Road Trip 2008 - The Last Day

Wednesday, the 4th day of the road trip, dawned bright and crisp. Truth be told I am only guessing since I was not up at dawn, but close enough to it to be able to give it a good guess. Another day, another decision as how to spend it confronted us. It was a no brainer, we were going to go canoeing again. This time though, since it was further up the road toward home by ten miles than the other place, we chose Front Royal Canoe Company. Once again we were greeted by nice folks, this time those who worked at this particular outfitter. There was a bit of a difference from the experience at Down River Canoe Company though in that this time the outfitter's workers told us more about river conditions, asked us more about our own experience in a canoe, and gave us a brief overview of how to avoid problems; basically it was a more in depth outline of what to expect on the river. Another thing that was different was the price. Since it was Wednesday they gave us the midweek rate, or in other words they gave us a discount of 25% off of the regular cost.

For the trip, we chose one of 7 miles in length. We had plenty of time to complete it, we started earlier than the first canoe outing, and only had to be back by 6:00 though we chose 5:30. We had to pick a time this time around because we would not end up at the outfitter's base, and they would meet us at the haul out site. A young lad drove us, and another canoeist to the drop off area, and we again shoved off pretty quickly once all of our gear was secured in the canoe. We decided a nice leisurely day of fishing, with enough paddling to get us down river on time would be the way to spend the day; and of course since the sun was shining, we would be on the lookout for turtles too. One thing I did differently on that day was to hold off on putting on my sunscreen, I figured why not get a bit of sun for some color, then put it on. Decisions, decisions - sometimes the right one, sometimes the wrong one.

Well, as on the first canoe outing, and as at Skidmore Lake - Mr. Serious about fishing caught the first fish, and he caught the most fish, and he caught the most variety of species. For some reason though all I took were pictures of him with sunfish. I don't know why I did not take one of him with a bass, he sure caught enough of them (though not many) for me to have thought of framing one. As you can see, the penultimate fisherman (between the two of us anyhow) had that serious look on his face again, it could not be disguised by those Wally World special that passed for polarized sunglasses. I got myself a pair too, with amber lenses, but no you will not see me in them!

As we paddled along, we hit some rapids now and again, or maybe they were just ripples, and for the most part the river was deeper in this section. We did manage to get stuck at least once, again requiring climbing half way out of the canoe to push off, and I have to admit I realized I would have hated to have fallen in because those rocks were not only hard, they had lots of jagged edges where they had been eroded away unevenly by the currents over the eons. It turned out alright though, and we were off safely.

As we paddled on, we saw log after log, and rock after rock, basically covered with turtles. I am guessing that we tried to catch turtles at at least 75% of the places where we saw them, but those aquatic tanks can be fast. Even though we had a net to try to catch them, we had no luck which I suppose was lucky for the turtles. Our net, bought at Dick's Sporting Goods (the original store in Binghamton, NY) was a trout net - one with a long pole shoved into its hollow handle to extend Brendan's reach. It was great for scooping up fish, or for trying to catch turtles and frogs. One of its good points was that the net's edge did not overlap the aluminum rim, but was enclosed inside the rim offering it protection from rocks and such. It was not expensive or anything, but very practical for our purposes. I liked that net a lot, so much so that I had bought another just like it, and we also had that one aboard with us. I was happy to have bought the spare because Dick's apparently no longer carries them. As for the one with the pole stuck in the handle - it was our turtle and frog catching net. By the way, if you click on the pic, it should enlarge, but before you do - can you see how many turtles are on the log (answer below, if I don't forget).

Sometime not too long after the above shot we were faster than one of the turtles we saw, and Brendan was able to catch one. It was a small turtle covered in algae so it was a bit hard to identify without seeing its carapace (upper shell). I think it was a Painted Turtle, but am not all that sure. Still though the thrill of the hunt culminated in a catch after all, and that net made good. I guess it only made good though because this guy seemed to be sound asleep until we were really close, close enough for Brendan to position the net underneath the branch on which the turtle had hauled out to sun it self. That way, when the turtle was finally startled enough to take a plunge for safety, it landed right inside the net. Sadly though, it was the final catch with our net. I guess maybe I should apologize for torturing your eyes with that pic of me holding the turtle, I suppose I should have cropped it to include only the turtle in my hand, but oh well you're tough and can take it - can't you!

Remember I said I was happy I had bought a spare net at Dick's because they no longer carry them. Well, I was even happier I had the spare a short while later on this trip when I asked Brendan - "Hey, where is the net?" You guessed right, it was not to be found. Last I recall it was draped across Brendan's legs as we paddled, but I am not saying that he lost it. That is just where I can picture it in my mind's eye. We both had no idea of how or when it went overboard, but surely that is what happened to it because we searched the canoe at least two times, maybe three times in utter disbelief at our loss. Hopefully someone else, maybe a youngster in search of turtles or frogs will find it down river. The last I suppose I will ever see of that net is in the picture above as we honed in on numerous turtles on a deadfall. You can just make it out in the lower left corner of the pic.

At some point, just a little later on, we saw a nice little island, and we decided to beach the canoe and have lunch. I guess it had been just minutes after we had realized we had lost the net. I wasn't mad, which is surprising for me, but I did mention to Brendan I was sure disappointed that the net had been lost. There were a lot of fond memories with that net (and its predecessors- at least one, but I think two, of the same nets that had gotten holes torn in them and were then replaced with the now lost one). As we ate lunch on the island, I also mentioned how happy I was that we had the spare net, and that it still had the manufacturer's sticker on the handle giving the name of the company that made it. I did not bother looking at the label all that closely, no point since I could not contact them from the island; but I had wanted to make a call to them or shoot them an email once i got home. That way I could check to see if they still made them, and then order a couple of them for future use. Brendan agreed that was a good thing we had the spare. Despite the lost net, all was well. We fished some from the shore, and Brendan also tried to catch some bait. He wound up successful too. You may remember my earlier blog about wanting to see some Hellbenders while on this trip. While we had no luck with them, Brendan did catch a completely other typre of critter, with a somewhat similar name, a Hellgramite. A Hellgramite is the aquatic and larval stage of the Dobson Fly. While I have seen plenty of Hellgramites before, I do not recall ever seeing a Dobson fly - and man they are ugly and have large mandibles. The larval stage is none too pretty either, and while their mandibles look big, they are no match for those of the adult Dobson Fly. If I recall right, Brendan scooped this guy out of the river with the remaining net. He does not like insects and bugs, and is none to fond of touching any of them except maybe a worm to bait his hook; so I took it out and held it in place while he snapped a picture of it. Pretty isn't it! Well while you may not think so, the Spotted Bass who chomped down on it on my second cast with it surely must have thought it an appealing and appetizing morsel. We had only one other keeper sized bass from the river, that one from day one had already been filleted by me, and we now had another for the frying pan. All the others, except the one we ate at Skidmore Lake, were just too small to bother keeping - though now that I think of it - one or two of them 3 to 4 inch ones would have gone nicely in the tank with my Musk Turtle at home.

After fishing a bit more and only catching some smallfry bass (Brendan caught most of them, but he did take a pic of one I caught) we shoved off and headed down river. We soon paddled past another set of small rapids, and soon again saw more turtles. We decided to try to see if we couldn't get close enough to scoop up another one; and I am guessing it was about then that I asked Brendan: "Hey, where is the net?". Now if you are thinking that I am repeating myself, well you would be right; but I am only repeating myself because as you may have just guessed, the spare net was nowhere to be found in the canoe. The last place we both remembered seeing that one was on the little island where I had made the comment about being so happy to have the spare with the manufacturer's label still on it so we could cal them to see if they still made them. I guess my hopes of ever seeing another of these nets was pretty much bashed right then and there. Again, I did not get angry, but I sure was saddened by its loss. Brendan seemed devastated. I think he felt responsible for leaving the net on the island. (After returning home, he told his girlfriend that he felt bad because he had forgotten it there, and because I had mentioned how great it was to have the spare, and to have the maker's label still on it. I will try my best to replace it, and if I do, I'll give the new one to him as a present.) Oh well, life goes on and I suppose we will find a suitable replacement, but I have to admit, I'll miss that particular type of net - we have that particular type of net going on something like 15 years or more now; lots of fish, frogs, and a few turtles were scooped up with them over those years - lots of good memories were enmeshed in them.

It turned out that after that Brendan did not fish much. I did not realize why at first that he insisted on paddling as i fished; but it became apparent he was down because we lost the net. I assured him it was a shame, but it was okay in the long run, after all it was just a net. I even mentioned I hoped that maybe someone else would find it, and see us to return it before we got off the river. No luck there though. So we continued paddling, and fishing, until finally we arrived at the haul out site at about 5:00. We were about a half hour early, so we got all our gear out of the canoe, and then I tried to catch some minnows in one of our minnow traps. I figured we could do a bit more fishing from shore. No luck in that either, and soon the outfitter showed up to haul us, our gear, and the canoe back to the base.

We had planned on staying another day, but Brendan said he has wanted to make this the last day. So, once we were back at the car, that was it. We packed everything inside the Corolla, and we were off headed north. I guess I can say it is nice to have someone with which to share the driving, especially someone I like as much as Brendan, and whom I trust to drive as much as him. He is only 18 but so far has proven himself to be a safe driver. As a matter of fact, he drove all the way home that night. We departed the canoe company at about 6:00 or 6:15, then made a quick stop in a large roadside pawn shop I had noticed on our way in, and now again on our way out. We didn't buy anything, but they sure had an interesting collection of firearms, swords and knives. On the way home we stopped only one or two other times. I think maybe only once to gas up in New Jersey, where the prices are at least .30 a gallon less expensive than in NY. We wound up getting home at just about midnight. Not bad time at all, better than our time going down, mostly because of stopping less. One unique thing about the ride home was that we had a passenger. Remember that Spotted bass I had caught. Well it was in our live bait bucket for the entire ride home. I had a battery operated aerator pump hoked up to it, so it made the trip not too much the worse for the wear. We planned on eating it along with the fillets fro Brendan's keeper, and there is no fish better than truly fresh fish. I forgot to put Brendan's fillets into the fridge when we got home, so they wound up getting tossed the next day what with all the ice in the cooler having melted. I did not want to take a chance on it having gone bad. So what happened to the Spotted bass, well he is now residing in our fish tank with our Musk Turtle. I am hoping someone I know with a pond will want him, otherwise it is the frying pan for which he is destined. Not much of a meal in one small Spotted bass, but it will make a delicious appetizer, that is of course, only if the guy with the pond does not want him.

All in all we had a great time; and I think Brendan would agree with me on that one. I am hopeful that we will keep up this tradition of an annual road trip for many, many years to come; and I mentioned that to Brendan while on the drive home. His answer amused me, assured me, and comforted me when he said that when I am in my 90s, he will have to lift me up to put me into the canoe!

All the best,
Glenn B

PS: Lest I forget, there were 8 turtles that we counted in that pic. Do you see them all?

Road Trip 2008 - Shenandoah River and Beyond

How does the song go: "Oh Shenando I long to see you...." With its forested and farmland shores, small islands dotted throughout her waters, small rapids, abundance of wildlife, decent fishing - I mean who that loves the outdoors would not love this river. So once again, for the third time over the past several years, Brendan and I have been smitten by the beauty of this famed Virginia river, at least the south fork of it.

We left home on Sunday June 15at about 0730 - pretty darned early to get the younger version up, at em, and on the road with all our gear - but somehow I managed it. I am not saying I like to be up before the birds or anything like that, but just that while I would have liked to have left earlier by an hour or so, it wasn't bad timing at all. We had sort of planned on driving to Harrisburg, PA the first day and then spend some time at Hershey Park. I figured the drive there would be a breeze at about 199 miles, and 3 hours 40 minutes driving time per MapQuest. While I was driving I was, as usual, also talking. Brendan usually tunes me out after a while but sometimes he catches what I am blabbering on about. So somewhere along the way, while we were I was talking about our past canoeing road trips to the Shenandoah River, Brendan asked: "That's Virginia?". I said it was, and was surprised to hear that Harrisburg was out, and a direct drive all the way to VA, all 361 miles of it was in. Being a bit leery of just how long Brendan would want to be in the car I decided not to cancel our reservations at Motel 6 near Harrisburg until we were well passed it. While in PA, and long before we reached Harrisburg, we made a stop of about an hour and a half at a Pizza Hut, and then Cabelas near Hamburg. We picked up some lures, and I got a fishing pole to replace one that had broken on me some time ago. While there we took the time to get a good look at all the fish they have in the huge aquariums they have - all native species of freshwater game fish. Impressive, to say the least. We had both seen it before, but Brendan and I got a real kick out of it this time around too.

We then drove on without stopping until we hit the Welcome Center in West Virginia, on Interstate 81. We took a short break, and Brendan snapped a quick pic of me. We took a look at the map in the welcome center - I had forgotten to did out our road atlas, just to make sure I remembered how to get there. Then we grabbed a bunch of WV pamphlets just in case we decided to change plans and spend more time in WV. Then off again, this time with Brendan at the wheel. It's nice to be able to share the driving with my son, almost like the luxury of having a chauffeur and best buddy all in one. Along the way we made a stop for gas somewhere, and one other stop at the Virginia Welcome Center on Interstate 81. Lie in WV we stocked up on pamphlets and info guides about the state. When we drove on I had to start thinking about finding another motel at least for our first night's stay in VA. We had a reservation at the Best Western in Winchester, VA for Monday and Tuesday, but we decided to get closer to where we would likely be canoeing and we eventually decided on a Days Inn in Luray, VA. It wound up being a good choice, close to the canoe outfitters, close to other attractions, clean rooms, wi-fi, free continental breakfast, and nice folks running it. We cancelled the other reservation and stayed at the Days Inn for 3 nights. All in all it took us just about 7 1/2 hours of driving to get there, all three stops included, not bad at all.

Once we checked in at the motel, the rest of our day was spent shopping for fishing gear, and for supplies. I wanted to stock up on enough food for 3 to 4 days worth of lunches since we would likely be either canoeing, fishing, or hiking at any given lunchtime during the trip. So off to Walmart we went. We picked up a fishing supplies, our nonresident 5 day fishing licenses with added national forest permits, and lunch supplies and drinks for the next few days (not a beer or ale among those drinks though). As we drove around the area a bit, I realized just how much Luray, the tow in which our motel was located, has going for it as a road trip destination, or as a great place to live. There is, of course, the Shenandoah River with all the outdoor activities one can enjoy on a river like fishing, swimming, canoeing, rafting, tubing and so on. Then just about 10 miles away to the east is the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park for sightseeing, camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing and so on. Maybe a bit further to the west is the George Washington National Forest another great spot for hiking, camping, fishing, and also for hunting. The area is also loaded with caverns that are open to the public for a fee. We figured if the weather got miserable enough we would go and explore some of them, but as it turned out we never got the chance.

On Monday, day 2 of the trip, and our first full day in the Shenandoah Valley, we took off for Downriver Canoe Company in Benton. That was a drive of about 15 miles from the motel. We really didn't set off for that outfitter, but were headed to Front Royal Canoe about 10 miles further north. The thing that made us check out Downriver Canoe Company was that I was pretty sure it was down the same road as a canoe outfitter we had used on our 2 previous trips to the area. I could not remember the name of that one, but I wanted to use them again, and figured why not see if that was the right road. Well when we got to the river, there was Downriver Canoe Company on our right, and there was the building complex for the other canoe outfitter on our left just as I had remembered except for the fact that there were no canoes or signs of an outfitter at the place we previously had used. We stopped in at Downriver canoe Company and we were greeted by an pleasant gentleman with white hair but a youthful sparkle in his eyes. When I inquired about the other place, he told me that it had closed down after the owner, a heavily accented German lady whom I recall fondly, had retired in the last year or two. What a shame, we liked her and her outfit; and I talked to her each time about the old country - my wife having been born in Germany. Oh well, we figured what the heck we would give Downriver Canoe Company a try.

I am guessing we were in our canoe and on the river by about 11:00 AM. None to early, but they only open at 9 on weekdays; and it was more than early enough for sleeping beauty who really seemed to be comfortable in that Days Inn bed despite the alarm having gone off 15 minutes earlier with some truly irritating and loud preacher ranting about the wrath of God. As it was he finally woke up and we set off to enjoy the beauty of nature, which I guess you could see as God's greatest gift to us, too bad that radio preacher did not gear his sermon that way - then I might have listened for awhile.

I digress, so let me get back to the canoe, the river, and the good time we were about to have. We picked a trip of ten miles, and soon were in the transport van with two young ladies , one from Scotland the other from Ireland, who were traveling together, and with a man and woman I assumed to be hubby and wife obviously from the USA. The other two couples were dropped off first, then us. We opted to be dropped off above the rapids, or at least what there was of them since the water levels were on the low side. I guess VA had been spared the rain we had been getting in NY and surely were spared the rains that were pelting Iowa. We wasted no time once we were dropped off and we were in the river in about 10 minutes after having secured all our gear to the cross members in the canoe with bungee cords. We fished a while above the rapids, maybe a half hour or so; and Brendan caught a small mouth or spotted bass almost immediately. Nothing big, maybe a pound or pound and a half; but certainly the first fish of the trip. After a bit, and maybe a sunfish or two, and another but tiny bass, we headed downriver and through the rapids. They were fun but none too exhilarating since the water level was down. Still though it beat working, driving, and just sitting around. As I said it was fun.

Once over them we paddled a bit then started to fish again. We were constantly watching the skies as the weatherman, and the guy who helped us at the canoe rental, both promised severe weather. It was overcast, with lots of low dark clouds, but luckily each time we heard thunder booming, it was further downriver than were we and we stayed dry, at least early on. We had been told if we got in the thick of it to make for shore and wait it out. As it was we just fished and hoped we would not get rained on. A couple more tiny bass were brought in and some more fat sunfish. Brendan caught everything, I'd say about 8 or 9 fish - except that is for two bass about 3 or 4 inches long each. Oh joy, I caught them.

After stopping and fishing, then paddling, then stopping and fishing, then paddling, I started to wonder what time it was since I had forgotten my watch. We had time but it seemed later than it was to me. We continued on that way for awhile. Once or twice we got stuck right atop submerged rocks only and inch or two under the water in some of the other rapids we ran as we went along. Sadly when I get frustrated, I sometimes get not so nice and mouth off orders. None too fun for Brendan especially since I blamed getting stuck on him when it was as much my fault as his, maybe more mine for me being a lard butt who weighs too much. I apologized, shut my mouth and we pushed off, literally by both half climbing out of the canoe to give those rocks a shove. Then more fishing, and looking for turtles. Did I forget to mention that every now and then the sun came out. Once it was shining, it would not be more than 5 or 10 minutes and the turtles were climbing up on any downfall sticking up out of the water. We tried to catch some of them but they were just too alert and quick for us. You might be surprised at how quick they make a dive into the water when they think danger is approaching, it is no wonder that their cousin the tortoise was able to beat the hare.

We kept gliding along, fishing, looking at turtles, seeing cows cooling off in the shallows, watching birds, spotting some big fish swim under the canoe, and catching small ones. Then there was a sudden real darkening of the sky over us, and some loud boomers and lightning, and the water started to be whipped by the wind. In no time it was pouring, and we made for shore along with three other guys in two other canoes. We chatted with them a bit and they said they were catching fish all day long nonstop. When I asked what they were using, one guy said lures. What a helpful piece of info was that you cannot imagine. Heck we tried spinners, plugs both sinking and floating, artificial worms, other rubber like critter lures, live earthworms and meal worms; and we were not catching fish as they claimed they were doing. We must have been using the wrong lures, but no more information was forthcoming from the tight lipped fisherman with who we shared a bit of landing in the downpour. I had to wonder if they had caught anything. After about 10 or 15 minutes of getting soaked, we were off again. Luckily we had found out both the time and the distance to the canoe base, and realized we had enough time to get back if we paddled steadily with one or two stops for fishing. As it turned out, I guess the guy's watch was fast, or his guess at the distance was off, because we got back to the base at 4:30 PM, about an hour and a half before we had to be there. That was okay because in between we again got into the middle of a real bad one. We paddled ashore, this time just he two of us since the others had pulled way ahead since the last stop. I was kind of concerned because we had to have spent about 1/2 hour on the shore waiting for this one to pass. When it slowed down some, we were in the canoe and off toward the outfitter's base. We were both drenched, Brendan more so than I because he was wearing cotton shirt and shorts; and I was wearing a cotton shirt, and nylon swim suit with the addition of a poncho. Brendan was too manly for that, and he got drenched and stayed that way until we reached the outfitter's landing. Once there and not paddling he started to get cold fast and off came the wet shirt. The outfitter's helpers were there to meet us, or actually had come down to the landing to pick up the canoes of the other two parties who had arrived before us. Just lucky they were there to take ours just as we showed up. We put our gear together, and I gave Brendan the car keys and he went and got the car from across the river. We left and hit the hotel. I guess we were back at the hotel when I realized we were short a Camel Back day pack with a lot of our gar in it. Back down to the car, and nope it was not there; so into the car and off at speed to the canoe landing. Of course we got stuck behind a knucklehead who was driving erratically, slow then fast, then over the lines, then crawling, then fast - all when I was stressed out about losing my gear. When we got to the landing, there was my pack where I had left it. I guess the camo was pretty good since no one had driven by and spotted it. Lucky thing for me that it as still there.

After that we went into Luray to eat dinner. We stopped at Uncle Buck's restaurant. I had a burger. It was not cooked medium rare how I like it since they have to cook em medium or more in VA by state Law. Can you imagine the audacity of the politicians to tell you how you have to cook a burger - outrageous. Brendan had a bowl of vegetable soup and we also shared an appetizer called Texas Toast. It was toast smothered with crab meat and cheese, and toasted to perfection. I have to admit the bacon and cheese on my burger made up for it being cooked medium or medium well, and the food and service were outstanding. If you ever go to Luray, stop by this place. One side is a family style restaurant, the other is a bar. Not a bad set up. By the way, I had a couple of ales at this pit stop, one New castle that was on the flat side, and a Yeungling that was delicious. My first and only alcohol of the trip, but since Brendan could drive, a couple of pints were okay.

Later on we took a drive up toward Sky Line Drive in Shenandoah National Park. We headed up to it and turned around because the toll booth was shut down, and because it cost $15 bucks to enter if open. Now had it been the daytime that would have been okay, but I was not about to pay $15 for a short nighttime drive; and the sign said to pay upon exiting at whatever booth through which we would have exited. We were lucky though because along the way we saw a couple of deer feeding at roadside, and we saw a black bear sauntering along the road side a few miles later. The it was back to the motel to hit the sack.

The next day, Tuesday and day 3 of the trip, dawned sunny and much cooler. It was absolutely a perfect day. We decided not to hit the canoes again, I was still aching from the day before, and I think so too was Brendan at least a bit. My shoulders, back, knees and butt all were sore. So what to do. We decided to go fishing again, this time in a lake in the George Washington national Forest. It took us about an hour to find the road out of town to get across the river and to the lake. That was even after stopping at the COC to get directions and a local map. Even the locals had a hard time figuring out where that road started in town, and there were few access points to it out of town, and none within miles of it. Well we finally got onto the right road, and after a spell we were at Skidmore Forks. That turned out to be a stream, and we decided to stop there for lunch, and do some fishing. Lunch was delicious, fishing was not productive though we did see some small trout in the stream. We also saw a mess left by partiers or campers around a large fire ring. What a shame that people haul it in, then get drunk (as was obvious from the amount of beer cans) and then don't haul it out. If I had had a large garbage bag I would have cleaned it up.

After a short stopover, we were off again to look for Skidmore lake. I figured and hoped it would not be far from a stream called Skidmore Forks, and I was right. In a mile or two we hit the intersection of Switzer Lake Road. We figured that any lake was better than no lake, and if not Skidmore Lake, well Switzer Lake would do just fine so we decided to take it. Where did we wind up, well at Skidmore Lake of course! At least that is what the sign said near the lake. Why the road was named Switzer Lake Road and not named Skidmore Lake Road was beyond me, but I would guess there is a story in that somewhere. We fished there for a couple of hours. While hiking along the shore I lifted several flat rocks and spotted about 8 or 9 water snakes underneath them. I caught three of them to show Brendan. As I was headed back to where he was fishing (I figured some solo time would be god for both of us) he came walking toward me looking under some of the same rocks I had checked. I showed him the 3 snakes I had in my zippered vest pocket, and after a few minutes we released them. Brendan made on toward where I had been fishing, and as he did he looked for snakes too. He spotted one about three feet long, and very fat - probably gravid. he told me it had a stub tail. That was one of the same I had seen earlier on.

As for the fishing, we caught a bass or two, or I should say Brendan caught them, and he also caught a few sunnies. (Yes if you look closely in the pic, you can see a small sunfish at the end of his line.) After a couple of hours or so we moved to the other end of the lake to fish there. When we got there, a couple of other guys were jsut leaving, and we took their spot. We were the only ones there at that time, on the whole 118 acre lake. As we walked down to where they others had been fishing, brendan said that they had a fire, and had left it burining. Sure enough, there was a fire ring with hot ashes and embers in it. It was not more than 5 feet from the water, and those 2 other guys had been too lazy to fetch some water to assure it was out. Since it was also only about 25 feet from the woods, I think it would have been wise to have put it out. As it turned out, Brendan and I (mostly I) decided to gather some wood and start a new blaze. We fished, and enjoyed the campfire.

Again Brendan caught most of the fish, just a couple or few, but more than me with maybe one, if any at that area. When we tired of fishing, we sat around the fire and talked and Brendan and I each enjoyed half a sandwhich each, all we had left to eat, well besides a bass he had caught at the lake. I guess brendan was still hungry because he asked me to cook that up for him. I cooked it whole over the glowing embers. Pretty delicious if I say so myself, and Brendan agreed with me on that.

It was starting to turn to the hours of the long shadows as the sun got lower in the sky behind us; and and some other folks arrived to fish. A family of three, mom, dad and young sone - maybe 2 - shopwed up and fished for 20 minutes or so without luck. Then a couple of guys showed up and put a boat with a small motor in the water, and they were off to fish.I also spotted a canoe with fishermaen, and brendan spotted another small rowbaot with fishermen. Remarkable how the fishermen show up near dusk when the fish should be biting the best, but the fish did not cooperate. One other thing also started to show up when those shadows started to get long, and more of them came on as the sahdows lengthened. Dracula said: "Listen to them sing, the children of the night, what music they make." in reference to wolves howling outside at dusk. While these guys did not howl, they sure did have a buzzing, whining, drone, and also were children of the night, and bloodsuckers at that. Yes the mosquitoes had arrived, but luckily for us not in great numbers as on a pst trip we made to the Evergaldes a coupl,e of years back. Maybe it was the chill air, or maybe the smoke from the fire, but we only got a couple of bites each. Soon after they arrived we decided to make our getaway - fire or no fire they get pretty bold as it gets darker, and even the machete that Brendan was carrying would have been poor defense against a horde of hungry mosquitoes (we just had to buy it when we saw it at Wally World). We took off at about 8:15 or 8:30, and I was pretty surprised it was so late since it was still somewhat light out. We got back to the hotel pretty bushed and hit the hay shortly after our arrival.

I figure if you have read this through until now, you must be almost as tired of reading it as I am of writing it; and hopefully there were not too many typos. So for now dear readers I will pull the plug, and go watch something on the Sci-Fi channel. I'll finish up with the last day of the trip tomorrow or Sunday.

All the best,

Glenn B

A Hero's Lesson...

...hopefully will not have fallen on deaf ears, especially since the lesson was one of true heroism. In today's world of almost 'virtual' everything, it is often difficult to decipher the real from the fantastic, or from the make believe. The purely academic images presented by those who have never truly experienced more than little in life but what are products of the imagination are rampant; therefore mere conceptual views of what a hero should be are oft times confused with true heroism. Because of that confusion it winds up that people today often see a movie actor, a baseball player, a singer, a politician, a doctor, a teacher, a parent, a friend, as a hero; this when in fact that not even one of those folks may ever have completed one truly heroic deed among them in all of the combined years that their lives have spanned.

Indeed, heroism can take many forms, but in each and every instance there are certain aspects of heroism that are necessary before a hero can complete a heroic act. Some of these characteristics can also be found in many of our everyday endeavors; and because those other actions exhibit some similarities to heroism it is often mistakenly believed that someone who has reached a high level of achievement in those endeavors has done something heroic and is therefore a hero. For example, a baseball player breaks a long held record such as the home run record and he is hailed as a modern day hero. The truth be told, he is a great baseball, he has done a magnificent job at playing baseball,and hitter homers, but most probably has done nothing heroic in breaking said record. Another person maybe a doctor, a surgeon, who operates in a big hospital on a child and saves his life in a difficult new operation. The doctor often gets high praise from his/her colleagues, from the patient, from the parents of the child, from friends and relatives, and from the media. Many, especially the family of the child who was saved, see the doctor as a hero. Again, sorry to disappoint you, said doctor most likely does not qualify as a hero. The doctor probably is an excellent surgeon, someone who did a wonderful job, and who deserves lots of credit and thanks, but does not deserve the title of hero.

The term hero is an objective term. is is not one that was meant to be, or should be, subjective to the whim of the recipient of a good deed that does not meet those qualifiers. Great, fabulous, wonderful, competent, astute, lucky, skilled, proficient are all terms that fit the baseball players, doctors, and others to whom folks today all too often apply the moniker of hero. A true hero is a rarer bird than any of those you spot everyday, although a potential hero can be found among any flock because anyone can achieve heroism through a heroic act or acts. The commonality between heroism, heroic acts, and those other more mundane things things I mentioned above is that they all have some sense of being of impressive: size, intensity, effort, strength, duration. Heroism though goes beyond that, and any heroic act is one that requires much more than being impressive.

Heroism, besides being simply impressive, is truly outstanding act of bravery, (physical, mental, or moral) that is carried out not only in the face of adversity but usually in the face of overwhelming danger, and often while the person who is doing the act has already been afflicted by injury, pain or great difficulty. In addition a truly heroic act, although not always meant to be such by the hero at the time of the action, is one that supremely noble. It often subjects the hero to the distinct possibility of self sacrifice of life, limb or well being in order to achieve a higher purpose than the good of the person who does the heroic act. In other words a heroic act is usually an act of great loyalty to something above and beyond the individuality of the hero, to a greater cause than even to his/her family, close friends, job, team, and so forth. So again let me apologize, but breaking The Babe's home run record, while a great accomplishment, was not heroic, nor was breaking the new home run record.

So who then could be called a real hero? I guess there are a lot of people out there who are heroes to one extent or another, even within the definition that I have given; but I choose to look to a man who was laid to rest earlier today. The act that this man carried out was an impressive one indeed. It was also one that was carried out in not only the face of great adversity, but also one in which the hero faced what was overwhelming fear for those around him, they feared that they would lose their lives and some did, bit because this man acted heroically, many were also saved from death with but moments to spare. The hero had to face the same fears as the others, but something inside of him made him different than those around him. Instead of freezing in fear, or running for his life, he advanced toward the danger and did all in his power to protect the others so that they could escape. The hero had been through this before you see, that is he faced overwhelming fear, he felt something long ago, something those others around him did more recently also felt, abject helplessness. He had learned something very important though in his past experience. He learned that sometimes if you do not face danger, then life is not worth living, not your life or the lives of those you love. So he decided to take action, and the actions he took were of great loyalty, loyalty to other people whom he respected and possibly loved, whom he felt were worth saving, whom he felt were worth his own sacrifice – his students. So great was this danger from a raving mad-man that he lost his life in performing his act of heroism, but he saved many others in doing so.

One can only hope, that those whom he saved, and those to whom they tell their tale - of his outstanding heroism – will learn from his example. They will learn that life is just possibly not worth living without great sacrifice, without great loyalty, without true heroes. Today they laid a hero to rest, far away, across the sea, even though his heroism took place here in our own land. May Virginia Tech Professor Liviu Librescu rest in peace: he a husband, a father, a teacher, a survivor, a learned man, a risk taker, a fighter, a good man among good men, a hero among heroes - no greater loyalty could he have shown, no greater sacrifice could he have made. We need more people like him; I can only hope the lesson he taught was well learned by many.

All the best,
Glenn B

Virginia Tech...

...was a very sad state of affairs indeed. My heart felt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those who were lost, and my prayers go with them and go out for they who were injured. Speedy recovery.

One of my readers, Jungle Mom over at The Jungle Hut, commented in the previous post, that had someone on the campus had an SKS, things might have been different. I agree with her, if regular students and faculty were allowed to be armed on campus, chances are that things like this would not happen as this one unfolded. Still though, things could have been much different had the students and the faculty been prepared for what one faculty member said was "unimaginable" yesterday on the news. The thing is people want to believe such events are unimaginable, yet they are not. They are part of our lives. Violence caused by violent people is all around us everyday. If we choose to ignore it, if we choose to cocoon ourselves away from it, that is our choice; and I think a bad one at that. Mind you, I am not being critical of anyone who just lost their lives, or who were injured, in this or other events. I am being critical of where society in general seems to be going in this regard, but more importantly I will tell you about some options you may have in cases like this.


Yes, I think the possibility of armed students on campus would very likely have persuaded the killer in Virginia Tech shootings not to have started a killing spree. He may very well have killed the first two people whom he shot; but my bet would be he likely would not have attacked those in the classrooms had he thought they were armed, or had he thought they would have fought back. Even if he had started shooting, someone else would have been more able to defend him/herself and others against this killer.

Even without a gun, those students could have protected themselves and probably ended the rampage before it wound up as bad as it became. A classroom is full of potential weapons, and even if not, well the students likely still could have rushed him and disarmed him. It takes a certain mindset to do that, but the anti-violence types among us have pummeled our brains otherwise. They have bashed it into us over and over again that violence and aggression in any form are bad. This is just not true! Violent and aggressive behavior while trying to defend yourself can be a wonderful thing indeed. Such behavior, while putting yourself at risk of injury or death, actually may save lives, and one of those could be your own. Sure it could put you further at risk, but sometimes taking the risk is worth the reward. Had a few students in any of the classrooms thrown their books or pushed a desk at this guy, then charged him, and tried to take away his guns and subdue him, chances are, in my opinion, that fewer would have been shot. My bet is though, that even had they rushed this guy, and then someone or two started to pummel him to get him to stop, and maybe even beat him to death, someone else would have complained after the fact, and tried to get those students charged with manslaughter saying that the violence they exhibited was abhorrent. The truth be told, had they done just that, I think they should have received medals for bravery, and good citizenship

As it stands right now, about the bravest acts we are likely to see from those students and faculty on this campus, probably were the teachers and students who reportedly held the classroom door(s) closed so this guy could not get in. That was a smart and good thing to do, but had he gotten in, what would have happened. My bet is mass surrender, because that is what people in this country, for the great part, have been convinced to believe is the right thing to do. Even some police departments tell us to surrender to bad guys and comply with them. I have taught my children otherwise. I have told them again and again: if abducted, if accosted, if in a situation where you are sure to be stabbed, shot or otherwise severely injured and you are unlikely to be able to flee to safety, if the shooting is already taking place, and you are pretty sure your cannot getaway, THEN FIGHT BACK even if only with feet, hands, fingernails, and teeth.

You have to prepare yourself for what you will do in such a situation. In recent years, the 'nanny crowd' (to borrow a phrase from Rivrdog), has taught us to be good little victims by just about not doing anything other than what the bad guy wants us to do. Well when the bad guy wants you to stand still so he can shoot you, I think it ridiculous to comply. At any given point you can either fight, take flight, freeze, or be compliant. If you freeze or be compliant, you are at the mercy of the badguy. Badguys like the one yesterday surely do not seem to be very giving of mercy, now do they! If you take flight, at least you are a moving target, and not as easy to hit. If you fight, and if others fight with you, you stand some chance of overpowering the bad guy depending upon the situation. If you prepare and train ahead of time, to take some action, chances are that is how you will initially act when such a situation arises. The choice is yours. You have to examine the record of these types of shootings, and other violent crimes in our country, to see that the shooter can keep on shooting when unopposed, and other violent bad guys can hurt you when you comply or freeze. Sure some will take your money and let you go, but when a guy is like the badguy yesterday at Virginia Tech, he was looking to take one thing, and it was not money, it was lives. While no one wants to be shot, if a group goes to disarm someone like this, chances are they will take him out or disrupt his fire long enough for many to escape. Maybe they will even stop the threat. Even one person might be lucky enough to stop a badguy like this, but in my guess, a group would probably be more effective. Sure it may not work, someone may get hurt or killed - but what is going to happen when everyone does virtually nothing - 32 people besides this bad guy were killed yesterday. There is training available for both armed and unarmed self defense that could very possibly increase your odds of survival, violence can indeed be a good thing when done legally to protect yourself and other innocents.

I am not telling anyone to take any type of action, it is up to each person to decide for themselves if and when and what type of action they may take. The above is my opinion; and I cannot say it will work for you if and when you are faced with such a situation. I do know though what I would be more likely than not to at least try to do something, and that would be either to escape or fight back. If you don't want to be a victim of such a situation, then you probably need to make up your mind about it now.

In my opinion this is what should be done: You need to tell your legislators to pass "shall issue" firearms permits, and allow concealed, or unconcealed, weapons carry everywhere in your state. You need, I think, to prepare yourself to defend yourself with and without firearms or other weapons. Take home defense courses, take self defense courses, take shooting courses (only carry firearms or other weapons legally), buy pepper spray if legal and learn how to use it (imagine if a student had had a can of pepper spray yesterday and sprayed this guy), learn what action to take in such a situation that may save lives including your own. You can freeze and comply and be at the mercy of a killer who shows no mercy; or you can get training now so you will know some of the options you have in such a situation should it arise. You can also learn how to decide which options to pick, and then how to take some sort of action to do something about getting yourself, and others, to safety. The choice is all up to you. Choose wisely, it may save a life, but do choose; and do start planning now for whatever you will do if the shit hits the fan and you are there in front of it.

All the best,
Glenn B

edited: 0300PM 04/17/07, just to better make my point.