My friend Erick Erickson spent the weekend with us. He came to Colorado with a friend to hike and then arranged to spend a couple days in our home.

Erick is a neat guy: he is a master builder and when he comes to visit, he makes a list with his host of some things that need to be done. What was even better for me–home-repair impaired as I am–is that he taught my boys some basic building skills while he was at it. We worked on our fence, poured a footer, plugged a hole in the deck and took care of some other nagging repairs.

While he was once a commercial contractor, today Erick is a speaker and trainer. He specializes in experiential and adventure training and just released a new book called Seeking True North. He’s one of those guys who is always up to a dozen interesting things, often traveling abroad to do them.

After he left to fly home to New York, I started thinking about all the things I like about him, and what stands out most is his heart. He loves: people and life, nature and experience, books and ideas. He’s a kind and gentle spirit but an outdoorsman, too.

And my life is better because he’s my friend.