Let me preface my story by saying that although I grew up in a suburb of Raleigh,

North Carolina, I've always been a country boy at heart. My paternal grandparents had a

farm in Central North Carolina and when I wasn't there I wanted to be. There were

rolling hills, creeks, and mylo fields separated by tracks of hardwoods teeming with squirrels, rabbits, and quail.

Some of the happiest times of my life were spent on this farm, roaming the woods, camping, hunting, and fishing.

For a young boy who craved adventure, it was paradise.

I would disappear into the woods for days.

Back then it simply wasn't a big deal for a young boy to go off camping by himself as long

as his parents had a general idea as to where he would be and when he would return.

Looking back, I was probably safer in the woods on my grandfather's farm than just about

anywhere else.

There were no dangerous animals in this part of the state. The only things that caused concern

were ticks, chiggers, and the occasional copperhead. When I wasn't playing Daniel Boone on the farm, I would often go on trips with my Boy Scout troop in the nearby Uwari National Forest.

If you aren't familiar with it, this National Forest is about 51,000 acres, with most of it in Montgomery County.

I've hiked a considerable amount of this forest, sometimes willingly and sometimes begrudgingly due to a directionally challenged assistant scoutmaster

who we nicknamed Lost Again Lewis.

Lost Again Lewis.

Lost Again Lewis.

His shortcuts could turn a five mile day hike

into a 20 mile overnight hike.

I mention all this, simply to establish that from an early age I would regularly spend time in the woods.

I'm familiar with the local animals and I don't spook easily.

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