BS: Women In The Outdoors

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 May 07 - 06:25 PM

Well, it's that time of year already! I recently received the schedule and list of available classes to take for the WITO event!!! I can't wait!!!! We will attend the local WITO and are considering a neighboring counties WITO event that is an overnight adventure....WOO HOOO...BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Wordsmith
Date: 15 Feb 07 - 01:32 AM

I've been fishing in a canoe on the St. Lawrence, which, BTW, is known as "The River" by locals. There are plenty of places, little tributaries, off the river which are ideal for flat-bottom vessels. I was always catching bass the weekend before the season started...ugh. Hated to have to throw them back...actually, I resuscitated them first. Plenty of perch...no limit...in the Cape Vincent area. Trout in some of the inland streams. Bullheads, which are cousins to catfish, which are available also, are red-fleshed...not so easily caught, best to go either at 6AM or 6PM, and hunker down. Lots of trophy fish, if you can afford a guide. Muskies and such.
The Lake's great, too, even in small boats as long as you stay near the shore. I remembered you'll need a passport now if you plan on heading over to Canada. Wellesley Island, last US stop, is a great area to fish in. Also has 3 golf courses that aren't hard on the pocket book. Actually, there are quite a few golf courses on the mainland, too. Some picturesque...some plain and simple. Something for everyone! I'm a birder, too, ranger1. I miss the Blue Herons...there's a huge population up there. Lots of hawks, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: ranger1
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 01:29 PM

I'm a hiker, camper, bird and wildlife watcher and a park ranger. I like kayaking and canoeing, too, but not as much as having my feet on solid ground.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 12:02 PM

Good to know about the camping...I'll have to get on that! As for fishing, absolutely...an out of state license will be necessary too! We took a chartered fishing trip once on Lake Ontario out of Sodus Point, NY (Rally Killer aka Clarence Crisp) and had to do the same thing. We had a blast catching the big fish but I think we enjoy the smaller stream and lake fishing more. From the looks of it, there are all kinds of water available to fish (and kayak) on...a little something for everybody!!!!

And hey, if you have land up there, do you ever travel through PA? There is a LOT of absolutely wonderful small stream fishing in the northern part of the state. RidgePlucker is a phenominal fly fisherman, always happy to take out a new friend or two! He ties all his own flies and knows the hatches well (also builds his own (and custom) rods...both graphite and bamboo).

How many more days until warm weather????!?!?!?!?

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Wordsmith
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 02:57 AM

Be sure to bring your fishing gear and stop and get a license if you're going to the Thousand Islands...you'll need two if you plan on fishing on the Canadian side, too. I have land up there, and lived on the NY side for over 11 years. The fishing is incredible there...as is the hiking, boating, swimming, all things outdoors. I really miss it. I get up maybe once a year in October, when it's too cold to do much but hike. I discovered it while camping on Wellesley Island with friends back in the 70's. I used to camp in the Adirondacks - Blue Mtn Lake area - but the acid rain hit the fishing there pretty hard. I spent 8 hours fishing one day and only caught one brown trout...lunch. So, enjoy the trip. It's worth it. There are plenty of State Parks, there, too...but they're usually booked solid...the year before! And, for photographers, it's splendid.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,ozchick
Date: 14 Feb 07 - 02:14 AM

Always had a roof above me
Always paid the rent
I never set foot inside a tent
Can't build a fire to save my life....
I lied about being The Outdoor Type.


One of my fave songs to sing - cos it's soooo true!! more of a coffee girl myself....

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 10:04 PM

Hey there W-O!

   That's a great idea...the Thousand Islands...I've spent a good part of my evening checking out water trails, tours, campgrounds, etc!!!!!   Definately something worth pondering!!!!!!! I love that there are all kinds of water there...everything from quiet byways to whitewater to bigger water....what a COOL PLACE!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Willie-O
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 08:10 PM

Well I was skiing today and from the top of Calabogie Mountain the lake water still looked pretty hard. Had a damn good time though. Fresh air and clean snow and getting my legs to work for me again...

Looking forward to open water, I plan to get my kayak farther out around the mouth of the St Lawrence/eastern Lake Ontario--closest big water to me. No sense holding my breath though, it'll be awhile. I shoulda bought a wetsuit (drysuit), I could have been paddling into December--in Canada even!

OK I finally found Assateague Island...sure is long en't it!

Michelle, you oughtta bring yerself and your boat up to Kingston (ON) sometime, it's not that far from where you're at--only NY State in the way! We could paddle the Thousand Islands, or west into Lake Ontario.

In fact, anybody game for a day or two paddle in the St Lawrence/Lake Ontario area next summer?

W-O

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 03:46 PM

I have driven by the Susquehanna at least 5 times this week and it is just SCREAMING my name!!!!! I ooooh and ahhh each time I drive near the open water.
   
To make the wait a little more bearable, I have put a GORGEOUS kayaking calender in the bathroom....it gives me something wonderful to daydream about while I take care of more mundane tasks like laundry, drying my hair, etc.

I'm a relatively new kayaker so that REALLY big and rough water is going to have to wait. I'm headed to the Chesapeake Bay area soon and hopefully to the waters surrounding Assateague Island!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 03:07 PM

You k'yakers should get a group float together on the Salmon River here. Or, if you REALLY want thrils, spills, and chills, try the Snake River through Hell's Canyon.

My wife is chomping at the bit to get outdoors.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,LilyFestre
Date: 13 Feb 07 - 02:58 PM

Anyone else gearing up for the upcoming outdoor weather? Ok, it IS a month or two away but NOW definately is the time to start getting ready for it!

I'm planning a kayak adventure for the spring and will be trying out some bigger water which will require more strength and endurance on my part, so that's what I'm working on.

Anybody else?

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 14 Aug 06 - 08:48 AM

I had the kayak out again last night. The water was very calm and animal activity was at a minimum except for the fish who were jumping out of the water all over the place. I did see one heron who scolded me and flew to the other side of the lake. I followed him and took some photos. I'm now taking my regular 35mm camera as the waterproof one doesn't do anything justice, although it does work great for taking close up photos of friends who are kayaking or fishing. I took one photo of the heron as he was flying off, feet just lifting off the water with water drops flying in all directions, wing span full and neck extended all the way out...can't wait to see it developed! On my way back to shore, I was kind of zoning out in the middle of the lake, taking in the beautiful sunset when a big fish jumped out the water directed in front of my kayak. It startled me and I jumped...I think the whole kayak lifted off the water and then I had a good laugh at myself. :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 06 - 04:58 PM

I was in the out of doors last night very late. My pit bull started the most unusual barking and yipping and circling and jumping--she looked, in the moonlight, to be enchanted by the moon, as if she wanted to leap up and catch it.

I headed out the back door, barefoot and in a sleep shirt with my very bright flashlight--not exactly the best uniform to meet the unknown--and shown it on her and then up to the electrical wire that crosses my back yard back toward the creek. There perched on the wire was a big fat opossum, staring down into the yard at the leaping dog.

The hose was handy so I screwed on the nozzle, turned it on full force, and aimed at the dog. She moved out of range, but still was focused on the animal 25' in the air. So I nailed him also. He scooted quite nimbly across the wire, then the next-door-neighbor's crape myrtle sagged and heaved as he climbed down into the field behind her fence. That damned possum had been teasing my dog. She did look pretty amazing out there when I first looked out the window to see what the fuss was about. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: open mike
Date: 13 Aug 06 - 03:32 PM

as a firefighter, sometimes the great outdoors is where i am for extended periods..either that or inside of a fire engine or water tender
at an incident. the garden does beckon...but timing it to co-incide with the mosquitos (or not) is important part of planning.

tonight will be a good time to look skyward
which is really hard to do in doors..
as the Perseid meteor showers are
active now. You have to time it between
when the sun goes down and the moon
comes up as the bright moon may
mask some of the shooting stars.
Last night was the maximum peak
of meteors (or is it meteorites?)
but they are visible several days
before and after the height of
frequency. The moon rises an hour
later each night so you should get
the opportunity to see some shooting
stars tonight.

these can be seen in early to mid august
every year. My neighbor and i saw several
spectacular ones last night. good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 13 Aug 06 - 09:24 AM

If any of you ever get the chance to participate in the National Wild Turkey Federation's Women in the Outdoors Program, I highly recommend it. I attended this event yesterday and had an incredible time! There were women of all ages from 13 to over 70. There were many rotating classes available and each person picked 4. Each of these courses were taught by very skilled, patient and friendly individuals. Upon arrival, we each got a paper grocery sack filled with goodies including a t-shirt, patch, magazines, local outdoor adventure schedules, gift certificates, flies (for fishing) and the list goes on. They provided breakfast and lunch too. The amount of food they had was incredible and all very good. No one ever pushed us to do more than we wanted to do and the option to take a break, have a snack, etc was more than fine. I learned quite a bit yesterday and did some things I have never done before. Despite my body being a bit sore this morning (damn that shotgun had some serious kick!), I'm ready to go back for more! If this event comes anywhere near you, get out and go! It's the best $50.00 I've spent in a LONG time!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 06 - 02:23 AM

Sorry, but it has been up to at least 104 all week--I think I'll pass on the outdoor activity until we drop about 10 degrees. I walk the dogs early in the morning and we're always in a sweat after a few minutes out there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 12 Aug 06 - 06:00 AM

Today is the day...I'm on my way out the door to shoot, kayak, fish and more! The vehicle is loaded down with gear and I'm all sunscreened up....the rest of you....GET OUTSIDE, go on, whatcha waiting for?   :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 06 Aug 06 - 11:40 PM

I spent the afternoon and early evening kayaking with a friend at a state park I'd never been to before. I had a great time in the kayak and saw lots of wildlife. I saw my very first bald eagle in the wild, an eastern painted turtle, 3 deer, 2 fawns, 1 buck and a little black squirrel. There were 5 geese who flew overhead, changed formation and flew back around...it felt like they were putting on a show just for us! Also, shortly after we put in, a small fish jumped over the paddle of my friend's kayak. I don't think either of would have believed it except that we BOTH saw it! All in all, a very nice day outside!!!!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 11:34 PM

"somehow I don't really think that would be a problem for must Mudcatters."

Yeah, thinking about it is no problem these days...

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Scoville--storms knocked out my cookie
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 10:58 PM

. . . must reset it in a moment


I don't know, it does sound a bit like women dancing naked in the woods, although somehow I don't really think that would be a problem for must Mudcatters.




I've got two music friends who met through a string-band club. He thought she was cute but waited until one of the club camp-outs to ask her out, because he wanted to see if she could handle herself outdoors. She got to the campsite late, after work, and was fighting with a tent in the dark, wondering why in the Hell this big, stupid, man was watching but not helping her, and he was thinking, "Now, there's a girl who can take care of herself." She was completely annoyed until he told her his plan, and then she thought it was hilarious. They're quite the pair.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 10:32 PM

Hiya Robin,

   What about the title made you reluctant? Just curious! :)

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 10:29 PM

I've really enjoyed the stories in this thread. I was reluctant to open it for a while because of the title. Perhaps, at my age, I should start walking past those magazines with similar titles...

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: JenEllen
Date: 05 Aug 06 - 07:20 PM

Ditto for me. Sounds dreamy. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Janie
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 11:27 PM

Thanks for the link, JenEllen. Now, when I win the lottery I'll give you a call and we'll book our trip.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: JenEllen
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 10:50 PM

OARS tours Fiji, Galapagos and Peru. I'm pulling for Fiji...:)

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: JenEllen
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 10:47 PM

Janie, you should look up the OARS folks. They do tours all over the world, and there were some drop-dead photos of the islands on a particular tour that was WAY out of my price range. Up here the only sea-kayaking to be had is exhilarating (the same way that an extreme-fighting cage match is). I would think that kayaking someplace of clear turquoise water and calm seas would be fantastic for the soul.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 05:43 PM

JenEllen,

My only experience with Outfitters has been rafting and we have always had a great time. 2 years ago our whole family went, including my 80 y.o. Dad and 76 y.o. Mom. We did an easy section of the New River in WV. Mom and Dad stayed in a nearby motel and the rest of us stayed at the outfitter's campground.

It were fun.

One peripherally bad experience regarding Outfitters. Several years ago Hubby and I went hiking in the mountains of far western North Carolina, above Joyce Kilmer (a virgin Poplar forest.) The trail we chose, unfortunately, was a popular one for outfitters out of Atlanta, Geoargia, who used llamas as pack animals. The sharp hooves of the llamas had cut up the trail badly and worn it down into a narrow trench that turned into a ditch when it is wet. And it was wet. There was llama shit everywhere. We were wearing river sandals because it was wet. It was like slogging through a sewage ditch. We were disgusted. I don't think llamas and foot trails make good partners at all. I think (hope) they have since banned the use of llamas on a lot of the trails over there.

My dream vacation--an Outfitter led kayak tour among the out islands of the Bahamas.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 05:08 PM

The south fork of the New is in North Carolina and is a cake walk. I was in a little Pongo and hubby on our sit-on-top surf kayak. I've done the upper New which only has class 1 and class 2 and one marginally class 3 rapid. I would raft the lower New with an Outfitter, but would never kayak it--I don't really have white water skills. Me be sea kayaker.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Scoville
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 04:17 PM

Amen, SRS. There are better ways to die than hiking in Texas in the summer.




Somewhat OT (no women) but my favorite reenacting story comes from my brother:

My brother and his friend Craig got invited to a WWII reenactment that was to be held in the non-campground part of a state park (park officials had declared this part off-limits to regular campers for the weekend in an effort to reach out to local reenacting groups). Germans versus Americans; Craig and my brother were on the German side.

The whole group decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to stage a night battle, which they didn't normally get to do because there wasn't usually enough space and there were too many modern campers around. So, they picked and area and agreed on a time, basic strategy, etc.

At the given hour, the "Germans" took their places in the brush and started creeping toward the agreed "Allied" lines. Soon, they began to see movement in the area where the Americans had agreed to meet them so they waited for just the right moment and then jumped out of the bushes, yelling and firing blanks.

The "Allies" dropped everything and fled, screaming, into the woods.

Staging a battle doesn't work if your opponents don't shoot back so the "Germans" all got out their flashlights and started looking around to see what the Hell had just happened. My brother was shuffling around looking for clues when he kicked something. He told me this later:

"As soon as I picked it up, I knew exactly what it was. It was a Boy Scount canteen. The Americans had been late getting to the 'battleground' and, instead, we had just 'shot up' a troop of Boy Scouts."

They found out the next morning that a troop of Scouts had been out orienteering at night, had gotten lost, and had wandered into the off-limits half of the park, where they were subsequently attacked by Hitler's army.

I'm sure some of those kids are still in counseling.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Melani
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 03:27 PM

I am about to sail away up the river to Sacramento with a crew of female Sea Scouts. They will be gone two weeks; I can only take one, and will drive back to the Bay Area from Sacramento. This will take a little over an hour, but it will take us a week to sail there.

I also do various sorts of living history, notably Renaissance Faires, and have also just joined the Confederate artillery. Some of the fun tourist questions that reenactors get include:

"Why were all the Civil War battles fought in national parks?"

"Did they hide behind the monuments to fight? How come there aren't any bullet holes in them?"

"Is that a real (gun, horse, baby)?"

I attended a reenactment a couple of weeks ago, where I was pleased to note an increase in women in the ranks. My favorite moment was after the battle, when everyone was packing up. A guy in shorts and a tee shirt was looking at an artillery caisson, and said, "What goes in here, honey?" His wife, in uniform, replied, "That's where we keep the ammunition."

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 11:06 AM

It's an absolutely horrible time for hiking around here--that's one reason why I still don't like Texas summers. They're a wash, it's so hot. I was spoiled with a childhood west of the Cascades in Washington State. We used to get away on some weekends by loading up Mom's station wagon and heading to a favorite Forest Service campground, sometimes in Verlot or up in the Skykomish area.

That said, we still enjoy tent camping down here occasionally, when we can get away in the spring or fall. And it is more along the lines of tailgate camping, in a state park with electric and water so we can run a lamp. You can throw a lot of creature comforts into the back end of a pickup with a camper shell. We sometimes break a camping trip with a hotel stay one night, but I really do enjoy the camping.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: JenEllen
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 10:36 AM

Yeah, the primitive camping has it's time and place, Janie. I'm finding I have less and less to prove to myself, so the cabin and hot tub usually win out.

Have any of you every tried going with outfit tours? Someone was telling me about O.A.R.S. and the rafting trips, the catalog looks great, but are they as nice as they seem? I was looking at the Canyonlands and St.John river trips in the book and they look delish.

It's getting to be the perfect time for hikes around here. The next few weekends will be spent hiking around the Cascades looking for blackberry bushes that only the bears know about. Fun fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 09:14 AM

...strenuous hiking or kayaking...

And you were on the New? And the New isn't strenuous?????????

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 04 Aug 06 - 08:24 AM

Went kayaking on the south fork of the New River this week! We used to spend the winters in the Florida Keys and have done extensive kayaking and camping on mangrove keys in Florida Bay and also along the coast of North Carolina. Have gotten caught in some fierce storms in both places where we weren't sure we were going to survive (but obviously, did.) I spend most of my time at home in the garden. Have done more primitive camping than I care to remember--hubby burned me out on it to the point I don't enjoy it anymore--give me a cabin with a hot tub on the back porch!

Have also spent a lot of time wildcrafting medicinal herbs, and enjoy gathering and preparing wild edible plants.

I'm older, fatter and creakier now so am not as likely to engage in strenuous hiking or kayaking, but still prefer to be out in nature as much as possible.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Amos
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 03:55 PM

It's the molecules, honey....

A

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 03:52 PM

I think the most interesting question, and the one hardest to answer in a way that the answer would be understood, came from a five year old girl. First though you have to understand why gunpowder was being used.

Back in old days, whisky was distilled three times ("triplin's") and it would run out the third time at about 180 proof (90% alcohol). This was taken to town and sold, but before it was sold it was "powder proofed" by wetting a small amount of gunpowder with the whisky and lighting it. If the whisky was of high enough proof, the alcohol would burn, dry the gunpowder, and "poof" it off in a cloud of smoke. (If it didn't burn the buyer would assume you were trying to do business and usual and beat you up.)

Well, we'd demonstrated that gunpowder poofs off when you toss it into a fire, and this little girl asked, "Why does the gunpowder do that?"

Go on. Answer it. In terms a five-year-old can understand. I dare you.

We managed to do it, but it warn't easy!

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Scoville
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 03:39 PM

I don't mind the smart ones, even if they ask me something I don't know (I just make mental notes to go look that up for next time).

Know-it-alls are the ones that exasperate me, or the ones that don't know anything but insist on bluffing, or whatever. I'd much rather parents either ask us or say, "I'm not sure but why don't we look it up when we get home?" than make up something or try to put on a show of "besting" me in front of their kids. If *I'm* willing to admit I don't know everything, and I'm the one in costume, then I wish they'd just get over it.



(On a lighter note)

I once stopped at the grocery store on my way home from one of these costume events. I looked up from the frozen foods bin and saw a mom and two little boys who had just spent all day running around with the mountain men, etc. The boys recognized me and were so excited to see that I ate frozen green beans just like they did! (I wonder if they fussed less about eating their vegetables after that. I hope so.)



Oh, and tip for people who play music at these things:
Small children LOVE limberjacks. You can keep a whole troup of Tiger Cubs mesmerized with one little dancing doll.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,Rob the Roadie
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 12:36 PM

My wife Angie, half of the duo Taggart and Wright is very active outdoors.
On an expedition to Kyrgystan a few years ago with our club the Chester Mountaineering Club (CMC) we made the first ascent of four mountains over 4000 metres.
We tried to canoe from Fort William one year in conjunction with the John Muir Trust but got beaten by the weather.

I proposed to Angie on Mont Blanc on one of our several trip to the Alps.
Angie has been an active member of the CMC for about 10 years.

Every few years we go on a cycling holiday island hopping about the Western Isles.
Angie has climbed several extreme rock routes and if you visit the Taggart and Wright web site you can see her in action rock climbing on Jersey. We went there for our honeymoon and made the first ascent of 14 rock routes.
We also go skiing most years although recently my knee has stopped us.
So hows that for an outdoors active female!

www.sky-web.net/taggartandwright/

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 11:29 AM

I led a group through Ellis Island back in 1978, and one family with their 10-year-old son stayed at my elbow the entire time. As we walked between stops where I talked this kid had a million really good questions, after listening carefully during the talk. We reached the end of the tour where there was a sign painted for the railroad terminal waiting room. It points to the right and says "To New York." I spoke there about how people then left by train from New Jersey to go to anywhere in America, or went by ferry to Manhattan, and 98% of the people considered Ellis "The Golden Door." For the 2% deported this was "The Island of Tears." This kid looked thoughtful, then announced "It sounds like the Golden Door had a rusty doorknob." Sublime! I looked at those two parents and said "I hope you have this boy in a really good school!" They beamed back and said yes, they made sure he was in a school that suited his wonderful intelligence.

There are lots of other stories like that, but this one is easiest to describe briefly.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 03 Aug 06 - 10:49 AM

I think the question about the cold (Was it as cold then as it is now?) is a legitimate question, especially now with the incredible weather changes that are taking place. It is possible that the climate was somewhat different, no?

What were some of the best questions you've been asked while working in a historic place or park?

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 10:40 PM

My brother, wife, nieces, nephews, and I were demonstrating distilling. We were dressed in clothing appropriate to the 1830s, even though the still was my grandfather's and of early 20th C. vintage. Here are some of the questions we've been asked in all seriousness:

"Is that a real fire?"
"Did they have whiskey back then?"
"How did the corn ferment? Was it like it does now?"
"Was it as cold then as it is now?"
"Do you live here?"
"Do you dress like that all the time?"
(Pointing to the sandwich I was eating for lunch) "Is that okay to eat?"

The kids were the best -- they still had a sense of wonder.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 10:25 PM

Scoville,

There are smart visitors, and then there are the Know-it-Alls. Met some of both. You have to be careful to not let any individual, no matter how interesting, hijack your attention during the tour, and you have to figure out how to shut up the truly-uniformed who insist that they are correct (even if you can cite or demonstrate your sources).

The National Park Service does (used to, anyway, I haven't been on an NPS tour for a long time) train its seasonals very thoroughly when they're in the interpretive branch (if they still fund tours or programs and aren't pouring it all into "Homeland Security"). I enjoyed most of the parks I worked in, with a couple of exceptions. Sometimes you stumble upon a dysfunctional park and it's all you can do to keep your sanity for the course of the season. I worked in one that was so destructive to its seasonals that it was all I could do go through the motions of opening and closing facilities each day. It featured bad interpretive supervision (I met my first bonafide pathological liar) and a horrible superintendent in what turned out to be a "retirement park" where the NPS stashed those permanent employees they couldn't fire but who were totally incompetent. They were simply waiting them out until they retired. One of these guys burned down the maintenance shop that summer, while the Supt. was photographed, by me, walking through the park with friends and open containers, when he wasn't poisoning himself eating week-old raw oysters from his fridge or losing appendages when reaching under his running lawnmower with his index finger).

I gave probably the two worst tours of my life there because of lack of training and support (I think they only had people turn up for a half-dozen scheduled tours in that park the entire season, despite the incredible beauty of the place and the close access to things like orcas. Why? Because it was Historic park so we weren't allowed to talk about the natural history despite beaches all around. Or so they said. I ignored this when I was out on foot patrol and pointed out the whales and owls and everything else people wanted to ask about. But those weren't "tours.")

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 08:11 PM

Huh? What? Bourbon?

Methinks you have the wrong person........

Michelle :)

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Scoville
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 07:59 PM

Then there is my father, who is the underinformed tour GUIDE's worst nightmare--overeducated and endlessly curious about everything. He doesn't do it to be rude, he just can't help himself. If they survive one of his inquisitions, they're probably PhD material.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Kaleea
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 06:06 PM

LilyFestre-are you required to drink the Bourbon outdoors only, or can you drink it inside, say, a cave?

I used to live where I participated, as a Musician in period attire, in a living museum representing life in the 1870's. There are some people who ask unbelievably ridiculous questions, and the inevitable "aren't you hot in all those clothes?" Actually, in correct period attire the layers of cotton help to wick the moisture away from the skin.
I was accustomed to questions such as, "is that a harpsichord?" while I was playing Autoharp, Zither, & a few other instruments.
Or, "How did they learn to play that thing back in the 1800's?" when I was playing pump organ.

Other fun Q's adults asked:

Q: They didn't really have sasparilla (sarsaparilla) back then, did they?
   
Q: How did the girls go to the bathroom with all those clothes on?

Q: Did they have ice cream back then?

Q: (upon seeing a sign printed in German language) Did they have "nazis" back then?

Q: Do you live in a tipi?   (I was dressed in a period correct 1875 frontier dress, not "indian" attire!)
   
Q: (person looking around in a farmhouse) Where's the refrigerator?

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: LilyFestre
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 05:09 PM

Awww HG, your link isn't working!
    I hope to get some photos up on my blog very soon!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Aug 06 - 12:00 AM

Trouble with working at places like visitor centers is that many of the questions (all three of them) the visitors could have figured out for themselves. The fact that they're excited to see park rangers is part of it, but I got awfully tired of answering the questions 1) where is the bathroom 2) where is the coke machine and 3) how do you get to [the top, the bottom, the canyon, the statue. . . whatever the big feature was in that vicinity of the park]. Signs are wonderful things but people rarely read them. Read ed Abbey's "Industrial Tourism" chapter (5, I think) in Desert Solitaire if you want a lucid and sharp view of the matter. Protecting the park from the visitors and the visitors from the park. The rangers get ground in the middle between those two great weights.

I really liked the walks when there were a good number of visitors to sustain a conversation and provide good questions but not so many that you had to wait for people before you could talk or move on. My favorites are always the ones with kids who have really clicked with the walk or tour and have a lot of questions all the way through. I could usually walk between tour points and answer his/her questions and then incorporate them into the talk when it suited.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: GUEST,hg
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 10:32 PM

Here is a page of my blog with kayak pictures. More in various places. This weekend I will probably go to the Wakulla River to see Manatees or else to the Econfina at the mouth of the Gulf. It's too hot to camp now in Florida except if you can camp next to a spring fed river like the Santa Fe or certain spots on the Suwannee. I'm reading Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings biography and I need to learn how to cook swamp cabbage...that was Florida in it's glory....

enjoy, gal young'uns


http://pineyflatwoodsgirl.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_pineyflatwoodsgirl_archive.html

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Rapparee
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 10:30 PM

Jill and Crazy are friends of ours.

We do reenactment, sometimes, but not in leather.

Subject: RE: BS: Women In The Outdoors
From: Scoville
Date: 01 Aug 06 - 10:12 PM

Oh, get over yourself, GUEST. You can't pretend that everyone in every pasttime or profession doesn't get a little exasperated now and again. It seems to me that Rapaire's nieces were trying to be humorous, and tourists know when they're being ribbed. I DO appreciate that people bring their kids out, and I'm not snotty with them, ever. (FYI, the reenactors accused each other of being "farby"--tourists were exempt because, of course, they were not in costume. You can't be farby if you're not in costume.)

Fantastic pix, Rapaire, but I could never get my dog to work that hard ;-)   I have friends who do "mountain-man" reenactments, too, and its a load of fun to see them in full buckskins.