My former girlfriend (from years ago) and her husband surprised us all by saying they were going camping, and in fact were camping in the town where I board my horse, Yankee.



Now, no one who knows Kendra can picture her in anything less than a five star hotel. Naturally, since I hadn't seen her or Bert for a couple of years, (they live in Virginia now) plus I was dying of curiosity, naturally I had to get together.



And as we all figured, they're "roughing it" is a luxury… Continue

The flight was the best I’ve had in a long time. Emirates… Fantastic I think, and they are. Good food, lots of it, good movies on large touch screens. The crew are darlings, so are the women!!!



I should have known better after all these years of flying. Baggage reclaim at Dubai Airport. No bags. I ask at the check-in where they are. I am told they’re on their way to Nairobi. I explain that I was told to take them off at Dubai. No, they went on to Nairobi. Great!



I’d take a… Continue

© Copyright Gary L. Benton, 2003

(Reused by permissions from Beautiful West Virginia)





A false dawn was breaking over the trees as the man awoke. He was cold and hungry. The night had been cold and he had not slept well. He looked over where his wife and young son were sleeping next to each other and felt a knot of deep fear. In three days, would they still be here? Would they still be alive? The man remembered how… Continue

© Gary L. Benton, 2004 All Rights Reserved







One of the best ways of getting a child involved with your outdoor activities it to have them involved from the start. When I take a child on their first over night camping trip, we start getting ready days in advance! Let me give you an idea of what I do and perhaps it will work for you. Keep in mind each child is different, so approach them differently. I do know if the child is… Continue

Copyright 2008 by Gary Benton, a.k.a., “WR Benton,” All Rights Reserved.



I can remember a hunting trip I went on when I was a kid that still brings a laugh to me. See, it was my first snipe hunt and yep, I mean first snipe hunt.



I guess I was about ten years old and the night was cold, but most January’s are in the Midwest. I gave a shudder as I pulled my coat hood up and over my head. It had started to snow and the trail was… Continue