Since the topic of stupidity came up, I thought I'd mention a few of the outdoors debacles I've seen or done (I won't mention which). Since I've seen or done them, you should not have to follow suit. Arriving at the boat ramp with kayaks securely locked to the car, but gee whiz, no key to unlock said kayaks. Forgetting to close tailgate of truck before heading down the road, and ending up with truck full of dust and dirt. Forgetting to secure canopy to truck before heading down the road. Leaving trucks parked on gravel bar, launching kayaks, paddling down the river, returning to find gravel bar under two feet of water, wondering how was it possible for the tide to extend so far inland. Very puzzling. Dropping car keys into ocean while paddling, with no spare key. Best done in very remote areas. Parking vehicle on fairly steep boat ramp, and then setting the emergency brake so hard that it cannot be released. Launching aluminum fishing boat without replacing the drain plug. Pulling your kayak up the beach for the night, but not quite far enough. Failing to tie off your kayak at night with the bow line. Parking your kayak for the night in a Poisson Oak bush. Setting up tent for the night on beach just above high tide line, but miscalculating just where that line should be. Waking up in the middle of the night and thinking the surf is two inches from your face, only to find the surf is two inches from your face and closing. Waking up in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling that you are floating, only to realize that you actually are floating. Leaving your tent in the middle of a dark night, without a flashlight, to answer a call of nature, and then not being able to find your way back. Doing a raft trip down the Willamette River with four guys in a rental raft, no patch kit or pump, and sinking at the halfway point, miles from anywhere. And why do farm dogs have to be so large and vicious? Swimming in the surf down south, and discovering why you want to avoid rip tides and Portugese-Men-'O'-War. Going deep sea fishing in a 14-foot rowboat and attracting the attention of a 14-foot shark. (Best done while still in high school). Going trout fishing, leaving your large Golden Retriever in the car, which is parked on a sloped logging road, and not anticipating that the dog is capable of putting the car in neutral and releasing the emergency brake, but not too good at steering. Finally, there is camping for two weeks in the rain with no rain gear and no fly for the tent, using mostly cotton clothing, in the only level spot for miles around, which is covered with two inches of standing water because the damn rain won't stop. BRC *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks, Bradford. That gave me my morning laugh. A nice way to start off a cold Saturday. And I'm not going to admit how many of those I've also committed... but quite a few. My motto is not "don't be stupid" it's "try not to be stupid". No one can do it all the time. Craig Jungers Laughing somewhere in the cold On Dec 21, 2007 1:59 PM, Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu> wrote: > Since the topic of stupidity came up, I thought I'd mention a few of > the outdoors debacles I've seen or done (I won't mention which). Since > I've seen or done them, you should not have to follow suit. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Saturday 22 December 2007 13:11, BRC wrote: > Going trout fishing, leaving your large Golden Retriever in the car, > which is parked on a sloped logging road, and not anticipating that the > dog is capable of putting the car in neutral and releasing the emergency > brake, but not too good at steering. One day in my youth, the owner of our summer cottage came visiting with his two dogs, dachshunds, who were very energetic in their pursuit of rodents and animals, so as not to again turn my dad's garden into a shambles, they were locked into the DKW, which was parked in sloping back garden. When we kids passed the car, the dogs started to jump about like crazy, in and out of the front seats, naturally managing the release the emergency brake, and down the hill ithe new car went, bouncing like mad over plantations and flower beds, eventually being caught by the wire fence (a number of poles broke but it did its job, keeping the cows in, and other animals out! The elderly doctor revved the engine, and we all, mum, dad, me and my sis, all pushed and pushed, the car going a slightly different way up the hill, smashing further plants and greenery! Our parents and the doctor all thought we did it, till eventually they believed us, as they well knew that those dogs would have bitten us in half if we even had tried to open the door of the car, but grownups are stupid ;-(! Ah, glorious youth - life sure was different then :-)! Off from school for three months each summer! Now I get three weeks in a row, that's all! Unless I want my vacation in murky November .-(! By the way, Merry Christmas, all of you, and a happy sailing, paddling and camping year 2008! Tord & Ann-Christine *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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