Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America. Two major Atlantic currents collide just off Cape Hatteras, the southerly-flowing cold water Labrador Current and the northerly-flowing warm water Florida Current (Gulf Stream), creating turbulent waters and a large expanse of shallow sandbars extending up to 14 miles (23 km) offshore. These shoals are known as Diamond Shoals. Because mariners utilize ocean currents to speed their journey, many ships venture close to Cape Hatteras when traveling along the eastern seaboard, risking the perils of sailing close to the shoals amid turbulent water and the frequent storms occurring in the area. So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".
The cape is actually a bend in Hatteras Island, one of the long thin barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. The first lighthouse at the cape was built in 1803; it was replaced by the current Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870, which at 198.48 feet (60.50 m) from the ground to the tip of its lightning rod is the tallest lighthouse in the United States and one of the tallest brick lighthouses in the world.
In 1999, as the receding shoreline had come dangerously close to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the 4830-ton lighthouse was lifted and moved inland a distance of 2,900 feet (880 m). Its distance from the seashore is now 1,500 feet (460 m), about the same as when it was originally built.
Somewhat analogous to Point Conception in Southern California, this on-the-edge placement at the confluence of the Labrador and Florida currents leads to unusually diverse biological assemblages. Many species' ranges have either a southern or northern terminus at the cape.
Cape Hatteras is also infamous for being frequently struck by hurricanes that move up the East Coast of the United States. The strike of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 was particularly devastating for the area. Isabel devastated the entire Outer Banks and also split Hatteras Island between the two small towns of Frisco and Hatteras. NC 12, which provides a direct route from Nags Head to Hatteras Island, was washed out when the hurricane created a new inlet. Students had to use a ferry to get to school. The inlet was filled in with sand by the Army Corps of Engineers which took nearly two months to complete. The road, electrical and water lines were quickly rebuilt when the inlet was filled.
The name Hatteras is the sixth oldest surviving English place-name in the U.S. An inlet north of the cape was named "Hatrask" in 1585 by Sir Richard Grenville, the admiral leading the Roanoke Colony expedition sent by Sir Walter Raleigh. It was later applied to the island and cape as well, and modified to "Hatteras".[1]
Gorean Adventure Tour A Gorean's travel log
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Gettysburg / Wikipedia
The Battle of Gettysburg (locally /ˈɡɛtɨsbɜrɡ/ (
listen), with an ss sound), fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War[6] and is often described as the war's turning point.[7] Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.
After his success at Chancellorsville in Virginia in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley to begin his second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign. He intended to move the focus of the summer campaign from war-ravaged northern Virginia and hoped to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war by penetrating as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Meade.
The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division, which was soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south.
On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.
On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
listen), with an ss sound), fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War[6] and is often described as the war's turning point.[7] Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.After his success at Chancellorsville in Virginia in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley to begin his second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign. He intended to move the focus of the summer campaign from war-ravaged northern Virginia and hoped to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war by penetrating as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Meade.
The two armies began to collide at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division, which was soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south.
On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines.
On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp's Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett's Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Upcoming dates
for anyone wishing to find out about upcoming dates and places for the tour Talena Ember has a list that I believe has been updated if not will put on up here for any who need it our next show will be in the Gettysburg area then we will be moving on to the Maryland, DC area believe we will be in that area for at least 2 weeks then we are moving on to Virginia Beach as for photos of our tour to date lily is working on getting movies made for the last couple weeks stay tuned for them.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Day 24 Willow Bay
Day 24
I spent the morning sitting on a large rock on the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir watching a little red bobber that did nothing more than move with the gentle motion of the wind blown waves. Lily was sleeping in the front seat of the car back at the camp. We both had hoped that we would wake to sunshine, but although the steady rain of yesterday had finally stopped, a heavy layer of clouds kept the sun from making an appearance. The thing is, it is all ok. If we have done nothing else in the first three and a half weeks of the Great Gorean adventure tour, we have settled into a much more Gorean state of mind. When we remember that the Goreans did not have television sets, radios, computers, or even cell phones (heaven forbid), we realize that they had to find ways to pass the time and entertain themselves much the same way as the generations of humans that came before the technological explosion of the last one hundred years. I was passing time taking an occasional glance at the idle bobber, watching v-shaped flights of geese soar over the far shore, and I was entertaining myself by remembering the events of the last three weeks.
We did well scheduling the Hoosier National Forest first. It was a beautiful campsite. The weather was perfect although, perhaps, a bit warmer than we would have dialed up. Every night, we took a "critter ride" just before sunset. This has now become a tour tradition. It consists of a short drive around the park looking for deer and other wildlife that were just beginning their nightly activities.
We settled nicely into camp routine. I took an 8.8 mile hike one morning and paid for it with a thousand chigger bites on my unprotected ankles. I made up for missing the opening night of the Poplar Bluff Mules High School football game by watching the Forrest Park Rangers beat the Perry Central Commodores, 21-7.
There was an interesting event at that game, by the way. I started the night sitting on the Forrest Park side of the field. They were the visitors and so more seats were available on that side. When the team came out and finished their warm-ups, they began to jump up and down in one of those wild tribal rituals that football teams do to get psyched up for the opening kickoff. As I watched, I found myself thinking that one of the players, #28, a smallish guy on the outside of the circle, had a really nice looking ass. No sooner had the thought flashed through my mind that I uttered a groan and blushed. I tried not to look and turned my attention to the cheerleaders trying to reassure my suddenly threatened manhood that a mere three days of camping had not caused major changes in my orientation. However, I kept feeling a pull to sneak another peak. You know how those tight football pants are? My god, that was one fine looking rear end! Then, as the players moved to the sideline and took off their helmets to wave them at the kickoff team in another of those pre-game psych rituals, I saw a long mane of blond hair fall out of the helmet of #28. She was, it turns out, a back-up kicker, and a cute little thing as well. My instincts were still intact!!
When the Rangers scored the final touchdown to open up a two touchdown lead late in the game, they sent her in to attempt the point after touchdown kick. She made it, just barely clearing the crossbar, and the stands, her teammates, and even the coaches broke out into a wild celebration that made it seem they had just won the Super Bowl. I was guessing it was either her first attempt, or the first one she made, but the story behind this, I was unable to learn. I did get a picture of her with her helmet off and it is posted on one of the tour photo albums.
The Hoosier National Forest had everything you would expect on a five day camping trip. Good fishing, interesting attractions, a swim in a cool water lake, hiking trails, friendly deer that seemed anxious to be seen, late night campfires, and perfect weather. But, it wasn't any of this that really made this the ideal start of the tour. It was the way the de-stressing process that had begun on the road continued to cleanse my mind of years of the accumulated mental baggage of living too quickly and without proper appreciation of what was flowing like a fast moving stream. Little snags no longer induced frustration and anger. I was growing stronger and more confident. More Gorean. Each morning became an adventure. The passing of each day was a victory of sorts if lily and I ended it, snuggled in the tent, thinking that it had been a good day. We found ways to entertain ourselves. We did have a computer, and we watched a couple of movies. (The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption) I checked the news and kept up with my fantasy baseball team. Yet, these things were just the spice on the frosting of the day and not the substance or purpose of it.
I spent the morning sitting on a large rock on the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir watching a little red bobber that did nothing more than move with the gentle motion of the wind blown waves. Lily was sleeping in the front seat of the car back at the camp. We both had hoped that we would wake to sunshine, but although the steady rain of yesterday had finally stopped, a heavy layer of clouds kept the sun from making an appearance. The thing is, it is all ok. If we have done nothing else in the first three and a half weeks of the Great Gorean adventure tour, we have settled into a much more Gorean state of mind. When we remember that the Goreans did not have television sets, radios, computers, or even cell phones (heaven forbid), we realize that they had to find ways to pass the time and entertain themselves much the same way as the generations of humans that came before the technological explosion of the last one hundred years. I was passing time taking an occasional glance at the idle bobber, watching v-shaped flights of geese soar over the far shore, and I was entertaining myself by remembering the events of the last three weeks.
We did well scheduling the Hoosier National Forest first. It was a beautiful campsite. The weather was perfect although, perhaps, a bit warmer than we would have dialed up. Every night, we took a "critter ride" just before sunset. This has now become a tour tradition. It consists of a short drive around the park looking for deer and other wildlife that were just beginning their nightly activities.
We settled nicely into camp routine. I took an 8.8 mile hike one morning and paid for it with a thousand chigger bites on my unprotected ankles. I made up for missing the opening night of the Poplar Bluff Mules High School football game by watching the Forrest Park Rangers beat the Perry Central Commodores, 21-7.
There was an interesting event at that game, by the way. I started the night sitting on the Forrest Park side of the field. They were the visitors and so more seats were available on that side. When the team came out and finished their warm-ups, they began to jump up and down in one of those wild tribal rituals that football teams do to get psyched up for the opening kickoff. As I watched, I found myself thinking that one of the players, #28, a smallish guy on the outside of the circle, had a really nice looking ass. No sooner had the thought flashed through my mind that I uttered a groan and blushed. I tried not to look and turned my attention to the cheerleaders trying to reassure my suddenly threatened manhood that a mere three days of camping had not caused major changes in my orientation. However, I kept feeling a pull to sneak another peak. You know how those tight football pants are? My god, that was one fine looking rear end! Then, as the players moved to the sideline and took off their helmets to wave them at the kickoff team in another of those pre-game psych rituals, I saw a long mane of blond hair fall out of the helmet of #28. She was, it turns out, a back-up kicker, and a cute little thing as well. My instincts were still intact!!
When the Rangers scored the final touchdown to open up a two touchdown lead late in the game, they sent her in to attempt the point after touchdown kick. She made it, just barely clearing the crossbar, and the stands, her teammates, and even the coaches broke out into a wild celebration that made it seem they had just won the Super Bowl. I was guessing it was either her first attempt, or the first one she made, but the story behind this, I was unable to learn. I did get a picture of her with her helmet off and it is posted on one of the tour photo albums.
The Hoosier National Forest had everything you would expect on a five day camping trip. Good fishing, interesting attractions, a swim in a cool water lake, hiking trails, friendly deer that seemed anxious to be seen, late night campfires, and perfect weather. But, it wasn't any of this that really made this the ideal start of the tour. It was the way the de-stressing process that had begun on the road continued to cleanse my mind of years of the accumulated mental baggage of living too quickly and without proper appreciation of what was flowing like a fast moving stream. Little snags no longer induced frustration and anger. I was growing stronger and more confident. More Gorean. Each morning became an adventure. The passing of each day was a victory of sorts if lily and I ended it, snuggled in the tent, thinking that it had been a good day. We found ways to entertain ourselves. We did have a computer, and we watched a couple of movies. (The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption) I checked the news and kept up with my fantasy baseball team. Yet, these things were just the spice on the frosting of the day and not the substance or purpose of it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Show from Pittsburg PA
Pittsburgh (pronounced /ˈpɪtsbərɡ/) is the second-largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia[7] and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it anchors the 22nd largest urban area in the United States.[8]
The 2009 estimated population of the city was 311,647,[9] while the seven-county metropolitan area was estimated at 2,354,957.[10]Downtown Pittsburgh retains substantial economic influence, ranking at 25th in the nation for jobs within the urban core and 6th in job density.[11]
The characteristic shape of Pittsburgh's central business district is a triangular tract carved by the confluence of the Allegheny andMonongahela rivers, where the Ohio River forms. The city features 151 high-rise buildings,[12] 446 bridges,[13] two inclined railways, and a pre-revolutionary fortification. Pittsburgh is known colloquially as "The City of Bridges" and "The Steel City" for its many bridges and former steel manufacturing base.
While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today its economy is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, and financial services. The region is also becoming a hub for oil and natural gas companies' Marcellus Shale production.[14][15]The city has redeveloped abandoned industrial sites with new housing, shopping and offices, such as The Waterfront and the SouthSide Works. While Pittsburgh faced an economic crisis in the 1980s as the regional steel industry waned,[16] modern Pittsburgh is economically strong.[17] The housing market is relatively stable despite a national subprime mortgage crisis, and Pittsburgh added jobs in 2008 even as the national economy entered a significant jobs recession.[18] This positive economic trend is in contrast to the 1980s, when Pittsburgh lost its manufacturing base in steel and electronics, and corporate jobs in the oil (Gulf Oil), electronics (Westinghouse), chemical (Koppers) and defense (Rockwell International) industries. The city is also headquarters to major global financial institutionsPNC Financial Services (the nation's fifth largest bank), Federated Investors and the regional headquarters of BNY Mellon, descended from Mellon Financial and the Mellon family.
Major publications often note Pittsburgh's high livability compared to other American cities. Most recently, in 2010, Forbes and Yahoo!both listed Pittsburgh as the most livable city in the United States.[19][20]
information taken from Wikipedia
Thursday, September 9, 2010
What a special day
Lily is having a birthday today. A great adventure AND a birthday--how cool is that !
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Next stop--Mansville, Ohio September 8, 2010
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately 80 miles (129 km) southwest of Cleveland and 66 miles (106 km) northeast of Columbus.
It was founded in 1808 on a fork of the Mohican River in a hilly region surrounded by fertile farmlands, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location with numerous railroad lines. After the decline of heavy manufacturing, the city's industry has since diversified into a service economy, including retailing, education, and healthcare sectors.
Mansfield's official nickname is "The Fun Center of Ohio". It is the largest city in the "Mid-Ohio" region of the state, the north-central region which is generally considered to extend from Marion, Delaware, Knox, Morrow, Crawford, Ashland and Richland counties in the south, to the Firelands area south of Sandusky in the north. Mansfield is also known as the "Carousel Capital of Ohio" and "Racing Capital of Ohio".
Located in downtown Mansfield's Historic Carrousel District is the Richland Carrousel Park, opened in 1991. It is the first hand-carved indoor wooden carousel to be built and operated in the United States since the early 1930s.
Malabar Farm State Park, located southeast of the city, is the former home and farm of Mansfield native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield. It served as the location of Humphrey Bogart's wedding to Lauren Bacall.
Mansfield is the home of the Klondike Bar ice cream treat.
The Miss Ohio Pageant has been hosted by the city of Mansville since 1975.
Mansfield has also been used as a location for several big-budget Hollywood movies; among the most notable of these were The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One, and Tango & Cash, all of which featured the Ohio State Reformatory as a backdrop in pivotal scenes.
The Gothic style administration building at the Reformatory is now a visitor attraction and is turned into the Haunted Reformatory during the Halloween season.
It was founded in 1808 on a fork of the Mohican River in a hilly region surrounded by fertile farmlands, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location with numerous railroad lines. After the decline of heavy manufacturing, the city's industry has since diversified into a service economy, including retailing, education, and healthcare sectors.
Mansfield's official nickname is "The Fun Center of Ohio". It is the largest city in the "Mid-Ohio" region of the state, the north-central region which is generally considered to extend from Marion, Delaware, Knox, Morrow, Crawford, Ashland and Richland counties in the south, to the Firelands area south of Sandusky in the north. Mansfield is also known as the "Carousel Capital of Ohio" and "Racing Capital of Ohio".
Located in downtown Mansfield's Historic Carrousel District is the Richland Carrousel Park, opened in 1991. It is the first hand-carved indoor wooden carousel to be built and operated in the United States since the early 1930s.
Malabar Farm State Park, located southeast of the city, is the former home and farm of Mansfield native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield. It served as the location of Humphrey Bogart's wedding to Lauren Bacall.
Mansfield is the home of the Klondike Bar ice cream treat.
The Miss Ohio Pageant has been hosted by the city of Mansville since 1975.
Mansfield has also been used as a location for several big-budget Hollywood movies; among the most notable of these were The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One, and Tango & Cash, all of which featured the Ohio State Reformatory as a backdrop in pivotal scenes.
The Gothic style administration building at the Reformatory is now a visitor attraction and is turned into the Haunted Reformatory during the Halloween season.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Day 3
As we covered the last miles toward our first stop, my mind drifted back to how this whole Gor thing had begun in the first place. I am not even sure of the date, but I do have a time reference. My nephew, John, was leaving for the Navy. He was a brilliant kid who had not adapted well to school and was wasting his potential and heading for trouble. The service was the perfect answer for him. Just before he left, he showed up at my door and handed me a box with 13 paperback books. He told me he thought I would enjoy them.
I thanked him, and he was off to Navy basic training. He was also correct. I did enjoy them.
I wish I could say that fireworks went off in my mind or an inner voice in my brain screamed "Eureka", when I first read them. I have heard men speak of how they reacted to the books when they first read them. Many females have said similar things. They felt that the books were putting into words feelings and thoughts that had been inside them for years and years. Even lily related something much like this when she spoke of reading "Slave Girl" for the first time. It wasn't like that with me at all. I liked them, and was excited about the plot and was awed a bit by the sense of honor of some of the characters. I was, perhaps, a bit critical of the writing style. I remember thinking that he had seemed to get a bit excessive about this "slave" girl business, but most exciting adventure stories or films had to have a bit of "love interest" in them, so I skimmed quickly through the mushy parts to get back to the action.
After I had read all of them, I put the box in a safe place in the attic knowing that I would want to reread them sometime in the future. When that time rolled around, I went to retrieve the box, but it was gone. I discovered later that my ex-wife had tossed them into the trash, because, as she put it, "they had trashy covers and so that is where they belonged." I suppose that could easily have been the end of Gor for me, but fate is inexorable, and even as I looked around for some other reading material, the internet was being invented.
(A side note: Later on during the tour we will be visiting John in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I have not seen him since I became a Gorean, nor even talked to him long enough to speak of it. I will be anxious to ask him how he came by the books, and why he thought I might be the person to give them to when he went to the navy.)
I thanked him, and he was off to Navy basic training. He was also correct. I did enjoy them.
I wish I could say that fireworks went off in my mind or an inner voice in my brain screamed "Eureka", when I first read them. I have heard men speak of how they reacted to the books when they first read them. Many females have said similar things. They felt that the books were putting into words feelings and thoughts that had been inside them for years and years. Even lily related something much like this when she spoke of reading "Slave Girl" for the first time. It wasn't like that with me at all. I liked them, and was excited about the plot and was awed a bit by the sense of honor of some of the characters. I was, perhaps, a bit critical of the writing style. I remember thinking that he had seemed to get a bit excessive about this "slave" girl business, but most exciting adventure stories or films had to have a bit of "love interest" in them, so I skimmed quickly through the mushy parts to get back to the action.
After I had read all of them, I put the box in a safe place in the attic knowing that I would want to reread them sometime in the future. When that time rolled around, I went to retrieve the box, but it was gone. I discovered later that my ex-wife had tossed them into the trash, because, as she put it, "they had trashy covers and so that is where they belonged." I suppose that could easily have been the end of Gor for me, but fate is inexorable, and even as I looked around for some other reading material, the internet was being invented.
(A side note: Later on during the tour we will be visiting John in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I have not seen him since I became a Gorean, nor even talked to him long enough to speak of it. I will be anxious to ask him how he came by the books, and why he thought I might be the person to give them to when he went to the navy.)
Continue Day 2
Now, of course, it requires a bit of symbolism to see our 1998 Oldsmobile as a tarn, but the Garvin Nuvi GPS helps the image. Lily discovered that an option for the visual display was not only a wide variety of automobiles, but a giant black bird, obviously a tarn, that flaps his wings as he follows the magenta route to our next destination.
The trip itself was uneventful. The interesting thing was my mental state of mind. I was aware of this first at a rest stop in Kentucky. Lily was inside and I was watching Hussy out in the parking lot. I found myself watching the trees across the highway, and listening to the noise of butterflies flapping their wings. My senses were so keen that it felt as if I were high. Things seemed slowed down and I had a heightened sense of awareness. I thought for a moment that I had just finished smoking a joint of some really good pot.
As I thought about it, I realized that what was doing this was a total absence of stress. For years, I have been trapped into the Earth culture mode of hurry, hurry, worry, worry, and busy, busy. Now, I knew that I actually am a fairly calm person who has always had low blood pressure and a very high explosion set point. Even so, there is something inside the people of Earth now, in their high tech, high mobile society, that pushes them into a pace of life that produces an internal, chemical state of stress. John Norman speaks about this in Marauders of Gor when he refers to the men of Earth as tragic insects hurrying from one nothing to the next fearing they might be late.
I suppose that was part of the reason that I selected the Hoosier National Forest as our first stop. We were going to spend a week in a campground that offered woods, fishing, and quiet, but very little else to do. There was a practical reason for this. We needed to shake out some changes that would help lily and I make it through the coming weeks. We needed to be much more organized, much more careful, and more aware of rest and health issues. Beyond this, however, was the need to allow our bodies to adapt to a slower pace of life that more closely mirrored the daily life of the Gorean of the books. I was thinking of the old Gorean saying. "Stop every so often and smell the talenders."
What surprised me was that this pace change came so quickly. We were only half way to our first destination. A long drive still loomed ahead, plus setting up the camp for the first time. Despite this, I could feel the tension and accumulated stress of years leaving my body creating this feeling of euphoria. I was touching my gypsy soul.
By the way, a word about Hussy. She is a very strange black cat. Lily calls her a cat-dog, and sometimes a feline kajira. We brought her home a couple of years ago when she was abandoned by her previous owners. I wanted her because we had a bit of a mouse problem in our downstairs apartment. She performed that original service with dispatch. She did like to bring the mice up to drop them, still alive and just a bit dazed, at our feet. Some managed to escape this game of hers by scurrying off when she looked up at us as if to say, "look at me." Still, within a few weeks, the mice were gone and none were ever seen again. Perhaps, they had not all been eaten, but at the very least, they decided to go live in a safer environment. We decided to move her upstairs and let her stay and she became a pet.
She was like a little lap dog. All she wanted to do was sit in our laps while we were at the computer or watching television. She even, sometimes, came to me when I called her like a devoted dog. Her one problem was that once every month, she became a shameless slut. I do not mean she went into heat. That is expected. Hussy turned into a slut, and always found her way outside and came back two or three days later. She would get pregnant, but could not seem to carry any kittens to full term, and lost the first couple of pregnancies. Finally, she had a litter of three. One had a deformed tail, but the others were fine. Just recently, she had five healthy kittens. When they were a little older, and I took a good look at them, I noticed that one looked like a squirrel, one looked like she was part skunk, and one looked a bit like this old guy that lived down the street. Two actually looked as if the fathers might be cats. See, a complete slut.
In fact, we had planned to name her slut, but there were kids involved at the time. We settled on hussy which was a word the kids wouldn't be so likely to misunderstand. When we started to plan the trip, we had to make a decision about Hussy. I suppose I expected to find a home for her, or leave her at the shelter. At least, that was the plan rolling around in the back of my mind. The reality was different. She is part of my household, and therefore my responsibility. It is interesting how the Gorean philosophy comes to your rescue at times. We can't take a cat on an extended 22 week cross country trip in a crowded car when we are going to be camping and staying with people. It would just be too hard and inconvient to take her, and things would be so much "easier" to just abandon her like her previous asshole owners. Hear the selfish Earth thinking there?
(just a word to my slaves and HOR girls here: Nothing would convince me to abandon even a stray black cat! Relax, you are safe. Unless you screw up really, really bad, or I find out you can't catch mice.)
The trip itself was uneventful. The interesting thing was my mental state of mind. I was aware of this first at a rest stop in Kentucky. Lily was inside and I was watching Hussy out in the parking lot. I found myself watching the trees across the highway, and listening to the noise of butterflies flapping their wings. My senses were so keen that it felt as if I were high. Things seemed slowed down and I had a heightened sense of awareness. I thought for a moment that I had just finished smoking a joint of some really good pot.
As I thought about it, I realized that what was doing this was a total absence of stress. For years, I have been trapped into the Earth culture mode of hurry, hurry, worry, worry, and busy, busy. Now, I knew that I actually am a fairly calm person who has always had low blood pressure and a very high explosion set point. Even so, there is something inside the people of Earth now, in their high tech, high mobile society, that pushes them into a pace of life that produces an internal, chemical state of stress. John Norman speaks about this in Marauders of Gor when he refers to the men of Earth as tragic insects hurrying from one nothing to the next fearing they might be late.
I suppose that was part of the reason that I selected the Hoosier National Forest as our first stop. We were going to spend a week in a campground that offered woods, fishing, and quiet, but very little else to do. There was a practical reason for this. We needed to shake out some changes that would help lily and I make it through the coming weeks. We needed to be much more organized, much more careful, and more aware of rest and health issues. Beyond this, however, was the need to allow our bodies to adapt to a slower pace of life that more closely mirrored the daily life of the Gorean of the books. I was thinking of the old Gorean saying. "Stop every so often and smell the talenders."
What surprised me was that this pace change came so quickly. We were only half way to our first destination. A long drive still loomed ahead, plus setting up the camp for the first time. Despite this, I could feel the tension and accumulated stress of years leaving my body creating this feeling of euphoria. I was touching my gypsy soul.
By the way, a word about Hussy. She is a very strange black cat. Lily calls her a cat-dog, and sometimes a feline kajira. We brought her home a couple of years ago when she was abandoned by her previous owners. I wanted her because we had a bit of a mouse problem in our downstairs apartment. She performed that original service with dispatch. She did like to bring the mice up to drop them, still alive and just a bit dazed, at our feet. Some managed to escape this game of hers by scurrying off when she looked up at us as if to say, "look at me." Still, within a few weeks, the mice were gone and none were ever seen again. Perhaps, they had not all been eaten, but at the very least, they decided to go live in a safer environment. We decided to move her upstairs and let her stay and she became a pet.
She was like a little lap dog. All she wanted to do was sit in our laps while we were at the computer or watching television. She even, sometimes, came to me when I called her like a devoted dog. Her one problem was that once every month, she became a shameless slut. I do not mean she went into heat. That is expected. Hussy turned into a slut, and always found her way outside and came back two or three days later. She would get pregnant, but could not seem to carry any kittens to full term, and lost the first couple of pregnancies. Finally, she had a litter of three. One had a deformed tail, but the others were fine. Just recently, she had five healthy kittens. When they were a little older, and I took a good look at them, I noticed that one looked like a squirrel, one looked like she was part skunk, and one looked a bit like this old guy that lived down the street. Two actually looked as if the fathers might be cats. See, a complete slut.
In fact, we had planned to name her slut, but there were kids involved at the time. We settled on hussy which was a word the kids wouldn't be so likely to misunderstand. When we started to plan the trip, we had to make a decision about Hussy. I suppose I expected to find a home for her, or leave her at the shelter. At least, that was the plan rolling around in the back of my mind. The reality was different. She is part of my household, and therefore my responsibility. It is interesting how the Gorean philosophy comes to your rescue at times. We can't take a cat on an extended 22 week cross country trip in a crowded car when we are going to be camping and staying with people. It would just be too hard and inconvient to take her, and things would be so much "easier" to just abandon her like her previous asshole owners. Hear the selfish Earth thinking there?
(just a word to my slaves and HOR girls here: Nothing would convince me to abandon even a stray black cat! Relax, you are safe. Unless you screw up really, really bad, or I find out you can't catch mice.)
Hoosier National Forrest stop 1
HISTORY
The Hoosier National Forest, in the hills of south central Indiana, provides a wide mix of opportunities and resources for people to enjoy. Rolling hills, back-country trails, and rural crossroad communities make this small but beautiful Forest a favorite!
The area which is now the Hoosier National Forest was used and inhabited continuously from as early as 12,000 years ago, first by Native Americans, and later by European and African Americans.
The earliest inhabitants traveled through the area as bands of hunter/gatherers in a time when mastodons, elk and bear roamed the land. They established trails, temporary camps, and quarries to extract stone for their tools.
Later, Native American cultural groups established seasonal camps and villages.
As time passed the inhabitants became more sedentary, established permanent villages, developed pottery, continued to hunt primarily the white-tailed deer, developed elaborate social, economic, and governmental systems, and cultivated the now familiar crops of corn, beans, and squash.
Explorers, traders, and adventurers came into what is now Indiana in the late 1600;s. However, it wasn't until 1816 when Indiana became a state that European American settlement began to intensify.
As European Americans acquired land, one of their first concerns was to clear the land of trees.
Southern Indiana boasted some of the finest hardwoods in the world. With the advent of the sawmill in 1860, extensive commercial forest clearing operations began. During the period following the Civil War, thousands of sawmills operated in Indiana.
Indiana's governor, Paul V. McNutt, and the 73rd Indiana Congress in June, 1934, asked the Forest Service to buy this land for the eventual creation of a National Forest.
=============================
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Today, the parks service offers Camping, Hiking, Picnicing, Horse Riding, Hunting, Fishing, and miles of scenic trails.
=============================
Points of Interest
Charles C. Deam Wilderness - Indiana's only Congressionally designated wilderness area has 13,000 acres providing for solitude and a remote experience.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower - Constructed by the CCC in 1939. This historic tower is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower - Constructed by the CCC in 1939. This historic tower is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Rickenbaugh House - A stone house built in 1874, used as a local postoffice and church meeting house. Now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Caves and Karst - much of the Forest is underlain with caves and karst features. All caves are closed for use.
The Hoosier National Forest, in the hills of south central Indiana, provides a wide mix of opportunities and resources for people to enjoy. Rolling hills, back-country trails, and rural crossroad communities make this small but beautiful Forest a favorite!
The area which is now the Hoosier National Forest was used and inhabited continuously from as early as 12,000 years ago, first by Native Americans, and later by European and African Americans.
The earliest inhabitants traveled through the area as bands of hunter/gatherers in a time when mastodons, elk and bear roamed the land. They established trails, temporary camps, and quarries to extract stone for their tools.
Later, Native American cultural groups established seasonal camps and villages.
As time passed the inhabitants became more sedentary, established permanent villages, developed pottery, continued to hunt primarily the white-tailed deer, developed elaborate social, economic, and governmental systems, and cultivated the now familiar crops of corn, beans, and squash.
Explorers, traders, and adventurers came into what is now Indiana in the late 1600;s. However, it wasn't until 1816 when Indiana became a state that European American settlement began to intensify.
As European Americans acquired land, one of their first concerns was to clear the land of trees.
Southern Indiana boasted some of the finest hardwoods in the world. With the advent of the sawmill in 1860, extensive commercial forest clearing operations began. During the period following the Civil War, thousands of sawmills operated in Indiana.
Indiana's governor, Paul V. McNutt, and the 73rd Indiana Congress in June, 1934, asked the Forest Service to buy this land for the eventual creation of a National Forest.
=============================
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Today, the parks service offers Camping, Hiking, Picnicing, Horse Riding, Hunting, Fishing, and miles of scenic trails.
=============================
Points of Interest
Charles C. Deam Wilderness - Indiana's only Congressionally designated wilderness area has 13,000 acres providing for solitude and a remote experience.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower - Constructed by the CCC in 1939. This historic tower is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower - Constructed by the CCC in 1939. This historic tower is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Rickenbaugh House - A stone house built in 1874, used as a local postoffice and church meeting house. Now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Caves and Karst - much of the Forest is underlain with caves and karst features. All caves are closed for use.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 2
Day 2 Thursday , August 26,2010
The big problem at the start of the trip was packing the car. Although we had practiced this and were fairly certain that everything would fit, somehow this did not turn out to be totally true. Even so, there were not too many items that we had to leave behind. One was the laundry detergent which was in a big plastic jug. I was pleased though that the packing of the car moved quickly, and we were ready to leave only 6 minutes after my desired departure time. We took a few more minutes to get gas and coffee, and then we were on our way. The Great Gorean adventure tour was on!
As we drove down Business 60 toward the highway and passed the Poplar Bluff city limits, the radio began to play "Free", the tour theme song. I could not imagine a more mind blowing and favorable omen. As we first turned onto the highway to begin this 22 week adventure, we heard the words that are to set the theme for the entire trip.
"We are free. As free as we'll ever be"
and
"We ain't got a lot of money"
With those two thoughts being musically impressed into our gypsy souls, we turned onto US 60 and let our steel tarn spread her wings.
The big problem at the start of the trip was packing the car. Although we had practiced this and were fairly certain that everything would fit, somehow this did not turn out to be totally true. Even so, there were not too many items that we had to leave behind. One was the laundry detergent which was in a big plastic jug. I was pleased though that the packing of the car moved quickly, and we were ready to leave only 6 minutes after my desired departure time. We took a few more minutes to get gas and coffee, and then we were on our way. The Great Gorean adventure tour was on!
As we drove down Business 60 toward the highway and passed the Poplar Bluff city limits, the radio began to play "Free", the tour theme song. I could not imagine a more mind blowing and favorable omen. As we first turned onto the highway to begin this 22 week adventure, we heard the words that are to set the theme for the entire trip.
"We are free. As free as we'll ever be"
and
"We ain't got a lot of money"
With those two thoughts being musically impressed into our gypsy souls, we turned onto US 60 and let our steel tarn spread her wings.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Day 1
Today marks the official beginning of the Gorean Adventure Tour. There is a lot to do as we make final preparations. We will leave tomorrow morning at around 6am for Indiana!!
We just did a trial breakfast in the dinning room, using our new camp stove, and nothing that we will not have at camp tomorrow to cook, and clean up. Bacon and eggs, by the way. I remarked that this might very well be the first time we ever cleaned the dishes right after the meal ended in all our time together!!! Got to love the camp life.
We just did a trial breakfast in the dinning room, using our new camp stove, and nothing that we will not have at camp tomorrow to cook, and clean up. Bacon and eggs, by the way. I remarked that this might very well be the first time we ever cleaned the dishes right after the meal ended in all our time together!!! Got to love the camp life.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Count Down
24 Hours left until the Great Gorean Adventure Tour begins first stop Hoosier National Forrest Celine Lake campground we will be there till Monday then we are moving on to the next stop and the first show on the road. Wish us fair winds
lily
lily
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