DANCER'S PREDICAMENTS

[Northern Dancer]

WHIMSICAL NOTES FROM NORTHERN DANCER
[Feel free to add your own]

I leaned forward on my hanches just a bit and suddenly found myself gracefully sliding slightly forward.

The rock formation stretching into the water was well saturated and covered with algae and did I say slippery? It's always disconcerting to a man when he's not in control of his body movement and I certainly wasn't in control of mine. I thought calmly, "If I stretch out the palms of my hands I just might be able to balance enough to stop." Nope. Like a video in slow motion with classical music playing I continued my precarious descent to the water's edge. If I could just grab hold of that overhanging branch. Nope, that wasn't going to happen either. And then...

I came to an instant and complete stop. Relieved, I looked into the depths of the water and the water looked back at me. Then I fall in.

 

[ppine]

I was washing my face in the creek one morning camping in the hills in eastern WA. We were getting ready for the Ellensburg Rodeo. I had a towel draped around my neck. I leaned down and the towel fell in the water. So I reached for it and fell in the creek. I was wearing cotton clothes and felt cold the whole day.

 

[Northern Dancer]

I was washing my face in the creek one morning camping in the hills in eastern WA. We were getting ready for the Ellensburg Rodeo. I had a towel draped around my neck. I leaned down and the towel fell in the water. So I reached for it and fell in the creek. I was wearing cotton clothes and felt cold the whole day.

-----> That's funny and I can see it so clearly. At this moment I'm looking at the expression on your face and figuring out what the mind may have been saying to you at the time. Good to see you online "Captain."

 

[Northern Dancer]

It's the little things you remember most...

I should be able to get that. Wrapped the rope firmly to my Carabiner, took aim, and threw it over the lower limb high about the ground. Missed. Let's try that again. Almost, but his time it came back and beaned me. Let's not get discouraged here now and try again. Take your time and try not to hit yourself. Good hefty swing up, up, up, and over...and caught. Okay.

What the heck there aren't any bears here anyway.

I placed the food barrel in a crotch of a tree a distance from the tent but where I could see it. It was still in the harness with bear bells and motion lights attached. It's good to have light, right?

In the wee hours of the morning, I'm hearing bells. I opened one eye a bit and can barely see a light in the distance. So I get up, arm myself with bear spray and take an investigative stroll. No bear. Something a lot worse. A family of coons was working feverishly to detach the barrel from the bag and drag it to a more suitable location.

After a hostile confrontation, the coons are off and running and I headed back to my tent. Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling. Gnaw, I can't be bothered to answer the phone. I roll over and go to sleep assured everything would be fine come sun up.

 

[Roybrew]

Why does it always appear to be in slow motion?

 

[Northern Dancer]

Why does it always appear to be in slow motion?

----> A Hollywood technique to draw in the viewer to make the scene more dynamic than it probably really is?

 

[Northern Dancer]

I heard a faint crack...

It was like this. In the wee hours of Sunday morning I somehow knocked my pillow off my cot and unto the floor. The situation was simple enough to correct by leaning over and scooping it up. That I did and in the process heard a faint crack in my neck. I thought to myself at the time this doen't sound good.

By mid morning it was time to pack up and head back to the fort. Come Sunday evening I began to notice pain. Come Monday I had to leave work because of the excruciating pain. Tuesday wasn't any better and though I somehow managed to get through an important planning meeting I wasn't able to finish the day. I couldn't lift my face, lower my face or turn from side to side. You sort of need that dexterity to drive a van safely.

Come Wednesday morning as early as possible I called my Doc and he set an appointment to come in after lunch. So, with neck imaging, four prescribed medications and the possibility of physio therapy I'm starting to mend.

Funny, isn't it, how something relatively simple can turn into a monumental challenge. My Doc called back after supper to say the results looked good and there was no serious damage done and to continue with the medications and yes, pick up the physio.

Play safe...Stay safe.

 

[Roybrew]

That is scary. What if, yes lots of "what ifs". That could be a bad situation. Glad you'll mend, hopefully with out any long term problems.
Roy

 

[ppine]

This last Thursday I was camped with my trailer in a nice campground not far from home. Because it was November, I was the only person there.
Then a loud old van pulled up with a trailer from about 1970. My dog was barking. I went over the size up the guy that had parked next to me in an empty campground. He had two German Sheperds in the truck. "Do your dogs get along with other dogs?" I asked. "They are viscious." was all he said. I tried to make small talk. He was living on the road and was very defensive and obnoxious.

I went back to my campsite. There was no one around. No other campers. No pay dudes. Nobody. I am driving a new truck. This guy is clearly desperate. I just packed up and went home a little early.

 

[Northern Dancer]

This last Thursday I was camped with my trailer in a nice campground not far from home. Because it was November, I was the only person there.
Then a loud old van pulled up with a trailer from about 1970. My dog was barking. I went over the size up the guy that had parked next to me in an empty campground. He had two German Sheperds in the truck. "Do your dogs get along with other dogs?" I asked. "They are viscious." was all he said. I tried to make small talk. He was living on the road and was very defensive and obnoxious.

I went back to my campsite. There was no one around. No other campers. No pay dudes. Nobody. I am driving a new truck. This guy is clearly desperate. I just packed up and went home a little early.

-----> A wise decision. Nothing like being wide awake all night night with vexatious thoughts playing with the mind. I've only had that happen once - things just didn't seem right. I packed up and left for the day. I checked the next day and the "happy people" had left and I resumed my campout. But I was still uneasy.

Glad you are still getting out; it's a good thing to do.

 

[ppine]

It has happened only a few times in around 55 years of camping and being a road warrior.