen soon and I feel pretty satisfied with my effort to gain that number after just over two years of work. I look forward to the future picking up and for steem to provide options for all of us here who have worked hard to gather some together.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺





10,000: Not yet, but soon...

I shoot a lot, I think you all know that by now. I shoot all sorts of firearms including handguns, rifles and shotguns. (Yes, there are different types of firearms than just those three.) I enjoy it, am good at it, and happily combine the sport with a friends-group of like-minded people and their families. I do other things also, as you would know if you follow my blog, but shooting is one of my main hobbies.

It's an unhappy fact that guns need cleaning. That's right folks, one can't simply keep shooting without attending to a little *firearm housework* as they perform better, and more accurately when clean, in fact *some* firearms won't function at all if not clean. Sure, some guns can go for longer without a clean than others however at some stage the firearm *has* to be cleaned. All firearms.

I'm not the biggest fan of cleaning my guns and yet due to the frequency at which I shoot, a couple times a week at least, and the variation of firearms I have it means I'm forever cleaning this gun or that. Today it was my CZ Shadow 2 (9mm semi-automatic) which is the gun that get's the most use these days, considering I shoot it every week.

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/YKn68cVT-20190623_124957.jpg

It's a fairly straightforward process, provided one knows what to do, although it's messy, fiddly and uses smelly and toxic chemicals which give me headaches, damage my skin and generally annoy the hell out of me. 

Above you can see the firearm post-cleaning and below is the field-stripped gun in the process of cleaning. A field strip is simply a basic break-down of the gun rather than taking the gun apart completely. There's a lot of bits in the frame of the gun, the part at the very bottom of the shot below, but I only completely strip the gun occasionally. [Even then it's not *completely taken apart.]

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/bQKjJ6aN-20190623_123639_2.jpg

What you can see in the image above, working from the top, is the slide, barrel, recoil spring and recoil spring guide rod, slide stop and the frame. The two blue grip panels and their screws sit at top right of the image. There's loads of little components that just don't need to come off for a clean, and some never need to come off.

Today I cleaned the gun, oiled it up again and got it ready to use for next weekend. I don't clean it every week, however after about 350 rounds it gets a clean so it's done at least every two weeks, sometimes each week though depending on number of rounds but usually fortnightly. 

I'm all done now so it's *happy days for me* however even as I type this post I can still smell the solvents on my hands, and *that's* after washing them three times! I know, wear surgical gloves right? Nope, they don't like the solvents and they get really slippery.

Cleaning my guns is a part of owning them and whilst sometimes I delay the inevitable it's always done, and done efficiently. Firearms cost a lot of money, this Shadow 2 just over $2,000 AUD for instance and one of my long range rifles well over $10,000 AUD so taking care of them is important. 

Ok, just for kicks, here's a list of the parts that make up this CZ Shadow 2:

Slide stop, slide stop spring, slide stop spring pin, trigger, trigger pin, trigger bar, trigger spring, pin (x3), ejector, sear, sear spring, sear pin, safety right, safety left, safety detent plunger right, safety detent plunger left, safety detent plunger spring, hammer, disconnector, hammer pin, hammer pin retaining peg, main spring strut, main spring, main spring plug, main spring plug pin, magazine guide, magazine guide pin, grip panel left, grip panel right, grip panel screw (x2), magazine catch spring, trigger bar spring, magazine catch spring screw, magazine, firing pin, firing pin spring, firing pin stop, buffer, recoil spring, recoil spring guide, front sight, front sight pin, loaded chamber indicator, loaded chamber indicator spring, loaded chamber indicator nut, extractor, extractor pin, extractor spring, rear sight, sighting screw (x2), trigger screw, shaped washer, frame...

Some of those parts come as assembly's so have parts within parts not listed. I probably left something out too but I think you get the idea; There's a lot of parts. Oh, if you read that list good work! I hope never to have to write it again! 

I hope y'all are having a great weekend with whatever you have going on.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺






Shoot clean, shoot shoot clean

History follows us all no matter whether we want it to or not. What we do today will be history the moment it happens and as time moves forward it get's more distant; The things we do I mean. History is one of those things that we can see quite clearly, recent history I guess really, as the further we get away from an event the more murky it can become. Of course these days there's many ways to record events and so maybe looking back at the past will be clearer. 

<div class="pull-left">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/allover/A3sayd4v-P1080467201.jpg</div>

Looking back from now to three of four hundred years ago is less distinct though and considering even recorded history cannot be relied upon to be true and correct due to it being written by the victor generally, or by someone who heard it from someone who knew someone who was related to someone that might have been there...You get the idea.

And so we do our best to know, if indeed a person is inclined to know about history, as I understand many don't really care what happened in the past. I do though, and find certain aspects of history quite interesting and engaging. 

One of the things that fascinates me most is the people I come across in history. Sure, the famous, infamous or notables can be interesting however I'm also fascinated by the not so notable; The people like me, plain, everyday people who were simply trying to make a living, to survive and thrive if possible. 

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This is why travel is so important to me. It allows me to visit places I read about and see in documentaries, to explore first-hand the locations, that those I am interested in have lived in. 

This image shows a castle ruins called Wardour Castle located about 15 miles from Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire, UK. As you can see it's quite ruined however on walking around the building one will see that many of the rooms were not destroyed in the blast that essentially sheered off a third of the castle. [A blast that the besieging army exploded by accident would you believe - They were in fact the castle owner's trying to wrest the castle back from the attackers who had routed them initially.] It's a well-documented piece of history.

One can walk its halls, the passageways, chambers and rooms that people lived and worked in hundreds of years earlier. Sure, there's nothing much in there however it almost feels like the walls have absorbed the essence of hundreds of years of humanity and now await someone to come along and absorb it back. 
***
![P1080484 1.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/7bZJO4Xt-P1080484201.jpg)
*You can see the immensity of the building here as my wife is standing in the foreground. The opposite is the ruined side.* 
***

That's how I feel when I go to places like this and whilst many say *if you have seen one castle you have seen them all* however that's not really true. A different feel, a *mood or tone* is felt in each, I think so anyway, and if a person takes the time to understand the story behind the castle and allows themselves to see it as more than a pile of rocks then it starts to unlock secrets. 

That feeling is not just reserved for ruined places either. It extends to all aspects of our world, in my opinion anyway, and if one opens up to it there can be a lot to learn. History isn't just found on dusty shelves in the library, it is alive, all around us, and just a little interest can unlock secrets from the past and possibly offer a pathway forward also. We can, after all rectify mistakes of the the past and make the future better can we not?

I'm not trying to convert people to embrace history, it matters not at all to me what other's do. It's just a blog, however taking a look at the past has a certain value and we all do it? Had a bad relationship and made some moves to make sure it doesn't happen again in the future? That's you applying history to your future. History is inescapable and is really the essence of humanity all packaged up neatly for us to draw upon when required or desired. 
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺


Absorbing humanity's essence and the lessons we can learn

![](https://d1vof77qrk4l5q.cloudfront.net/img/82ce2377ad32b2a59ae6185c5f06edd0ee7ec17a.jpg)

It's Saturday morning which means *operation weekend* has already launched. Deploying the weekend actually begins when I leave work on Friday night (let's call it Friday at 3pm) from which time it's plain sailing. Why then do I look so grumpy in this photo, taken on Friday? Well, I didn't have the best of days to be honest and the whole week was somewhat shitty. 

I've been working on a couple big deals, one of which came through last week gladly, with the second looking solid however the week seemed to *own me* and I'm not really a *get owned* sort of dude so don't respond well. Anyway, I was grumpy and recorded the moment by taking this photo which I sent to my wife as proof that I'm a grumpy bastard...Like she needed confirmation. 

I'm not grumpy now though so it's all  sweet!

Today is my dad's birthday. A funny story is though, that he was born on the 22nd but his dad didn't register him until the 24th so his birth certificate says the 24th. Anyway, he's 83 today and I'll visit with him. I hope he remembers me, sometimes the dementia means he doesn't. 

I have some friends over tonight for a movie sesh and I'm making home made pizza so I have to get the stuff for that. There maybe a few bottles of red also, but I'm not much of a drinker...It's more to get them drunk so I can skim their credit cards. 

I have to clean some guns today also, been neglecting that for a couple weeks but today's the day. 

Sunday is a free day, no plans so we'll make it up as we go and then...Lamentably it's back to work Monday. 

That's my plans, so what's yours?

*Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default*

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://partiko.app/referral/galenkp)



   Weekend: Why so grumpy

You're looking at a much-valued possession of mine; My Casio G-Shock Rangeman. It's a pretty decent bit of kit, the triple sensor version, which tells me the time in multiple places, includes a compass, temperature sensor, altitude measurement, and the other usual functions a modern-day watch includes. It's also solar powered which is cool.

I have several watches, a few that cost me a *whole lot* more than this one however I don't wear them...I wear this one. It cost me just under $600 several years ago when I purchased it and it has travelled with me no matter where I go. It's rugged, extremely tough, and it just *keeps going* despite the harsh, inhospitable environments and treatment it has been subjected to. Like its owner, it has not yet failed. Not just yet.

Its most recent adventure was a three day shooting event 300 kilometres from home in the Southern Flinders Ranges and as usual it performed faultlessly reporting to me on the information I needed when I needed.  

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/sPpkg3eR-P1120852.jpg

I returned home and about 5 days later went to put my most-favoured watch onto my wrist however it was nowhere to be found. No, I didn't just have a *boys look* and missed it sitting right there on the shelf...Well, I probably did the first time, but after it didn't present itself I started to get worried and began to dig a little deeper. The problem was that there really could only be *so many* places it could be. After tearing my house apart, going through all my shooting equipment, bags, gun cases, jackets and the like I *still* hadn't found it. OK, officially worried that I'd lost it now.

I decided to email the property owners where the event was held just in case I'd been a dumb-ass and left it there although I was completely, totally, unequivocally positive I had not. *Ding*, the email came back about 4 minutes later...Bingo! My watch was there. What the actual fuck? I *left* it there? No way. But...*way!*...I had!

So, still incredulous about my dumb-assery I sheepishly asked the property owner, if she would be able to send it to me which she kindly agreed to do. This property is a massive dorper sheep farm and I know how busy they are on a farm like that so I simply said *post it when you can*. I received it today thankfully and whilst I didn't kiss it or anything, I was very pleased to have it back. [Gave it a welcome home hug.]

Apparently I'd left the watch on a window ledge near a wash-trough which means I probably took it off to wash my hands or something and then neglected to put it back on. Dumb-ass. It's a three and a half hour drive back home and to be honest am totally amazed I didn't realise I didn't have it on on that drive. Dumb-ass.

When I had thought it was lost I was calculating the cost of replacing it and not liking the prospect of doing so. Fortunately someone found it within themselves to be honest. I'm not sure who found it, the property owners or one of the other competitors at the event, however I know it was someone honest. Cool huh?

I'm waiting on the banking details for the property owner and will refund her the cost of postage plus a little extra for her time and effort. I'm very grateful that I have my watch back and to have found a small amount of faith in humanity considering I don't have a great deal to spare mostly. 
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺


Losing time...like a dumb-ass

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They burned with strange colours when we brought them down. Streams of coloured smoke would billow-forth; Pink, red, blue or purple smoke would drift upwards marking the crash site and we'd cheer. Quietly. 

In the early days it seemed we lived in a multi-coloured world as we brought a lot of their craft down but these days it was rare, and the world seemed...grey, bleak and drab. It was dying, along with us, a little more each day.

Our military was gone and with it the weapons required to bring one down...Hell, most of *us* were gone too. We were a rag-tag bunch barely clinging to life...*Life*...It wasn't much of one, but we were human and so we held onto it, like we had always done. we banded together, stuck together, lived and died together. One thing our uninvited guests rectified for the better was our hatred for one another, human to human...We were too busy fighting them to fight each other. Too busy trying to stay alive. 

They arrived three years ago in their ships, *space* ships I guess. Large and small. We tried to communicate or so I'm told, but the killing started and we fought back...Two days later it was over and the world was essentially de-populated. I'd been saying for years the world needed a solution to over-population, I just never figured it would happen like this, and now its happened, well I miss people. People I knew, people I didn't. I missed not having to run, to creep, crawl and hide.

<div class="pull-left">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/pG0oLp6n-P1120658201.jpg</div> 

I was a part of the initial fight, a soldier, but it was not like any fight I'd ever known. Our weapons and technology simply couldn't compete. We lost electricity in the first 30 minutes, and by the end of that first day the world was rubble. All of it. From there they mopped up seeking pockets of resistance, any human form they could and slaughtering them indiscriminately.

I'd made it out of the city to my bugout location with a small group of others, none of whom I knew. It was chaos. We just drove, hid when we needed to and drove some more. I used to get mocked for being a prepper, but no one mocked me now...They looked to me for assistance, for life. I used to think it would be cool to have a *scenario* in which to use my skills, but now...Well, it's not as exciting in practice as it was in theory.

Now, three years later...None of those people are still alive, the ones I fled the city with.

The small band I'm attached to live in a world ruled over by strange creatures. Like rats in a drain we scurry from place to place scrounging what we can, growing food if possible, moving from place to place, changing our patterns, our routes and routines and being as quiet as we can. Noise brings death usually, a mercifully quick one sure, but death is pretty final and so we try to avoid it. We cling onto life in a world almost devoid of it, certainly of human life anyway and the aliens preside over it like gods. 

Each day we pick over the detritus left behind from the world *before*, seeking something, *anything* that we can use in our struggle to survive. I find it odd that most items we find from the pre-invasion world don't hold our interest for even the briefest of moments. *"Can we eat it, will it shelter us and will it keep us warm,"* are the three criteria that seemed most important now...Like the neanderthals from thousands of years earlier we had become little more than base-animals seeking the three basic human needs: Food, shelter and warmth.

We lose people every day, not only to the aliens either. Yesterday we were fifteen, today we are fourteen. They just seem to disappear without a trace...The we come across them days, weeks or months later, dead by their own hand. A gunshot, the end of a rope, some quick and painful work with a knife, exposure...The result was the same. They were free. I thought about it, I'll not lie, but it's not my way. Not yet. 

I think humans always lean on hope, the *hope* that things will improve, get better, change. Hope that bad things will pass, or never occur in the first place. But they do, now and they did then too. Still, hope can provide the momentum to keep pushing on, to stay strong. When hope fades though? When hope is nothing more than a painful memory? A human without hope is a sad and sorry thing, a pitiful empty husk.

Tomorrow we're picking our way across the *jungle*, the once proud metropolis that reached for the sky. We call the destroyed city that because that's where the wild things live, the alien's. Well, they don't actually live *on* the ground but above it. They own the skies, floating above us in their cities only coming down to hunt. To hunt us. I was never one to put much credence upon *god* however when I *did* think about it it was always as a creator. These *gods* were not. They destroyed everything they came across and they were good at it. 

The *jungle* resembles a real jungle more and more these days with the planet slowly recovering from what we did to it. Human's I mean. 

The pulverised buildings of steel and concrete are giving way to grasses, vines, trees and shrubs. The wildlife is back too. Sometimes when cowering in a ditch or small crevice, hiding from the alien's, I wonder if we deserved to be wiped out after what we did to each other and our own planet. I'd peek out from my hole and marvel at the wildlife running free, flights of birds, the way nature was erasing our footprints as easily as the alien's erased us. I'd been saying for years that the world was broken, that human's were a plague and now...Well, The world doesn't seem as broken and human kind are certainly not a plague. The alien's took care of that...It was strange though, they never harmed the animals, I'd seen the wipe out whole groups of people, but stop if an animal was close to getting caught in the crossfire. It seemed odd.

We are four today. Ten of our group ceased to be between one second and the next. Vaporised, or transported elsewhere in a flash of heat and energy...Who knows? We'd started the journey across the *jungle* and were travelling well when one slipped into a hole and snapped her leg clean through. She wouldn't stop screaming. It was only moments before they arrived and we scurried away from the woman leaving her to her fate. Her screams intensified as they got closer and she turned towards me locking my gaze, pleading for help that she knew wouldn't come. From my hole between the rubble I could see her imploring to me, mouth open in a guttural scream that seemed more fear than pain now and then a shadow came over, a flash... And silence. She was gone. Flash. Flash. Flash and three more were gone...I pushed further back in the hole and jammed my eyes shut but the flashes reached through my eyelids and I wondered if it was my time.

I stayed in my hole for hours, scratching and clawing my way deeper then just sitting there curled up with the pounding of my heart and heavy breathing for company. It was dark, maybe night time. I didn't know. I just stayed there...

This will be my last entry. If you're reading this you did better than me. If you're reading this it's because I took my own life. It seems like months however it's only been three days since we crossed the *jungle*, the city most of us called home before they arrived. There were fourteen of us, then four and now one. Me. 

I can't do this anymore. Not because I'm alone, that never really bothered me. It just that I don't feel like I belong. This world is not meant for me, for human's at all. I look around me and see a world coming back to life, nature regenerating and regrowing all around me. I can hear the birds, the rustle of grasses swaying in the breeze, feel the sunshine on my face and I know that I don't belong. I don't want to hide anymore. I have lost hope and it's my time. 

This notebook has been with me since the beginning and in it you will find a record of my journey. It's not a happy story but it's mine nonetheless. I have left it here in my pack together with a photograph of me from before. It shows me fishing by the lake in the springtime sunshine. It shows me in better times, what I looked like and who I *was* rather than your impression of me being what you see lying here, bones covered in rotting rags.

I don't think anyone will read this though, I don't think anyone is left. I don't know why I even bother to make this entry, but I do. I lived a good life, the best I knew how although I always felt we were an intrusion on this world, a temporary *blight* upon it that needed to be removed and now here I am, maybe the last person here...The last to be removed...

*The panel lit up, strange characters and shapes. The operator framed a command in its mind and the panel responded. A wave of...Anger, no sorrow, rippled through its mind and then it stood and moved away into the darkness of the craft. It had to report.*

*Moments later a hum began deep within the bowels of the craft...It was leaving. The operator mind-commanded the panel in front of him and brought up an image of the ground beneath the craft as it moved higher and higher away from the surface...It wouldn't miss this place, however felt a sense of sadness that the species upon it couldn't find it within themselves to treat it, and themselves, better. Their eradication was necessary, the planet relied upon it and the silent operator could already see the signs of the regrowth the planet would undergo now the destructive species had been eradicated.*

*The operator zoomed the image in to a lone figure lying on its back far below. A large pack and a weapon lay beside it and a pool of dark liquid, they called *blood*, fanned out from the figure. The last of its kind, the operator thought. A fitting way for that species to end it thought...Alone, unheralded and anonymous. Now the planet can regenerate, and the operator can turn its attention to then next planet requiring its help.*
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺

De-population | Regeneration (A creative write)

Like most people I have a smart phone; two actually, work and my own personal one. It sounds good in theory however two phones is a pain the ass. Anyway, with my work phone I answer all calls, even the blocked [private] number calls; I get paid to do a job and that's part of it. My personal phone is a different matter. 

<div class="pull-left">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/8KEPsB6X-20190619_195228_2.jpg</div>

I *never* answer private numbers. Ever. I'm also fortunate that my phone visually warns me that an incoming call may be a spam-caller which is cool. Answering my phone is reserved to people I know, and are programmed. 

So, my personal phone only get's answered if the called is listed as a contact and I'll sometimes answer a number I don't know if it's not private. Rarely though. I never call people back when I've missed a call from them either, unless they leave a message that is. I figure that if the caller hasn't bothered to leave a message then it wasn't important. It all makes perfect sense to me. 

I catch some flak for not returning missed calls, from my mates usually who often complain that I never answer. My response generally sounds like, *"my phone is for my convenience, not yours,*" and they generally shut the fuck up. It's true though you know? My phone is a convenience, *not an integral part of my life*. I recall a time when no one walked around with phones and life seemed to run along pretty smoothly still so I figure I'll rock it a little old-school, at least when I'm not at work. 

Today I received a text message from a number that's not programmed into my phone. It said, *"Galen can you please give me a quick call"*. There was no name at the end so I don't know who it is. Umm nah, I *can't* give you a quick call, or *won't* more to the point. Delete. That's right, I simply deleted it. If it was important they would have called, or messaged again. So I'll never know who it was, nor do I really care.

People seem obsessed with their phones these days and I don't get it. Sure, I use my work phone a lot and of course use my personal phone when required as well however I rarely feel the need to be in constant contact with people and much of the time leave my phone on silent. I've often got better things to do than look at my phone and as a somewhat non-peoply person I prefer to use my phone sparingly. 

What are your phone habits? Do you check it ninety times a day, which happens to be the average number of times an English teenager checks their phone apparently. Do you use it to play Tetris, take selfies, watch youtube, porn, and the like or are you like me...Look at is when it rings, or you want to send a text?
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺






My convenience not yours

Is it possible for a person to be lost but still know exactly where they are? It's one of those *if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound* sort of questions I guess. Lost but not. 

I know where my brothers are. I mean not exactly at this moment but I know where they live and their general location; They're not lost. But they've been mostly to me and lately I've been missing them a little more than usual. Sure, we chat on the phone, on here and on video but it's not really the same as being together.

<div class="pull-left">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/Vs6V00wt-IMG_E2294.jpg</div>

My family moved far away from the city I live in many years ago and so contact with them has been limited. My brothers are spread far and wide around the world now and hanging out with them is not possible. Lately I've been thinking about all the things we would probably have done together had they stayed around and I think wistfully about lost opportunities.

One of my brothers stayed around after the rest of the family moved away and we played American Football in the same team for several years, both as running backs, him tail back and me full back. 

When he eventually moved away I was left feeling pretty isolated. Yeah, I had mates around but that's different, you know? I could have moved but I had a life here, a job, a wife (who had some family here also) so it wasn't really an option.

We're all getting on a bit now, all over 40 years old and whist that's not considered old these days a lot of years have passed that we will never get back and a lot of opportunities to do things together also. 

I have a photograph of three of us; me and my two younger brothers, taken around 1983. I would have been about 13, and my brothers 8 and 4 years old respectively. It was taken on a hot summers day inside the shade-house my mum had. We'd been in there with our bathers on whilst the mist water sprayers were on to keep cool and someone, my mum I assume, had come out with a camera to take a picture. We stood there, soaked but grinning and posed in a flex-pose to demonstrate the magnificent biceps and six packs we had at the time. [Not so magnificent at that stage, later...very *magnificent*]. It's a good photo though and makes me smile when I look at it. 

I keep it on my piano these days and look at it often remembering simpler times, the enjoyment we found as kids running amok in the outdoors and just being *brothers*. The photo is a great memory. We look carefree, happy and untouched by the march of time and the pressures life places on people.

I have the only copy of that photo in existence, taken on film of course, as there were no digital cameras back then and I hold it as a pretty special photograph as I could never replace it. I was going to put it on this blog but now I'm almost done with the text I feel reluctant. It's a personal moment from my life, the lives of my brothers, both of which are on steem, and I think it's a moment I don't want to share just now. My youngest brother @tarazkp may lament me not putting it up as when he was 4 years old he had amazingly developed biceps! &#128514;	

Still, writing it out helps a little with the loss I feel at not having my brothers close by to go motor bike riding, camping, hunting, coffee*ing* and all the others things we would have been doing had we all lived in the same city. Writing about it brings them back to my mind fondly and I recall many of the great moments we shared growing up. 

I'm seeing one of them later in the year for a short time, meeting his wife for the first time and his son, my nephew. The other I saw last year in Finland and will see again, also in Finland, next year so we'll have to cram a lot of brother*ing* into that short space of time. I'm looking forward to it.

We will never be the same people  we were in that photo, we can only be the people we are now, however we will always be brothers. They're not lost really, just absent...Long distance brothers.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺

*Image is me taken around 1973/74 when I was around 3 or 4 years old. My brothers were not born when this was taken.*



Lost boys

Every so often I'm asked *who inspires me*. I'm not sure of the significance of the answer, how *my inspirations* could benefit someone else, as we all have different reasons for finding inspiration in other's. Maybe the benefit is a person becoming enlightened to a new potential inspiration. So, I ask other's the same question at times as it's interesting to hear the answer, and often amusing to find people don't find *any* inspiration at all. (This makes very little sense to me, but it's surprising how many people can't come up with a response.)

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/cF9jwnnA-imageedit_12_7662014111.jpg

I prefer not to call those who inspire me *inspirations* though...I prefer the term *influencer*. Now, just to be clear, I *don't* mean a micro-bikini-wearing Instagram babe holding up a can of protein drink or doing ass-enhancing exercises in Tulum. Although they *may* influence a whole lot of people to want their fake lives, surgically-enhanced and photoshopped bodies and the questionable *fame* they portray themselves as having I don't see them as inspirational at all. Tragic maybe...Depends on the size of their ~~floatation devices~~ boobs and ~~trout pout~~ lips. Tragic certainly, but a sign of the times. There's better places to find influencers than on Instagram.

Today I'd like to share with you one of my influencers, a person who inspires me to be better, do better and simply be the best version of myself that I can be. It's my wife. 

Yes, I know I can hear the naysayers scoffing already however it's true. She inspires me. You'll never know how much, or really why to be honest, because you don't know her and unless you're me you would never see the *real* her anyway so you may not find her inspirational.

I've known my wife for 32 years. I met her when she was fifteen years old, only four years after her father died. She and her mother had struggled to make ends meet for those four years and whilst they were not destitute there was not much left over after financial commitments were covered, you know, food, electricity and the like. We hit it off immediately though and to my great honour seven years later she agreed to become my wife. She was twenty two years old and I was a year and a half older when we were married.

Since then I've come to understand how amazing a person she is. How strong a person can be despite adversity, pain and heartache and also how fun-loving, loyal and honest a person can be. We have had an amazing life and there's not much I would change, nothing really; Each moment of our lives makes up the sum and total so taking one part away, no matter how terrible, may affect another and I wouldn't be willing to do so. Each fragment has been like a small part weaved into a colourful tapestry.

I am fortunate to have this strong woman in my life and she stands beside me no matter what. That doesn't mean she always agrees with me, far from it, however she's been the compass I've needed to help me find my way and I'm not only grateful, I'm in awe. Of course she has her insecurities, a degree of fragility, fear and doubt and when they surface I'm there. We sort of balance each other out.

It's very difficult to really explain my feelings as it would require me divulging more than I would like on the blockchain however what I can say is that this influencer is at the top of my list of influencers, and life in general. You won't get it, because you're not me, or her, however I credit this person with helping me become who I am...Not a perfect man for sure, but one who lives the best life I can and who endeavours to be the best version of myself possible. I would be different if I had not met her. Worse...Maybe. We'll never know fortunately.

I have other influencers of course, not all famous or notable, however all valued. I'd be interested to hear who yours are and why. Feel free to share in the comments as I think it's important to spread the love you know? If someone inspires and influences you in a profound way they may be able to do the same for someone else which could change a person's life, as my wife has done for me. So...Comment below. (If you would like).
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺

Influencer | Compass | Partner

A few days ago my steem account turned two years old. **Tuesday June 13 2017** was when my account went live and whilst this milestone will mean absolutely nothing to others, to me it represents twenty four months of effort. 

In the two years, to date including this post on the 17th June 2019, (735 days of posting) **I have made 1051 posts**. That's **1.42 posts per day**. I've also made 10.97 comments per day over that same period on average.

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/Uja53FaY-20190616_144108_2201.jpg

I started full of excitement and hope that this platform would grow and develop into something viable, be a place to explore and present my creativity and thought and possibly become a mainstream platform. Of course a little reward was on my mind also. I was keen, almost impatient, to see where we would be two years from the day I began. Now, two years later...We're still sort of nowhere really. 

I think forward progress has been impeded by greed and ego, (typical human traits), and by the unwillingness for some of those at the very top to work on driving the platform forward positively. Instead I see a lot of selfishness and idiotic behaviour from larger and influential accounts. How can we expect to attract new users when those at the top, and others, act like a bunch of ass-hats?! Still, it's their prerogative I guess. Anyway, I keep hearing murmurings about us being early adopters and all however I believe that if attitudes don't change neither will the outlook for the future. 

I wonder if I'll be writing a *fourth year anniversary* post around the 13th of June 2021...What do you think? Do you think I'll be blogging 1.42 times a day over the next two years as I have for the last two?

What I *do know* is that I want steem to survive and thrive and each of us will have to play a role in that. I don't know what my role is exactly however I know that things need to progress and attitudes need to change for this *"decentralised"* platform to work out. I'm hoping HF21 offers up some benefit and a *path forward* towards a bright future in which we can all thrive. There's a few changes in the pipeline and my hope is those changes benefit all, not just the larger accounts **_some_** of who (in my humble opinion) seem intent only on furnishing themselves with income rather than growing and developing steem for all to enjoy and prosper.

To those who have followed me and engaged all the way through the two years I've been around I appreciate your engagement, not just your vote. 
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺



Two years old and still growing

Today was a typical example of beautiful Adelaide winters' day with dazzling blue skies, crisp, cold air and just a little warmth to be found from the sun. Perfect? Nope, but *perfect enough* and that's good enough for me.

We decided to head off into the hills and spend some time wandering around the Mt Lofty region. The botanical gardens there are just turning from the riot of autumnal colours and is about to shrug on its *winter coat* however there was still plenty of colour to be found.

We wandered the gardens which are set on the steep slopes of the Adelaide Hills near *Crafers* and headed up to the Mt Lofty lookout as well which is where this image was taken. We enjoyed some lunch, a scone, coffee and a lengthy (and enjoyable) chat with four English tourists before heading back to the lower section of the botanical gardens for some more wandering around the lake. 

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWEHaznmUzgMaBS3QvKDF4gKxKfPgLGCfw9d7YWAxbPju/20190616_123031_2.jpg
*The autumn leaves now blanket the ground having mostly fallen from the branches above.*

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/b6L3vJr7-20190616_122946.jpg
*A little valley blanketed with fallen leaves and you can see the trees are all but bare.*

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/yhD7jsKB-20190616_144108_2201.jpg
*A Coast Redwood (Sequoia) from Oregon, USA. These trees can grow to 9 metres in girth and up to 76 meters in height. Someday I'll get Stateside to see these massive trees in their natural environment.*

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/myk6wC1n-20190616_125503_2.jpg
*A few stubborn autumn leaves clinging tenaciously to their tree. It always strikes me as odd to see the Australian scrub and these introduced tree-species living side by side here at the botanical gardens.*

We come to these botanical gardens 4-5 times a year to see them in the different seasons. I must admit that Autumn and Spring are my favourite seasons although winter has it's appeal also. It was about 11 degrees or so there today and with a slight breeze it  seemed colder again however we still took the time to walk around, sit on the benches and low stone walls here and there and enjoy the peace and quiet, the solitude and the fresh air. 

I hope you had a great weekend, or are still in the process of doing so. Monday always follows Sunday and whilst I don't mind my job I know I'd rather another weekend follow the weekend...Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday...*That's* how the week should go! Lol.

Have a great week ahead y'all.
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 

Winter wandering in the Adelaide Hills

<div class="pull-right">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/ZOd8tcSz-IMG-20190612-WA0003.jpg</div>

Fiji is a wonderful place. Warm, sunny, lovely clear blue ocean, sea breeze's, friendly people, tasty food and amazing accommodation...Or so I'm told. I've never been there.

I've been enjoying a vicarious vacation recently through my sisters vacation to Fiji and have received a constant stream of photo's like this one she sent me yesterday on a walk she took along the beach. I've seen pictures of the resort's pool area, the hotel in general, the beach, ocean, village and the amazing food she's been eating...Tropical drink concoctions are a food right? 

I'm not jealous of her, in fact I'm glad she's managed to get away from work and the big city she lives in here in Australia. She's works pretty hard at her corporate job and has not had the easiest of times lately for a few reasons. She decided to skip town for a little down-time and seems to be enjoying herself. I'm enjoying it too, although vicarious vacations are not as good as real ones.

<div class="pull-left">https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/Hn1X1hfQ-P1120320201.jpeg</div>

She's doing a lot of walking on the beach and seems to be finding the time to reconnect with herself which I believe is exactly what she needs to be doing right now, considering recent events. 

Life can get complicated, we make it that way generally, and it's good to switch off, *unplug* as such, where possible to permit oneself space and time to focus inwardly just a little bit. I could think of worse places to do that than Fiji and the resort my sister is staying at.

She says there's not much to do. Just windsurfing, diving, swimming, snorkelling, sailing, walking on the beach collecting shells and eating. Legit...All of those things I mean.

Sounds terrible huh? Not. It actually sounds like the perfect place to revisit the inner self and to be reminded that a little sacred-selfishness isn't an altogether bad thing. After all, if we don't look after ourselves properly how could we ever do so for other's? Nurturing one's soul, the inner-self, and switching off from the world is important, at least in my humble opinion and I'm glad my sister is getting the chance to do so. 
*** 
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺


The Vicarious vacation: Fantastic Fiji

Have you ever seen a more eclectic group of words lumped together before? *Saturday, literature, guns and coffee.* There *could* be stranger combinations however most people probably would not group these things together. I'm not most people though, and so I do. 

![20190615_102919_2.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/fE205vL7-20190615_102919_2.jpg)

**Saturday**
Today started like any other day, I woke up [always a good day when that happens] and I got straight down to the serious business of Saturday*ing*. Household chores? Hell no, bra! I mean hard core weekending. Living life! I love weekends and work ~~hard~~ ~~tirelessly~~ ~~conscientiously~~ ~~a lot~~ *a little bit* throughout the week to permit me the feeling that I deserve the weekend and the impetus to full-frontal attack it. And I do. 

**Literature**
I've recently picked up a book called *The Count of Monte Cristo*. I have no clue as to why it's taken me 49 years to pick it up considering it's one of my favourite stories however that's the truth of it, I have not read it yet. So, the morning consisted of a little reading over breakfast and coffee. It feels good to be reading, always feels good to be reading, and to have finally started this book. What a cultured Saturday morning. 

**Guns**
I read for about four hours until 10am then went out to my workshop/garage to get organised for the next phase of *operation Saturday*. I shoot most weekends, normally 1-3 times a week actually, and today I had a club match at my range. It was a practical handgun match. If you're interested to see what it looks like you can review this post ***<a href="https://steemit.com/guns/@galenkp/gopro-video-of-me-shooting-competition-stages">right here</a>*** which was me shooting last weekend at a big event.

I shot well today, probably to the best of my ability, although that's bullshit isn't it, because one can always do better, find a *little more* dig a little deeper, be faster, more accurate and such. So, I shot *well* and will probably place reasonably out of the 70 or so shooters. 

After the mandatory *shit-talking-sesh* at the range with my fellow shit-talkers (aka. mates) I headed home to clean my handgun (CZ Shadow 2 as pictured above) and pack away my gear. 

**Coffee**
I'll admit that this element of Saturday*ness* was deployed throughout the entire day. It's one of those elements that can't be reserved for one singe evolution but must be liberally dispersed throughout the entire deployment of *operation Saturday*. It's a lot like my ethos, which you can read at the very end of this post...It has to be well-executed and liberally applied...

So, it's late Saturday afternoon here folks and I've been writing this with the idiot box (Television) on. An *idiot flat-panel* I guess these days. I'm going to smash out a Netflix movie right now, *Act of Valor (2012)* whilst I'm waiting for my wife to come home and then Saturday*ing* will continue once more...Probably with some Indian food and deployment of *operation Saturday-night*.

I hope you've all got something ~~awesome~~ ~~exciting~~ ~~perfect~~ *perfect enough* planned that keeps you happy, energised, interested in life and thankful that you have the choice to live it largely in the way you decide. 

Happy weekend*ing* y'all. Get after it!

**Today's soundtrack by:** Five Finger Death Punch, Atreyu and Shinedown (thanks @honeydue for that tip).
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺



Saturday, literature, guns and coffee

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/CF0Tgd9v-P1120847.jpg

I'm attracted to shiny things...Well, nope, not really, well sorta...I like silver; Stackin' it I mean. I have a bit here and there and like to add to it when possible. It's somewhat of a ~~hobby~~ interest I guess and I figure at some point, after a rise, I'll dispose of some to cover my outlay then buy again when it drops. That's the theory anyway. In the mean time I like looking at it, the way it clinks and knowing I have something in the safe with tangible value. [Beside guns].

I mentioned to @themanwithnoname a few days ago that I'm saving up for a 1kg coin I've had my eye on for a while. I've been dropping $1 and $2 coins into my *silver piggy bank*, which is in fact an *emu bank* as it has emu's on the tin for some reason, and have slowly been amassing a ~~fortune~~ small collection of money to put towards the coin purchase. I tend not to simply rip a chunk of money out of the bank to buy silver preferring to save a little here and there so the purchase doesn't hurt so much financially. I go without stuff, scrimp and save, and before long I have a little hoard of money to spend on silver. I like doing it that way as it makes me value the purchase more.

Today a mate of mine contacted me and asked if I was interested in some silver his grandfather had left him in an estate and of course I said, *"most probably, is it free?"* Actually I didn't say that at all. I asked how much and was pleased to hear the stash was going to cost me about $5 less per coin than I expected. I scooped them up and paid the guy after visiting the ATM and feel fortunate that he called me first. 

I'm going to replace the money I withdrew with *emu bank* funds (maybe) but sort of felt obligated to buy the silver considering the price and felt fortunate that the guy came to me and not someone else prior. He went away happy counting his paper money as did I, clinking my 19 coins together in a self-satisfied manner. 

My 1kg coin might be a little further off now however I picked up a bargain today so am pleased with the purchase. The cool thing for me is that we hardly feel the impact of my silver purchases. I go without a coffee or cake now and then, sometimes take lunch to work instead of buying it or make dinner instead of getting takeaway food...It all adds up to small change that I convert to silver or gold and those small sacrifice's I make feel worth it, especially when I open my safe and see my shiny, glinting stack of **Ag**...That's *Periodic Table of elements* street-slang for silver. [Number 47 if you are wondering.]
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209






A little fortune(ate)

A while ago a friend of mine came across a photograph taken by my brother @tarazkp and thought it would make a nice water-colour painting. You can see the painting pictured here above and below the original image taken by my brother. 

The image shows his dog Viski, a dachshund, going for a walk with my sister in-law @momone. At the time my friend, the long-absent @stuffing, did a fast-motion video of her painting this image which was pretty cool.

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/QfvbdlHe-20190612_180856.jpeg
*A photo of the watercolour*

As you guys may know my brother and his wife have recently had a fairly torrid time with my niece @smallsteps who has had some illness, a little relapse of some worrying seizures, that she hasn't experienced for quite a while. I can't say I know how they must feel however considering how sad and worried I am about my little homie *smallsteps* I imagine it's far worse for them as parents! 

A couple days ago I asked my friend if she still had the painting and to my great joy she has. I asked if I could have it to send to my bro and sister in-law and she graciously said yes. So, that's how I came to possess this picture. It's a signed original, although I blurred out the name to protect my friends identity.

Viski is a bit on the old side and like all of us will come to an end at some stage. It's going to be a very sad day for all of them and I'm sure *smallsteps* will be heartbroken as she is so young and may not understand death quite yet. Having this picture may help them remember Viski so that's why I wanted to send it. I think this simple picture will become a valuable part of their little family and a constant reminder of the indelible mark Viski has made upon their lives. 

![Copy of sunset_adj7.jpg](https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/AHGeoKU6-Copy20of20sunset_adj-7.jpg)
*The original image*

I'd like to thank @stuffing for giving me this painting to send and for being a ~~pretty~~ very good friend. She hasn't been here on steem for a while however I think will find her way back someday when other aspects of life permit. You are a talented artist and a *kooky cheesebag* as well but I'm better for being able to call you *friend*. 

She is painting a picture of my wife *Faith* at the moment, another watercolour, which I will frame and give to my mother in-law as a gift so I'll be in *stuffing's* debt again I guess. She's a champ. 

Anyway, isn't it cool we can reach around the world and do something nice for someone in this way? *Stuffing* has not met my brother or his wife however she graciously offered up her artwork in a bid to bring some happiness to their world, and my little niece *smallsteps*. 

What a nice human being. We should all be like *@stuffing*; The world would be a nicer place. 

@momone, @smallsteps and @tarazkp, enjoy this image courtesy of *stuffing* and me. &#128153; 🇫🇮🇦🇺
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209


Viski takes a walk: A watercolour

>“It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising” **Alexandre Dumas** [The Count of Monte Cristo]

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I wrote a post a little while ago about my *book waiting area* which is the top of my piano at home; There's a few parked there. Let's call it several. OK,  more than several! I seem to keep coming across new books to read at a faster rate than I can get through them. 

One of the books in the ~~pile~~ neatly lined up row has now progressed to BIP status, that is: **book in progress** status and has made it from the top of my piano to being carried around wherever I go. This means work, café's, gun range...Everywhere. It'll get read whenever I get the chance. Yes I have to work and there's not much chance to read at the gun range either but one never know's when an opportunity may arise and so my book will go everywhere with me. 

I started reading as a very young kid and fell in love with the feeling of being transported away from my reality through books. As a small kid I was racially vilified relentlessly by kids at school and my only escape was to come home where I felt safe. It was there I turned to books and through their words I could be Aragorn in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings fighting orcs and winning Arwen's affection, Pug the magician in Raymond E.Feist's Rift War Saga or anyone I chose to be. (Unsurprisingly I rarely chose the bad guy)

I grew up eventually though and am not the sort of person who get's picked on much anymore, just by @honeydue and my wife mainly, [and all my asshole mates of course, as it should be] but I still retreat into books and find comfort there. I find a version of peace and feel...*centred* when engrossed in a book and I'm looking forward to delving into Alexandre Dumas's world. 

This classic novel is set around 1815 not long before Napoleon was returned to power, and revolves around *Edmond Dantes*, his beautiful love-interest *Mercedes* and Edmond's *best friend* the jealous and dastardly *Fernand*, who has Edmond falsely imprisoned so he can steal Mercedes for his own. Edmond plots revenge and despite all odds survives prison, finds a fortune and plays out a complex revenge against Fernand. Of course, there's twists and turns. 

The book is considered a literary classic these days (written in 1844) and is among Dumas's most popular works along with *The Three Musketeers.* 

I'm looking forward to it and to clearing a space on the top of my piano although I'll find something, or two something's, to replace it well before I'm through it I'm sure. I'll leave you with another quote from the book:

>“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you”  Alexandre Dumas [The Count of Monte Cristo]
***
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209






The Count of Monte Cristo | Le Comte de Monte-Cristo

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/VUpnJ1g4-IMG_9586201.jpg

This is a photograph I took on a salt lake in South Australia, a place called Lochiel to be precise. It's called lake Bumbunga [funny name I know] and salt has been *mined* there since 1881, and still is today. The salt in the water causes that pink colour to come out sometimes, a chemical reaction of some sort, which gives the lank a bit of interest.

It has become somewhat of a tourist attraction with many people parking up at the very small town [population under 100 people] and taking a walk on the lake...When there is little or no water in it anyway. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/FRwypnUm-20190610_112416.jpg

I took this photo a couple of days ago. You can see the tracks made by some yahoo in a four wheel drive pictured above. See how the tracks are full of water? That's because the water seeps up from beneath the surface and what looks like solid ground is in fact more like quicksand. The hapless wanker that thought he'd drive onto the lake here and do some *circle-work* probably got a rude shock when the vehicle quickly sank into the surface. You can just make out the tracks up ahead where he/she powered on after the initial sinking. They stop there abruptly though and the vehicle went no further. It was probably a city-driver who knew no better as country people sort of know when circle-work on the lake is achievable. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/EFdi1uPD-20190610_112801_2.jpg
*Lake Bumbunga.*

I am a firm believer in applying the right attitude and persistence to everything I do however we need also to apply common sense as well don't you think? There's little point reaching a brick wall in a dead end street and banging one's head against it in an attempt to overcome the obstacle. The *definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different result* after all. Better to learn from the information we have gained, to adapt and overcome. 

Life will always throw challenges our way. Always. We know it, but not necessarily what that challenge will be or when it will present itself. What we *do* know however is that we can apply the right attitude, common sense, ownership, responsibility and effort into dealing with it with the view to overcome the challenge. Or we can admit defeat, the failure. I know which choice I prefer to make. 

>*"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing."* - **Denis Waitley** 

I like the quote above as it pulls no punches. It says that failure will come but should be seen as valuable information, a platform from which to launch our next attempt, rather than the end of trying. 
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209



Road to nowhere

The sad truth is that most of us have to work to earn a living. I would prefer not to *have* to and instead *choose* what I do with my time however at this stage of life I cannot. Do I feel like my life is slipping by *un-lived* when I am at workplace? Hell yeah I do! There's a thousand things I'd rather be doing than working at my place of employment. 

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/cphbxWNF-20190516_093325-EFFECTS.jpg 

I'm not afraid of *work* though, and in fact *work* at many things outside of my job-function, but going to my daily job and *working* there...Yep, it limit's my life...The finite and indeterminate period I have allotted to me on this planet.

I'm very lucky to enjoy a lot of flexibility in my job-role which is great. That flexibility is what makes my job attractive; If I have to work for a living I'd prefer to have flexibility and autonomy within the role, which I do. I could earn more elsewhere but would lose my flexibility and am not prepared to do so. 

Today was a bit of a cracker for a winters day, being 21 degrees and lovely blue skies, and so I decided to *apply some flexibility* to my work day and have a two and a half hour lunch break. I drove to the Festival Centre area of Adelaide called *Elder Park* and went for a walk by the river, sat on a park bench and ate some lunch then read my book for a little bit. I took this image there. 

Life get's away from us all, time does, and it never comes back around. It flows away only leaving memories with which to define those moments, lost forever. But...That doesn't mean life is lost forever because we have the here and now and of course, an indeterminate amount of future ahead of us. 

Whilst work, *working at a job-function for monetary return,* seems to be essential for most people I believe a person must find a degree of flexibility to account for those times spent on tasks we would choose to ignore if we had the chance, like a job. Taking the time to understand where, and indeed how, that flexibility could fit into a work day is up to the individual and what works for one may not work for another however engaging with life, your own life not someone else's on *Instafacetwit*, has definite value. If you're a workaholic and want to live your life around your job justifying why it's good for you that's ok too. It's just not for me.

Getting the best out of life means so many different things depending on the person however the one common fact is that we all only have a fixed period of life. The exact length of a *life* is unknown until it is over and so [to me] it makes sense to make the most of it whilst we actually have the ability to do so. Working, slaving away, earning paper or polymer notes that we can exchange for goods and services is one way to spend it...But the are others that can run parallel if a person cares to look. 

**The moments we live are collected and sown into the tapestry of our lives and our journey through the time we are given brings us to new fragments of *life-fabric* which we can choose to collect and weave into our tapestries. Or not.** Finding the attitude to do so and the flexibility to apply it isn't necessarily easy, but sometimes the most valued things in life are the hardest to do.
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209

Life fragments and tapestries

https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/galenkp/0i5mItpg-20190607_154419_2.jpg

I got home earlier today from my shooting event 300km away and have spent the afternoon cleaning guns and equipment. I have a big handgun event this coming Saturday, more of the shooting you'll see in the video below, so I've been recovering also as my [not so] old bones were protesting a little after the thrashing I gave them in the last few days. It was a great event over the weekend and one that I simply couldn't sum up in one short post...So I won't try. 

See those mountains in the image above? *That's* where I was shooting over the weekend. I took this right before I turned off the black stuff onto the dirt. The terrain was fairly rugged in places but not too bad I guess. Oh, we also did some hard-core socialising around the campfire after the last rounds were fired each day. The catering was great, company was good and of course the shooting was fun and challenging at times as well. 

The event was a three gun shooting competition comprising rifle, shotgun and handgun over 12 different stages which were enjoyable and reasonably challenging each in their own way. I wore my GoPro for several stages which I have put into a little video for you below which I hope you enjoy. Disclaimer: I am not a video editor and it took all of my [almost non-existent] skills to get together. I didn't get any shotgun stages but the video shows some rifle and handgun which you may find interesting. Or not.

The thing about watching myself back on video is I can see all my mistakes, of which there were many. You may not pick them but there's a few that cost me time which is not good. The scoring is done by dividing points by the elapsed time for each stage which gives a hit factor value which is the score for that stage. That's why time is so important. Anyway, there's a few mistakes that I'll be working on including changing where I reload my handgun from down low to up high in front of my face for one. Anyway, don't worry about that. Take a look if you want. 

Oh, just for the record I finished 25 of around 100 shooters overall [I have a plaque but thought it was dumb to show it here]. I was satisfied with that placing considering the calibre of shooters there and I'd hardly used the the rifle I was shooting prior. I went for fun though, and fun is what I had so I feel it was a good weekend. 

**Video below**

https://youtu.be/p_RZgzVVaoA
***<a href="https://youtu.be/p_RZgzVVaoA">Click</a>***

***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209

GoPro video of me shooting competition stages


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Flying solo is something I haven't had to do a lot of over the years. I'm lucky to have an awesome partner to ride in the shotgun seat of my truck and we enjoy doing things together. I am fortunate that this girl, my wife Faith, puts up with me and sticks around. 
There are times that we are apart though, the longest being a few weeks when I flew to Papua New Guinea to trek the Kokoda Trail which I have written about before. 

I've been away from home this weekend, for almost the last four days, not *that* far away I guess but far enough, some three hundred kilometres, and I missed my wife a lot. I was at a shooting event way out in the countryside. I have written about that over the last few days so you can take a look back if you like. I returned home today and on the way had my Spotify account working overtime on a playlist I follow showcasing a lot of new country music which is where I heard this song.

To me music means a lot and I can't really imagine life without it to be honest. It's like a soundtrack on a movie I guess...Omit the music and it seems a little flat...Like life without music is to me. 

Anyway, each month we send each other a text with a track to listen to. It's not always a romantic type track however they pop up from time to time as well. This month I'm sending this one which I heard for the first time a little while ago and again on my solo drive back home from the outback location I was competing (shooting) at. 

I've put the lyrics below but you can ***<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lxA1FXOiv0">watch and listen to it here</a>*** if you would like to see the official video. It's a nice song and sort of sums up how I feel, which is very fortunate to have my wife with me.  

It's called **One Man Band**, by a great band called *Old Dominion*. 

> Been flyin' solo for so long
Nobody's singin' the harmony
Up there just me and my shadow
No bass, no guitar, no tambourine

>And I found you like a melody
You were singin' in the same key as me
We had 'em dancin' in the streets

>I don't wanna be a one man band
I don't wanna be a rolling stone, alone
Puttin' miles on a run-down van
Baby, we can take our own show on the road
I'll lay down the beat, you'll carry the tune
We'll get tattoos, and we'll trash hotel rooms
Baby, take my hand
I don't wanna be a one man band. 

>I wanna run down your wild dreams
And I wanna chase every high with you
Count every rip in these old jeans
We'll never learn how to sing the blues

>If I'm gonna be famous
Girl, I wanna be famous with you
We got our own little groove

>I don't wanna be a one man band
I don't wanna be a rolling stone, alone
Puttin' miles on a run-down van
Baby, we can take our own show on the road
I'll lay down the beat, you'll carry the tune
We'll get tattoos, and we'll trash hotel rooms
Baby, take my hand
'Cause I don't wanna be a one man band

>When the spotlight goes cold, and the curtains come down
The chairs are all stacked, and there's no one around
And nobody's payin', we’ll still be playin'

>I don't wanna be a one man band
I don't wanna be a rolling stone, alone
Puttin' miles on a run-down van
Baby, we can take our own show on the road
I'll lay down the beat, you'll carry the tune
We'll get tattoos, and we'll trash hotel rooms
Baby, take my hand
'Cause I don't wanna be a one man band
I don't wanna be a one man band



***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209

I found you like a melody

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Hi y'all, I'm back...Well, more accurately I'm heading back [home] after my shooting event this long weekend. No, I'm not writing this whilst doing 120kph on the highway, I've pulled into a Roadhouse (the Tinman) for a coffee and a sandwich.

![](https://d1vof77qrk4l5q.cloudfront.net/img/c28bd2af70b571e78ea9a7aca1128fbdc5e5a94f.jpg)

It's been a good weekend and my event went well! I shot pretty well all things considered, and even wore my GoPro for a couple stages so you may get to see it at some stage. The stages were pretty fun as was the event as a whole so I think I'll be back next year. 

![](https://d1vof77qrk4l5q.cloudfront.net/img/111b7626b1157be6bf214de8f703a1a449019784.jpg)

I've got a 3 hour drive ahead of me, about 300km, so I'll not linger long, just wanted to stop past and let you know I'm back. I had a few posts a scheduled though so I guess all those bots who follow me wouldn't have missed me too much. 

*Design and create your ideal life don't live it by default*

Images: 

- Me yesterday after shooting a stage (handgun) 
- The road out of the property
- Back on blackstuff 😕

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://partiko.app/referral/galenkp)

Live action: Southbound on Highway One

I've always been fascinated with fire; I find it captivating and relaxing. There's something pleasing about moments spent around the fire, gazing into its depths, the dance of the flames and the crackle of wood burning. To me fire seems wholesome and comforting. 

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You can see one of my campfires in this image; It was a pretty good one too! This fire is in its early stages with thick logs happily burning away. Later it burned down to low embers, throwing a comforting heat and allowing me to stretch my legs towards it, tilt my head skyward and star watch. 

You can even see a few foil-wrapped potato's in the foreground cooking on the coals...Yep, it's wholesome. baked potato's slathered with butter...Yum!

But alas, my fires have not always been so wholesome. My fascination with fire wasn't always relaxing, peaceful and idyllic. I don't mean I was a pyromaniac or anything like that, just that sometimes fire got me into a little bit of trouble. Pesky fire!

One such occasion was when I was about 8 years old...I was raised in a small country town and we had a bit of land which, over the period of a year, would generate waste. My parents had a burn-pile, the bonfire we called it, out in the *back paddock* and over the year it would grow larger with just about anything that would burn: Garden clippings, tree branches, general household rubbish and the like. Once a year we would burn it off and, as you can imagine for a little fire-loving kid like me *burn-pile fire day* was a great day! 

The day of the infamous *burn-pile incident of 1979* started like any other, only that for me it was fuelled by the excitement of the impending festivities, namely the burning of the bonfire. I hardly felt like eating although I managed to shovel some Vegemite toast and a few gulps of orange juice into my gob before I raced out to the *back paddock* to survey the gigantic burn-pile. It was *magnificent!* Seriously, the best one in all of my *nine whole years* of life. I didn't know the dimensions at the time of course, but thinking now it would have been around 15 metres long, 8 metres wide and some 2-3 metres high, give or take. A big pile which would burn for over a day and smoulder for 2-3 days. You bloody ripper!

We would have to tend the fire, pushing stray bits into the flames to ensure a clean burn...So much fun, playing with fire. It was pretty cool that I was raised to know how to properly treat fire too. It was an important skill. Everything was set for one of the greatest days of my life and I was itching to get going...Although it was a little windy. 

The bonfire was off and I was crestfallen! I'd waited all year for this. Now, looking back I understand completely. Isn't the clarity of hindsight wonderful? It would have been irresponsible to light that fire in those conditions and even though we had made a fire-break to prevent the entire paddock from lighting up it was deemed by my grandfather to be too dangerous. Everyone went back to the house to other tasks...It was a large property so there was always *something* to do. But my mind strayed back to that fire-pile begging for a match to get it started.

Now don't judge here, but I simply *couldn't* stand the thought of that pile just sitting there all by itself and so I went back to the paddock to visit it. I said hello, wandered around, prodded some of the tree-waste further onto the pile, looked skward and felt the stiff breeze on my face, cursed it...And cast furtive glances back towards the homestead...Back to the burn-pile, back to the house...

I kicked the dirt of the fire break angrily cursing the wind under my breath and thrust my hands into the pockets of my jeans in frustration...And felt something in there. Yep, the box of matches. You see, this year I was given permission to light the fire by my grandfather. It was an honour I took very seriously as the fire-loving little bugger I was. I had had those matches in my pocket all morning in anticipation of the ceremonial lighting and feeling them in my hand right then...Ideas began to spark.

No judgement please, but after a few more furtive glances back to the house and a thorough inspection of the pile, the fire-break and the wind me, in all my 9-year-old wisdom, deemed it safe to light the fire. Yes, I know right? I wish I could take it back...But 40 years later I'm an adult and have the ability to think things through, at the time I was a kid who *needed fire!*

Like an idiot I lit the fire. I did everything right, just as I was told earlier by grandad although, like an idiot, I lit the fire at the leeward end of the pile, the down-wind end. The fire caught, flames hungrily eating into the pile. The problem's started though when the wind picked up a piece of flaming cardboard and cast it cruelly into the grasses of the paddock downwind. Oh such cruel fate. *Good fortune* why did you forsake me!

I made an attempt to extinguish the flames that must have looked quite comical at the time but it was too late, they took hold quickly and went racing off encouraged by the wind. As if to punctuate my miserable position the wind picked up...Oh what fresh hell is this I probably thought. Or maybe I was just shitting my pants knowing I was going to get a bollocking for this.

I raced off to the house shouting FIRE FIRE FIRE, knowing that the situation was dire, and rallied my family who, after some initial shock about what I was saying, raced to attend the rapidly expanding fire. I think I received a clip around the ears as they ran past me...Yep, I deserved that.

This was in the mid-morning and by late afternoon the fire was out. Of the nearly 2 acre paddock (8,000 sqm) about half was burned out...And the bloody burn-pile was still intact. Just my luck huh? Oh fate, thou art a cruel friend.

My punishment for that event involved a smacking. A well deserved one. It also involved me having to apologise formally to my family and the neighbours who could have lost their homes through my idiotic act. Lesson learned? Hmm, most definitely probably.

Events that occur in our lives all teach us valuable lessons and that day I learned many that would stick with me for life. Do I regret my actions? Of course! I could have been responsible for people losing their homes, including my own family. I could also have been killed. Did I ever do stupid things again? Of course, that too. But I learned from that day, like I have all through my life with other events and occurrences, That's part of life isn't it? Learning from mistakes, from success, failure, good and bad times? 

I don't go about lighting random fires these days. I have more restraint. I still *love me a good fire though*. In fact as you read this I'm probably sitting around a fire at Spear Creek with my mates talking shit at that shooting event I wrote about a couple days ago. 

So, there's a little true story from my youth for you, a story with a moral...Don't be an idiot like I was, and don't play with fire...When the wind is blowing the wrong way.

One day you should remind me to tell you about the **_great jerry can fire of 1981_**...It's a good story, again starring none other than me, the 11 year old version, with a cameo appearance by my oldest brother who almost ended up burned to a crisp. Ah, good times, good times. 

Yeah, so maybe I didn't learn *all the appropriate lessons back in 1979!* Boys will be boys though right? (I'm surprised i survived my childhood to be honest, but fortunately for you all, I did!)
***
**_Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default_** 
Hit me up on Discord: @galenkp#9209

*P.s. If I don't respond immediately it's because I'm sitting around the campfire at Spear Creek and probably don't have great phone service. I'll get back at you if you leave a comment though.*

A day that will live in infamy: The burn-pile fire incident of 1979

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See what I did there with the title? *"Eyeing off"*...The London Eye...Get it? Ah never mind, it wasn't *that* clever a title after all really. So yeah, anyway, London huh? 

The greater London area lies over some 1570 square kilometres and is home to around nine million people. That's about five thousand seven hundred people per square kilometre so, a lot I guess. But it wasn't always so.

People have lived right here for a very long time. A timber bridge structure was found not so long ago and dated to somewhere around 1750 BC and 1285 BC. I'm not sure how accurate radiocarbon dating is however the historian in me loves the thought that bronze age people called this place home so long ago. I wonder who they are, what they did and what their lives were like. 

A mesolithic structure was also found and dated to between 4800 BC and 4500 BC so again, evidence of people long, long ago. I bet they did not have to worry about over-crowding, high cost of living and an endless stream of tourist's like Londoner's do now though!

The Romans came along around four years after their invasion of 43AD and they formed the first significant settlement there until 61AD calling it Londinium. Unfortunately for the Romans Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe came along with her hordes and burned Londinium to the ground and killed virtually *everyone* within it. It's actually an excellent story to be honest and was a great military defeat for the long-establish mighty Roman Empire. The Roman's persevered though and by the 2nd century Londinium, the seat of power of Roman Britannia, boasted 60,000 residents. Cue over-crowding. 

The collapse of Roman rule around 300 years later saw the Anglo-Saxon's and Vikings take the lead and by the 11th century it was England's largest town by far, important enough to house one of Europe's grandest churches, Westminster Abbey, commissioned by King Edward the Confessor.

The middle ages, early-modern and late-modern era's followed along with many infamous [and famous] people and events happening in those period's, like the Tudor period of King Edward VIII for instance, and London rose in size, population and influence to become the modern metropolis it is today. 

It is considered one of the most important and influential cities on the globe these days and is the home of many of the worlds most powerful people and companies. For you and I, tourists, it's an amazing place to visit with a little of everything all contained within the one location from history, night life, music and arts, shopping, food-culture, amazing and beautiful architecture and an endless list of things to occupy oneself with. It is truly an amazing city to visit. 

It is not a cheap place to visit, or live for that matter, however there's many things one can do that don't cost a lot and just being there seems to hold a certain aura for most. It's a busy place and the locals probably curse the tourists from time to time but they still flock there, some 18 million a year give or take, with an annual expenditure of around 15 billion pounds. [Billion]. Not chump change is it?

I enjoyed it and will go back. Obviously the historical aspect of it appealed to me however we spent a good deal of time engaging with the city's various aspects and will certainly be back for more in the near future. 

*Image taken from a boat on the Thames and is of the London Eye, one of the most visited and iconic landmarks the city has.*