!@#$ (Strong Language)

x

w

%$#@ (Strong Language)

V

Domestic cantaloupe are back in season! When juiced with a Champion, we have what I call Ambrosia. (Classical mythology; the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal.) Mythology aside, I once juice fasted for three months on nothing but water and juiced cantaloupe. This while training for a strenuous trip. It wasn't a real fast, because cantaloupe juice contains so much nutrition. And it's not really juice, because it contains much of the pulp. We use the machine with its standard screen, and put the pulp back in the hopper a few times. Of course, to begin we remove the seeds, slice the skin off the cantaloupe, and slice the fruit into strips. When finished, we plant the seeds or most often throw them to the birds. Problem is, the birds are so fond of them they also dig the planted ones back up.

"Dear Ray, Nicholas here from [], we were in touch a while ago (perhaps a year or more), I had written in part to say hello and to say thanks for your Friends invention, in part to find out whether you might be interested in doing an interview with me and []. If you are interested then please do let me know and I'll send you the questions right away. As always, kind regards from Italy" Nicholas H.

Nicholas: Thanks for the offer anyway. Wishing you all the best.

"Dear Ray, I am writing to you because I'm in development on a feature length documentary on the history of American rock climbing... I believe you know and climbed with my father - Mark Moore. He's told me many stories about your times together, about some first ascents you did and your outrageous hang gliding off the top of El Cap to name a few...(He has a photograph of himself wearing a rack with your Friends prototype, and he always chuckles at the memory of how unhappy you were that the photo was taken...rightfully so, as time would tell!) Please consider, as I really hope you will become a part of the project." O. M.

Dear O. M.: No thanks, but I wish you best of luck with your film. But about your father, he is indeed a very good friend of mine, despite that picture :) This was back in the days of secrecy, 1976, when only a handful of people had even seen the Friends, namely my regular climbing partners, so no pictures allowed. My fondest memories of that time were when Mark cranked up his stereo in his red Volvo on our way to and from the climbs, and we belted out the songs with abandon.

Among other routes, Mark and I did the first free ascent of Chockstone Chimney, which was previously rated IV 5.8 A3, I think it was. Imagine our surprise when it went all free at 5.8. We were expecting at least 5.10 or more, but we found an easier way around the giant chockstone. The approach was an hours hike, and nobody else would hike that far except Mark. So we had the whole place to ourselves. Incidentally, the wall is visible from road, and at that time it had a host of very long first ascents yet to be done.

Jenny and I have been pen pals with Cecil for over 15 years. When J & I hiked the CDT in 1992, he was with us in spirit all the way, and we received letters at many of our resupply points. In fact, his goal was to walk the same distance around the maximum-security prison yard. He's in for Life with Parole Possible, but not being considered much of a risk, he's in a somewhat more comfortable part of the institution. He even holds a job, printing custom metal signs.

He's a devout Christian, if that makes a difference to anyone. Either way, he's getting on in years, and we would like to do something special for him at this time. So we are asking all our friends and visitors to send him simple cards of love, blessings, and hope, or just a friendly pat on the back. This might be good chance to reach out to someone less fortunate, and we're hoping that cards from overseas would be welcome too.

Cecil E. Rust
142816, I-60A
P.O. Box 150
Mt. Meigs, Al 36057

Dear Ray and Jenny, I pray that you are doing well. I am just fine. After I got back to Kilby, I had to have an operation. I have recovered from that and have been back at work in the print shop full time for a while now. I have enjoyed receiving cards and letters from some of your friends. It is nice to have someone to care enough to write. I have heard from Jason D., Hopkins, MN; Steve H., Fairfax, CA; James W. G., Fullerton, CA; and Emily and Will, Socorro, NM. I have arthritis which has somewhat limited my physical activity. If I got out now, I probably could not do much hiking. May God bless!" Cecil Ernest Rust

Thank you, Friends, for caring about Cecil. As you can see, your outreach went full circle. If anyone else would like to send him a card, I would be most grateful. This is your chance to make someone's day. He doesn't get many letters, and he has nothing much to read. No email, no magazines, no trips to the stores, no camping trips which he would dearly love. Yes, there's TV, but personally I would not wish that on anybody. Fulfilling: not. So contact with the outside world means a lot.

Home from the grocery store and nothing to cook.

We are now selling quilt fabric and insulation by the foot. Please see our Order Form.

Ray & Jenny, This round makes our second tarp/net and quilt. I Love the first so much I decided to do it again, this time a tad bigger so we can all squeeze under the tarp. Your gear patterns assisted us in our first ever 175 mile summer with a 1 year old. That was the most fun ever!!!!! Going for bigger this year at 2." Jim D.

For our ski to the South Pole trip, Jenny named our sleds "Spirit" and "Opportunity." Great names, I thought. But at Antarctica base camp, no one knew what those names meant. That blew me away!! Although I soon got over it :) Nevertheless, there's a great movie about this awe-inspiring journey to Mars, called Roving Mars.

2008-04-23: Our slide and film transparencies scanner has been running for two weeks now, about 9 hours a day practically without letup. To say that we have taken thousands of photos on our adventures would be an understatement.

We still have about a week's worth of digitizing left, but at the moment I'm estimating over 50,000 pictures taken.

In the process of scanning, these few images caught my eye.

45 years ago:

"Hi Ray and Jenny! I hope you don't mind, but I had a question about my sheath for the rayway knife I purchased. On a side note, the knife, sheath, and sharpening kit instructions were beyond excellent. I had no problems what so ever in putting together any of your kits. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE can put toghether your kits if they really listen and follow your instructions. I remember at the first Connection Camp you guys had your own knife and sheath and thought it was the coolest thing! I'm so glad you made the kits available. OI... anyways, my question... I was interested in maybe tanning the leather sheath but I already put leather conditioner on it. Can I still tan the leather or will the conditioner prevent the tanner from soaking into the leather? Thanks for all your time in putting these kits together! They are priceless to me! Hope everyone is respecting your ideas and paradime change in business practices.
PS: Loved the pictures and journal from your IUA hike and hang gliding photos too!
PPS: Kite skiing looks like a blast...WAHOOOO! I've become an avid kitesurfer...he he!
Take care!!!" James G.

James signed his email "foreveramped." I like it, and that sounds about like us too. Kitesurfing - right on! Our advice to anyone who does not burst out of bed each morning is: Get ramped :) Now, the leather in our sheath kits has already been tanned. But if you want to apply more conditioner, then by all means. There are many types of conditioners, and you could try some of them on scraps.

"Hello, When will you reprint some more of your Backpacking books? Those of us who are new to your name and concepts can not learn from you. Thank you. Mitchell R.

"It really is brilliant news to hear that the greatest ever backpacking book is about to be revamped." Mike G

I am working on the next edition of Beyond Backpacking, with a target date of 4 - 5 months hence, that is if I mange to continue working on this project for that long :) (Cross your fingers but don't hold your breath :) The book will have a new title, as I am re-writing the book with a whole new slant. I am changing the info in large part, to accommodate what we have learned in these past 9 years. And I'm switching the presentation by 180 degrees throughout. Also I will be including about 400 color photos taken during our many long-distance hikes. I am enjoying the writing, but most of all we are having a lot of fun working with the photos. In short, we want the book to be more like a legacy of what we have learned on the trail.

Jenny is working hard at ray-way products, building kits and shipping them out. Also with a little help from me, she has been remodeling our kitchen. We designed our home with no range, with the idea of maximizing counter and cupboard space. After all, we don't cook much, when at home, so certainly had no use for a stove or oven. But now that we are thinking of selling the house, it must have a range, dishwasher, and while we are at it, a big, over-the-stove microwave.

The home market is not too good, so we might not be moving for a while. But in either case we plan to keep our business running.

We started the business with our Tarp and Net-Tent Kits, and our Tarp Book. Then as time rolled on, we added a few new items. But we did so with great caution, because we were not sure the market was ready for a business like ours. As I wrote in the integrity paradigm:

"One obstacle in designing our kits here at Ray-Way Products is the moral issue. The patterns and instructions are worth far more than the materials, so we are taking a chance that customers might share the patterns and instructions with others, and even go so far as to use them for commercial enterprise. Will our customers exercise integrity in themselves and respect for our work and our products? This kind of integrity is not terribly common in society, and it is not learned much in schools, churches, and certainly not on tv, in movies, and on the internet.

"But neither is sewing one's own outdoor gear common in society, and Jenny and I like to think we are helping to shift the paradigm somewhat in that regard.

"These kits do require a shift in morals. Too many customers showing disrespect of our designs would only discourage us from designing new types of kits, and in that regard everyone would lose."

Jenny and I appreciate all the customers who have bought our kits. We value your business, and the opportunity to make these kits available to you. Thanks also for putting your trust in us.