The Beard

Ever wondered what your husband would look like if he didn't have to follow normal grooming standards for five weeks.  This summer I found out.  Some of you may not have heard but Kellen spent the entire month of June as a teaching assistant for the Lehigh University Geology Field Camp.  He camped out every night, hiked, cooked over an open flame, and bathed in streams; essentially becoming a true mountain man.  I usually ask Kellen to grow out his beard while he is away as I love seeing him with a nice full beard when he gets back.  This time was a little different.  What made the difference you ask?  The fact that Kellen already had a nice full beard that he had been grooming and maintaining for the previous two months before he had even left for mountain man life.  Here is a picture of the beard a few short weeks before he left.

As you can see, the beard looked great!  He wore it the style and class only a true beard pro can.  Now, here is a picture of the beard when after five weeks without any trimming or grooming.  Kellen had warned me for how long it had gotten but I wasn't prepared for what I saw.  I am sure my reaction wasn't the welcome home Kellen was expecting.

The first picture is of Kellen sporting the beard in true mountain man fashion.  While the latter is the beard after a good proper shower.  Until that shower, I wasn't able to look at Kellen without breaking into hysterical laughter.  Matted shaggy hat hair, long grisly beard; he really did look like a homeless man or dirty trucker, and after all the unloading he had to do that day he smelled like one too unfortunately.  The beard had gotten so long it could be fluffed out and combs got stuck in it when you tried to comb it down.  Kellen said there were certain foods he avoided at the end because of the difficulty the beard imposed on enjoying them.  The beard didn't even last a day away from field camp.  In order to shave the beard Kellen had to use his hair clippers with a guard on to first trim the beard to a more normal length.  Then he was able to trim it with just the clippers.  Next he moved onto to his regular shaver.  It was quite the process.  When he finally emerged from the bathroom I was greeted by the man I married.  I don't know if we will ever see the mountain man beard again.  But for those of us who did have the opportunity to experience it will always reflect on it with kind thoughts and uncontrollable laughter.