While spinning ATV and Jeep tires on backcountry roads, I ponder the phrase “impact on the environment.”

I am more conservationist than conservative.

I respect the rights of others to wear starched shirts and blue ties for banking jobs or henna tattoos and dreadlocks for summer festival attire.

Rugged, weathered faces or pasty, painted faces…doesn’t matter.

Not an either/or proposition, either.

You can collect moose feces, if you prefer.

Our hobbies — the thoughts and actions in addition to our survival behavior — define us.

A few people to thank and then time for a story: Alaska Dan at Tok, soon to be produce mgr at Asheville Ingles supermarket; Chicken Sue; CBSA – AFSC 10525; Jon waitstaff; Juli & Jessica, Dawson City guest services; Trinidad; Najet at Drunken Goat; Rose Marie, Keel – waitstaff; Gold Fields Jeep tour – Paul; museum staff – Linda, Torey; Angela, guide, Klondike Spirit paddle boat and staff/pilot like Margaret; Nick, bus driver, who married his childhood friend 45 years later on 28th Apr 2012; Jessica at the Nugget & Ivory, a math major in college, working with gal from Austria, who might have proved my wife’s grandfather was paid with Bonanza Creek Gold Hill gold when he worked out here during the Klondike gold rush; RV brands Canadream and Slumber Queen; Alicia at Sourdough Joe’s; Tina, Nessa and Viki at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, watching Swan Lake as interpreted by cancan/saloon dancers, safely risqué, land version of a cruise ship show; Tory the blackjack dealer; earning my Sourtoe cocktail certificate, courtesy of the current version of Captain Dick; Sherry; “Cinnamon bun” Steve; Jessica and Andrew at HA desk; Garett and Malaina (from Brittany) at Antoinette’s; Harue at White Horse Westmark gift shop.