Good News and Good Times

**Aurelius95** · 03-26-2011, 08:03 PM

A month ago, Ground Hog Day, to be exact, my only son became an older brother. It's been a hectic 7 weeks, and we have not spent a whole lot of time doing anything other than taking care of the baby. So, this weekend, I took my older son, Jack, up to North Georgia for an overnight away - just the two of us.

Here are my two boys and I.
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We stayed at my friend's cabin, and explored the area around Cooper's Creek. Here are some pics where the Benton Mackaye Trail crosses the Toccoa River via suspension bridge.
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Here's one at the Chestattee Overlook on Hwy 60 about 2 miles before crossing the Appalachian Trail:
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Oh, and here's a picture of breakfast this morning:
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Any idea what it is?

On Thursday, per another thread, I mentioned we made fire starters with dryer lint, egg carton, and paraffin. On our way up, we stopped at an outdoor store, and I bought my son his own fire starter (Boy Scout model), and you should have seen his face when he started the fire. Unfortunately, no pictures of that.

Since it was raining this morning, we watched Jeremiah Johnson. An all around great overnight.

**Justin Case** · 03-26-2011, 08:10 PM

Cool Bridge,,,,,,, Ugly Freaking Spider !

**crashdive123** · 03-26-2011, 08:27 PM

It's difficult to see the eyes on it, but it looks like a Wolf Spider, Lycosidae spp. Their bites are venemous - about like a bee sting unless you are alergic.

**crashdive123** · 03-26-2011, 08:28 PM

Oh - great pics - looks like a good trip.

**Aurelius95** · 03-26-2011, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

It's difficult to see the eyes on it, but it looks like a Wolf Spider, Lycosidae spp. Their bites are venemous - about like a bee sting unless you are alergic.

Could very well be. Here's another picture to show a little perspective:
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Please pardon the dirty utensils in the sink.

**Justin Case** · 03-26-2011, 09:20 PM

I think Crash is right,, here is one I googled

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Well maybe not,, yours has stripes on its legs !

**Ssgt_DimeBag** · 03-26-2011, 09:20 PM

That was very cool of you to show the older that his time spent with dad is not lost on the fact that another has been brought into the family.
Well done Dad!

**Aurelius95** · 03-26-2011, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by Justin Case

I think Crash is right,, here is one I googled

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Well maybe not,, yours has stripes on its legs !

Believe me, I did not let it get out of the sink alive. Perhaps I could have freed him, but instead, I freed his soul!

**Winnie** · 03-27-2011, 05:26 AM

You kept that quiet! Congratulations on the birth of your son, I hope his arrival was safe and speedy.
The trip looks great, time with your children is always precious and it looks like a good time was had by all(except the spider)

**canid** · 03-27-2011, 05:43 AM

JC; there are a couple thousand species of wolf spider. some similar looking large spiders include some of the trap door spiders, tarantulas and huntsman spiders, together encompassing thousands of species as well. Wolf spider certainly looks right, though identification to species is rather complicated and I've never bothered to learn. I'm pretty sure they are a polyphyletic group anyway.

some Dolomedes/fishing spiders look pretty similar aswell.

This is another area I should eventually get around to studying in depth.

**1stimestar** · 03-27-2011, 06:00 AM

Congratulations. And thanks for spending some special one on one time with your older son. Those times will always be remembered by him.

**Aurelius95** · 03-27-2011, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Winnie

You kept that quiet! Congratulations on the birth of your son, I hope his arrival was safe and speedy.

Mostly, I spent my time away from work helping out with the baby. It was a month before I was back on here. Anyway, thank you for the well wishes. I had forgotten how wonderful newborns are. It had been 10 years since the last one. I'm glad that Bennett, the younger son, is sleeping 6-7 hours at a stretch now, so sanity is returning to my wife and me.

**oldsoldier** · 03-27-2011, 08:43 AM

Yeah looks like a great time congrats on the newest family member and on the good time with your son. I have to agree with crash, I'm 98% sure that is a wolf spider. We have hundreds of them here. I leave them alone cause they eat the bad spiders like brown recluse and other bad bugs. But before I knew that I freed a lot of spider souls myself.

**OhioGrizzLapp** · 03-27-2011, 10:02 AM

Wow, great time with the son. I am so happy to hear of parents and prospective parents getting back to nature with kids, boys or girls. The time spent together is more valuable than just about anything. I am just now starting to spend time with a 6 year old boy, who I hope will eventually be my adaoptive son at some point, His name is Jackson and a great kid, but has been raised by GIRLS, his mom (my GF and her sister), so I am trying my best to man him up by taking him with me on woods walks, shooting, fishing and project making.

We just made him his first Altoids tin possibles kit, brought home a army web belt and some pouches from the Army-Navy store and I hate to say this as I am dead set against them as a possibles/survival knife .... a Mora 840mg Carbon Clipper as it is a perfect size and at age 6, I do not expect him to be fighting off political zombies.... it will work til he gets a lil older and larger hands. He has now made fire with his ferro/mag rods, mag glass and flint n steel with char cloth just this weekend. Today he is going out with us to gather greens and flowers for some Veterans hospital rooms to brighten them up just a bit. We made him a knot board that he can practice good field knots. He now has a Para cord sling on his vintage Crosman M1 BB gun. He also carries a set of plant/tree cards with him when we walk and he goes about gathering leaves to ID them.

It is so cool to have a son around...they are like sponges and they learn so fast at this age. I have a 22 year old daughter who is soon to go to Peace Corps in Africa to dig water wells for small towns and villages. Until then, she comes over on weekends. I tried to teach her what I can about wilderness living, foraging and making things, I personally think she has done well in that catagory as well as school, carried a 4.0 for 3 years now and is on the deans list at Wright State in Dayton Ohio. Next weekend she is making a care package of knife stuff and things for Crash.... so she is kind of handy here and there LOL

**hunter63** · 03-27-2011, 10:29 AM

Congrats, Dad, looks like both boys are gonna be getting a head start in the ways of the outside world.
To me this makes it all worth while.

Kids are grown and gone, had to make use of a nephew for a while,(still a hunting partner) and now have a grand son that will be 2 in Aug.

Thanks for sharing that time with us.

**Aurelius95** · 03-27-2011, 03:16 PM

OGL - sounds like your six year old (soon to be ) adoptive son could teach me a thing or two. In my opinion, there is no better way to spend time than with your kids, or some young life to influence. God knows they are influenced on all sides...

**Melissa Montana** · 03-28-2011, 01:19 AM

Screw the spider! You have a very good looking young man there.And the baby is toooooo cute!
Congrats.

**Aurelius95** · 03-28-2011, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Melissa Montana

Screw the spider! You have a very good looking young man there.And the baby is toooooo cute!
Congrats.

Love your signature. Mitch Hedberg was one funny dude.

"How do you feel about toothpicks with squiggly things on top?"

"I'm for 'em. I propose we form a club"