I have ALS, a neurological disorder that erodes motor neurons and causes loss of strength and muscle mass. Upon hearing this diagnosis in 2006 I jettisoned from my vocabulary expressions like “someday” and “maybe next year.”

I’m able to keep hunting with assistance from my lifelong friend Ron Wagner. (We call ourselves the A-Team.) When I told him I wanted to hunt mule deer and antelope, he said, “Tell me when and where. I’ll be there for you, buddy.”

Research on the Internet led me to book a combo hunt with a Wyoming outfitter for October 5-9, 2009.

Ron and his wife Jenny live in Pennsylvania; my wife Ligia and I live in Brazil. The Wagners met us in Atlanta and we flew to Denver. Here we are in the Denver airport, heading out to get our rental car.