Happy Earth Day 2017 from the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. In honor of our collective Mother, I hope you can spend as much time as possible outside today to honor her handiwork.

Also in honor of Earth Day, I will reprise a story from the Adirondack Lifestyle blog archives about an interesting Earth Day I had 15 years ago when this picture was taken with President George W. Bush, here in the Adirondacks Mountains.

The President was here to commemorate Earth Day by working with a crew of locals who could get security clearance (they must have missed my escapades during that year abroad), on a hiking/mountain bike trail in Wilmington, N.Y. The President spoke later in the day at Whiteface Mountain about all the great things he planned to do for the environment during his coming time as President. I remember we stood outside for a long time waiting for the President and his entourage to arrive. It was a cold and damp day; the spring snowfall emphasized we were in the Adirondacks.

The President decided he liked me and I became his “running buddy” because I asked him if he would like to help me nail up a trail marker with a mountain bike on it. After he nailed the trail marker to a tree, he asked me, “What does this mean on the trail marker?” I explained to him the little picture was a mountain bike, and it meant one could use this trail for mountain biking in addition to hiking or running, my preferred activity. When he heard I was a runner, he became my best friend for the day since he said he also preferred running over mountain biking. I suppose it is safer. Sometimes I miss the guy.

I also met a number of very fit marksmen who were hidden in the woods that surrounded the entire trail system. And I met Ari Fleischer, the President’s press secretary at the time, who was freezing cold in his tassel loafers and thin dress socks.

In the interest of fairness and balance, I’ll also share one of my favorite Earth Day funnies drawn by a great talent who also has a long connection to the Adirondack region.