Thursday, May 26, 2011

Time Flies.....

Really, I can't believe it. Middle of the year is almost here, June is just weeks away. It's been a real poor Winter/Spring and looks like the investment in the grow lights for the peppers and tomato's was a good call. It's finally warm enough at night to start moving them outside (Tomato's back in the driveway and peppers into the old greenhouse. ), although I am going to leave a heater out there just in case, as one night this week is supposed to get down to 6. Just crazy though, I don't remember another year here in Vic that has been like this, but you have to work with it not much choice eh? The Peppers (Bhut Naga Jolakia and Fatali) are about 2.5 feet now and have started to flower, so I have taken the Lights down and hoping they will get enough of what they need through the clouds. Pretty exciting to attempt to grow them, can't wait to try the fruit out. The seeds were planted at the beginning of March so we are at about 10 weeks or so.... 

Came across an article on Christopher McCandless (AKA "Alexander Supertramp"), not really sure where I began reading it, just one of the usual looking on the Net for one thing and end up going down the path on something else. This kind of story has always interested me with the likes of Richard Proenneke, Jack London, Les Stroud, Ray Mears and pretty much anyone else who tried to make a go of it, surviving alone in the wilderness.  As you would expect not all the stories end on a happy note, as not all such adventures do either. Christopher McCandless is such a story, unfortunately a really bad movie was made, loosely based on his story, Into the Wilderness Directed by Sean Penn, a much better peek into what happened and perhaps the naivety of putting yourself into the situation he did without preparation is better shown in Ron Lamothe's "The Call of the Wild".  It's kind of similar to the Tim Treadwell story, in a sense at least as far as not having the knowledge to know what the risks are and what you are getting into.  I mean don't get me wrong Treadwell did a lot of good things for kids, and wildlife, just think he underestimated his situation and paid the ultimate price for it. I would think though based on everything I had read and watched on him that it would not have detracted him at all even if he knew how his end would come.  I am not sure that the same could be said for McCandless, less than a 1/4 mile from where he ended his existence was a hand cranked basket to get across the river, the river that he thought prevented him from crossing.  Knowledge of the area or a good map would have saved him.

Don't know if it's the weather or age or just the fact I have not been out camping alone in so long, but I am finding I am getting more and more annoyed with fellow humans I meet everyday,
  • between drivers running red lights,
  • racing down streets not thinking of anyone else,
  • people walking down the sidewalks bumping into each other (OK I mean me - pisses me off),
  • The fact that there are so many that never think of others, only themselves (and think they are all that)
  • News stories breaking always talking about some greedy sod (Person, Politician, or Corporation) hosing someone else over smile on their face,
  • The abundance of animal abuse,
  • even Government sanctioned actions like the Seal Hunt................
Maybe I just need a break, either that or I am turning into a Walter Matthau Grumpy Old Man character (well the first steps anyways... I'm not that old yet)