Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

Zhurh, I can't begin to tell you how much I respect you and your family. Talk about working for a living! Remember, If you think of something you want sent, just give the word! Produce would be nasty when it got there! lol  How often are you seeing the aurora? Do they still have blanket tosses?  Hoping to get to Fairbanks in '09..We'll see... Maybe you guys will get a chance to come to the lower 48 for a Joe show this year! Stay warm and have a great New Year!     Cathy

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

I'd love to come in the summer time. 

The same is true about the further IN you go.  Inner city life like village life, shortens your vision, compacts your world and makes you focus on the stupidest crap.  Add a gene for violence to the mix of alcohol & drugs that enslaves some folks...well disaster follows.  Some of it is internal demons.  I've done my time.

Where I live now is VeryCool.  Single family homes, mixed neighborhood, very few rentals, streets are paved, some mixed marriages and kids, a gentlemen couple at one end and a lady couple across the street & up a little AND the Neighborhood is tight. Some rednecks live next door to some blacks and if anyone asks stupid questions, you know trying to start trouble, the only answer you'll get from either house is, "They're awright.  They don't bother me." 

Mess around when we know you don't belong here and all the men, some of the big dogs and a few of the women will be in the front yards eyeballing you. 

Oh yeah we have petty squabbles. That's just natural.  But the next day we hang.  The beach is 20 minutes over the bridge.  The river is 6 minutes away and the woods are ten minutes the other way.  If we don't wanna hang, our choice.  No hard feelings.  If somebody wants to move out, see ya!  I'm grateful to be here.

Perhaps your location has become your pressure cooker.  If not now, soon.  I worked hard on myself to make changes.  If it is to be, it's up to me.  It takes a different skill set to live in different cultures, yes, but the principles that make us real never change.

I'm really enjoying your posts, Teacher. 

Respect!

Jeff

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

Ya Jeff, time to get back towards the reality of burbs for us, within a year and half.  Not into 70 mile drives back and forth, been there done that.  But ya know, we are keeping our place here for summers, xmas break, and retirement.  I like traveling the yukon in the boat and on snowmachines; fishnets, setting snares, caribou & moose season too.

I must have given you impression I'm anti people, not that, just have always lived around a better class of individuals in suburbia; nowheres near the social probs I see here, no joke.  Not really a cultural thing.   One of my buddies, been here 20 years left for half year then came back; said he couldn't take the stress & all the people, ha.  So I guess its everywhere, but for me, I regret leaving the road system.

I was down the village for New Years, was dressed up in santa suit at village hall Christmas eve, got several calls from upriver Indians in Canada over xmas; one friend told me he was still eating my tatoes he dug outta our field; I grow over 1000 lb tatoes for village and they come up and dig them part of the sharing concept they have imparted on me.  But believe me when I say, if they don't get a handle on the alcohol; there won't be a native culture here in 50 years.  Anyway, I should have stopped with big macs & pizza, ha.   You all have a great New Years.

Cathy, That blanket toss is mostly along the coast.  All athabaskan here in the interior; but they do make great fry bread & moose head soup.

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

Not anti people, friend.  Anti disease, drama and stupidity.  No time for it.  Comes with every culture.  Peace!

Thanks!  Happy New Year to you, too.

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

After looking at Bill S planned trip with daughter, I'm getting restless again.  I started looking at some old pics.  Here they are: http://www.picturetrail.com/jjeffj

I'll find the ones I took locally of the Mosquito Lagoon soon enough and post them too.

redbonejones big_smile

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

Beautiful pictures!  Nature restores my soul.
Thanks for sharing,

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

bigjeffjones wrote:

After looking at Bill S planned trip with daughter, I'm getting restless again.  I started looking at some old pics.  Here they are: http://www.picturetrail.com/jjeffj

I'll find the ones I took locally of the Mosquito Lagoon soon enough and post them too.

redbonejones big_smile

Wow! Great pictures Jeff. I'm glad my trip discussions got you a bit restless. It's always good to look ahead to something.
I'll post some pictures from last years canoe trip soon, but until then, here's some pictures from Alaska...specifically a float plane trip through the Misty Fjords. I thought these were appropriate with all the talk about Alaska.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23897224@N04/

"Rock ON & Keep the Faith"

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

What do I do to escape?  I go out in the woods with a knife and set up camp.  I shoot archery and hone my bushcraft and tracking skills.  I try to live like my ancestors for a while.  Realigns my perception and liberates me. 

When you are hungry and cold, all the trivial things in life seem to get the volume turned down.  I usually emerge a new man with clear head.  Resurrected in the fires of Mother Nature/The Great Spirit/God/whatever name you give.  In that moment of rebirth, nothing can bother you.  No fear.  No distractions.  The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide.  This is my way of religion, of spiritual rebirth, if you will.


"In the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway."

Well, the night I was born
Lord I swear the moon turned a fire red

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

Ah the great spirit...Tia and I went to church yesterday.  Took the kayaks into the river and explored winding pathways in the mangroves (salt water Indian River) for hours. 

My blood pressure went so low I was right perky after that long prayer of communion.  It was 70F and cool north wind of about 10mph.  MsTia had her tank top on.  whoo hoo.

MuchLove
Jeff

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms

28 (edited by bigjeffjones 2008-04-13 17:43:00)

Re: Escape from the pressure cooker

What a day!  Went to the river with the kayaks, just Tia and I and had a grand time.  I got sunburned, though.  Beautiful day!  Paddled back to launch site and sugarmagnolia went to go get the truck.  When she walked back with that look...nope wouldn't start.

#1 son (college boy at home for weekend) had to come get us and then I had to go back and meet the tow truck driver, so I put the young master in the CD player and blew my brains out while waiting.

High Water..., Bridge to Better Days and right on down the line up.  Matter of fact I was irrritated when he rode up with the flatbed, so I had to start one over. lol

tommorrow comes and we'll see what fresh hell it doth bring...

where's that aloe?  will you rub it on me?  whadaya mean?

Rock On & Keep the FAITH
             It is
Blues From the Bottoms