WE NEVER SAW YOU COMING
- Sky Pilot
- Jun 24
- 10 min read
Updated: 17 hours ago

Camp: YELLOWSTONE RIVER, MONTANA
250623 Monday / Summer
Day: 7,306; Vets 22: 3,828 / 160,732
ODYSSEY LETTER
Twentieth Anniversary Edition
Howdy Sunshine! Hello America!
It’s time, again, to grab yourself a cup of joe and saddle up to the digital campfire, for the next tale as told to the Whispering Wind is about to begin. Get comfortable and stay awhile for you won’t be disappointed. And as you do imagine the poetic sound of the Native American flute harmonizing with you inner being. {Over the years each Odyssey Letter began with this lead-in or words similar in nature. Though your eyes may be reading such for the first time, I see no reason to change what has become an instrumental role into the story telling. Welcome to The Odyssey Letters.}
“WE NEVER SAW YOU COMING”
~ Craig Edevold
Thus far it has taken one canine, two Jeep Wranglers, and three Camp-Inn 550s to reach unimaginable: a six month experiment that exceeded all expectation and continues to excite the spirit within two hundred forty months after commencement.
Welcome Family, Friends, and Acquaintances to the twentieth anniversary of The Odyssey born of The Dream. For a better understanding, this would be a good time to define The Dream and The Odyssey given how often these four words will appear in the text.
As a child The Dream was imagined as an intimate relationship with life outside city limits, to include---but not limited to---ALASKA!, Mother Earth (all that makes up earth, wind, rain and fire), and Mother Nature (all that walks, crawls, hops, swims, flies, slithers, and is rooted). As a member of the military the fragility of life was made all too clear. As a young man I saw the importance of living in the moment and to refrain from planning beyond the next sunset unless others were involved.
Furthermore, I'm reinventing the written word to suit personal preferences such as: species of plants (if known) and those of animal and marine life are capitalized when mentioned. I see life a whole lot differently than the average Triune Being, I don’t see man superior to plants, animals, mammals, or aquatic life. Therefore, when I make mention of them in a tale or a story their identification is capitalized just as it would be if a person’s name was used for the same purpose.
I can hear the laughter now from those that see themselves as highly evolved beings, superior to all life forms on the planet. It is those very beings that are the lowest amongst us. They have little understanding of the Creator or the Created and god forbid they should see all living life forms as one and the same. A subject worth discussing another day.
So, how did I reach this point in life? Let’s begin with a trip back in time.
GIVING BIRTH TO A DREAM
As a prodigy of the ‘60s, I can still recall sitting in the family room of a patriarch’s home, glued to the television set, to watch the adventures of Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom, with host Marlin Perkins. Week after week this lad would be affixed to the television set like the knobs themselves, sitting patiently while waiting for the opening credits to reveal that episode’s adventure. With bated breath and crossed fingers, I would always hope for another story of the North American frontier and week after week disappointment would set in. Not entirely true but we’re talking about a lad still celebrating birthdays in single digits, and in the mind of a child that was the way it appeared.
The broadcast season never seemed balanced in my opinion. Youth would wonder why there were so many episodes about lions, tigers, pandas, and other exotic animals reported on from distant shores, when it was the moose, buffalo, bear and wild horses here at home that should have their day in the sun. There was a spectrum of wildlife all about this continent that was going unnoticed or forgotten, or so it seemed.
In 1974, the movie The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams reconfirmed the desire to live a wilderness life.
This schoolboy wanted to learn more about his homeland and was less interested in foreign shores. I longed to learn more about the mountains, forests, prairies and deserts of North America, in particular Canada and the United States. Jungles, rain forests, rivers and lake fronts overseas didn’t amount to a hill of beans with me back then. It was the terrain outside city limits that sparked interest. So it was decided as a child when opportunity presented itself, it would be that day I would set out to experience this land first hand.
When that day came, some thirty plus years later, I did just that. What follows is The Odyssey born of The Dream. A story at times I even find difficultly in believing, but live it I did and what a ride it has been.
JUNE 20TH
Summer Solstice
As we leap forward what is it exactly that is being celebrated?
Three days ago I honored the twentieth anniversary when life transitioned from a dictatorship to modest freedom. Having endured a lifelong military lifestyle---birth to retirement---I was elated for the opportunity to experience something different. Joining the ranks of the civilian population it didn’t take long to realize that Americans have no idea how good they’ve got it. Since birth most civilians take for granted their freedoms. It wasn’t until the pinnacle of the China Virus epidemic that suspect became reality. People were all too willing to relinquish their freedoms to the government. In doing so they were all too willing to sacrifice their health and life for unproven vaccines, which made no sense to this soul. Why would any individual believe for one moment that the government is looking out for their best interest? History has made it clear that the governing body at all levels (federal, state, and local) has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate self-interest in all affairs.
Vaccines take years to develop so why did the American public cave and blindly accept drugs that violated all protocol? It was then realized just how many sheep we have in this country. Baa Baa. Throughout much of life I lived with the illusion that we were a much stronger and determined nation. I was wrong.
As I stood witness to Uncle Sam and his cronies giving notice to what repercussions would be dished out if mandates---not laws---weren’t strictly enforced and obeyed I couldn’t help but shake the head in disbelief. If I asked myself once I must have asked self a thousand times: What was the purpose of those 42-years of service if the greater population was so willing to give freedom away? Did anyone stop to think how their decision to bow down to the government impacted the lives of service members past and present?
Every red blooded American who accepted the vaccines during the epidemic was making a conscious decision to play Russian roulette with their lives---their prerogative---and in doing so submitting to a slow act of suicide. My opinion. Yes, you may have taken one unproven vaccine or another and survived just fine. BUT, did you ever stop to think about the long term effects? What will come of your body within the next 5, 10, 15, or 20 years? There is not a soul on Earth that knows the long term effects of vaccines that weren't given their due diligence to prove their worth.
On the other hand, if you bowed down to governmental overreach shame on you. Any American who did this should make it a point to apologize to every veteran they know and then some. Men and women in uniform give Uncle Sam a blank check to do with their lives as he deems necessary in protecting this nation. By bowing to Uncle Sam’s will during the China Virus epidemic, he and his cronies (governors) were allowed to see how far he could push the envelope of control, and for every citizen that didn’t push back members of the armed forces---past, present, and future---were told their sacrifice and service is/was for not.
I served this nation for 42 years in one capacity or another, which includes life as a military dependent. My father retired from the military. As a dependent, you live the military way of life whether you want to or not. Throughout the epidemic I couldn’t help wonder if those 42 years could have been better spent elsewhere. Red, White, and Blue run through these veins but, this country...I don’t even recognize it any more. It has surrendered its soul.
JUNE 21ST
48 hours ago marked the twentieth anniversary when the land yacht was rigged for the proverbial sea that lies between coasts. Hours were spent fitting household goods into place. I began with the Ten Outdoor Essentials and built up from there. Opening up the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) handbook, I checked off each item listed for personal gear, patrol gear, and troop gear for all four seasons. Then a few creature comforts were added for the benefit and comfort of Black Jack, co-pilot extraordinaire.
How did I come upon the Camp-Inn 550? One August morning, in 2004, I was on my way to go whitewater rafting with a friend and her friends when these eyes came upon four alien aircraft, with For Sale signs, sitting in someone’s front yard, in Turner, Maine. The tires came to a screeching halt, I backed the Jeep up into the driveway, and had scoped out all four Camp-Inn campers (400, 450, 500, & 550) before Allen & Rachel Hill exited the home and they heard: “Sir, it is not a question of if but when I’ll be back to place my order.” Within four weeks I had a check in hand and by February 2005 it was delivered.
BLACK JACK
Now would be an excellent time to introduce Black Jack (BJ). Back in 2003, a promise was made to a couple of canines: The co-pilot, Black Jack, 13, and the navigator, Furball, 15. Given their age, it was shared that if they could just hold out until retirement was reached I would introduce them to a life that a dog could only dream about. It would include: mountains, valleys, prairies, and forests; bodies of water, ice cream, and cooked meat; as well as wildlife to scent out. Furball passed way approximately 1.5 years before the launch date. Black Jack lived the promise for more than 2.5 years. His final hour was in Scottsboro, Alabama. He is buried in Sylvania, Alabama. Black Jack, 19, was my friend, family, confidant, companion, and the Triune Being I had lived with longer than any other. I miss him dearly.
I loved Furball, Cocker Spaniel, and Black Jack, Doberman/Beagle, dearly. However, to this day I find it difficult to welcome another dog into the home so that we may be family. Though the best friends that I ever had were seven canines, I cannot convince self to relinquish the liberties that come from living alone.
BJ had the physical stature of a Doberman, the curiosity of a Beagle, and yet was smaller than the average Beagle weighing in at 24 lbs. When approached by dogs of his size or smaller BJ generally didn’t have the time of day for them. Oh boy, when confronted by canines bigger than him he went into an aggressive and protective stance. He loved life, loved family, and especially loved the attention women and girls would give him. Yes, his cuteness was a chick-magnet. He loved chocolate ice cream. Stop. Don’t say it. Remember he lived to be 19! A veterinarian once shared that not all dogs are allergic to chocolate, just like not all children have peanut allergies. And if Black Jack wanted chocolate ice cream by golly he received chocolate ice cream. It made him happy. Who was I to deny him of his happiness, when he was all about love.
Yes, I loved those two pups and Black Jack was there when the basis of The Dream came true. No other family member can say the same. No felicitations in any form---handwritten or email---were extended by anyone sharing the same Sir name. Our family just wasn’t bonded that way, we were not bonded with love.
JUNE 23RD
Launch Date
Today marks the twentieth anniversary when the dream reached fruition. On that day the uniform came off and the wheels were in motion for a destination outside city limits…The Dream. However, the essence of The Dream had always been…ALASKA! The Odyssey had to wait until the next duty assignment has been completed; I had been hired by Boy Scouts of America to be the Camp Quartermaster during Katahdin Council’s summer camp sessions for Boy Scouts and then Cub Scouts.
Seven days later I returned to base for my last official duty: To sign the documents agreeing to be released from active military service and transferred to the Inactive Reserves (Retired) scrolls.
AND THE FUN NEVER STOPS
Summer 2005
The details to the stories that follow will be spelled out in the soon to be published book.
I landed at Camp Roosevelt looking forward to new beginnings. The first full day on the job some scout thought it would be funny to plug a toilet with a rock before releasing his bowel movement. This resulted in ankle deep water and a turd floating aimlessly. The perpetrator and his accomplices were eventually identified and all youth members of his troop (because it is a boy led program) were assigned latrine duty by their Senior Patrol Leader (SPL; a Scout elected by his peers to lead the troop), which meant scrubbing it from top to bottom and then disinfecting all surfaces. His misconduct cost the troop their first three merit badge courses at the start of summer camp. Listening to the troop’s morale being expressed during cleanup, I would not have wanted to be that kid for the six remaining days of camp. However, I sure would have liked to have been a casual observer during the moment he had to explain to his parents his unScout like behavior. And what were the weekly troop meetings like after summer camp was over? I can just imagine the nicknames the Scouts came up with for that individual. I’d be surprised if ol' sh*t for brains made it through the following school year with the troop or Scouting in general.
This would be the first time I worked behind the scenes at a summer camp of any kind. I was surprised by all that I encountered.
The next chapter will be released when I come out of the woods. Look for: 1991 SPRING.
That's it from the road. Until next time...
Walk in Beauty,
Rev. Bear
(a.k.a. Sasquatch...because not everyone believes I exist)
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark Twain.
PRIORITIES: "A century from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank... But one hundred years from now the world may be a better place, because I was important in the life of a child(ren)." ~Forest Witcraft
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