Honoring our Eagles

Q: What's the difference between the Boy Scouts of America and the guys at 3 Elk Meadow?

A: The Boy Scouts have adult leadership.

     Our family has a relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. Our young men are Scouts, and both Long Rifle and I are proud to say that we’ve been Scout leaders. We believe that Scouting has taught us a lot about being good outdoorsmen and good men. That's why we’re so proud to say that we have two Eagle Scouts in our family. Since he’d neither of them would ever think of calling attention to his own accomplishments (as The Ranger would say, “That's just not what we do in our family.”) we will call attention to them. You've gotten a feel for what great guys they are right here on 3EM, but let us pause for a moment to honor our two Eagles.
     These two guys have been best buddies almost since birth.

Different as night and day in some ways, but always together. I've never seen them divided on any topic. If you haven't picked up on it, Ranger is older by about eight months. That small difference has never mattered much. When they were much younger, we called them the Coyote Brothers because, like coyote pups, if they weren't eating or sleeping they were wrestling. Now, they're young men – my wing men.   
    The Ranger is a quiet guy who was the oldest of his generation in our family. As such, he was the first to catch a fish, the first to shoot a rabbit. It was the Ranger who got us started on the whole Cutt-Slam thing that became a rite of passage for us all. Like his dad, he’s not a big guy. But he’s rawhide tough. It's pretty hard to tire him out, and he's a cool hand in a tough spot. He shares his family’s love for Wyoming history and he's the keeper of the family stories. He's an expert on aviation, and he can tell you at a glance what plane that is up there at 35,000 feet, what airline it flies for and where it's headed.      

     The Apprentice got his name because he's a lot like me. More precisely, he’s what I wish I could be. He’s a kind, hard-working and intelligent guy who has always loved wild things and wild places. He's the guy who packed his first load of elk meat off the mountain in a Ninja Turtles backpack at age five. He’s the guy who’s up at 6 AM, asking what he can do to help. He’s learned a lot along the way. But perhaps just as important, he’s taught us a lot. He’s taught us the importance of patience, and toughing things out even when they're hard. He’s taught us to be considerate of others and to be gentle in how we treat those we love.
So here's a shout out to our two Eagles, the Ranger and the Apprentice. You're a credit to our family, and we’re proud of you.

- Grandpa