#storytime This happened back in the 1960s. So a while ago. A poacher hiked into a place called Pine Valley. He arrived at night, using his flashlight to travel the trail down from Chews Ridge in the Ventana Primitive Area. Stealthily, as was his method, he set up a sleeping pad, laid out his bag and prepared to sleep.
Later, he was awakened by a strange rhythmic growling noise. He sat up and shined his flashlight towards the source. Two eyes seemed to reflect the light back. Thinking it was a raccoon, he pulled out his pistol and fired several shots. The noise stopped and the eyes seemed to whither away. He laid back down and fell back asleep.
The next morning, the poacher discovered that the ‘eyes’ were actually two brass reflectors on the top of a sleeping bag. The bag belonged to a ranger who had set up his own camp 50 feet from the poacher. The ranger was dead.
#storytime cont’d: I know this story because I was at the time a boy scout, and we camped in Pine Valley a week later. We found a hastily dug pit with the bloody sleeping bag and were quite disturbed by it. Some kind of mystery. One of the dads pursued the story and told us all what had happened at a later meeting.
So, we bought a 30+ year old RV Camper truck, a Citation model (boxy, matchstick construction) and we went to tour every part of our province, with the cats, for three years .
When people get close enough to read my sign,
'IF YOU CAN READ THIS, IT'S GOING TO GET A LOT SLOWER"
/2
I'm not in a rush. I'm pulling a couple of tons of building and truck, and it sways and grabs the wind nicely. The last thing I want to see, is someone disappear from view, in my blind spot. If I had to stop suddenly, we all have a delay.
I'd go as slow as I needed to go, 4-way flashers on, almost at idle speed, if they refused to stay in sight or pass. If they don't feel confident passing, don't expect me to speed to accommodate your insecurities . We will drive at MY SPEED
But, (as I said in my epistle) "Where two or three are gathered behind my RV and cursing my name, I will pull over and let them pass" (RV 1:22)
We drove every corner of the province in that first old RV. it wasn't mechanically reliable to go further than your towing service allows.
After three loops, we sold it, considered we were OVER that experience. UNTIL, we saw the same one, but this one, is mechanically ready, and we did it again. We still haven't left Nova Scotia, though
I can confidently say, we've seen ALL of Nova Scotia, but, there's places you'd like to go back to. We went back last year to the beaches in Cape Breton and it was amazing. Walk from your rig to the ocean and back, no hassles with cats, or motels that refuse them.
The only reason we don't use the RV more often, is that we already have a summer home (was to be our primary) we don't need another means for Vacation.
It's around 7 miles per gallon to drive. $100 in gas per hour.
And, then there's special insurance, for a vehicle driven only 2 weeks of the year
Re-registered every year, and safety inspections, it's very expensive even to park one at home. you can also pay fees for winter parking, if you have a small driveway or bylaw preventing parking
You can rent them, you know? To try out, before you by.. haha. there will be no BUYING NEW, they cost more than my home to purchase!
You can get a rental for $2000 a week, or buy old for less...
#Storytime There would be no RENTAL, since the purpose was to navigate with cats. one accident (we had three cats in an RV) or claw-sharpening and the insurance was gone.
I talked with RV Renters that we met, package deals specifically tailored to German tourists, for example, $5000 for 2 weeks would be cheap> Plus gas. Remember that? Insurance, camping fees (as high or higher than a cheap motel room!)
This is a rich man's vacation but we went around that problem with the old choice..
Like a new car, you don't really own NEW, you and the bank OWN NEW, and interest rates do go up, with everything else. Uncertainty to pay such a big amount. And, I keep repair bills.
For example, in 10 years, used cars have cost me $5000 in repairs. But I got lower insurance rates for only required coverage. I don't worry about scratches at the mall either. Used is the way to go, for me.
For 3 years, it cost, from purchase, to selling, minus what we got on the resale, $10,000 #Storytime
This is not my great-grandfather David. My great-grandfather David died in 1958. I was told stories by my grandfather and my aunts and uncles about grandpa David.
He was a successful farmer and when cars gained popularity he decided to buy one. He was born in 1875 and spent his whole life using a horse and buggy except for a couple of weeks in about 1926.
My grandfather was 14 years old and riding with grandpa David in a new car.
As they were passing a farmhouse, a lady sat on her porch with her legs open wide enough to see up her dress. Of course they both looked at her and grandpa David wasn't looking in front of him at the road. The car veered off the road toward a swamp. He pulled back hard on the steering wheel and yelled "WHOA! WHOA!" That is what he had done his whole life in an emergency to control his vehicle. The car ended up in the swamp. He gave up cars that day. He spent the rest of his life driving his horse and buggy. A horse would never have veered off the road just because he looked at something else.
My grandfather got a horse and pulled the car from the swamp and spent a year fixing it. He studied everything he could find about cars to learn about how the car worked and how to reverse the damage from the swamp accident. He became a master mechanic and the youngest guy in the county with his own car. Edit: I forgot to mention, he was in a collision in his mid 30s in which he lost one of his eyes. The woman driving the other car had written a suicide note before going out on the road and hitting my grandfather's car head-on.
Years later one of my uncles who I never got to meet, was killed by a speeding motorist in front of my grandfather's house. He was 10 years old.
My friend Dewy was also killed on the same road, 300 yards from where my uncle was killed, by an asshole in a fucking car. He was 10 years old at the time. I was also 10 at the time. We had known each other since before we could talk.
My friend Trevor who lived two houses down from my grandfather was killed in a head-on collision at the age of 17. I was 16 at the time. We grew up together. Just like Dewy, we had known each other since before we could talk.
My friend Quincy went to prison for 20 years after the car he was a passenger in struck an Amish buggy and killed everyone in it. A whole family wiped out in the blink of an eye and a young man's life ruined. He and the driver had been drinking. Under state law they were both equally guilty.
I knew two other young men who were paralyzed for life from car collisions.
If all these drivers had been using horse drawn buggies like grandpa David, the horses would have tried to stop. A horse will try to avoid stepping on or knocking down other creatures. A driver being drunk wouldn't have prevented the horses from wanting to avoid injury. These kids and families would be alive. Two young men wouldn't have wasted their lives in prison.
All of this carnage doesn't even address the pollution caused by cars.
Cars are too fast, too heavy, and too dangerous. Humans are too weak, too stupid and our reflexes are too slow to use them.
I remember my first #FountainPen really vaguely. I think I was around 7 or 8 when my parents decided to gift me one, hoping that it will improve my handwriting. It would've been a good idea, but I just had too much fun watching the runny ink seeping into the paper to form a big big circle (disc?). Needless to say the 2 cartridges didn't last me long.
I also might have dropped it a couple times by accident and then broke the nib because I was curious.💀
Weekly New User Thread
Are you new to fountain pens, or trying to decide if fountain pens are for you? Reply here with your questions and our helpful members will do their best to answer! #FPNewbie#FountainPens
I remember my first #FountainPen really vaguely. I think I was around 7 or 8 when my parents decided to gift me one, hoping that it will improve my handwriting. It would've been a good idea, but I just had too much fun watching the runny ink seeping into the paper to form a big big circle (disc?). Needless to say the 2 cartridges didn't last me long.
I also might have dropped it a couple times by accident and then broke the nib because I was curious.💀
Now, as mentioned in that fire, this is a fishing community. Look how picturesque it is before sunset?
The Fishing Boats of Marie-Joseph, a short drive from my oceanfront home. I get awesome sunrise photos from my own deck but can't see the #sunsets , if I want to see a nice sunset, I'll come here, or Ecum Secum.. Standby for more.
This one I took should be in a calendar, don't you think?
BTW, there's spots of #Cellular near here, at the park.
I skipped over same day, and took you to the days of #HurricaneFiona , when we spent 14 days without power, never had cellular, probably never will, it's the BUTT end of #Halifax, rather pretty, but most have never been.
Without power, when the roads were cleared of trees, we went to call and let everyone know we were OK (Remember?)
I believe Fancy's Beach gets a Cellular signal.
Check when you go?
Customary on weekends, I take a little time to write a short story, about our adventures.
As a background, in case you are new, here's who we are: 2 seniors, my wife is disabled (I'm crippling up too), defying difficult trails to show that it can be done.
Hashtag shown is relative to places in #NovaScotia, that others might never have seen, but will want to visit.
"When Are You Coming To Visit?"
► #WAYCTV ◄
I hope you enjoyed my story? It's short, due to time restraints today. If you'd like more detail, I'll add some at a later date.
STOP AND SMELL THE SEA , and watch the surf, talk to the seals, and make it worth your visit.
Take lots of photos #Share and #Boost for other Hikers, and adventure seekers. I've done all of Nova Scotia like this, one adventure at a time. #EasternShore#EasternShoreNS