Nano Winters Journey 3rd installment

partial installment of this chapter/scene

***

NOTE: to proofreaders;

Kayla = speaks with an Irish brogue, so she be written the way herit sounds, at least at first, so, soooo, her speaking is delibertly spekked phonetically.

Hot soup out of the wind

Steve’s group watched the older fellow Max for a while. While it was obvious he was making a shelter, it was not clear why there were a few little shelters though. The guys were just about to head over and give him a hand as he was obviously searching for wood for a fire now when Shannon suddenly solved the shelter question with her simple statement.

Shannon who had been getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute now, suddenly blurted out, “guys, I need to use the bathroom. I can’t hold it for much longer, how soon will the road be cleared do you think?” PeggySue and the guys exchanged glances since they were the outdoorsy type with the most camping experience. “Bathrooms,” they said almost in unison, which of course set the off laughing and rounds of Jinx you owe me a coke, bantered about. This time it was Kayla in her lush Irish brogue who responded.

“Com along dear, I need to use the loo as well now with all this laughter and bouncing around. I am sure that is what that fellow is creating, bathrooms and a sitting area.” Kayla responded while pointing to the door for Mike to let her out. “Make sure you grab your coat and mitts from the boot, so we donna freeze out thar!” Pausing in thought, she looked to the shelter and almost whispered, “hopefully there is some paper in there as well?”

Mike who had been the closest, opened the glove box and wordlessly handed her some napkins from the last drive through.

“Ta.” She replied, while her and Shannon moved fairly quickly along the path that Max had created. As the group was still sorting out their coats and gloves from the trunk, they saw Kayla and Shannon stop to question Max who nodded and pointed over to the right side with a nod from his head. Both girls scurried quickly inside the enclosure out of sight.

Steve called out a friendly greeting as they got closer to the small shelter in the stand of trees, “Hey there, hope you don’t mind us coming over here. We also thought you might like some help with the firewood.” As they were finally up close to the shelter now, they noticed that even outside of the windbreak, the driving wind of the highway and fields was only a bit breezy in the copse of trees.

“Hey back at you and your group!” responded Max while a small smile. “If you want to give me a bit of a hand, over on the other side there,” as he pointed just to the outside of the trees on the right, they could see a small snow covered pile. “Seems the farmer or who ever was cutting some trees in here a while ago, left a mound of branches, sticks, small trees and some cut firewood as well.” he nodded in thought, looking from the mound to the group. “Sure, if everybody helps out, in only a few trips, we can have enough wood for the entire night.”

“The entire night?” queried Shannon as they came out of the tarp windbreak they had been inside of just moments before.

“Aye, the entire naught, why do ya thing that tha donna have the highwaa cleared ba than?” Kayla muttered loudly and concernedly at him why looking around at the steady falling snow and the covered highway.

“Experience.”

“Gah, wanna mean ba EXPERIENCE!”

“Just that actually, just my past experiences in person as well as observation of events happening around me by watch news coverage and reading about the events.” Pausing to take a deep breath, he nodded at the road and the OPP officers in the distance. “Always observe, try to learn from the free lessons around you so when you get into the actual situations, you have a basis of understanding to hopefully react safely and appropriately.”

“So, ya watch the tele, than?”

Chuckling, Max regarded the group then responded, “actually, I watch very little TV as I have not owned one for about 5 years now. When I am out and about, I do watch the TV, I also follow news reports, see information and coverage on my smart phone as well.” Pausing, he seemed to think more on the topic, then said, “Also from past training and learning experiences. When I was very young to just a little while ago, there are courses to take and learning opportunities around the province and the world really.”

“Like our scouts training?” Queried Steve with a thoughtful look in his eye as he looked at the wood piled for a fire. “Like, learning at summer camp and our parents when we go camping.”

“Yes and more as well, jobs training, courses, organizations hold training, even online training if you know it can be trusted as well!” A pause, then a quick nod to himself, “You will find stories, situations and scenarios online as well. For example there are a couple of authors, for example. Jerry D. Young and another guy who goes by wild_E, they both write, both have varied and certified backgrounds as well, so although some ideas are strange to off the wall, the rest is solid knowledge you can use. O and Survivor Man as well, lots of videos there, but not too many of cooking” Here max trailed off laughing until the others got the joke.

Kyle told his girlfriend Kayla of the TV. series Survivor Man and how he survives for most of the 7 days with no food, and that was the joke there. Good info, but no cooking on that outdoors survival show. Or some cooking that they did not want to have to do at any rate.

Nano Winters Journey 2nd installment

Yuppers, on a bit of a roll though still computer issues, downloading programs and updating this blog. uggg
Nanonano word count as of this post will be 6090 words ! ya. go me!

***
Blizzard on Hwy 402

NOTE: to proofreaders;
Kayla = speaks with an Irish brogue, so I be written the way it sounds, at least at first, so, soooo, her speaking is deliberately spekked and spokked phonetically.
Sudden Winter Storm
Pickup winter story on Highway 402
Dec. 22, 2013 – A steady dose of freezing rain across parts of Eastern Canada turned roads and sidewalks into skating rinks Sunday, cut power to hundreds of ..

The last big storm he remembered that was in 1998 Steve was now 19 yrs old and was heading off to Niagara Falls for a day and evening to watch the winter concert with lights at the falls. The six of them all squished into the car, Steve and his fairly new girlfriend Shannon his best buddy’s(buddies??) Kyle and Mike.
The drive was getting slower and truth be told somewhat scary as well. The large white fluffy flakes had started to fall just after a flash rain with the temperature dropping fast. Those cute and cuddly fluffy flakes had quickly changed to the smaller hard driving and blinding dense snow of a sudden early blizzard. Snow was piling up fast and the cars front bumper was acting more like a mini snowplow than a deflector. Fishtailing and flailing around in the blizzard was more than challenging, it was becoming dangerous and terrifying. Kyle was doing his best though even with the new winter tires it was harrowing, the car was just not built for Canadian winters, despite what all the ads on TV and the dealership said.

‘Pull over, pull over’
thought Steve as he sat in the back seat with both his girlfriend Shannon from Kyle’s school and Peggy Sue sitting to the right by the window. To her credit Kayla who was sitting in the middle front, with Mike riding the shotgun seat was not freaking out too much though her eyes were huge with concern. Steve thought Kyle was going to have some rather painful bruises on his legs though from where she was gripping so hard. This kind of snowfall and storm where new to her as this was her first winter here in Canada. Shannon who was sitting to his right was doing ok as all things go, though she was more of a city and mall kind of gal in all honesty. Although she was from Canada, she was still more or less dressed for going out to the mall than dressing for a winter excursion. Kayla on the other hand had kind of overdressed for the occasion. Her family in Ireland where all into outdoor sports, hiking and adventures so she was dressed more sensibly as well. Peggy Sue, sitting in the back beside Shannon, was more interested in keeping her eyes on Mike, who she had recently started dating.
‘Dating’, Steve thought, ‘not sure how I like the sound of that’, even though Mike was his best friend along with Kyle. Her clothing reflected their family interest in all things outdoor sports, hiking and camping. Peggy Sue did tend to get cold fairly fast so she had brought extra clothing in her knapsack, as a precaution.

As a large 4×4 went zipping by and almost side swiping their car, probably just to prove how good he was in his very large 4×4 versus their smaller two wheeled drive car, Steve met Kyle’s eyes in the mirror. Mike looked back to Steve then over to Kyle who was now white knuckling the steering wheel, in an attempt to keep them on the road and out of the ditch. None of them said a word; a quick glance was all that was needed since they had been fast friends ever since they had met at the shelter during the large power outage during the winter when they were kids. This longtime friendship made communication with each other uncanny during times of stress or activity.

Kayla who had let out a loud gasp and visibly flinched by the large 4×4’s performance of stupidity was starting to come unglued by it all. Both Steve and Peggy Sue started talking to try and calm her down. Steve letting his sister calm the Irish girl down while he, Kyle and Mike softly discussed their options. Mike who had the map book out was using his finger to mark where he thought they were now. Steve loudly whispered to Kyle to keep going thought slowly down the road, as both Mike and he thought that they were in a very long stretch in the middle of farmland with no interchanges or pullovers for another 15 kms or so with the last interchange on Hwy 402 was at least 10 kms behind them as well.

The three boys knew they were in trouble if the car became stuck, already 30 kms out of London they knew this would be big trouble. More and more cars were sliding off the highway as the snow deepened, this freak storm was catching them all by surprise. With a brief break in the blowing snow from a small copse of trees, they glimpsed a couple of police cars stuck or sitting in the middle of the road, stopping all traffic in both directions.
“Right here in the break from the trees is the best bet,” both Mike and Steve loudly whispered at the same time.
“Jinx you owe me a coke,” again at the same time to each other while Kyle growled out, “Quietly please, I need to concentrate here!”
Shannon who had been engrossed in her magazine, People or some such fashion rag piped up, “What why are we stopping here? Here in the middle of nowhere!”

“Shush now please while we figure out what we need to do and Kyle gets us safely to the side, ok,” whispered Steve to her.
Peggy Sue patted Shannon’s thigh in a bid to get her to talk with her and Kayla both quietly.
‘She is my sister, but she is ok,” thought Steve with a smile. However, his smile died down a bit as he noticed Mike beaming back at Peggy Sue. Kyle just grimaced as he brought the car to a halt on the side of the road. Putting his four way flashers on as he did so, the vehicle that had been keeping a reasonable distance away, also put their flashers on, pulling up about 5 meters behind them also off to the side. Other vehicles were struggling to get to the side with their flashes on as well, most understanding that keeping the left hand lane, the lane beside large natural median in the highway was important to them all. Everyone except another large 4×4, though that driver either was not paying enough attention to his front or he just could not slow down in time? The OPP officer jumped to his side closer to his cruiser as the four by, slid, slipped, then accelerated to the medium side, then quickly disappeared down into the deep snow there. To that drivers credit, they almost made it back up onto the road, but hit a deeper spot which caused them to come to a very quick halt.

Kyle, Mike and Steve all looked back down the roadway they had just travelled on to the other side, then in front of them. All traffic it seemed had come to a stop, with most vehicles pulled over to their prospective right hand lanes or a bit closer to the side of the highway. Every now and then, they would see another set of lights plow off the highway to the right or left, all either deep into the ditch or just hanging downwards on the slope. In front of them and off to the side, the OPP officers were letting the larger four wheel drive vehicles go by them if they were moving along at a slow and safe pace. Within another half an hour, even those were all stopped on the side of the road due to the accumulation of snow. This sudden winter storm, which had caught them up in this freak event, was putting an inordinate amount of snow down in a very short period of time all over the area. Southern Ontario was now snowed in all along the 402 and other highways from Toronto all the way past Niagara Falls, which had been their destination.

Sitting in their running vehicle with the four way flashers going both Kayla and Shannon, asked in almost unison “Should we walk down the highway?”
All the boys and Peggy Sue answered at the same time. “No, we are staying here”.
Again, like clockwork Kayla and Shannon, both a bit exasperated stated, “Why not!”
“Cause we will all die!” Exclaimed the boys and Peggy Sue, again at the same time.

This caused them all to start laughing as they all realized they were all saying the same words at the same time, together! This laughing actually helped to ease the tension away, making normal communication and thoughts much easier, so it was appreciated by all of them. As the chuckling was dying down, out from the front seat, “Jinx, you all owe me a Coke!” Was heard from a very smiley Kayla in her best and most proud Irish baroque! Well, that was the icing on the cake as they all lost it again, laughing, slapping each other on the backs, thighs, all high-fiving each other with big bright smiles.

Everybody was so caught up in the bouncing and giggle fest that they were all surprised at the quite and polite knock on the drivers’ window.
“Who is that?” Mike wondered aloud as he leaned over the dash to get a better look at who was knocking on the drivers’ window.
“Looks like the fellow from the vehicle behind us.” Stated both Steve and Kyle! This only caused bigger smiles as Kyle rolled down the window.
“Hey there, is everything good? Saw you guys bouncing around and wanted to make sure you were all OK!” he stated, looking concerned though with a small smile on his face to make them comfortable with his being there!

“Jinx, you both owe me another Coke, that is twwo frm ya knaaw.” Exclaimed Kayla in excitement, with an even stronger baroque this time! Smiling and chuckling, Steve answered for everyone.
“Ya, it’s all good. We were just talking, then laughing then we really started laughing there for a bit.” Chuckling, Steve stated with an even bigger smile.
“Yes, I can see that now.” Max hunkered down a bit, so he could address everyone in the car at the same time through the open windows. “Names Max. Since I know a bit of survival in and out of the bush including road travel, I was just making sure you were not gassing yourselves and had the windows down a bit, even in this mini blizzard!” As he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear in the car.

Kyle who had been content to listen so far asked, “What do you mean by gassing ourselves?”
Max pointed to the back of the vehicle, to the ever deepening snow and all around them while explaining.
“With the amount of snow coming down, the exhaust pipes will plug up or become covered in this all this white stuff. Then the exhaust has nowhere to go but up underneath the car, inside where you all are! That is one of the biggest hazards to your health. The build up of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide inside the closed vehicle due to everybody exhaling along with the vehicle exhaust. My suggestion is to make sure you have a couple windows down a touch on side away from the wind. The side that the trees are on and you keep making an opening occasionally for the exhaust pipe. It is a pain, though it will keep you safer in the short and long term. Good habits keep you alive.” he chuckled out softly while shaking some of the snow off his ball cap. Even in the short time he was out there talking with them, the snow had piled up on top of his head.

“Should we go and help out the OPP officer and the 4×4 pickup who went off the highway?” Asked Mike who had been quiet up to then.
Max, looking towards the stopped line of vehicles with the cop cars flashing red and white lights, then behind them, paused to contemplate his answer before giving his thoughts.
“No, not really. It is a bit of a walk, even from here and there are a few people already helping and the cop does not look impressed at all”. Pausing in thought, he then added; “honestly, when I lived in the mountains in B.C. near Whistler we saw this all the time. Every snowstorm, the yahoos in the Four By’s would zip on buy us with an attitude, then the first stop or turn they would be off into the bulrushes, demanding people help them!”
Another brief pause, then with a huff of breath. “Nope, let the wingnuts help themselves, or the cop will just tell him to wait and let the tow truck pull him out, plus give him a mighty big fine I think.
“Laughing now, Max looked them all in the eye. “Now, I just help polite people who drive properly without attitudes, only them!” Shaking more snow off with a combination of twisting and turning, Max looked them all over quickly, thoughts running through his head. Coming to a decision he offered, “I have spare blankets, food and water for you guys if you need. I think we will be here for a while now. This early storm caught everybody flat footed and if the snowplows even make it out of the yards by sundown it will be surprising.”

“What?” Exclaimed both Kayla and Shannon at the same time, Kayla with her distinctive voice and Shannon’s higher peeked as well!
The boys along with Peggy Sue, shared long looks with each other, which Max picked up on right away. He had noted the way they were all dressed in at a quick glance when he had first crouched down. Nodding to himself as he again assessed the situation along with how they were dressed, he smiled slightly thinking that these kids would be mostly fine. Sensible, polite and intelligent all, so he had more worries about the few other cars around them than these kids safety. Peggy Sue decided to speak up so the other girls would be more than likely to be calm after listening to her another female versus a male spoke up.
“We have some blankets in the trunk, along with some water and food as well. Maybe not enough for more than a day, though there are power bars, granola, fruit etc.. as we brought a picnic lunch with us as well as the standard emergency food for a group of four for two days. With there being six of us today, plus the picnic basket we should be fine.” She finished off with a big smile, so the girls would see her confidence and perhaps relax. “Also, the blankets and flashlights that the governments winter travel guide informed us to have that we got in the mail last year.”
Kyle, looking up and down the road decided to turn off his four way flashers as they were not needed, as there were no vehicles moving on the highway anymore added. “That winter safety guide is also in the trunk by the way. I think if I remember as well, it said to only run the car enough to keep it warmish inside, to turn it off after about ten minutes every half hour or on the hour depending on the conditions and temperatures outside.”

“You guys got it! Excellent.” Max nodded with a small grin. “If’n you need anything, pop on back to my vehicle do not be afraid of my big old Cane Coors dog, Zeldy, she is just a big softy.”
With that, he put his fingers to the brim of his hat with a showy Boy Scout salute then made his way back to his vehicle. They all turned and watch him walk back to his van. Soon they watched him let out his large brindle coloured dog and start clowning around with each other playing snowball fight with the dog as she ran around barking and carousing in the snow with obvious delight.

Steve and Kyle rolled up their windows, while Peggy Sue and Mike rolled theirs down a bit for the air circulation. Finally, Kayla asked, “is that normal, people coming up to check on you and offer help, in Canada?”
She mussed out loud while they watched people trying to dig their cars out or start walking over to the police officers. “Also, isn’t he bloody cold out there in this bleeding blizzard?” She suddenly blurted out while watching the dog run up and down the slope of the highway towards the trees, chasing a stick of all things, in a blizzard! Looking thoughtful including Shannon, they all nodded their heads yes, while they too watched the older fellow play with his dog on the side of the highway, in a blizzard, both seemed happy without a care in the world.
“Again, why the bloody hell isn’t he cold, look at them, standing out there playing in this, this howling wind and snow?” She questioned them, looking each of them in their eyes.

Shrugging, Peggy Sue replied, “You get used to the cold weather once you are out in it enough and accept it.”
Pausing, she added in, “When you accept that it is just cold out and forget about it, you will enjoy yourself much more during the winter here!”
Shannon and Kayla looked to each other skeptically at that statement, and then they turned to look out the windows again, both thinking about what they had seen and heard. A contemplative quite took over everybody as they looked out the windows, all lost in thought at that moment while watching others on the highway. Some were inside with their vehicles running, others were seen outside of their vehicles, some standing around looking lost, others were trying to dig their vehicles out though for what reason right now was curious. The crowd around the OPP Officers was growing with not a lot of folks looking happy or shaking their heads as the officers on both sides of the highway pointed around them while trying to make the others listen and understand. Only a few vehicles had been switched off, most of the others were kept running in an attempt to stay warm in the blizzard. The few who had managed to stop near the trees were soon clearly the few who turned off the engines to save fuel.

‘Wonder what they have to say about the weather,’ wondered Steve.
“Kyle, can you run the car for about 10-15 minutes and put on the radio so we can hear the news, please and thanks buddy.”
…‘Dec 22, 2013 CBC Ontario- A steady dose of freezing rain across parts of Eastern and South Central Ontario Canada turned roads and sidewalks into skating rinks this Sunday, with cut power to hundreds of .. h_mes…’… Fiddling with the dial, Kyle had just missed the radio station, or it had cut out, either way, the only thing coming out of the car radio speakers now, just sounded like snow. More snow, inside on the radio and outside all around their vehicles. With the vehicle running, Kyle played with the dial, snowy reception with some odd low words coming through every once in a while, emphasized the situation they were in right now.
“Eww, even my cell phone has no reception!” Hissed out Shannon with irritation. Giving up on her cell phone she happened to glance in the mirror. “Hey. What is that guy behind us doing now? Does he ever go into his vehicle or what?”

Everybody turned in their seats to witness the older fellow from the van behind them, now walking up and down the bank to the trees and back. First front of the van down the snow, then back up the bank to the back of his van. Each trip he went a little farther into the woods making a small circle inside the trees, then back to either the front or back of his van on his snowshoes. His dog, now wearing a red pack, which stood out remarkably in the white snow, was also making the short trip back and forth with him. Stopping, he opened the front passenger door, removed a small pack and a small plastic shovel, and then he headed back down to the trees. They watched him with some curiosity as he pulled out some small blue tarps and yellow rope. First, he put a blue tarp up on a smaller tree, securing it top, bottom then in the middle areas. Next he pulled the yellow rope tightly across and around some trees then secured it to another medium sized tree. Repeating this process again along about knee height, with the yellow rope. Walking back to tarp, he stretched it out quickly; tying off the far end to another medium sized tree, then went back attaching some smaller pieces of rope to the grommets. This made a blue windbreak inside the trees.

Next, they watched him enter a small area in front of the blue windbreak, tamp down the snow in and around some trees. He quickly set up an odd shaped little small room. Steve’s group of friends all watched in puzzlement trying to figure out just what he was doing. When he was done, he repeated the procedure about 3 metres away. This little windbreak or small room was a bit different as there was a small tree that fallen over which he encased in this little tarp room. Coming back out, they watched him look over what he had done, made some minor adjustments and tightening to his handiwork. In complete bafflement, everyone in the car watched him look back and forth at the two smaller rooms; then, he walked over and wrote something at the entrance to each of them with what looked like a magic marker.

Picking up the small plastic shovel, he then walked behind each of these <areas/shelters .. figure out which is better later> in his snowshoes, using the shovel to pile snow up around the base of them. This seemed to make them stop whipping in the wind more with each shovel of snow, becoming sturdy and stable.

***

 

 

Videos of my Cane Corso x Great Dane

Cane Corso x Great Dane run with big stick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Ww-TNpCOg

 She is a female Cane Corso crossed with a Great Dane, she weighs about 135lbs, is about 3 1/2 yrs old.

Cane Corso x Great Dane with a very big stick they are strong and very quick dogs

Cane Corso x Great Dane runs quick on ice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8QLIptXZas

 

Here you can see her paws and a very quick zoom by, by Zelda.

 

Coyote Tracks vs Dog Tracks in snow prt1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv8DTT_X-5Y

 

Coyote Tracks vs Dog Tracks in snow prt2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0RpzPaJ2xE

On my way to Buroak.ca

So, soon I will be on my way to visit with Lucas the fellow who runs Buroak Wilderness Adventures. 

This is to take a look at his camp setup and see one of his demos and instruction seminars for a follow-up review.  There will be some photos and hopefully a video or two for the review.

See you soon or pop on over to Buroak Wilderness Adventures and we will see you there along with Zelda the Prepper Dog (sort of like a guide dog but she brings me sticks he he )!
Cheers ~wild_E

p.s.. he will soon have some advertising space at CanAmPreppers.net as well as at the forum !

Cane Corso page updated

https://wildernessreturn.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/cane-corso-large-breed-guardian-dog/

So, I updated this Cane Corso page, it is based on my observations of my Cane Corso X with a Great Dane? Also observations on other Cane Corsos and large breed dogs that I have known in the past.

hey, what’s inside there, watcha doing?

Day 3 Waking Divergent

Journal Entry Day 3 of Waking (Divergent)

Weird my world and maybe the world around me has changed forever and I go and check email! This was my last email that I sent to a Canadian Prepper a fellow and his family in the North of Ontario that I have met a few times in RL, Real Life.

“Hey there long time no chat, you always post great info,
except when it is Tax sales.. LOL

So update, no work, sick still, they do not know what it is, more tests more Doctor and Hospital visits!
how have you been?”

Waking Divergent a Journal Novella exercise

This is a cover for the Journal, 

Bet that got him thinking as the world went crazy around him! Man I wish it was a better message, wishing him and his family well, asking how he and the family have been facing the coming winter, anything more. Anything more is right.

This is my Journal since my Waking,
waking up into this strange world!

So if anyone ever reads the Journal they will wonder why start it at Day 3. Well simple answer, I still do not remember much on Day’s 1 & 2. Those days are still fuzzy, disoriented, full of nausea and other groggy symptoms.

Day 1 was not pretty at all! Not at all, I woke up or came too sitting in the driver’s seat of my Van. All I remember about that is I woke up fuzzy, tired, and wanting to vomit (apparently again, as outside the door was a pile as well as down the front of me!) It was not pretty at all.

Zeldy my Dog was in the back in her sleeping and travelling area with the same problems, vomit and stuff around her, vomit and stuff close to the door. It looks like we have been here doing this for a while. We both climbed slowly out, did our business outside, she walked stiffly over to her water bowl, the one I put under the corner of a car carrier trailer to catch rain water, she drank deeply from the water.

I picked up my near empty 1 gallon jug of water, which was full the last time I remember and took out the last sip. The last sip, what is going on here!
“Awe man”, I was so tired and sick, I just sat back in the seat, she climbed in the side of the van and that is the last I remember until the rain started hitting me on the face.

Day 2 ish. Not sure what time it is everything is black out, the rain and wind is whipping up and I got to go again. Thankfully though right now, I do not feel like hurling again, right now that is. “Man am I parched with thirst or what.” I must have said this out loud because Zeldy is now looking at me funny, that normally cute way a dog looks at you when it is trying to understand what you are saying. Normally this would be cute, but my head is spinning now so bad, I think that I will fall over, got to look at something more level. Right that’s funny to me, I live at the back of a farm in my Truck Camper and the fellow that is my Landlord friend named Mick also has an Excavation Company and he brings back salvage so he can sell it when the market is high. Well right now all that scrap metal in all those funny shapes and piles are making me look rather funny as I start staggering around, looking for something to steady myself on.

Tonight there is just enough light from the Moon peeking through the night-time storm clouds that I can see not too bad, the night-time sounds of Nature are finally getting into my foggy brain as well. “I need to drink some water” This I say to her directly and she must have understood me this time, because thankfully her head is now at a normal angle and I am holding onto the side of the Van to steady myself.

My brain is still foggy and sick, I climb into my Truck Camper with Zeldy and drink lots of water, drink water for quite a long time actually! How long have I been out of it. Must change my clothes these are disgusting, full of puke and stuff, the stuff we will not get into in much detail but suffice it to say, I need to wash up badly and so does the Dog. There is Wet Dog smell then there is Yuk Dog smell, well thinking on this now, must have been Yuk Human smell too!

All I can manage is a quick spray and wipe down of both her and me, we are both so tired, sick and groggy? What is going on?

So is this Day 2 still or Day 3?

My last day before this sickness was still being sick and doing tests with the Doc and the Specialists. I remember being in my Truck Camper, wheezing again trying to find my breath the dog wheezing as well, so I gave her a puff or two that day/evening as well.

That day the Radio News Channel 680 News in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) was talking about the mysterious sickness that was hitting the area, it had started the day before in Asia and Eastern Europe as well as the Middle East! Odd I do not remember a similar news report before the Doctor day. I do remember the Doc’s office was full to overflowing and I remember the Doctor saying it was going to be a very short chat as he was so overbooked today and there were so many walk-ins. He also stated they were turning most away and told them to go to Emergency at the nearest hospital. Odd I do not remember there being reports like this before this day, but then again I was sick for about 6 weeks with some mysterious Viral Infection in my Lungs.

Need to take my expensive puffer again, it is hard to breath still or again I have not decided. It is getting slowly, very slowly better, but not so much. Might as well give the Dog another quick dose, she is wheezing and having a hard time breathing, but not as much as I remember her having a hard time. Typical Fur Kid she is, hard to get to take any medications even when she knows it helps her out. Sleep again after puffer time, so tired always so tired.

Day 3 OK up and about lets call this day 3 for lack of better understandings about things.

Weird, everything was so weird today and thinking back on it, it was weird for the last 4 or 5 days. This is supper time, I am writing this on my laptop, did all 3 days right now as I think I will need to keep a Journal entry going as many days as I can do so. All electronics seem to work fine, though the internet is sketchy and my Tethering from my I Phone is sketchy too. Not surprising really since I can find no people!

Did you see that one coming, I sure as Heck Fire did not! Now let’s be honest here, Heck Fire is not what I said, but trying to turn over a new leaf and not swear at all. Well at least not on paper anyways. Today has been so different and so weird and just so, I am looking for words here folks, help me out will yaw. For an ex Bushman, soldier, small business owner, then turned survivalist recently Prepper and Permaculturalist I am at a loss for adequate words, hopefully the more I write the less that will afflict me. Afflict me, weird everything is weird and afflictions seem to be what it is all about. Today’s journal entry will be the chronological order of Weirdness as it happened or as close to as it happened as I am able to understand, reflect on this weirdness and write it down. I am writing in my laptop because I spell like crap, oops lets find a better way to say that, later.

Chronological order of the Day 3 weirdness of Waking.
Getting out of bed as fast as possible to pee, man I am in pain I need to pee so badly! Well so does Zeldy I think she is what woke me up, normally she is hard to wake up early in the morning, I had nicknamed her the Camel. Just try to get her up before 8-9 to go pee, yaw right.

We hop out of the Camper and both run to different spots to pee, thankfully sometimes she stands there and watches me pee, it kind of freaks me out a bit, today she barely made it to her grassy spot at all. Finally I am waking up and finally finished peeing, that felt like it took forever and the pain is lessening in my lower abdomen, so that’s good. It is very quiet, is it Sunday I think to myself, I can hear the sounds of Nature, the sounds of the farm animals on the other side of the barn, chickens and Cows but no human sounds.

This is odd, I really need to clean up the messes we made while being sick. The both of us sick? That is an odd thought as well, my brain is still kinda foggy and disjointed here, so let’s go look around a bit before I get the pleasure of cleaning up I think to myself.

Weird still or again, looks like nobody has been here working on the equipment for days, the drop deck float they were working on near my camper is unfinished and in fact it looks like they just left everything were it was, which is odd in itself. Normally they put things away every night! My buddy Mick, the Landlord and his crew were working on fixing up equipment before the snow flies, everything is just sitting out, tools, air compressor, the box truck and the paint guns with paint cans. Weird.

Zeldy is looking around and growling faintly I can hear the Coyotes in the near distance which is odd as this is daytime, not sure of the time, but the last I normally hear them is at daybreak and I think that was a few hours ago! Weird

As I take a look around from the ridge that the old farm sits on, in the distance I can see that there is no traffic on either of the roads, and can not remember hearing any traffic on the roads since I woke up from what I am now going to call the Waking.

We need some answers to this weirdness, so I go to the Van thinking I will move it up out of the mess and listen to the radio, hear what is on the news. Well the van barely starts, which is weird as the new battery normally fires up the motor right away. I move the Van up the drive so I can keep it running and look at the other side of the farm and down that side of the ridge overlooking the town. I work my Van slowly by the bigger Cube Van which is sitting open, the back door roll up up and everything wet inside and out. Weird again, I think weird.

I pause at the gate, put the Van in park look around and turn the radio on. Emergency broadcast on 680 news, the local rock station, Emergency broadcast, Q107 emergency broadcast, this is so weird.

Damn it Dog.. stop eating grass! The oldies station is playing music though, that’s good right?
OK first thing, lets grab some clean cloths and go to Mick’s house and find out what is going on and ask for a shower, which I have never done before, but then again, I have never seen them leave tools out and nobody come to check on me and Zeldy either, weird.. gotta stop saying and thinking weird!

So I grabbed some clean clothes my shaving and showing kit, some dog food and headed to Mick’s house. Gate open, not locked Weirder, yuppers weirder is better now.
No smoke rising from any of the houses on the road and most are on wood heat. No cars on the side road which is normal it is a quiet street but the main road that is below, is empty! Why is the road empty? The corner lights are flashing red as in all stop 4 way stop, weirder. What day is this I ask out loud, Zeldy sort of grunts and sniffs at the same time, she does not know.

Damn forgot my watch, the time on the radio says it is 11 am, getting going very slowly today am I.

Mick’s yard at his house is full of vehicles like normal but nobody is around, nobody in the shop, nobody in the house! The door is open, he might be my friend and I am friendly with the family but I do not enter their house ever unless there is someone home. The back door is always open, but I have never been past the kitchen table, we normally sit there and chat, sometimes his wife joins us, most times she does not. His briefcase is there, but nobody is home! I am going in, no answer, no answer to my calling out, even though my voice has not fully recovered yet from the weird lung infection sickness, someone should be able to hear me in the house.

Puffer before going upstairs to check, weirdness abounds! Nobody was driving on the street, there were no cars on the street either, now it is a main street and I have on occasion seen no cars or trucks on it, but that was normally only at about 3 am when I was coming back from work, nobody upstairs either. Where is Angel their dog, maybe she is out at the family farm with some of the family, well first off, I am taking a shower in the basement shower!

Well showered, and changed into clean clothes. Looked around again, Dog gets cold shower from the hose, not so nice, but damn she is one smelly Zeldy, ha.. first time I have laughed in a few days, it sounds kind of hollow and weak in the ally between the house and the neighbour’s house.

Left note on kitchen table, propped up on the briefcase so anyone can see it. Left cell phone number on it as well. Down to the corner, south of the house the four corners all have strip malls, grocery stores, pharmacy, a new WalMart in the old Zellers store and no people!

OK, look in the cars, no people! No people in the McDonald’s as well, wonder if the coffee is still on, even stale coffee would be good right now, even cold coffee would be good right now!

Well there is some in the Urn and some not made in one of the coffee makers, set to go but not turned on, so I flipped the switch to on and went to get my Dog! Under the circumstances methinks she is now allowed into McDonald’s at least in the lobby area. So out to the Van, put her on a leash, the last thing I need is her to Find someone and scare the crap out of them by runny up and barking in their face or faces.

Left the Van running, another strange fact, better than saying weird all the time, the fuel is almost on empty, I had filled it two days before the strange sickness overtook me, so what was I doing, how long was I out, and what did I do with the Van, run it to keep warm in my fussiness? The Drivers window and the driver’s side rear window were both open up a bit, good seeing as normally the prevailing winds come from the passenger side, as I normally back my Van into my parking spot. Everything that was on my sleeping bench was piled in the passenger side seat and foot space. Anybody hitching would need to wait about 10 min while I make room for them!

Left another note at McDonald’s saying sorry I made the Urn of fresh coffee, filled two large cups, left money on the counter to pay for them. Man those things are huge! My head is pounding, hopefully the Tylenol Migraine and the Two large MckyDs coffee will sort that out. The note said, “sorry can not find anyone in here or outside, need coffee for my head, left money on counter to pay for them, including enough to cover taxes I hope? Left Cell phone number for Manager to please call and anybody else to call me, anybody else!?”

Looked in most of the shops, went into the new Wal-Mart, there is always someone in there, empty! Everywhere Empty, nobody, nobody in sight at all.
Am I crazy? Am I in some sort of medicine induced coma? Am I in my camper sleeping in some weird dream, or in the Hospital in some weird coma dream? WTF what is going on???

Scanning all radio stations now, all or most either on Emergency Broadcast stay in your home, authorities are working on the problem! Or the station is static, or playing music in some sort of endless loop or someone maybe hooked up their Ipod so the end of the world would have some music until the power went out. Is this some sort of hellish dream, seeing as on one station there is Rap Crap and on another station is Opera, man I hate those sounds, bad words in front of decent to great music!

Am I dead? Is this Hell, is this the Nether World, the transition world? Ouch, Zeldy looked at me funny again, I had just did the pinch thing on my arm and pricked myself with a knife in the finger tip. Well it must be Hell or the Nether World, there is blood! I am not sure if you bleed in a dream, even in a coma dream would there be blood? If there was a coma dream about Zombies I guess there would be blood though. This Waking Dream or Waking to a weird new and strange world there are no Zombies, yet and nobody else yet as well!

Went into Supermarket and got some food, ate from the can, damn my stomach is empty. Grabbed a large bag of Dog food as Zeldy’s food was out as well. “Lets go look some more for people or dogs, or anything!” I said to her quietly.

Hwy 2 in Courtice was like a spread out parking lot, looks like people just stopped their cars in the middle of the road or pulled over to the side. Some doors were open, some closed, all with nobody in them.

I pulled out my BOB (Bug Out Bag) put my two large knives on my belt, and my favourite pocket knife in my pocket! Drove into Oshawa, more empty cars everywhere but I can still get through, looks like what ever happened most where at home or it was very early in the morning, say 3-4 ish as the streets are empty.

Time to start looking in houses now! Dangerous, but it needs to be done and that is one of the reasons that I put on my fighting knives. Since this is Canada, they are in the vehicle and shorter than 8″ in blade length except for my Kukri Machete, which is now sitting loose in the sheath beside between the passenger seat and middle console.

“knock, knock” I say out loud and do at the same time; “is there anybody here?”
No answer, no people, no cats that I can see but they hide mostly anyways, and so far, luckily for me, no Dogs.
Picked 15 houses at random and no people, no dead people and luckily no Zombie types either. I did not have the knives out, just ready in case of sudden surprise attacks. To any future readers, remember this is Canada and permit to carry firearms is very hard to come by with way too much paperwork.

WTF.. Weirdness.. Strangeness all rolled up into one!

Phone, call 911, no answer, call 0 no answer, call 411 automated, so ask for police station, no answer! Damn what is going on.

Thinking on it, I had not seen any cop cars on the roads, where were they all? So I went to the Hospital, better there than go to the Police station and get shot, I thought!
Well the parking lots were full, the Emergency areas, were full of Cop Cars, Ambulances and private Ambulances as well as cars. Some still had flashing lights, some the batteries were probably dead and One Prius Car was still running, I guess they do get good fuel mileage. The smart car on the other hand was not running! Humph

This time, I let Zeldy come in with me, in case of any surprises she would be able to help me out and hopefully be able to sniff out others as well.

OK

WDJ Index

(WDJ)Waking Divergent Journal Index Page

added Waking Day 4.5 Writing Exercise

Day 4.5 of Waking, time 2 am Woke up again, can not go back to sleep so thought I would find the Poem or  Essay, Writing Exercise that I wrote from last year about Coyotes. This was one of the first things that I wrote after not writing for over a year, other than the online blog that I had started.

 Quick Writing Exercise

Title / Reference info: What is this about

Fiction or Real situation: real situation

From: source, external or yourself: external and internal

Date: 2012-11-11

Idea or Situation: The Theme or exercise; Wilderness Dance, Coyote Challenge

What are we writing today, what is the Theme – Wilderness Dance Primal entity

The man stands in mute testimony to the quiet night, watching the fireflies in the meadow below him. The distant sky is awash in cloud based lightning strikes, in the distance, soft thunder rumbles in answer to the bright light show of the night-time clouds. Across the meadow, down in the trees a couple of Coyotes start they’re nightly howling. Calling out to their brothers, sisters and cousins in the nearby meadows and tree stands.

The call is raised, the others across the nearby land respond; calling, challenging, answering and communicating in the primal world they still inhabit. The Fireflies dance along the meadow, the ridge in blissful un-awareness as the other night-time creatures goes about their business.

Quickly a tiny field mouse scurries by in the thick grasses near the Man’s feet, he sees the direction with his ears, in his senses. He smiles realizing he is returning to the primal night-time stalker, sentry and soldier that he was in the past. Slowly he raises his blades, calls out to the other night-time predators, here I am come and get me. The Coyotes in the lower meadow pause in their calls as he rasps the back of the blades together, the metallic challenge goes unanswered.

He waits, issues another challenge softly calling, here I am come and get me, I am old, I am alone with only blades of steel to meet sharp fangs and claws. This time he issues the metal challenge by softly hitting the back of the hilts together; his eyes adjusting in their night vision eagerly seeks out the four legged predators, waiting.

The challenge is not answered though a set of eyes, seek him out from across the small valley, regard him for a few minutes, then move off quietly. The man, more soldier now than many years of city living, sheaths his blades, casually swats off a pesky mosquito as he smiles.

He smiles for he is returning to the Wilderness, his wild side, the soldier the predator, the side of him that will keep him company, keep him alive in the years to come.

He is returning to himself and is happier than he has felt for years, the shallow veneer of the so-called civilization that he is pealing back replacing with calm and fortitude for his Wilderness Return.

Perhaps they will dance tomorrow night, he will be ready as he is training daily, for the dance to come. As the night darkens, the storm moves even farther away in the night, the man moves much more quietly back to his camp, his true home, in the

Wilderness!

(WDJ)Waking Divergent Journal Index Page

Waking Divergent Journal Day 1

Day 2 Waking Divergent Journal

Day 3 Waking Divergent Journal

Day 4 Waking Divergent

added Waking Day 4.5 Writing Exercise

Day 5 Waking Divergent

Day 6 Waking Divergent

Day 8 Waking Divergent

More to come soon …. 

Waking Day 4

Day 4 of Waking  Weird my world and maybe the world around me has changed forever and I go and check email! No new messages

Acronyms was my second last email, to someone. They were wondering about all the Acronyms in the Canadian Prepper’s Board. What a silly last email to send, I wish now that instead of telling him to go search, I had found the page and directed him to it.

My phone, I have been looking around and leaving messages, written out for people to call my phone, then I go and leave it in the Van. Worse than that, I have forgotten to make any calls myself. That is the fuzziness talking again, that weird buzzing in my ears and lack of oxygen from my Lung problem(s) in my head.

But I am getting away ahead here. That is not how the day started at all!

my large 18 inch Kukri machete

follow through here to read the rest of Day 4 Waking.. 

Day 2 Waking Divergent Journal

Journal Entry Day 2  of Waking (Divergent)

Weird where is everyone? 

Waking Divergent a Journal Novella exercise

I woke up or came too sitting in the driver’s seat of my Van. All I remember about that is I woke up fuzzy headed, tired, and wanting to vomit (apparently again, as outside the door was a pile as well as down the front of me!) It was not pretty at all.

Zeldy my Dog was in the back in her sleeping and travelling area with the same problems, vomit and stuff around her, vomit and stuff close to the door. It looks like we have been here doing this for a while. We both climbed slowly out, did our business outside, she walked stiffly over to her water bowl, the one I put under the corner of a car carrier trailer to catch rain water, she drank deeply from the water.

I picked up my near empty 1 gallon jug of water, which was full the last time I remember and took out the last sip. The last sip, what is going on here!
“Awe man”, I was so tired and sick, I just sat back in the seat, she climbed in the side of the van and that is the last I remember until the rain started hitting me on the face.

Day 1  read more ….. 

 

(WDJ)Waking Divergent Journal Index Page

Waking Divergent Journal Day 1

Day 2 Waking Divergent Journal

Day 3 Waking Divergent Journal

Day 4 Waking Divergent

added Waking Day 4.5 Writing Exercise

Day 5 Waking Divergent

Day 6 Waking Divergent

Day 8 Waking Divergent

More to come soon …. 

Scammer Alert Rough language warning

RANT ANGER WARNING

Hello People sorry to post this but trying to save a few others in Northern Ontario and mid Ontario I know about this Wackjob scammer.
I am no longer in business, moving to the north and was trying to assist someone. Turns out, they are quite the scammer, for lack of a better word.

In accordance with the email and veiled threats directed at myself, plus the fact I have No Tolerance for Stupid and Ignorant People, I posted this on Facebook to help others stay away from him.Update on Aaron Penny, scammer thief wannabe..

Aaron Penny

screen name .. again.. HOPITRAILS.. – Username:hopitrails
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=423
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=423

another site

http://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Survivalists/members/1873577/#

Does not play well with Stupid People

I just found out that when he had my vehicle for 2 weeks while I was in the mine, to help him out and  LOOK after my Dog, which you read about that. The little jackoff,,, stole from me!

stole my Grandmothers diamond and gold necklace that I had given her, that I had in my Van to give to my sister as a Xmas prezzy!
It was hidden in a bag, in a zippered up pocket in a white wrap, inside a zip-lock bag.

= zip-lock gone, white wrap there, empty, zippered up pocket on the bad => no way for it to just fall out => stolen
when I had it made by my jeweller landlord the wholesale price at that time was $1100 dollars that was 15 yrs ago. The diamond alone was worth $900 wholesale, retail value of that piece was about $2 – $2.5 grand at that time!
so this little piece of trash probably pawned it or sold it for the gold. That would make sense as a couple of others that came in contact with him, questioned how he could afford the Gas money and all of a sudden had more money out of nowhere for food and clothing.

stole one of my bush knives => k-bar worth $100
stole a couple of other things from me that were just redundant emergency supplies in the Van.

I received the personal message that was sent to me about this lying cheating thieving scammer! He has been trolling the sites sending out messages, PM messages to people in Mid to North Ontario. I know this for a fact because he told me this in person. Of course it would have been before I caught onto his bullshit, I knew he was not all there but thought he might be ok to be on the property to do some low-level stuff. Be a property dweller to keep the thieves away, little knowing that HE is a thief!

This is a shout out about this piece of shit before he scams others in the name of his serious prepper returning to the land, bla bla bullshit scammer..

am I pissed, YOU BET I AM !!
will I get this family piece back, one of the two things I got from my Grandmothers estate? NO..

Posted in my Facebook account ….

a message from a scammer, posted so others in Ontario will not fall for his scams and leaching ways..

From Aaron Penny; “good luck with everything.Give Zelda a scratch for me. Im going to go it alone from now on as Im tired of the BS/I spent two weeks taking care of your dog and van,helping you find a place .And even though you knew my situation getting fucked at the muskoka property and being as you put it”without

 a pot to piss in”…and you still had the nerve to nickel and dime me and act like you did me a favour.Zelda had the best two weeks of her life and wasnt hit once.So again I wish you luck but I want nothing more to do with ya.oh and another thing dont get pissy just let it go,Ill not speak of this to anyone but stay away from me”

MY ANSWER>>
Wow… For a guy who claims he is so… “SMART” you’re a fucking dumb ass lazy Idiot !
could not figure out how to put air in tires
could not follow simple directions on how to check oil in Van, so it was 2.5 ltrs down.. since you are so.. smart… you know on dodge engines in the 3 series, at 3 ltrs down the engines warp (to sum it up, you let the engine level go down 2.5 ltrs on a 4 ltr engine!)

you allowed Zelda up on the furniture/bed
you allowed her to run up and bark at people into their personal area at will
you allowed her to become physically over powering to another large dog, to the point she was throwing the other dog around
you allowed her to chase the chickens, she never chases chickens unless they run from her, then she gave a little sport then stopped
you allowed her to poke the chickens at will

I told you never to change her food
you changed her food to a brand that is lower than low
you changer her food to a brand that is also always on the recall list for food production issues, one of the brand that killed off a few thousand dogs. Including my Sister and her partners Dogs!

I filled up the van to full in Cochrane! gave you $60 in advance to buy dog food if needed (knowing the food only cost $30), so you bought the cheapest $25 shit brand and pocketed the rest
you threw out her dog chain
refused to be a Man and a leader with an Alpha breed dog
use your little stolen Jack Russell Terrier as a security blanket against the world, so people with have more sympathy with a dumb ass like you. Worlds smartest man, serious Prepper,
put 3150 km on my van in two weeks
complained about the vans fuel mileage and how much it cost (no shit,, 3k in two weeks)

HIT my Dog.. never once have I hit the dog.. I do give her shoves/pushes, turned my back, set her aside with my leg all in a dog like fashion, fold over the leash 3 times and give her little taps, corrective taps for training and discipline.
. but O the worlds smartest Man would never ever have noticed things like reality, dog training or simple life skills..

Zelda ran around happy to see me for 30 mins, could not even sit still, abused dogs do not act that way, but O the worlds smartest MAN.. would not notice so trivial of points

Reality.. you’re a Scam artist / Misogynist / master manipulator / Con Artist / lazy.. so lazy you refuse to get a real job, since you can’t leave Jack the stolen dog from Molly. Did they teach you all that in Acting School, or did you develop this all on your own.

You prefer to beg rather than work.
When offered free food from a store, you chose candy.. only candy.. I had to force you into taking fruit. How prepared would you be then, candy.. please Dumb ass

Numerous times you were given money, food, van for two weeks, I overlooked your obvious lack of real world skills, bush skills, offered you tools and equipment. You refused to go to a scrap yard and look for a wood burning stove, refused to even attempt to create one yourself, repeatedly stated.. “Jeff will make one for me”

How much Money, food, tools, other things have you blatantly borrowed from people, O please loan me this money with the intent of never paying them back? = Theft !
How much of the Taxpayers money have you pilfered from the coffers of the government while being able to work, yet finding the poorest excuses of all for not working, ever! again Theft

Find me a place? I have a place in this world, I have two places to live in the Durham Region/in Cochrane there is a place I may rent, in Timmins 2 places, Iroquois Falls 1 place, in New Liskard area there are now two venues open to me, how convenient your misdirection of meaning with your words you are.

You Pissy, Self Richeous poor excuse of a failed human being.

Get pissy.. you little toad, I will be back up that area Next week, I will seek you out for a face to face.. um hhmmm umm well umm, discussion. (in your failed version of speaking.. phrased that way on purpose so others might recognise your scamming ways if you meet them!)

You can then extol the virtues of your full life of Study in the Martial Arts! Perhaps demonstrate some of those said, often stated skills!
sorry for holding back folks…
NOTE FOR ALL
screen name hopitrails
real? name Aaron Penny
scammer/prepper scammer/life scammer

I encourage you to find me, to come chat with me!

ps. If you need help with the big words, either Google them, ask some other Poor Sap you happen to be Leaching off of or email me back for clarification in purpose with some smaller simpler words

ps… You were given $80 for looking after the dog,

plus food for yourself..

the following tags were put into the post to help others when they search for information to stay away from this little toad!

Separate tags with commas

X Aaron PennyX central ontarioX cochraneX from meX haliburtonX hopitrailsX K-barX kbarX knifeX muskokaX necklaceX northern ontarioX nutjobX ontarioX prepperX rantX scammerX scammer alertX serious prepperX stolenX thiefX timminsX TorontoX unskilledX UsernameX Username:hopitrailsX angerX warningX intentionalX communityX permacultureX survivalistX looking forX propertyX off gridX off-grid