* turn off auto play/stop if edge loading is disabled. his only “shield of defense” was “a worn copy of national geographic.” at 14, he wrote an earnest letter to the national geographic society, which responded in two months with encouragement. i rigged a line up to help with this and i had to use my whole body weight to stretch the hide (it was very thick). "i don't want to say very much about that, except to say it was a very difficult time and we are a family, and we will always be a family. 