I worked to teach others in my family to make fire with friction. This is my nephew using the bow drill kit at our July 4th gathering.

I ran to my tent, put on my bathing suit and a cover up, and hurried to the swim area.

Excerpt from chapter 11 Body Control — from my book Changes

This is the path to the swim area in early autumn.

Chapter 10 The Sign Post from my book Changes. Photo of Tom Brown Jr. writing in his notebook between lectures.

A smoking coal in the notch in my fireboard, ready to be placed in a tinder bundle and blown into flame.

Chapter 8 Respect and Gratitude from my book Changes. This chapter is about how we choose to be in the wilderness, and how our choices affect our experiences. The photo of of the primitive camp at dusk, in New Jersey at Tom Brown Jr’s Trackerschool.

Chapter 7 The First Night’s Hazing

Image is my art depiction of Blueberry Trail.

In the Taj at Trackerschool, where we attend lectures.

Getting to Trackerschool was intimidating to me, but once I met some fellow Trackerschool students on the bus, I felt safe. Here is a photo of the fire area near the kitchen in the primitive camp in the Pine Barrens in New Jersey.

Chapter 4 Survival is about how I came to go to Trackerschool. Photo is about how working in groups was an essential part of our learning at Trackerschool.

Chapter 3, Difficulties.

I was sorely lacking in the bitch department.

Limitations growing up. My brother and I, the oldest of 6 kids, at home in Corvallis, Oregon.

Chapter 2: Moulding me. Me with artistic support at a very young age.

Chapter 1 - Prolog to my book Changes. Michele Ballantyne on May 11, 2007. Photo by Melissa Cochran.