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Waking up the camp
After a late night at the bonfire at Rickman’s Harbour Pond, with many a beverage in hand, Eric and I are usually the first to stir. Always a morning person, no matter how late the night, I am usually awake with the dawn. Its May 2-4 weekend, Victoria Day, probably the biggest party weekend of the year back home, and for quite a number of years, we always made our way to Elvis’ cabin for it. We get the naphtha in the old Coleman stove and start pumping it up, while someone else heads to the pond for a kettle full of water. Firing up the stove we get the kettle on and the frying pan too, and soon the scent of bacon is wafting around the place, causing the rest of the crew to stir.
Big heads require a beer to start the morning, a hair of the dog, to help cure the hangovers, that and a nice greasy plate of bacon, toast and coffee get us started for the day. The sun is shining, unusual for May 2-4 to be honest, but its about 2 degrees Celsius outside, and we got about an inch of snow over night. Doesn’t matter, the few of us who actually want to trout pack up or rods, tackle and baskets and make our way to catch lunch before the partying starts again.
We laugh about Junior and the beer box on his head, him swearing the whole time it was me. We make fun of Kendall and Jamie singing the wrong lyrics to Lightning Crashes at the top of their lungs the night before. We laugh at me lighting the barrel on fire with white gas and singing my eyebrows when I thought it was barbecue starter. Its a ritual, a rite of passage, and all good natured. We drive that back road, stopping at ponds we can reach easily, and catch a few trout. Of course Eric catches more than anyone else as usual.
Back for lunch, pork fat in the pan, trout coated in flour we make our lunch, while the barbecue goes outside stacked full of hot dogs, hamburgers, steak, and everything you can imagine. Lunch over, beer in hand, we start visiting everyone else’s camp sites. Its like Christmas visits, and part of the event. Moonshine and drinks are shared. Everyone has a slight glow for the day.
Its friendships, events, memories created that last a lifetime. Its the 24th of May and we likes to get away.
A Perfect Moment – A Poem Wild someone or something must have shared my
The Strange Case of Ralph’s Car
Not written in a bit, just because its not often a story comes to mind I’ve not already written! Probably cause I’m gettin’ old and just keep repeating myself. 😛 Anyway, was thinking about old times today, and for some reason, the strange case of Ralph’s car come to mind. …If the lightning doesn’t get them!
The oldfolks would say, there’ll be lots of bakeapples if the lightning don’t get em! July, whether there’s any truth to it or not, or just superstition or coincidence, is an important month in determining the yield of some berries. Obviously a late frost is likely to kill the young …School Memories
By Barbara Smith Barbara wrote the following for a heritage site I was trying to get going. Unfortunately wasn’t getting interest, so I shuttered it. The post is still useful and insightful though! Back in the “really” old days, when dad (Hay Smith) was school age, the school in Aspen Brook had …
Carry on and Mastodon

If you follow the tech scene at all, and likely even if not, you’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about Mastodon lately. I’m actually perhaps a little late to the scene, but I joined the bandwagon this past weekend, and thought I’d share my thoughts and tips. Sorry for any incoherence. And I’ll update […]
10 Channels, 2 Programs… why?

Was watching (or trying at least) to watch some sports last night. Harkening back to my love of curling, there’s a tournament in Toronto, and I was expecting coverage. Apparently they aren’t deeming to until Thursday, so be it. But for the love of god, between them TSN and SportsNet have 10 different feeds. Last […]
Picture Says it all Really

I can’t say I watch wrestling much anymore, but when I was younger I remember going to some bar or another to watch almost all the major events. I have a memory of this one motel bar out by what used to be the beginning of the divided highway, which was nearly into Kenmount road […]
Olympic Hockey Done

The NHL announced today it won’t be participating in the next olympics. I get some of the reasons, but I really think it’s short sighted. Yeah it’s in the middle of the season, yeah some of the players could get injured. But they could get injured walking to the rink too. To me the the olympics […]
Chess on Ice

I’m currently watching the men’s world curling championships. I know a lot of people laugh at the game and can’t seem to follow it, but to me it’s probably my favorite thing to watch. It sounds simple, get your rock as close to the center as you can, and prevent the other team from doing […]