First things first, it was me who named Rad Watkins The Bear Whisperer. He didn't have a trail name, but he certainly had a story. Rad is a landscape ecologist and motivational speaker. It seemed a good time for somebody to allay the fears of many as they start to gather in Georgia and find their way north. Bears need to be treated warily though not with fear. Brad has tracked Grizzlies and studied them in the wild, so his knowledge of bears is extensive. He has also incorporated animals into his Animal Leadership talks. If you'd like to find out more about Rad, and Animal Leadership, just go to his website, www.animalleadership.com. On the home page, you can take his test to establish what type of leader you are. You can find Rad on Facebook and email him at [email protected]. He's also written on the subject of Animal Leadership and you can find his books here, while there is also an excellent short video, here, with highlights of Rad giving a motivational speech, using his Animal Leadership approach. If you want to hear Rad reading the first chapter of his book, then click on the file below. [audio mp3="http://mightyblueontheat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/03_Chapter_1.mp3"][/audio] Brandon Jacob, or The Dude, returns with the first "Fear and Loathing on the Appalachian Trail." While I'm not too sure about the sound effects for this segment, I think the interviews will be useful for hikers who may be doubting their ability to take on the trail. We ALL have concerns; it is how we address those concerns that decide how successful we're going to be. Jessa has just five weeks to go, and is now attending to the various bits of life that she needs to put on hold until she returns home. This week, she tells us that her last item of gear has been bought. From now, she'll be counting down the days. Keep your comments and reviews coming. They help the show in the iTunes rankings and encourage me to do better. Also, don't forget to email me if you have something to say in the "Fear and Loathing......" part of the program. See you next week.