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Old 09-01-2016, 04:48 PM   #21
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Sometime in the 60's a buddy of mine(Ray) and I were going with my dad deer hunting. He and i had been practicing up and were ready for our first bow season deer hunt. Ray was so excited he built a blind with corn stalks and slept in it to be sure to not miss a deer at the crack of dawn. Sometime early morning Ray staggered back to my dad and my tent after a sleepless night. During the night a buck ran right thru Ray's corn stalks, destroying the blind and freaking Ray out so much he was up the rest of the night. My dad and his buddy who's land we hunted on told that story in local bars for years after.
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Old 09-01-2016, 04:55 PM   #22
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So now we know why Donna hides behind that avatar picture, to retain her anonymity...
Donna's probably in a witness protection program from all her street rod days.
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Old 09-01-2016, 08:25 PM   #23
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Memories... Priceless! All benefits that come with aging, even wrinkles!
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Old 09-01-2016, 09:19 PM   #24
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1980's Camping on the outside edge of a Bombing range in the desert. They drop Big aircraft flares from Choppers that fall slowly down on parachutes to illuminate the night bombing zone for Jets and B-52 bombers. Well, we came across one that never went off. They are really big and heavy. OK great lets light it at night in the sand dunes. Night came and it was incredibly bright as day in the pitch black desert after it was lit. Our smiles of amazement in our group started to fade as we looked at each other in the eyes.... slowly realizing in our minds we could be calling in a night aircraft bombing run! Hopped on the ATV's out of there.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:13 PM   #25
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In the '70s a few FSU college buddies and I decided to go camping south of Tallahassee. After dinner and lots of beer we went to sleep in our tents as it got dark.

In the middle of the night I felt the call of nature, so I got up and walked down a path to find a spot. I don't recall if the moon was out but you could barely see. I spotted a beer can and kicked it along in front of me: kick, bang bang, kick, bang bang, kick, bang bang. Then: kick...... silence, until I heard a distant, faint "splash". I couldn't see, so I turned right around and went back the way I came.

The next day I discovered that I had almost walked off a cliff into a sinkhole that was ninety feet from the rim to the water, and the water was very deep. Nowadays I try to take a flashlight with me when I wander around at night.
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Old 09-02-2016, 06:58 AM   #26
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Couple of years ago we were staying in Jasper National Park. We had a reservation in Banff a couple of nights later. We were watching the road signs anxiously, because the road down to Banff had been closed due to forest fires close to the road. The alternative route (out to Edmonton, south to Calgary, back into the mountains to Banff) would add several hours to our trip. The day before we had to move, the road closure sign went down. The morning of our move, still no road closure. So, off we go...

If you've drive the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff, you know there's lots to see and do along the way. And we were travelling with some friends who had never been there, so we stopped to see and do quite a bit along the way.

We're at the Athabaska glacier, about to go out on a glacier walk, when word comes in that the road is closed again. By this time it's mid afternoon. No way we could do the drive around now. No cell coverage. One payphone with a huge lineup of people trying to make alternative arrangements. Two very harried park rangers trying to give advice and occasionally loaning out their satellite phone for real emergencies.

One of the ranger dudes points out that the parking lot where they send the big RVs is actually officially an overnight spot. And given the rather unusual circumstances, nobody will bother coming around to collect fees.

So we (us, two sets of friends, and maybe half a dozen other RVs) spent the night in the parking lot below the Athabaska glacier.

Beats a Walmart parking lot any day...
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Old 09-02-2016, 09:46 AM   #27
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This is a cautionary tale of being aware of your surroundings that occurred two weeks ago while staying a Mono Lake in California near the Nevada border.

Down the side of the RV Park is a “dog walk” that rambles through the desert brush. It’s a nicely marked path that parallels the main highway and has beautiful views of both the mountains and the lake shore. Just at dusk, needing a bit of exercise and figuring the Diva Dog could use some as well, I stuck a flashlight in my pocket at Handyman’s urging and off we headed down the path into the bush.

Skye loves walking down the path and was eager to get going. We were about an eighth of a mile into the walk when something moved onto the path about 100 feet from us. Thinking it was just a rabbit we continued on knowing it would hide as soon as it scented the dog. Imagine my surprise when 3 more somethings that I noted were quite too large to be rabbits also moved into the path. Realizing they were Coyotes I came to a dead stop as did Skye just as she is supposed to on walks (she was not aware of the animals in the path) When all but one melted back into the brush I knew we needed to get the heck out of Dodge, so to speak. I know that when Coyotes stalk / hunt they will fan out and flank their prey. I also know better than to run as that activates their predator reaction and they would begin the chase for sure. Grabbing the flashlight from my pocket and swinging it back and forth like a friggin’ lighthouse I gave Skye the “let’s go home” command that she responds to when out on lead. Still unaware of the Coyotes she did exactly as I asked while I walked backwards keeping that blessed flashlight moving.

At one point I saw one of the Coyotes off to my right in the brush and felt we needed to move faster, but still not run and still not turn my back. I gave Skye the command again and she sped up a bit. I had to trust that she would neither get wind of them behind us nor decide it was time for a dump and walk off path. Bless her heart she kept right on moving. Once we got within sight of the lights of the campground, I turned around and we did some speed walking to the pavement with the Handyman wondering why I was bouncing the light around so.

Now, I’m not saying they were hunting or stalking us…I know they followed us for more than a bit. But, I was uncomfortable (read that as unnerved enough that my heart rate elevated higher than just a tad). I let my guard down while in the brush at a time of the evening when wee beasties roam the flats. If I over reacted…well….then….I over reacted. But, it was not a smart move to begin with and could have ended on a very sad note.

So, here’s to Miss Skye Diva Gypsy Dog for obeying her training; to the Coyotes who likely got bored or decided there were easier meals to take down; and to that Handyman of mine who suggested that blessed flashlight in the first place.

Lesson learned with no harm done other than an elevated heartbeat…no more dusk or dark moseys down the brush path for any of us.
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Old 09-02-2016, 12:04 PM   #28
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Got to love it. Skunks, wild turkeys, tornadoes, bears, creepy guys, boy scouts, forest fires, quinzees, old mechanics, Japanese tourists, bombers, greenhorns, buck blinds, getting lost, sink holes, coyotes. Truly an experienced group!
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Old 09-02-2016, 01:23 PM   #29
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Who is the "Old Bag" anyway?

Q. How old is "the old bag"?

A. Six months older than Baglo, which makes her "the old bag"

Q. Is she offended by being referred to as "the old bag"?

A. I don't know, she isn't talking to me. I think she prefers it to "drear" though.

Q. Did she say I could go fishing next weekend when she has her brother and another distant relation over for dinner?

A. I'm not sure, but she did ask why I put the tent-trailer away.

Q. Where are you sleeping tonight?

A. I'm not sure, I already closed up the tent-trailer.


The 'old Bag' said, "you go camping, why would I want to sit in the dust and be in the same sleeping-bag as you after four days of no shaving, no shower and the same gonch"? "Delightful idea, honey-poo”, said I.

Of course I got to take Princess Quite-Alot (age 13) and her friend (also 13) and an assortment of bacteria-fighting facial creams, ketchup potato chips, Froot-loops, Archie comix and music to make you cry.

O.B. filled the cooler in the tent-trailer with healthful food and tossed in the first-aid kit. I filled the other cooler with beer and blew a kiss. We were leaving the dog at home.

We were motoring, toward Blue Lake. The old Subarau struggling to keep up with fumes from the tractor trailers. Just three and a half hours, three milk shakes and burgers and I threw the Sub into 4WD for the final kilometer accent. After a previous owner had the place logged, "for problem trees", leaving a slash heap, it was a pleasure to meet the new owners and see how far they'd come with their recovery program. What hadn't recovered was the occupancy rate.

Seven of 110 sites were occupied and we had our choice of what was left. I picked a shaded site nearest the lake and Princess Quite-Alot promptly turned and stumbled over the fire grate skinning her shin. Thank God I had the foresight to bring the first-aid kit.

Leaving the girls, after dinner, to discuss boys and pimples, I launched my tube for some fishing. A small, spring-fed lake, Blue is stocked annually and produces fish of 8-inches with some reported to be as large as 17. As darkness fell, I found myself with three others on a stocked lake. Fishing fee - nil. Like popcorn popping, suddenly the hatch was on. Most were taking only 6-inches to a foot from shore.

Creeping slowly back to the camp site, I heard the wail of women, or nearly so, coming from shore. "Glennnnn, Glennnnnnnn"

"Where are the flashlights?" It was after dark and as Princess Quite-Alot pointed out, you need a flashlight to find the flashlights so I shouted across the water where to look.

Princess Quite-Alot's buddy had got her first ever period and there was a flow of tears. The camp store had only panty liners so I bought a bunch on the theory that less is more. Then she got home-sick, and I arrived back at camp after dark to find that the kids had packed everything and wanted to leave for home now.

But, you know, having a rainbow-stocked lake all to yourself, isn't such a bad way to spend a few days. Now if I could just figure out that hatch that had the trout almost leaping ashore. The girls, I’ll never figure out.
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Old 09-02-2016, 02:01 PM   #30
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Glenn you are a brave man to take two 13 year olds camping with you. I taught middle school for 12 or 13 years...middle school aged kids can be great fun or the easily the complete opposite...the same kid can seem like a different person one day to the next. Raging hormones.
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Old 09-02-2016, 02:09 PM   #31
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Donna's camping story reminded me of a joke, which I might have read here for all I remember, but anyway:

An elderly man lived on several wooded acres in Louisiana that he bought years ago. His house was at one end of the plot and a pond at the other. When he bought the land he figured the pond might make a good swimming hole for the neighbors, so he put up a picnic table and planted pear trees around it.

Years passed, and one day the man realized he had not been down to the pond in a long time. Thinking he might gather some pears, he took along a bucket and walked down to the pond. As he approached, he heard laughing and splashing; some young women were skinny-dipping in the pond. One of them saw him and yelled, "We're not coming out until you leave!"

The man held up the bucket and replied, "I didn't come down here to see a group of young women swimming naked. I'm just here to feed the alligator."
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Old 12-23-2016, 09:22 PM   #32
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Growing up we tent camped at a county park on Lake rosealee in central Florida. Dad always put out a "trout line " in the lake. Caught all kinds of stuff, our favorite was the soft shell turtle that chased mom out of the campsite! ! Then one time we had too many cooks, or just my grandpa, because the potato soup had way too much pepper and the crackers had all went to the ants. I still remember my little sister and I eating popcorn having a grand time not realizing our dad wasn't holding the tent up to amuse us, he was holding it down due to the tornado. Funny how you didn't know you were poor, we were just having a good time on the family vacation.
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Old 12-23-2016, 09:45 PM   #33
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Perfect timing for this thread to be found again -- too much grumpiness around here lately! Thanks Turtle!
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Old 12-23-2016, 09:59 PM   #34
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I went camping one time and had a beer. I went camping again.....
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Old 12-23-2016, 10:24 PM   #35
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I went camping one time and had a beer. I went camping again.....
Best story so far.... [emoji23]
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Old 12-23-2016, 10:25 PM   #36
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Do I dare? I do When 18, my 17 year-old girlfriend and I went camping. We first tried to check in at a campground, I think it was Wekiva Springs in Seminole County, FLA. They wouldn't let us in as we weren't married(1971). So we found us a boondock site and all was great until about 3 A.M. when Deputy Dog rousted us. Will spare all the details but they weren't very happy they didn't find any contraband(I hid the Boone's Farm behind a tree) and hauled us in for trespassing.
Car got towed and I had to pay a $25 fine. Still- a great memory!
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Old 12-23-2016, 11:07 PM   #37
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We have traveled to Yellowstone in June/July each year and stayed at fishing bridge rv park. It's inside the national park so we don't have to through the gates each day and is the only full service rv park inside Yellowstone.

Camping there has something of interest each trip. Hearing the bears grumbling through the campsite at night (only hardsided rv's are allowed), waiting for the bison herd to clear the road so we can pass, seeing all the newborns with their mothers, and seeing the great waterfalls - it all seems to be something new and different each time we go.

We have our reservations there again for a stop on the way up to the Escape rally next year.
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Old 12-24-2016, 10:04 AM   #38
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Went to fishing bridge on my son's graduation trip a couple of years ago. Woke up one morning, looked out the window of the door, forgot it was frosted and thought "why are those chicken feathers falling outside " Took me a minute to realize it was snowing! ! First time we'd ever seen snow falling, can't really count that time in the 70s when central Florida shut down do to that massive inch and a half we got. It was one of the best days ever, played in it for about 2 hours, then it turned to a drizzle. Washed it all away and never had to drive in it. never knew snow could be so wet !
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Old 12-24-2016, 10:47 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett View Post
I went camping one time and had a beer. I went camping again.....
A beer, as in 1?...yah sure.
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Old 12-24-2016, 11:02 AM   #40
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A beer, as in 1?...yah sure.
I might have got carried away..... a bit.
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