My new pal Perry

My neighborhood has an oddity. Besides me.

Every once in a while, I'll be conscious and outside early in the day. It happens less and less lately, especially when my wife's out of work, as we adopt the habit of staying up later and later. Occasionally, I'll catch a glimpse of an unknown fellow walking by. What's unusual is the gear strapped to his back.

He's got a metal-frame backpack, but with no pouch. Instead, it's got a heavy duty post, bearing about ninety pounds. Every time I see this guy trudge past in a solid, businesslike manner, I'm mildly fascinated (if it's possible to be mildly fascinated). I've made a mental note to catch up to him and ask him, essentially: "what's the deal with the backpack?"

Well, today was the day. I was noodling about in the driveway, and on he comes. I jogged up the driveway and matched his pace, and waited for him to remove his earplugs. I hoped I wouldn't startle him into using the short axehandle he carried, nor the not-so-short hunting knife that hung from his pack.

I struck up a conversation with him. Since I'm trying to post before I head to work, I'll simply blurt out the details I remember:

His name is Perry. He's recently hiked Half Dome. He walks about 28 miles a week, taking about 90 minutes or more per day. He has a job, but his morning walks don't eat into his daily schedule unduly. He used to weigh 300 pounds. I don't know what he his now, but I'd guess he's close to my 208, with a much higher muscle-to-flab ratio than me.

His exercise routine is flexible, mainly the weighted walking, but include a few days at the gym doing whatever strikes him. His exercise routine has enriched much more of his life than hiking outdoors, including family life and confidence for public speaking.

He invited me to stumble around next to him on another morning, if I have more questions. I do.

Gotta go to work.