We had some fun here at the Rawles Ranch [1] yesterday. Now that the snow is off, we are enjoying decent canoeing weather. (There is not a lot else to do during the early part of The Mud Season–at least not until the morels start to sprout.) We went down to The Unnamed River (TUR [2]), which traverses the back end of our property. We ran a 120-foot length of army surplus 7/16″ “green line” (rappelling rope) across the river via canoe, to use as a one-rope bridge. (BTW, 120-foot coils of brand new green line are available from Survival Logistics, one of our advertisers.) The rope is secured to trees on both banks, with just a dozen feet rope to spare. (Just barely enough slack to allow us to tension the rope using a transport tightening knot arrangement.) It has been 27 years since I learned all this when I attended the U.S. Army Northern Warfare School, in Alaska. But some things you just never forget. As a pair of Bald Eagles circled above (pre-dalliance behavior, by the look of it), I showed the kids how to tie a Swiss Seat. Then The Memsahib [3] gave the new bridge a try. Woops! It was time for more tension on the rope. (Green line is notoriously stretchy.) Otherwise she would have been in the water, which is a chilly proposition this time of year. We greatly enjoy a vigorous outdoor life.