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Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Sun 21 Oct 2018, 05:34:27
by careinke
I learned how too, and actually butchered a cow, (well half a cow), this week. What new thing did you learn or try this week?

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Sun 21 Oct 2018, 09:18:29
by Newfie
Great question. My past few weeks have been void of new experiences. Too much admin and visiting, way too much city.

Over the summer I was attempting TIG welding, that will take a while.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Tue 23 Oct 2018, 00:57:31
by evilgenius
Plantagenet wrote:
Newfie wrote:Just got back from a long trip putting the boat to bed for the winter.

Afternoon sun and a warming fire. ;)


Just did the same thing here with my lake cabin. We got a work group together and pulled the docks out of the water and stacked them about 20 feet back from the beach. Then we moved the Hobie cat up there too.

Everything has got to come out of the water because the lake freezes solid with 4-6 feet of ice. The real trouble comes in the spring when the ice starts to melt around the edges. The remaining ice moves with the wind and often plows up ridges as its shoved into the shore. Then the wind blows the other way. Then it comes back and bulldozes up the shore again, and crushes anything left in the water or along the shore.

My backs OK but my arms are sore today from lifting and carrying the docks. The boat easily slid right up on and across the beach. Thank god for ibuprofen.

What sort of reasoning do you use to determine that you have moved everything far enough from the shore line? I know that you consider climate. Do you suggest to the others that a few more feet away from the water might be wise, even if you know that your back will hurt?

Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Tue 23 Oct 2018, 20:33:00
by Shaved Monkey
Booked a month in Japan, getting some more travelling done while the oil is still cheap and my wife and I are still young enough.

Should be fun seeing organised ,cramped, chaos that works.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Wed 24 Oct 2018, 02:01:08
by Newfie

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Mon 17 Dec 2018, 18:11:25
by Ibon
Geo Special on their June edition in German featured Costa Rica and Panama and our resort was highlighted!

I was wondering why we were getting so many german guests and we only found out that we were featured in this edition during the past week.

Image

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Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Mon 17 Dec 2018, 18:30:52
by Pops
Very cool!
(now you need to add a couple more €'s :wink: )

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Sat 09 Mar 2019, 23:49:57
by Shaved Monkey

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Mon 11 Mar 2019, 09:36:42
by Newfie
Good news/bad news

Yesterday I took a hike to the “Boiling Lake” in Dominica. Truly fascinating, I’ve wanted to do this for decades, been in my bucket list.

17 miles according to the guide, online says 8. The more accurately one measures a path or coastline the longer it becomes, so I don’t which is “correct.” 3,000’ up elevation, 3,000’ down elevation.



This is the first time I’ve ever really felt the effects of my age, and possibly conditioning. Clearly my legs did not keep up with other couple and guide. The guide was just dancing on the rocks. Those 3 were about 20 years younger. All others we saw, under a dozen, were no more than 30-35.

It kicked my ass. I’ve never been good at elevations over about 2,500’, but I’ve never been at them for more than a few hours. Lack O2 had me bent over much of the day. Clearly my legs were not up to pushing my body around. I’m a just under 6’ and about 210. But just trying to go up the “steps” (wood logs set in mud) I could tell the others were much more able than I. I suppose that is due to poor conditioning. I need to get out and hike more, but not for a bit. I’m beat and my right knee is complaining.

Still I did it! ;)

https://www.avirtualdominica.com/the-boiling-lake/

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Mon 11 Mar 2019, 12:11:45
by Ibon
Newfie wrote:It kicked my ass. I’ve never been good at elevations over about 2,500’, but I’ve never been at them for more than a few hours. Lack O2 had me bent over much of the day.


The majority of our visitors are in your age range Newfie. We get the sprightly youngsters as well and my daughter is ever grateful since everytime new visitors arrive and they are gray haired my daughter sighs.....

The 50-75 age group have time and money and they finance our operation so we have tamed all our trails with hand rails, bridges over streams and switch backs to make the ascents less daunting.

I completely related to your post since on a daily basis I am catering to folks in a similar shape as yourself.

And our lodge is at 1900m and the top of Mount Totumas is 2630m..

Instead of comparing yourself to those 20 years younger think about how successful you were getting up there and back down..... you know, the glass still being half full and all that!

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 18:17:56
by Newfie
Ibon,

Frankly im scared of aging and dying. I’m scared of it having lived life to its fullest. That may or may not be healthy or rational or whatever, it is what it is.

So hitting a wall like that makes me grumpy.

I’ve never understood people saying they accept death. Then again my whole life I’ve done things people said I could not do, I’m just a contrarian cuss.

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Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 18:54:35
by Cog
I've met people who were sick with cancer who embraced death and were at peace with it when it came.

But we all die eventually Newfie.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 20:22:45
by Ibon
Very very relevant these last two posts. Today I went down off the mountain to attend the funeral of one of our former construction workers, Eugenio. He was 61 years old, exactly my age. An extremely humble mountain culture Panamanian, all his peers and family at the funeral. I heard about all his life today, the priest in the church who gave the sermon was a drinking buddy with Eugenio before he became a priest.

I have witnessed this before and also in my wife's culture, and today again, this acceptance of death here in this rural community is nothing short of remarkable. The lack of sentimentality, how normal it was that Eugenio lived and died in this small town, hanging with all his friends and how everyone here embraced his death as something that just happens to everyone.

I felt something akin to a deep deep respect for this hardened mountain position around death, how accepted it is here. Has something to do with the still present rural reality of having livestock and hunting and slaughtering your own chickens and seeing the rhythm of life and death still unfolding on a daily basis. Also the lack of health insurance, you get a stroke, the hospital send you home to die, everyone accepts this, no one bitter, no one feeling entitled to extended treatment.

Most Americans are so far removed from this that death is terrifying.

The Taliban recognized this fear and exploited it. Osama bin Laden often talked about this.

It is truly one of the decadent weaknesses of American culture, this inability to look death in the eye and shrug your shoulders with a healthy indifference.

I am reminded of this often when I read many of the posters here and their many strategies for surviving the upcoming ecological bottleneck. Loading up on ammo and guns. Let's face it, much of this strategy comes from fear, not from some life affirming will to persevere.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Wed 13 Mar 2019, 22:07:03
by Newfie
That’s a fine distinction. My Psycoanalytic Wife might call it a projection.

Each to his own, I prefer to keep fighting, until I don’t.

Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Thu 14 Mar 2019, 08:56:53
by Newfie
Cog wrote:I've met people who were sick with cancer who embraced death and were at peace with it when it came.

But we all die eventually Newfie.


Yes, we all die, inevitable. But if you disagree so strongly why are you stocking up in arms? Why are you not simply accepting that things change and your ideals are lost?

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Thu 14 Mar 2019, 09:06:11
by Ibon
This is a Happy Talk of thread! All this talk of death....

As my mother used to say....Let's change the subject..... Cuanto cuesta una caja de muerto?
How much does a coffin cost?

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Thu 14 Mar 2019, 11:24:20
by Cog
Newfie wrote:
Cog wrote:I've met people who were sick with cancer who embraced death and were at peace with it when it came.

But we all die eventually Newfie.


Yes, we all die, inevitable. But if you disagree so strongly why are you stocking up in arms? Why are you not simply accepting that things change and your ideals are lost?


Because while I yet live, I can fight for my ideals. Many others historically, have made the decision that to die is better than to live as a slave.

Its like the old saying, similar to your poem in sentiment, " I Came Into This World Kicking And Screaming While Covered In Someone Else's Blood And I Have No Problem With Going Out The Same Way"

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Thu 14 Mar 2019, 18:26:54
by Newfie
Well that’s kinda how I feel. Just your ideals and mine are different.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Thu 14 Mar 2019, 19:25:17
by Newfie
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If this doesn’t make you smile you are already dead.

Re: Happy Talk

Unread postPosted: Sat 08 Jun 2019, 07:29:47
by Cog
Since February 7th I've went from weighing 249 lbs. to my weight today of 212. I've done this by embracing a low carb diet, walking an hour a day, and joining a local weight loss club. My goal weight is 180. I feel amazingly better physically and mentally. Getting compliments by the women in our weight loss club doesn't hurt either. I'm pretty happy about all of this.