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Mon Jul 18, 2022 5:56 am

Here's how I think about the East/West experiences of being outside.

"The west" is about the macro experiences. Big skys, deep canyons, sweeping vistas, easy solitude.

"The east" is about the micro experiences. A quiet lake. The light filtering through trees while the fog rises in the morning. Looking into the small piece of solitude one finds for oneself and being amazed at the abundance of life within it.

Yes, you can find the micro "out west" and the macro "back east," but you have to look for them.

I grew up spending time outside in Michigan, lived in Flagstaff for several years, and have spent the last 20-plus in Western North Carolina, all living my life to maximize time outside. I've put a bit more thought into this than I probably should have, and this is where my thoughts have settled.

I hope you enjoy finding the micro, Sanchius, it can be truly magical.

Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:12 am

That’s some good writing up above there, Mike

Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:13 am

Couple of us down in Naptown(Indy). Look us up if you out exploring the Big city! Pretty good :roll: (for Indiana) dispersed camping in the Hoosier National also.
Welcome back home again.

Wed Jul 20, 2022 7:54 am

I had the pleasure of meeting Tuna's stepbrother (cousin?) last weekend. It was very hot and he appreciated a bowl of water. :)

Fri Jul 22, 2022 5:11 pm

It's Huddy-buddy! Our daughter's rescue gentleman-husky who sure could teach Tuna a thing or two about social manners and etiquette.
Unlike Tunes, Hudzie's never had the police called on him for being uber-alpha at a dog park.
His biggest flaw is that he simply loves to be right square in the center of things.

Though Hudson can look wild, he is basically a big sweet cupcake who was born to be mild.
Unless he gets into the chickens. He loves chickens. When that happens, great squawking ensues, the feathers are flying, and all heck breaks loose.

Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:13 am

I've been finding some time to explore the area.

I stopped by the Tippecanoe battle site where Tecumseh's Shawnee warriors took on William Henry Harrison's troops and militia. If the forest then was as dense as it is today, that must have been some close work.

Saturday morning was beautiful, dry, and calm, perfect for a quiet latte and donut at a sidewalk cafe to watch the world go by.

I signed up for a shift at the local food pantry and was completely gobsmacked by how well they do it here, giving their patrons a dignified, near-normal, shopping experience in a bright and clean environment, complete with shopping carts and friendly checkout.

Then I took in a bunch of American iron and chrome that was set up at the other end of the parking lot.

Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:19 am

NEV loss is IND gain.... thanks for keeping us in the loop!

Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:38 am

Tunes hasn't commented yet.

Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:03 am

steve244 wrote: Tunes hasn't commented yet.
She votes solidly for staying out west where she can chase marmots and chippies.
But that'll all be in the rear view mirror once the Reno house sells.

Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:08 am

woof says the distant Husky

Sun Jul 31, 2022 12:41 pm

sanchius wrote: steve244 wrote: Tunes hasn't commented yet.
She votes solidly for staying out west where she can chase marmots and chippies.
But that'll all be in the rear view mirror once the Reno house sells.

Now it'll be woodchucks and squirrels. :wink:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:28 pm

Plenty of chippies in eastern stone walls. And there are ground hogs for additional troglodytes as well.

Duncan

Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:41 am

That awful day has arrived. Have to say goodbye to Husky tonight at 630pm

Give Tuna some love for me today

:(

Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:12 am

Abscate wrote: That awful day has arrived. Have to say goodbye to Husky tonight at 630pm
Been there... Sometimes the kindest things to do can also be the hardest.
Stout heart, my friend, this isn't going to be easy, but you are doing the right thing.

And, like all good dogs, Tunes knows right where Maddie is going...

Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:46 pm

I spotted the event a few weeks ago and it sounded perfect, "Warbird Car Show" at Grissom ANGB just north of Kokomo, about an hour away. I looked up their inventory and there was at least one plane I wanted to see, so I put it on the calendar for Saturday morning.

The morning dawned cool, foggy, and wet. Not a good start, but the forecast said it would clear up late morning.

The drive there was like floating in a quiet gray bubble, playing road tunes on the stereo with just the faint chatter of a well-tempered WBX humming along in the back.

The neat thing about this event is that the show cars get to park amongst the aircraft on display at the warbird museum there. I've never been in a car show before, so I paid the fee and went in to find a good place to park.

By this time most of the good spots were already taken, but I decided that I didn't drive all this way not to try to get by some of the charismatic birds I hadn't seen before.

So, I decided to go big and drove over to the one I wanted to see.

Westy with B-58 Hustler Strategic Air Command supersonic nuclear bomber for scale.

As luck would have it there was a nice spot right between the Hustler and the Tomcat, so I set up shop there and put out a bunch of free donuts as bribes to vote for my classic vehicle as best-in-show. Then I kicked back in the 0-G chair and chatted with all the people as they came by. "Do you really camp in this?" "Yup, it's the Swiss army knife of vehicles. Look at all this cool stuff... Just a month ago we were out in the deep desert exploring ancient indian sites with hundreds of miles of beautiful nothingness around us. That's a queen sized bed on the bottom and look up top at all the space up there" "How can you enjoy the desert?" "Have you ever heard of hot springs? And let me tell you about the time when I was out on an abandoned road with our Husky and all these wild mustangs just settled in around the van..." As the day progressed, the sun came out and it became a beautiful afternoon.

All in all, it was fun, lots of interesting people to talk with and a good number who loved the van. I took these pictures during slack times so it looks empty, but a couple hundred people came by during the day. I didn't have that patience to stay for the entire show, so I decamped and hit the road before the awards ceremony. While I discovered that car shows really aren't for me, it was a unique opportunity to hang out in the Westy next to some really cool planes that I may never have the chance to get this close to again.

Mon Aug 08, 2022 5:46 am

I know my age is advancing when and '80s era Olds Delta 88 is considered vintage.

What a cool show! Cars and aircraft, I love it.

Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:47 am

Abscate wrote: That awful day has arrived. Have to say goodbye to Husky tonight at 630pm

Give Tuna some love for me today

:(

Darn. A terribly awful day. Hang in there. :cry:

Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:19 am

joetiger wrote: I know my age is advancing when and '80s era Olds Delta 88 is considered vintage.

What a cool show! Cars and aircraft, I love it.

This^^^^ and you're a young fella.

Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:38 am

The b-58 and the tomcat probably were the worst and best military aviation spends in history. I’m always torn between marveling at the technical achievements , and the “ 30 schools, 2x power plants, 2 hospitals” that weren’t built (Dwight D Eisenhower).

Sun Aug 14, 2022 7:46 am

...and I didn't say fudge.

Coming home from grocery shopping the other evening, a mc trying make a fast pass on my right in a no passing zone collected the rear corner of the van. Fortunately, there was a witness who saw it all and the investigating officer said I was totally in the clear. But still, a big adrenaline shot does funny things, I'm still having trouble sleeping. Ugh...