Somewhere in the NW Arctic

Welcome to RonWatters.com

Books, Software & More

Guide to Idaho Paddling

Just Released !!

Kath & Ron's Guide to Idaho Paddling
(Revised & Updated)

 

Click for More Information

 

  Software, Books, Articles and Fashion

 

Reading Lists: Best Outdoor Books

Outdoor Stories & Articles

Outdoor Education Papers

 

 

Here are the direct links to different parts of the website:

 

Outdoor Resources....

Moose in MeadowGuide to Outdoor Literature: The web's largest resource with reviews and information on the best outdoor books: new and old. Sunflower

There's more:  
best reading lists
outdoor stories  
how-to articles
equipment lists
outdoor education    professional papers
outdoor education
   associations & organizations

outdoor courses
   for university credit
Mouse

Award Winning Business Software Winner MedalRibbon

AnyOrder A shareware program for small internet or mail order businesses—or any business that needs to process orders received by phone, mail, web or email.

AnyCard Inexpensive Credit Card Processing Software

RaceAid Freeware for Athletic Racing Events

AnyBook Small Publisher's Business Kit

AnyPO Purchase Order Software

 

 

Guide to ID PaddlingOutdoor Books:

Guide to Idaho Paddling Easy paddling trips in Idaho

Winter Tales History of skiing, and backcountry/cross-country skiing, Snowshoeing & Snowboarding in Idaho, Yellowstone & Grand Tetons

Never Turn Back The life of the whitewater world's most famous personality, Walt Blackadar

Ski Camping How to keep from freezing your...well, you-know-what!

 

 

Guide to Outdoor Literature:

Book Collage

Main Page Outdoor Book Reviews - Reviews of new and upcoming books, reviews of outdoor classics, reading recommendations and more.

Best Reading Lists: Best Outdoor Books The web's most extensive collection of reading lists for outdoor book lovers

National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA) NOBA is the largest and most prestigious book award in the outdoor world. Information on the latest winners.

The Outdoor Experience Reading List This is a list that I've assembled and use in my Outdoor Literature, a course that I teach for college credit.

 

 

Other: Old Compass

Stories & Articles (Outdoor adventure stories, profiles of old-timers, and reflections of days spent in the outdoors.)

Climbing Route: Lower Highway to Heaven, Storm Point, Tetons (A newly described rock climbing route in the Tetons)

Climbing Route: Upper Highway to Heaven, Storm Point, Tetons (A newly described rock climbing route in the Tetons)

Outdoor Resources (Informational articles, equipment lists)..

Outdoor Education Papers (Safety, Teaching Techniques, Common Adventure Philosophy, Essays, etc.)

Outdoor Courses (List of Courses and Course Materials for several classes that I teach at Idaho State University)

 

 

Special Pages:

Photoshop Helpful Information: It's nearly impossible to find this information:  how to determine the opacity or transparency of an image; and an illustrated guide on how to reduce image transparency or increase image opacity.

More Photoshop Information.  One process that is not explained very well in the Photoshop help documentation is how to combine or merge paths. Here's how.

Problems with Footnoting in Microsoft Word. (Microsoft Word 2002 ® has an annoying bug with footnote reference numbers.  Here's some information about it and suggestions on how Microsoft and others can do much better when it comes to supporting their products.)

Problems with Elavon and other Credit Card Processors - Credit card processors such as Elavon continue to squeeze money from their merchants.  This is the latest:  credit card processing certification.  You have to pay high fees to use their software which in turn relays information about your computer to their head offices.  This from the industry who has found ways around usury laws and gave us draconian 21% - 25% interest charges.  Do you really want a company associated with the credit card industry monitoring your computer?

Idaho State University Outdoor Studies.  If you - or someone you know - is interested in the outdoors and is looking at potential colleges, you'll want to check out Idaho State.  Idaho State has a great major in outdoor education.  Or even if you're not interested in majoring in Outdoor Education, it's a wonderful place to get a good education and enjoy the outdoors at the same time.

Todd Packer Carpentry & Construction. If you live in the Southeast Idaho area, Todd Packer is the one to contact for remodeling work. He's honest, hard working and does superb work.

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RonA Little Bit About Me

I live and work in a small town (small, at least, by normal city standards) in the Portneuf River valley of southeast Idaho.  The town, named after an Indian chief, is Pocatello.  Poca-what?  You may ask—actually lots of people do ask.  It's: Poke-ah-tell-low.  Lying on the northern edge of the basin and range country of the western United States, it's a small and informal town where dressing up is putting on a clean pair of jeans. 

 

For over 25 years, I was director of the Idaho State University Outdoor Program, teaching outdoor skills and classes and leading many trips into the outdoors.  Not long ago, I stepped down as Director and took a part time faculty position with the university's Sports Science and Physical Education Department.  I divide my time between teaching outdoor education classes, writing and software programming.

 

I live in an ideal place for doing things out of doors—and I've been fortunate to spend a good part my life outside: climbing, back-country skiing, running rivers, and exploring in many parts of the West, Canada and Alaska. 

 

One of my great loves is writing.  I've written one biography, Never Turn Back, which is the story of whitewater pioneer Walt Blackadar.  Blackadar, a doctor from the small town of Salmon, Idaho, is one of the outdoor world's most famous personalities.  Years ago, he made an incredible solo kayak journey down the treacherous rapids of Turnback Canyon on the remote and wild Alsek River.

 

I've also written several outdoor instructional texts and guidebooks.  One is Winter Tales and Trails which is a guide to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing in Idaho, Yellowstone and the Tetons.  The other, Guide to Idaho Paddling which I co-authored with my wife, Kathy, covers easy paddling rivers in the state. 

 

All of my books have stories, often with a historical bent.  I enjoy researching and re-telling outdoor history as much as I do writing about more recent backwoods drama.  It is fascinating stuff: people coming together in the outdoors, sometimes creating a revealing and explosive mix of personalities against the backdrop of the capricious outdoors.  I've included a few stories on this web site.

 

For years, I have been closely involved in the outdoor education field, authoring an occasional professional paper.  Along with others active in the field, I helped found the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, which serves as the professional voice of the outdoor education field.  I also serve as chairman of the National Outdoor Book Awards, a program which honors the best in outdoor writing and publishing.  The program, run entirely by volunteers, is housed at Idaho State University.

 

In addition to my outdoor interests, I enjoy computer programming and, in conjunction with some of my scholarly and academic interests, I've developed several software programs.  Since my wife and I run a small publishing business, I developed a program, called AnyBook, which manages our publishing business—and which I've greatly expanded for use by other small publishers.  In addition to AnyBook, I have developed software for creating purchase orders, processing credit cards, running a mail order business, and scoring athletic racing events.

 

I hope that some of the materials and information on this website will be useful to you.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

Last Camp on a River Somewhere in the West


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