Armed and Dangerous

Hand me my adventuring hat, I'm ready to hack my way thru any jungles that would tempt the likes of Indiana Jones.

I am now the proud owner of a machete.

It's an unwieldy thing. It's very heavy at the end. Not at all balanced like the professional types I handled at the Military Surplus store. Those were real monsters. 2 foot long blades. Still, mine is a beast at a mere 18 inches in length.

In the middle of the desert, you'd think a machete wouldn't be necessary. For the most part, it isn't. There are some areas in the mountains and canyons that get heavy growth, but not so much that it's really needed.

Mainly, it's for defense. I'll be out in the middle of nowhere, all alone. It's a good deterrent against any axe murderer that should happen by. Just nicking him gently under the chin lets him know that I'm not interested in being hacked to bits, and that it's time to go find another victim - I'm not available.

It's also part of my broad-minded future planning. Acquiring equipment that will be used for a lot of different journeys. It doesn't hurt to own it now, and it makes me look oh-so-sexy with a sword strapped to my hip....I couldn't resist.