HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017 | Page 9

SECTION ONE E D I TO R S M E S S AG E | K R I S S I E M A S O N It was the vertigo of Summer; those days in my early youth tenanted with lakeside adventures of discov- ery and pleasance. The hatching of painted turtles, chance encounters with a nests of baby garter snakes, or salamanders. Frog catching, firefly trapping, squishy clay dug with small hands from water’s edge. Sloppy mud-cakes, and sun baked, friable mud-balls molded atop dock planks fastened with 10 penny nails. Sunny days, dragonflies, cane pole fishing, scrawny legs with scabbed knees sticking out of frayed cut-offs, rowing circle and circles around a small unimpressive lake. Ut- terly dizzied by feeling boundless, free, and swallowed up by the outdoors. Can you relate? I recall that time with such fondness. Never have I been truer to Self than when the directive from my mother was to fill the day from sun-up to sun-down with the outdoors. Contemplate a pinecone. Whittle a stick. Bait a hook. Blow up a frog with a firecracker...well, maybe not that. Luckily, for many in our industry the bloom of an adventurous youth spent exploring the outdoors has never faded. For example, in this issue of HORIZONS, Dan Small kindles an unmistakeable joie de vivre as he shares his secret-sauce for producing award winning content. And Joe Henry’s story-telling brings the beauty and abun- dance of Lake of The Woods to life. Also, we hear from Gretchen Steele regarding our responsibility as seasoned outdoor communicators to set an honorable example for newcomers. Be courteous, polite, and civil to another, she entreats. “...don’t de- grade and tear down each other, rather stand together as sportsmen and women.” Tony Dolle’s sincere tribute to Glenn Sapir reminds us that simple charities of kindness and generosity among peers can inspire and have lasting influence. And there is so much more! As a reminder, here is how the Sections are broken out: SECTION 1 is TREE LINE | LOOK UP. Here we will house messages from our governing AGLOW President, from our AGLOW Executive Director, and any notes from the HORIZONS Editor. SECTION 2 is BIG MOUNTAIN | KEEP CLIMBING. In this section articles will address craft improvement, tourism trends, social media tips, photography how- tos, etc. Generally, the focus is on sharing insight with one another. End goal? Continued learning, skill set ad- vancement, and fostering an enhanced spirit of support and kinship. SECTION 3 is GO EXPLORE | BE CHALLENGED. We know in order to produce good outdoor content we need to explore the outdoors and challenge one another to do our best work. In this section we will spotlight features, guest contributors, essays, tributes, poetry, outdoor adventure experiences, and the like. SECTION 4 is TEND THE FIRE | STAY PRESENT. Finally, we will tend to the housekeeping matters of our Association; new member welcomes, Brand press releas- es, notes from Board meetings, amendments to bylaws, conference schedules, etc. As always, thank you so much for reading HORI- ZONS. If you like what you see, spread the word! Also, I welcome emails with your comments, or ideas for content. Most importantly, please consider contributing. Be well, km- [email protected] HORIZONS | 05