Ruminator

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Today’s blog is about legacy, how it is defined, how I define it and what my legacy will ultimately be (at least I hope). Webster defines legacy as “ something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or the past. ” A generic definition at best, but partly aligns with my feelings toward my legacy. More on that in a moment. Last week my wife’s grandfather passed away. He died a day before his 96 th birthday. Worth repeating 96 years old. Wow. His obituary stated “Mr. Baker was preceded by his wife of 56 years, Flora Baker. He is survived by his children, Susan Tackett (Steve), Martha Wilson, John Baker, Barbara Cramer (Frank) and Joe Baker (Dianna); 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and four sisters, Ruth Shock, Betty Jean Jackson, Mary Margaret McCall and Esther Hendricks (Larry).” This event got me thinking about his legacy. Was it the fact he had many brothers and sisters, five kids or countl...

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography After not feeling well Saturday I was very happy to be out Sunday for a very short hike with my buddy Mark.  We hiked, took pictures, drove around, and even stopped to get a geocache.  It was a great day for me. The Post-Oak Cedar Nature Preserve has a very short one-mile trail contained within it.  It is listed as rugged due to a few stream crossings and larger rocks underfoot, but Mark and I took an hour to explore this beautiful area. The preserve is sandwiched between Harrison-Crawford State Forest and O’Bannon Woods State Park.  The trailhead is about half-way down Cold Friday road with a little pull off on the side, a large sign listing the rules (one really important one for the day) and a small wooden box with a sign-in log.  In the pamphlet for the park, it states the Division of Nature Preserves requests that you register at the trailhead before entering the nature preserve . As we drove down Cold Friday road, I was able to take in the b...

When words cannot explain it sometimes a video can. This often happens inside my brain and soul. Hug those that need it. Empathize with those that struggle. Watch here – https://ispot.tv/a/oaAc Until next time Tim

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography I recently went on a hike at a new location (well one I have never been too).  I went with my buddy Mark and about 18 strangers as part of a Nature walk narrated and lead by Jeremy Beavin.  He is a Park Ranger and Interpretive Naturalist for the Indiana State Parks.  More specifically Charlestown State Park.  The hike was a short trek, but quite enjoyable.  I hiked 2.57 miles in total. So this was different in many ways than my norm.  I was not alone or just with Mark, a new trail to me, and I went later in the day (I always like going in the morning).  I did, however, have my camera a new lens, I was in nature and I did find a bit of solace and peace out there. At 2 pm on the dot, Jeremy began his introduction.  He explained where we were (if not obvious by the big sign he was standing next to), what the trail was going to be like and his plan for today’s tour of the woods behind him.  We began our adventure into Nine Penny Branch Nature Preserve . Th...

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Today’s post is about cellular memory.  Bear with me as I explain what cellular memory is and then how I feel it impacts me, and even you. The Cellular Memory I am wanting to discuss is described as “ The  epigenetic  state of a cell, including the non-genetic information that can be passed from parents to offspring. ”  In more simplistic terms to paraphrase an old Biblical reference, ‘ The sins of the father are the sins of the son .’  This is what I want to talk about. I recently finished reading a book on my favorite singer Prince. In this book, Prince mentioned the idea of cellular memory and how he lived with both his parents, then at times lived with each one separately, after their divorce.  As a result, he became a product of each of them on a cellular level. His movie Purple Rain is the story about his life, relationships, and his parents. The movie represented how he saw himself acting as his mother or father depending on the situa...

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography This weekend I went on two different hikes at two different locations and had two very different experiences.  One with a friend and one alone. Saturday morning I met Kristin at O’ Bannon Woods State Park to hike the Rocky Ridge Trail.  This was my first return to O’ Bannon since last May when I was swarmed with hundreds of ticks and consequently got sick thereafter.  This time though I still used bug spray I felt safe as the morning temperature hung in the low to mid 30’s We began our hike at the trailhead at the edge of the campground lot.  The air was sweet, the breeze cool and I led the way for about an eighth of a mile.  Kristin then took the lead or shall I say Gambit did.  The trail was soft yet not muddy.  It had been clear and was easily traversed however I knew I was with an experienced and distance hiker, so I made my intentions known early.  The loop was a bit over two miles, and that was all I had in me today. As we hiked we caught up.  I ...