Category: Soapbox

Running Toward Life

Posted on by Pete Schloss

July 6, 2022.

We broke camp in the rain, we drove in the rain, we set up camp in the rain. Driving rain that all but defeated our windshield wipers. Fog at times so disorienting that it made me feel as if I was inside of a ping-pong ball. Over three hours of this on two lane roads and an hour after our arrival at camp my knuckles were still white. A damp relentless cold (thankfully!) made the mosquitos take cover, I care not where because it wasn’t around me.

Thinking about those little bastards I wondered how fast their wings must beat to make that infernal hum. The answer: 300 to 600 beats per SECOND! To put that into perspective, hummingbird wings clock at about 80 per second. Supposedly a mosquito can only fly about 1.5 miles per hour. They must set up a relay once they’ve set their sights on me.

Skies intermittently cleared of rain not long after we made camp at Blomidon Provincial Park located high on cliffs overlooking the Bay of Fundy.

However, temps continued to fall to just over 50 degrees. The winds picked up into the 30’s.

Blomidon PP is a pleasant surprise. Very basic campsites, but such a variety of settings. We are near the cliffside, somewhat sheltered by trees and scrub.

A short walk from us the campsites are in a broad open pasture.

There we spoke with Barb and Paul, campers from Vermont. We plan on sharing a campfire tomorrow provided that the winds subside.

On the way to Blomidon we stopped in the charming community of Kentville to do laundry. We plan on a longer visit when we again drive through on Friday as we head to Halifax.

Braving the elements this evening I pulled out the smaller of two Dutch Ovens to bake, or should I say over-bake, cornbread as a compliment to Christine’s split pea and ham soup.

We were able to enjoy both outside during a lull in the climatic action. Tomorrow is forecast to be pleasantly sunny with a high in the mid-60’s, mid-50’s at night.

In a moment of clarity at dinner “my muse” spoke to Christine. “I love what we are doing. It helps me to appreciate but not miss Kansas City. I love our life in Kansas City, yet while we are there I find gratitude for our life on the road. I look forward to our “next thing”, but not at the expense of embracing the moment.”

Earlier in the day at the laundromat I read an essay shared by a friend. The essay was written by a woman facing terminal brain cancer. In the “prime of her life” she was struggling to understand and accept her lot. During counseling she was presented with the question, “Are you running from death, or are you running toward life?” The question gives me pause, just as it did her.

Death is a destination we all will share. At 70 I see more and more acquaintances, friends, and relatives “exit”. Running from death is not only folly but the energy thus spent could be directed toward embracing the experience of life.

What is running toward life? One man’s answer:

“Sing like no one is listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like no one is watching and live like it’s heaven on earth.” -Mark Twain

To this I will add: Don’t put off until tomorrow the things that you may find you are then unable to do.

Peace Everyone. Have Fun, Do Good, and for the sake of those who love you Be Safe. Pete

The “Black Loyalists”

Posted on by Pete Schloss

Some interesting and appropriate reading on this American Independence Day, not taught in my American History classes:

Black Loyalists arrived in Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785, as a result of the American Revolution. They were the largest group of people of African birth and of African descent to come to Nova Scotia at any one time.

In 1775, some people in the British North American colonies were arguing with the British government about how much control Great Britain should have over taxes and life in the colonies. The colonists wanted to influence decisions about laws and taxes but had no representation in the British Parliament. They declared themselves independent of Britain when they weren’t able to come to an agreement. The American Revolution, also called the American War of Independence, was the result.

People of African birth, who were brought forcibly to the colonies to provide slave labour, and their descendants, were caught in this war. In the late 1600s and 1700s, the British had established rice, indigo, and tobacco plantations in the southern part of North America. Plantation owners required lots of labourers to do field work and other jobs. To reduce costs, they used slaves. At first they enslaved the native Indians but then used mostly African slaves.

In the northern colonies, slaves worked as farm hands or at various jobs as domestic workers or at semi-specialized trades, such as lumbering, mining, road-making, black smithing, shoemaking, weaving and spinning.

When Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, lost control of that colony to the rebels in the summer of 1775, the economy of Virginia was based on slave labor. Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation that any slave or indentured person would be given their freedom if they took up arms with the British against the rebels. As a result, 2,000 slaves and indentured persons joined his forces. Later, other British supporters in the colonies issued similar proclamations.

Then the British Commander-in-chief at New York, Sir Henry Clinton, issued the Philipsburg proclamation when the British realized they were losing the war. It stated that any Negro to desert the rebel cause would receive full protection, freedom, and land. It is estimated that many thousands of people of African descent joined the British and became British supporters.

When the Americans won the war and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, British forces and their supporters had to leave the new United States. They gathered at New York, waiting to be evacuated. In the meantime, the Americans wanted their lost property returned. Sir Guy Carleton, the new British Commander- in-chief, refused General George Washington’s demand for the return of those slaves who had joined the British before November 30, 1782. The two men agreed that the Americans would receive money instead.

The British-American Commission identified the Black people in New York who had joined the British before the surrender, and issued “certificates of freedom” signed by General Birch or General Musgrave. Those who chose to emigrate were evacuated by ship. To make sure no one attempted to leave who did not have a certificate of freedom, the name of any Black person on board a vessel, whether slave, indentured servant, or free, was recorded, along with the details of enslavement, escape, and military service, in a document called the Book of Negroes.

Between April and November, 1783, 114 ships were inspected in New York harbour. An unknown number of ships left New York and other ports before and after these dates. Over 3,000 Black Loyalists were enrolled in the Book of Negroes, but perhaps as many as 5,000 Black people left New York for Nova Scotia, the West Indies, Quebec, England, Germany, and Belgium.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Taken from: https://novascotia.ca/museum/blackloyalists/who.htm

Yarmouth Nova Scotia!

Posted on by Pete Schloss

July 4, 2022. Happy Independence Day America!

Our ferry landed in Yarmouth Nova Scotia the evening of July 2nd. It was past 9 pm by the time that we reached camp at Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park. We had just enough light, and energy, to set up camp, make a snack, and hit the bed. Although we reserved two nights here, the late arrival made it feel like a single day’s stay. It is a beautiful setting, deserving of a longer visit.

The order of business for the morning of July 3rd was to drive into Yarmouth, find an ATM to secure some Canadian currency, find breakfast, and then a grocery store to replenish foods that we had unfortunately and erroneously discarded back in Maine.

Information we received the day we boarded the ferry counseled us to discard all fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat. We complied, keeping our three eggs which were not prohibited. We learned during the crossing that “new limits apply”!

Canadian Border security was sympathetic as we handed over our “no vegetables, dairy, and meat” entry declaration, the pleasant representative pausing to ask where the 3 eggs came from. “Maine”, Christine replied. “Eggs from Maine are prohibited, but only recently… Avian Bird flu.” We surrendered our 3 eggs for which we received an official receipt not good for Canadian replacement eggs.

$65 Canadian dollars (about $52 US) spent at a huge, clean, and well stocked grocery store and our larder was replenished. We were then off to check out Yarmouth by day and on a recommendation nearby Cape Forchu. I took lots of pictures, but honoring my pledge I have severely limited the number I’m posting.

Yarmouth is a delightful “working” seaside community with an active maritime industry that dates back to at least the 17th Century.

Cape Forchu (“forked tongue of land”), so named by the explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604, is located near the entry to the Bay of Fundy and is a prominence with safe harbor at Yarmouth on the left and a dangerous “false harbor” on the right. Many ships met their end on the rocky Cape and false harbor, victims of the frequent fog and deceptive coastline.

The Bay of Fundy is known for having the highest tidal range in the world, rising and then falling over 50 feet every 6 hours. On a visit there a few years ago we walked the bare sea-floor at low tide, having been given a caution and timetable that unless we returned to “shore” by a certain time we would die. Here on the Cape the tide range is “only” 15 feet.

In 1839 the first Cape Forchu Lighthouse was installed. We visited the mid-20th Century version, affectionately known as the “apple core” lighthouse. I climbed to the top and was rewarded with stunning views of… fog.

This area knows fog! So much so that Hollywood used Cape Forchu as its set for the filming of the strange 2019 movie, “Lighthouse”, starring William Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The rugged coast and climatic conditions were perfect for the movie, the lighthouse not so much. So, Hollywood constructed a huge period appropriate lighthouse (out of wood) and light keepers cottage on the Cape. When filming was concluded the producers offered to gift the set to the community, but unfortunately it was too large and the upkeep would have been too costly. Down they came.

Yarmouth was unable to set off its Canada Day (July 1st) fireworks display because of fog. ironically, they’re looking at setting them off on July 4th.

Today we make our way up the Atlantic coast a two hour drive to Thomas Raddall Provincial Park, but not before again stopping in Yarmouth to visit its well regarded County Museum and view some of the amazing 19th Century mansions located in the neighborhood.

Peace Everyone . Pete

PS. Are Canadians happier than Americans? Its a question for which I have no current answer. I know that there are studies that have sought to rank the happiness of various populations. I recall that the people of Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden rank near the top for “happiness”. Often this is attributed to a well funded social safety net and universal health care (which Canada has). I also recall that the United States does not fare well on the “happiness scale”. I don’t recall Canada’s ranking.

However, what we have experienced in just two days are smiles, helpfulness and “happiness” in everyone we have met from Tom our waiter at Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant (we highly recommend it!) to a lady stocking shelves at the grocery store who went out of her way to find us a dollar off coupon for some cheese we were buying, to Candice who checked us into the Park and gave us recommendations for area attractions, to the young lady who escorted me to the top of the lighthouse.

There was even the gentleman who retired from 40+ years as a lobsterman and sets up his tent to explain the industry to those like us willing to listen…

…and Barry, who when we asked yesterday about available parking for a car towing a trailer near the County Museum, directed us to his driveway and insisted that we pull in for our visit today.

Perhaps they are merely reflecting the happiness of two retired travelers.

We have often remarked that so many shoppers we see at Walmarts in the States appear “unhappy”. I will make it a point to visit a Walmart in Canada to further my investigation of “national happiness”.

One more time. Peace Everyone (and be happy). Pete

Thoughts and Words, Chickens and Eggs

Posted on by Pete Schloss

June 18, 2022. Internet has been a real challenge thus far. I write and upload when I am able, but not enough to satisfy the urge.

The last two nights we camped on Wellesley Island, in the Thousand Island region of New York, looking out onto Canada across the St. Lawrence River.

There must literally be a thousand islands, and any large enough to fit a house…

We have been told that in order to be considered an island there must be at least one tree, and through the course of a year the island must remain above water. In the absence of those two qualifiers it is deemed a shoal.

Hot and muggy transitioned into falling temperatures and rain, but not before I enjoyed a solitary 5 mile hike along the coast.

At one point Canada was literally a stone’s throw away.

At another I encountered a few glacial “pot holes”.

These curious features are circular impressions “drilled” into solid rock. Over thousands of years rushing meltwaters occasionally cause stones and debris to whirlpool over a single location, gradually eroding a downward tube into the rock. One of the pot holes I saw was 3 feet across and reported to be over 15 feet deep. It was full of water, leaves, and dead stuff. Out of concern for the safety of hikers its opening was covered in protective metal screening,

This morning we awoke to temps falling from the 50’s into the 40’s. A bone chilling drizzle persisted throughout the day.

We are camped for the next 3 nights at Buck Pond, a wonderfully primitive campground located in the northern reaches of New York’s expansive Adirondack Park. Temps have continued to fall into the 30’s and threaten to freeze water overnight. A campfire is not so much a want as it is a need.

Nevertheless, the absence of biting insects, the skyscraper pines and the endless carpet of soft pine needles is salve for the soul and senses. We are content.

Tomorrow is a milestone. 45 years ago we each said “I do!”. Among other things we promised to love, honor, and respect each other. We have kept those promises as humans do, imperfectly. What matters most is that we continue working to perfect our efforts at marriage. We will seek an appropriate dining venue about 20 miles away in Lake Placid, famously host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, for our celebration of life well lived together, and Father’s Day.

On the road today we trolled radio stations, seeking the right station for our mood. In the process we briefly paused on a talk-radio channel that caught our attention. The male “shock-jock” was waxing inelegantly about the “virtues” of womanhood. To us he was deeply offensive. I will only share the least inappropriate “joke” that he recited: “What does one shout if a man on a ship falls overboard… MAN OVERBOARD! What does one shout if a woman falls overboard… FULL SPEED AHEAD!!”

It takes some intelligence to host a radio talk show. I wondered, did he really believe what he was saying, or was the station’s business model requiring that he play to the perceived audience of Neanderthals? I doubt that he could have gotten away with such off-color “jokes” aimed at Jews, people of color, veterans or Christians. Certainly not guns, pickup trucks or hunting dogs. Why are women as a group acceptable targets of such insult?

I once read that it is difficult to hold on to dark negative thoughts if one expends their best effort to maintain an honest smile. Just as the face reflects ones mood, there is some indication that facial expressions can actually influence ones mood.

If the “shock-jock” believed that what he said was funny then did he come to the belief because he was required by his job to say the words, or did he say those words because they reflect his personal beliefs? Did thought induce the words or did the words induce the thoughts. It’s like that old saw, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” Corrupting that phrase in the context of the radio DJ, “What came first the chicken shitting or the chicken’s shit?”

Just as I believe that journey is more important than destination, I hold that questions are often more important than answers. Questions generate contemplation, answers typically end it.

Peace Everyone. Pete

Geneva on the Lake

Posted on by Pete Schloss

We arrived on the south shore of Lake Erie at Ohio’s Geneva State Park on June 12th. Registered for two nights we are finally transitioning into “real“ camping. However, not completely.

A two mile walk from the park leads to the town of Geneva on the Lake, a resort community that dates back to the mid-19th century.

The charm of that era has been replaced by a strip of arcades, ice cream shops, bars, and all things that attract families with children, motorcyclists, classic car aficionados, and old campers like us.

We have enjoyed our campsite and campfire but we have not yet broken out the camp stove. We were intrigued to read of a restaurant in Geneva On the Lake, the GOTL Brewery, which serves its entrées atop an 850° lava rock.

You are responsible for the temperature of your protein which you then cook at the table. Christine’s steak and my Ahi tuna were exceptional, as was the beer. About 10 minutes into dinner Christine exclaimed, “We’ve been here before!“ A short discussion comparing the eerie familiarity we both sensed, confirmed her observation. Apparently, there is a downside to the amount of camping we have done over the last seven years… we are beginning to forget where we have been!

For us the principal entertainment boiled down to walking the strip, taking in the sights, and finally enjoying sunset at the beach.

We have also enjoyed a nice 6 mile hike that revealed a “fairy village“ laid out neatly at the foot of a large tree in the woods.

Next we head up the shore of Lake Erie, through Buffalo, and onto the south shore of Lake Ontario in the state of New York.

Peace everyone! Pete

PS. As I was seated at a picnic table near the park office, taking advantage of their WiFi to type these notes, a bicyclist rode up and addressed me. His was a heavily laden touring bike, and his first words betrayed a foreign accent. “Sig” was from Sweden. He was spending his 5 week holiday bicycling the south coast of Lake Erie, bound for Niagara Falls. He sought some guidance on securing a campsite.

As the result of our discussion, “Sig” obtained a site for the night and later joined us at our campfire. A few beers and hours of pleasant conversation are proof that it takes only kindness to shrink the world one smile at a time.