A sweet Cincinnati boy of the 1950s finds his American Possibility of freedom through an extensive variety of inventive exploits. Mike Maschmeier’s refusal to miss any enticing opportunity brings about an exciting life exploring the roads-less-traveled. As if sitting on the back porch with Mike, you’ll feel his peril as he recounts how Poseidon let him slip through his wet, salty fingers. More gut-wrenching excitement is in store when it’s evident the Rocky Mountain oilfields, Brahma bulls, hitching the U.S. and Canada and a 28-year game warden career can’t break him. Mike’s unique writing style puts you in-the-moment of his game warden wilderness forays; starting with overcoming Affirmative Action barriers, taking on rabid animals, rabidly-determined poachers and professional wildlife dealing cartels. His numerous stories cover the gamut of wildlife protection.
Not done searching for kicks and grins, laughs and giggles, Mike immerses himself into standup comedy, Mardi Gras and Burning Man festivities and a rather severe fishing addiction. Testing a different form of mettle, while being incapable of helping, Mike had to deal with two friends’ dark descent into totally debilitating mental illness. As he grappled with his waning, internal, traditional religious beliefs, he also found himself fulfilling a promise made to God; that if he survived cancer, Mike would join a Hospice team to do what he could to comfort the dying.
The big pay-offs to an adventure-driven life are the numerous unique characters encountered. All are vividly brought to life in this engaging memoir.
