Dick Proenneke

A friend introduced me to Dick Proenneke many years ago, and this past week I told my son about him. We watched a clip from one of his films, and now my YouTube algorithm is full of cabins and wilderness adventure.

First, who was DP? According to Wikipedia, Richard Louis Proenneke (1916 – 2003) “was an American self-educated naturalist, conservationist, writer, and wildlife photographer who, from the age of about 51, lived alone for nearly thirty years (1968–1998) in the mountains of Alaska in a log cabin that he constructed by hand near the shore of Twin Lakes.”

Learn more:

Dick made four films — Alone in the Wilderness, Alone in the Wilderness II, Silence & Solitude, and The Frozen North. These films plus additional resources are available at dickproenneke.com.

A few books of note:

And of course, much on YouTube. And other videos like this lengthy tour. Now YouTube is delivering modern cabin making efforts in my feed example 1, example 2.

On the Topic of Dirtbags

We listen to the Dirtbag Diaries podcast. We watched Fred Beckey’s story and felt certain reverberations. But we also read:

BONUS

Podcast #653: The Dirtbag’s Guide to Life (Art of Manliness, Oct 2020)

Birthday Film Festival

If I had decided to have another Patagonia film festival for my birthday this year, below are the films I could have chosen from. This is a follow-up to the 2021 festival (not held in 2022).

Patagonia on YouTube

(account)

WATER—OCEANS, SURFING, RIVERS & PADDLING

FISHING

CLIMBING

RUNNING, HIKING & BACKPACKING

SKIING & BOARDING

CONSERVATION, CLIMATE CHANGE & ACTIVISM

    CYCLING

    LIFESTYLE, CULTURE & OTHER

    IT WON’T FAiL BECAUSE OF ME (NASA/TOM SACHS)

    In Staff Meeting this week, I mentioned Tom Sachs and the line, “It won’t fail because of me.”

    Since Tom loves NASA and has done a number of “space program” exhibits (in addition to his rocket factory), it’s no surprise that Tom repeats the NASA phrase, “It won’t fail because of me.”

    Napkins, anyone?

    Gaffer’s tape art?

    YouTube:

    Web of creativity: Adam Savage–Tom Sachs–Van Neistat

    Wisdom: “Every second counts.” “The reward for good work is more work.” “Failure is inevitable.” “It’s not that you have to do pushups; it’s that you get to do them.” “Always be knowling.” “Work to code.” “Be on time.” “Be thorough.” “I understand.” “Sent Does Not Mean Received.” “Keep a List.” 

    A similar Van Neistat-ism: “Die trying.” 

    Million Mile Highlander?

    Remember when I shared about Otto, the Mercedes that racked up over 500,000 miles traveling the world? These short posts:

    Now we can add the one million mile Toyota Highlander to the Pantheon of greats. Actually, it’s not a new story; I’m just late to the party. Headline and excerpts:

    Toyota Steps Up After Hurricane Destroys Million-Mile Highlander (Toyota Newsroom, 2022)

    To say Mark Miller was attached to his 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid would be an understatement.

    During its over 1 million miles on the road, it was Miller’s “workhorse,” often towing trailers for his asphalt paving business and even serving as an office during his almost daily work trips.

    “That vehicle was so dependable,” he said. “I think I took it for granted at times. After 17 years, only a catastrophic flood could kill it.”

    Unfortunately, that’s precisely what happened in September 2022 when Hurricane Ian hit Florida.

    Enter Richard Germain, the owner of Germain Toyota of Naples, and Wendell Hardy, the general manager. After Miller shared his story with everyone at the dealership, Germain and Hardy approached him to thank him for his loyalty.

    “The fact that you rode your Toyota for over 16 years, put over 1 million miles on it and allowed us to be a part of keeping that vehicle going for you, in my mind, probably makes you the most loyal customer that we’ve ever had,” Germain said to Miller. “We wanted to thank you for that loyalty. So, on behalf of Toyota and the Toyota family, we would like to reward you for your loyalty by replacing that 2006…”

    (complete story)

    In an age when everything is disposable due to planned obsolescence and consumer fickleness, it’s great to hear about quality and endurance. Which means this post is kind of turning into an add for Toyota since they make:

    • three of the top five longest lasting vehicles, according to this article.
    • seven of the top 20 longest lasting vehicles, according to this post.
    • eight of the top 23, according to this piece.

    Power Couples: Partners Who Rock!

    I like to see couples who find a way to combine their skillsets for action. Some examples of couples doing things I watch on YouTube—photography, videography, adventure:

    Elsa Rhae & Barron

    Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier—SeaLegacy

    Libby & Marcel—Free to Use Sounds

    Autumn Schrock & Nate Lubbe

    Becki & Chris

    Lizzie Peirce & Chris Hau

    Renee & Tim—Thruhikers (more active on Instagram than YouTube)

    Who else would you add to the list? What couples are crushing it together?

    Mediocrity & Excellence

    In a creative and disarming way, Beau Miles brought these thoughts back to me — not every project turns out great but we won’t create the masterpieces without a pile of average pieces along the way. Beau’s video (below) reminded me of a story told in Art & Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. Students who were told to make lots of art made better pieces than students told to slow down and create great art (more here). Beau’s examples:

    Here are some other videos that take on this theme:

    Beau’s video also reminded me of Luc Forsyth’s recent advocacy for “consistent effort over time” as the one force to move us forward:

    The Hero’s Journey

    Joseph Campbell wrote the book on heroes. Literally. The Hero with a Thousand Faces (wikipedia). As I learn about how “story” works, Campbell’s writings repeatedly show up. Here is an introduction:

    Additional Videos:

    Every Story is the Same (Will Schoder, 15:12)

    12 Stages Of The Hero’s Journey – Christopher Vogler (Film Courage, 22:47)

    The Hero’s Journey Is Not A Formula – Christopher Vogler (Film Courage, 12:32)

    Tom Sachs Film A Hero’s Journey (Raindamaskreviews, 37:50)