Upside Down
Today I drew upside down.
With the theme of breaking down my sketching skill development into small components, I explored why it is easier to sketch abstract items vs. real things. For example, it was daunting to see a man sitting as the object I needed to draw, but turning it upside down and focusing on the ABCs of drawing made it more accessible.
I’m happy with the results and found it much easier to focus on the lines, curves, and angles rather than a mouth, eyes, and arms. I knew what it was, but psychologically it was much more manageable.
Disney Mug
Hello, going strong with my sketch a day for 365 days. I’m really enjoying the process.
Man’s Best Friend – Stuckey
Using the techniques I have learning and practiced, I drew my dog. I started with the outline, observing the landmarks of Stuckey’s body and the relationship of the lines and angles. I Then filled in the other details and tried to use circles, lines, and cross-hatching to show her fur.
As a side note when I drew this picture I didn’t know that we were gong to have to put Stuckey to sleep later that day. It was the right thing to do but still doesn’t make it any easier. RIP Stuckey.
Small Building Blocks - Abstracts
Breaking down any task into its components helps you develop. It is no different with sketching. Today I built upon the elements of drawing, the five ABCs to copy abstract designs.
I wasn’t trying to draw a portrait or a landscape but rather build my skills and confidence by focusing on lines, circles, and angles—small building blocks.
The two blocks on top are my copies of the abstracts.
Easter Island
Today’s sketch is my interpretation of the famous Easter Island statues. The lesson focused on observing the contours of your subject. Slowly and meticulously follow the subject’s contours and let your hand map out what your brain sees.
Start with the outside contours and keep getting increasingly granular as you draw each detail. As you focus on what you see, this is where change takes place. Examine what you see and adjust. There is always more to see.
Elements of Drawing – Yogurt Container
Today’s lesson was about breaking down sketching and observation into the ABCs. Break what you see into straight lines, curves, angles, circles, and dots. I put this concept to work on my morning breakfast, yogurt.
I hope you are enjoying my sketching skills journey.
Coaster Art
Today’s art was of a coaster sitting on my desk. The theme was why it is good to start drawing and sketching with ink. You can’t erase, and there is a permanence to what you are drawing. The key takeaway is that you can learn from what you are sketching. I’m enjoying the process, and hopefully, you are too!
Let me know in the comments if there is a skill or passion that you are starting to develop or are returning to.
Gatorade Bottle
Here is day two of my sketching skill journey. After my lesson, I drew the Gatorade bottle sitting on the counter. I am enjoying the journey and look forward to seeing my progression. No matter what, I enjoy the process of sketching.
I hope this inspires you to take on a new skill or pick up an old interest. You are never too old to challenge yourself.
Art and Sketching
I am developing an art skill, drawing. To this point, I have no sketching or drawing talent. Hopefully, this will inspire you to create a creative outlet and talent.
I came across Danny Gregory from Sketchbook Skool on YouTube. Danny has a wonderful way of demystifying art and sketching. He builds your sketching and art skills by focusing on increasing your confidence and a positive inner voice vs. the technical drawing skills/techniques.
To sketch better, you need to sketch.
I am taking his course How to Draw Without Talent, A self-directed course that'll get you drawing in 26 easy, fun steps. I have phased the 26 videos into daily chunks. Danny also takes you through technical discussions and drills during the course.
Each video works on your confidence, repetition, or a specific sketching skill. If there isn't a particular assignment, I pick something to sketch.
I aim to draw and post something for the next 365 days.
Consistency and Self Discipline
Sketching every day and the accountability of posting online drive improvement.
Patience and consistency are essential for improvement and transformation regardless of the skill. Works for everything from public speaking to running and sketching. I'm using self-discipline to bring consistency and improvement to my sketching.
Here is my first sketch – My Left Hand
Danny considers this a benchmark drawing.
It is where I am now and provides a benchmark for me to build on.
The key is that I am not striving for perfection, just using self-discipline, consistency, and deliberate practice to develop and improve my drawing skills—no burst or bust, as Ryan Holiday states. In "Tiny Habits," BJ Fogg indicates, "Consistency helps scale your habits/behaviors from small to large."
What creative outlet can you develop through consistency?
Big Green Egg vs. Natural Gas Grill
Your Big Green Egg / Kamado-style grill is not just for low and slow cooking. Take advantage of your investment to grill. I can tell you it is almost as fast as a natural gas grill (and I think it tastes better).
I Grilled up bratwurst for my son and me on the BGE and ran a little test. I started our natural gas built-in grill while I started the coals to compare start-up times. (Pics)
My wife typically cooks on the natural gas grill and adds the food when the dome temperature is in the High range. The Gas grill and the BGE were at temperature for adding food at approximately 18 minutes.
The total cook time for the bratwurst from Grill blazer to hot off the grill was 33:03:82. With the outside temps at 28 degrees, a bit of wind, but thankfully sunny.
Bratwurst on the Big Green Egg
I started with fresh coals and filled the Big Green Egg basket up to the middle of the fire ring. Then, using the Grill Gun from Grillblazer, fired the coals for approximately 60 seconds.
I also added my ThermPro thermometer probe on the grate to measure the cooking temperature.
You may or may not know that the temperature between the dome thermometer and the cooking/grate level will vary. This is because the temperature can vary as much as 30 degrees.
I like to measure and track both.
Within 18 min the grill was up to temperature for the frozen brats. Added four frozen brauts, set my timer for 7 minutes for the turn, and closed the dome.
I flipped brauts at 7 minutes, which turned out to be too long. A bit dark on the first turn.
Set the timer for 6 minutes for the final cook. I added the buns to the grill to get toasted buns with one minute to go. Unfortunately, I only left them on for a minute with the grill closed; I learned that they should have been on a bit longer – probably 2 minutes to toast and get some grill marks.
Removed brauts, added them to the bun, and added XXX cheese and barbeque sauce. They tasted great with some popcorners chips.
Lessons Learned:
Cooking time is about the same for the big green egg and the natural gas grill.
I need to watch the first flip time and not rely on the Natural gas cooking times.
I need to grill the buns a bit longer – maybe 1:30 to 2:00 vs. the 1:00.
I was a bit gun shy based on the dark first turn of the brauts.
After the Cook:
I open the bottom vent entirely, remove the top cap and let the grill go inferno mode for 10 – 15 min to self-clean. I set a timer so I don’t forget and then shut it completely off after 15 min.
It does an excellent job of getting most of the cooking residue off, and I’m ready for my next cook.
Let us know in the comments below what your secrets are for awesome bratwurst on the big green egg.
Mastering Backyard Grilling and Barbecue
2022 is the year I improve my grilling and barbecue skills. I have a good bit of money invested in a natural gas and Kamado-style grill. Now is the time I fully maximize these investments.
You have trusted jdhayes.com as your source for music, the RC Hobby, Book Reviews, and general lifestyle thoughts; now, you can add grilling and barbeque to the content.
Here in 2022, JDHayes.com will focus on my journey to mastering my grilling and barbeque skills. I will share content on:
BBQ Skills, definitions, and explanations to get you started
BBQ Accessories
How to BBQ Right
BBQ Tips
BBQ Supplies
Backyard Grill
Backyard BBQ
I hope you join me on this journey and let’s work together to improve and master our backyard grilling and barbeque skills.
How to Read A Book - Mortimer J Adler
I just finished up Mortimer Adler’s How to Read A Book. I give this a 4 out of 5. Here is the summary and my three take-aways
Book: How to Read A Book - The classic guide to intelligent reading
Author: Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren
Pages 336
Read: 2021
Publication date: 1940 and 1972
Three Take-Aways / Actions:
Have an intentional reading plan for each book
Understand the author’s point and clearly articulate that point. Answer the question What does this mean for me?
Remain open to the author’s ideas while I am reading. Remember that I can’t fully understand a book if I refuse to hear what the author is saying
Have you read this book? Share your thoughts and key take-aways in the comment.
What Areas Are You Interested In Learning About
What are you interested in learning about or reading about on jdhayes.com? I want to create the content and share experiences you are interested in. This quick survey will help me focus jdhayes.com on what you are interested in. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
Keeping your Anticipation from tipping over into Disappointment
We all need something to look forward to.
I was going down to Disney’s Food and Wine Festival for the first time in over two years. Walt Disney World is an escape for me, and this trip was really needed.
My anticipation for the trip was enormous and building.
I hadn’t seen my brother and his family since being down in Orlando when my mother passed away. It has been over two years. I was also looking forward to relaxing and enjoying time with my wife. I escape my daily grind with Disney.
Planning, planning, planning drives up my excitement. It’s funny how the Walt Disney World arch is the image I see as a positive gateway.
Was my growing anticipation setting me up for disappointment? What about the build-up is too much, and then is a letdown once I get there? How can I live in the moment and just enjoy the experience? All these thoughts are running through my mind.
A bit of background on anticipation
Anticipation for me is the positive side of looking forward to something great. I am not talking about negative anticipation or getting into anticipatory anxiety. Where you are spiraling to what COULD go or be wrong.
Do I always exaggerate the positive or negative? Does your mind automatically exaggerate the positive? Although I can see situations where it also magnifies the negative. This is his back to self-talk? Both positive and negative. I hope the spontaneity does not go away from Disney.
Anticipation is a good thing.
Always have one thing to look forward to that you can use to get through challenging times / or a demanding experience. Anticipation can be a stepping stone to hope.
Steven Handel wrote an excellent post on anticipation, “The Power of Anticipation: Why We All Need Something to Look Forward To,” and cites a study that suggested gambles can curb their impulses and choose long-term gratification over short-term gratification when asked to think about a future experience.
Here are some questions I have, and frankly, I don’t know the answers:
Does your general dispositive impact what type of anticipation you have? Do you tend towards anticipation or dread?
Is there a situation where you move towards positive because the mind is looking for something positive? It is a case where are your preference for positivity comes through?
Do you think it gets back to the need for certainty? This can be especially important when you are looking forward to something you have previously done.
How can I ensure that your anticipation is positive and that it doesn’t lead to disappointment?
Here are seven ideas that you do to improve the chances that your anticipation turns into a good experience, not into dread:
Get clarity on what you are anticipating – what exactly am I looking forward to, and why? Are you looking for a chance to unwind, experience a new thrill? Be clear. What is your anticipation bug?
Set reasonable expectations of what your Anticipation bug is and how the event/decision can satisfy it. Right after clarity, define how this event, experience is going to fulfill that anticipation bug. This should help highlight any significant gaps – the event can or can’t reasonably satisfy your anticipation bug – a first red flag of potential disappointment.
What specifically about the future action/event is going to satisfy your anticipation bug? This helps ensure that what you are doing is going to tie into your anticipation. If it doesn’t connect, you really have no chance.
When you are during doing what you were anticipating or experiencing what you were expecting, think back to the anticipation bug; are you explicitly doing what you were anticipating?
At the moment – think back to the anticipation bug – is it doing that?
Then – are you trying to satisfy that bug? Get clarity at the moment – is the event quenching your anticipation bug? Is it providing other unanticipated benefits, joy?
And finally, are you going too far or trying too hard to enjoy it to gain pleasure?
In my mind, it all comes down to being aware. Are you aware of what you are anticipating and then intention or mindful of what you are experiencing during it?
How do you handle anticipation? Let us know in the comments below.
Foxelli Carbon Fiber Trekking Pole Review
Trekking poles are not just for older hikers. Everyone can benefit from using them. I picked up a pair of Foxelli Carbon fiber trekking poles, and here are my initial thoughts.
I used the Foxelli Carbon fiber trekking poles for the first time on my shake-down hike at Archers Fork. (LINK to the post) https://www.foxelli.com/products/carbon-fiber-trekking-poles-hog1
Specs:
Price (As of October 2021. - $71.97
Published weight is 7 oz per pole
Height Range: 25 inches to 55 inches
Overall, they are excellent trekking poles, and I highly recommend them.
This was my first time using trekking poles, and I found them invaluable as I navigated the ascents and descents on the trail with a 35+ pound pack. I didn’t have any footing issues, and they helped me on some trickly areas with wet leaves covering rocks.
They are carbon fiber, so they are light. The flip locks were easy to adjust, and with the demarcations on each section, it was easy to set the poles consistently. I added the small baskets on as it comes with snow baskets and pavement walkers along with rubber covers to protect the tips. All of this comes with a carrying case. They also included a fanny pack.
I found the poles to be extremely stiff and didn’t notice any vibrations or flexing. Nice and solid. The flip closure tension clips were easy to adjust and held tight. I had no instances where the pole sections collapsed or moved. None.
The cork handles were excellent, and my hands felt great all day for both days, and I didn’t feel the need to wear gloves. The grip straps are fully adjustable. Just an excellent trekking pole.
I really recommend these poles and couldn’t be happier with my purchase.
Do you have any experience with the Foxelli Carbon fiber trekking poles? Or the Foxelli brand? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Backpacking Shake Down Trip Lessons Learned
Here are the lessons learned from my first backpacking trip in over 15 years.
Location: Archers Fork Loop in Southeast Ohio for two days, one night. We were on the trail around 11:30 am and completed the loop counterclockwise.
Saturday
Duration 3:44:40
Distance 7.0
Hiking Calories 1,907
Total Daily Calories 3,729
Elevation gain: 896
Elevation loss 1,132
Average Pace: 17:19 min
Breaks: Lunch for about 41:47
Sunday
Duration 3:06:25
Distance 6.77
Hiking Calories 1,569
Total Daily Calories 3,216
Elevation gain: 1,309
Elevation loss 1,076
Average Pace: 17:58
Breaks: 16:38 Water / Snacks
Fitness:
The sustained back-to-back days were hard for me. Towards the end of Sunday, the tree cover was sparse, and it heated up, so I was a bit drained.
I need to work on my leg strength for hills both up and down.
Forget about dropping ounces out of my pack – I need to drop bodyweight. Get down into the 190s for my ideal weight.
Hydration / Nutrition:
I need to drink more water – first time with the water bladder and didn’t drink as much water as I thought. I see this as an issue with water bladders as you can’t see how much water you have consumed.
I was getting in the routine of taking regular drinks but needed to get used to taking more water.
I had enough food for the trail on Saturday – the sandwich was good, the payday bars were excellent, and the trail mix added the right calories for the day – I didn’t feel undernourished.
I took too many snacks for the time I was on trail as we finished by lunch on Sunday.
Two oatmeal containers for breakfast were a lot – needed more water with the oatmeal – 150 mg of water. The banana chips I added to didn’t hydrate.
The Ucan was an excellent addition to the morning nutrition.
My estimated daily calorie burn was pretty accurate for the entire day.
The nutrition plan seemed to work – I didn’t each as many snacks as I thought I would.
Gear:
I tried to use one of the dehydrated meal bags as a reusable bag for hydrating my meals in freezer bags.
It didn’t work. It wasn’t big enough.
I need to make a koozie for the food or keep the meals in the original packaging.
The tent needs to be replaced – too heavy, but I like the room. – a two-person will do the trick.
I need to bag and secure my food – I was anxious about not hanging my food and maybe a good dry bag – I have one I use for kayaking that may work, although it is a bit heavy.
I need a little bag to hook onto the rope to swing over the tree to hand up.
Next, I need to look at upgrading my sleeping bag.
I need to upgrade my cooking system – the MSR WhisperLite stove is heavy with fuel. In addition, I need to investigate a canister stove.
Bring my plate that would have made eating much better – dump the freezer bag into the dish to eat.
I need a dirty water bag with a bigger opening, not the screw opening of the Sawyer bags I currently have.
The Smart water bottle is hard to fill up from a top standpoint.
Didn’t use the Nalgene bottle at all.
I didn’t encounter any ticks, so the spray worked – or at least it didn’t not work.
Look into the pump filter for ease of getting water when there is no moving water.
Summary
Areas for improvement, but I enjoyed the experience. Nice to get to camp, enjoy the campfire and relax. Getting away from the city lights, cell coverage, and just enjoying the outdoors was awesome. I am looking forward to the next trip.
My Shake-Down Backpacking Trip Nutrition Plan
I’m getting ready for my shake-down overnighter this weekend.
I’m excited and ready to go. Along with new gear, I am interested in seeing how I can plan for my nutrition needs and how the planned nutrition works out.
For success, gear, nutrition, and fitness need to come together.
My backpacking Success Triangle. Only when all three work will the trip be successful. They don’t need to be completely dialed in just functioning.
Every successful backpacking trip relies on what I call the Success Triangle:
Gear
Fitness Nutrition
Getting enough nutrition and calories on the trail is key to a great hike. So here is how I planned my food for my shake-down hike; what nutrition I’m bringing on my first backpacking trip in over twenty years. Hey, this is mostly art vs. science, but it gets you close and gives you a base to continually dial in your nutrition needs.
Estimate how many calories I usually burn through the day
Get your BMR
Your daily calorie burn before any exercise is known as basal Metabolic rate (BMR). There are various calculators out there; I use the active.com calculator. https://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/bmr
Based on my age, gender, height, and weight, I get my BMR in calories. Mine is about 1,850. Okay, that’s my base.
How many calories am I going to burn on the trail?
I use the Garmin Forerunner 945 and log all my workouts on Trainingpeaks.com.
I went back and looked at my training hikes and saw what calories I burned. Using my training hikes with my loaded pack gave me a few data points. These are just data points to extrapolate but gave me a sense of how many calories I burn per mile. Elevation gains/ losses, length, etc., will impact the actual calories burned.
After adjusting for the assumed 8 – 10 miles a day on this 2-day one-night hike, I estimated I would burn about 1,400 calories hiking.
This gets me around 3,300 – 3,400 calories needed to maintain my current weight.
My goal is 3,000 to 3,20, given it is just a two-day – 1-night trip.
That is my goal – now on to the spreadsheet.
I am not too concerned about the total calorie or a deficit as it is only two days. However, this will be a good test to understand what I can eat on the trail and how I feel based on the length of the daily hike (probably 3 – 5 hours on trail).
First, I know I will have breakfast Saturday morning before I get on the trail and will finish before dinner on Sunday. So I’m looking at Saturday – Lunch, Dinner, and snacks and then Sunday – Breakfast, Lunch, and snacks.
I start with breakfast, lunch, and dinner and drop in each calorie and protein amount.
We will probably stop for a quick-service breakfast for breakfast, which should get me 500- 800 calories before I hit the trail. Also, I will have three coffees.
I am taking a Mountain House freeze-dried meal of 600 calories with 38 grams of protein for dinner. I am packing a sandwich with Peanut Butter and Jelly for lunch – about calories and 14 grams of protein. For Snacks, I’m taking homemade trail mix (mixed nuts, dried fruit, yogurt-covered raisins, and yogurt-covered pretzels 405 calories per serving. Payday bars – 1 will be a quick pick me up. Amanita bars - 200 calories and seven protein or 230 and 15g.
Breakfast is the backpacking standard – instant oatmeal – two servings with mixed nuts and dried fruit: 650 Calories and 20 grams of protein.
Snacks are the homemade trail mix and Payday bar.
For lunch, on Sunday, if we are still on the trail, I have some freeze-dried Granola that only requires cold water rehydration and gives me 560 calories and 13 grams of protein.
This gives me the plan. Like any plan, I will evaluate how I feel during the hike and adjust my calorie intake accordingly. Like I said the nutrition along with hydration is part of the Success Triangle.
Just as important as the plan are the actuals. After the hike each day, how did I feel? Did you feel hungry? Was I dehydrated and not hungry? Was it too much food? Did I have the energy to complete the hike feeling good? The elevation is more significant on the hike than my training hikes, so that will play a part. What were my actual calories burned? Feed that back into my next planned hike and iterate. Again, it is about progressing and improvement, not perfection.
The real benefit of this approach is to understand how my planning lined up with how I felt and performed. This will be much more important on next year’s multi-day hike.
Understanding my nutrition is one of the reasons I wanted to do a shake-down hike. Gear, nutrition, and endurance are the three keys that need to be dialed in.
Post Trip Note – I ended up burning 3,216 on Saturday and 2,918 on Sunday’s hike.
Getting enough nutrition and calories on the trail is key to a great hike.Here is how I decided on what nutrition to bring on my first backpacking trip on over twenty years
First Backpacking trip: One Week Out
I’m excited and one week out from my first backpacking trip in 20 years. An overnighter but great to get out on the trail. So, what am I doing, organizing to get ready? Here is what I have so far.
One week out from my trip, and what am I doing?
REMEMBER 2 Days 1 Night with 2 Others!
Finalizing my food so I can order or buy what is needed
Gather all my electronics, so I am ready for charging/hitting the trail with full juice
Start to monitor the weather for any changes or deviations for the clothing I have
Get my fuel topped off in the canister – review the number of boils I must refresh myself
Review checklist for any additions/deletion’s adjustments
Compile my first aid kit to get any last items needed
Checking Alltrails to make sure I have the map downloaded
Get the trailhead coordinates so I can get there!
Loading my pack for one final loaded hike this weekend (also an excellent chance to see how I want to load my pack).
Hey, I admit it, I’m a planner and checklist maker! It helps reduce my stress levels, and I enjoy it. Curious about what you did as a new backpacker on your first trip?
You experienced backpackers are sitting back and smiling. But, man, this guy is all about overkill!
As you know, I’m very passionate about sharing new ideas with people looking to better themselves, so please leave a comment below on your first backpacking trip.
Backpacking - Your First Trip Anxiety
First trip anxiety - Am I overpacking? Yes, I am. Will it reduce my stress? Absolutely. Backpacking is a hobby; it’s supposed to be fun, so anything I can do to reduce the stress; I’m going to do. So how am I going to manage the stress level? Think about….
What is the worst that could happen?
I’m going to determine the ultimate, worst thing that could happen and rationally evaluate the outcome. Not enough food, Get too cold from the weather. Stove malfunction. Not in shape. I get lost on the trail. So, if that is the worst, how can I plan or anticipate those items? First, not all are going to happen. Remember I have two other people going with me.
Weather – I can review the weather beforehand and have a sense of what is going to happen. For example, is it going to rain all the time, be cold? I will bring rain gear and or warmer clothing.
I can wear all my clothing at camp or in the tent if need be. It just adds a little bit more weight.
Not in shape. We can take more breaks and make sure I’m well fueled. I can plan out my meals with a focus on protein and calories.
I will run out of water. I will have to carry more water than I think I will need.
My stove malfunctions – I can borrow the stove and fuel from my hiking partners.
I get lost on the trail. I have the alltrails.com app. I will have a compass. The trail does cross paved roads. I can navigate back to my car as I am always going to be only a day away.
I will not have enough food. I am going to two days one night. I can take an extra freeze-dried meal. That won’t add much weight, and between the other food taken and snacks, I will have no fueling issues in an emergency.
The key is to make small improvements – everyone falls into the above traps, so I’ll drop a 3x5 card into my pack, keeping a note of what I bring, what I use, and don’t. This will help me refine my backpacking skills as I go. Improvement and enjoyment are what I am going for, not perfection.
I’m very passionate about sharing new ideas with people looking to better themselves, so please leave a comment below on your first backpacking trip.