100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

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We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...
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I sold some logs before work today. I didn't have enough for anyone to come pick them up so I had to get them to the sawmill. The sawmill reminded me of the scrapyard. I have enjoyed going to the scrap yard for years. It is great to know that I am getting paid to prevent something from going to the landfill and at the same time the scrap will be used as a raw material in a new product. It just seems right. Knowing that I got paid to get these logs into the market after they blew over in the woods gives me pleasure. There were no loggers or damage to the forest and still I have provided first time raw materials. I find pleasure knowing that those logs will be in the lumber market and will become something beautiful, maybe part of a sideboard or desk or some nice cabinets. It was very gratifying. My truck didn't really think so, however. I was originally thinking I could get three of these smaller logs on the truck. The truck screamed uncle after the first two. My truck is almost as tough as my cat.

Cherry is getting a good buck. I will get over a grand for my logs. The big plus is that they did not become a project. They have been set free, and so have I. Great experience. This has been in planning for years, fruition.



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