The photo to the right taken in Michigan's UP
Back there in the river I may have been signaling him with part of one hand.
-McPhee discusses an encounter with a jetskier at a boat launch as he was taking his canoe out of the water after trying to fish for shad amongst the jetskiers on the St. John’s River in Florida, John McPhee, The Founding Fish
Sometimes I have forgotten to take an extra paddle, a bad decision if you are dumb enough to rest your one paddle across the thwarts
-John McPhee, The Founding Fish
This is proof there is a God… [A God who] enjoys making decisions on why one catches a fish and another doesn’t.
-After his friend has caught several fish and he none and they’re both fishing in the same place using the same flies and techniques. John McPhee, The Founding Fish
In Sherpa-country every trail is marked with cairns and prayer-flags, reminding you that Man’s real home is not a house, but the Road, and that life itself is a journey to be walked on foot.
-Bruce Chatwin, What Am I Doing Here
I saw then that being willing to die, prepared to die, was not the same as being prepared for death.
-Doug Peacock, Walking It Off
A mutual acquaintance of both myself and Abbey once remarked, in reference to the modeling of Hayduke on Peacock: “Friends don’t do that to each other.” The only thing worse than reading your own press was becoming someone else’s fiction.
-Doug Peacock, Walking It Off (what does this say about blogging about others?)
[A]s a ranger, a lawman of the federal government, I was a dismal failure… Anarchists tend to make poor law enforcement agents.
-Doug Peacock, Walking It Off
There once was a pious young priest
who lived almost wholly on yeast.
'For', he said, 'it is plain
we must all rise again,
and I want to get started at least.'
-From “A Thousand and One Limericks,” quoted by Danny at http://rumoursofangels.blogspot.com/ when doing the below meme--this reminds me that I need to finish my memories of working in the bakery.
there was a woman who'd thought mens nipples,
ReplyDeletewere sure proof of gods divine ripples,
though his fishermen she still fled,
and at communion, felt dread.
she always praised his sons choice of fine tipples.
sorry... shoddy work but it's late here ;)
Hi Sage. Michele sent me!
ReplyDeleteI've only been to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan once, when driving from upstate NY to MN for a wedding, via Canada. I was wishing I had my kayak with me when I kept coming across so many great pieces of water in MI, WI and MN. The Canadian part of the journey wasn't so pretty since it involved a lot of area that had been extensively mined.
Your fleece isn't as bright and flamboyant as I was hoping. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you found a jetski kindred spirit, Sage. Have you had similar experiences (with or without the hand gesture)?
Michele sent me, too! I'm not sure I know what the quote on death fully means, but I'm chewing on it.
ReplyDeleteKeda, what can I say, that's creative, you've touched on just about all topics covered in the quotes with the possible exception of walking...
ReplyDeleteUtenzi, back in July I had several post about canoeing and fishing on rivers in the UP
Murf, I hate to disappoint you, but that is about as flamboyant as I get. Even my Hawaiian shirts are rather conservative!
Susie, you have to remember that I pulled it out of context, he was talking about a friend who was dying while also flashing back to the death he experienced in Vietnam.
Thanks for the quotes.
ReplyDeleteThere once was a lady from Niger,
Who smiled while she rode on a tiger;
They came back from the ride,
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger.
lol@kevin
ReplyDeleteAnother great post Sage. And what a wonderful picture. You seem like a forest ranger scanning all the way to the horizon.
where do you find all of these quotes, I love the one of mans home being on the road, how true is that!
ReplyDeleteSo what did you think of Walking It Off? I really liked that book and it gave me a lot of incite into who Doug Peacock really is. Before that, all I knew of him was in the context of Hayduke.
ReplyDeleteKevin, that's a great limerick--maybe we should have a limerick contest--or do limericks about our regular readers?
ReplyDeleteV, I would have made a good forest ranger
Happy (I like that part better than the slap part), the quotes come from stuff I read and occassionally from blogs. I normally read 2-3 books at a time plus listen to one on audio tape while at the gym
Ed, I've just started Peacock's book this weekend and read five chapters. His writing isn't as crisp as Abbeys, but I'm enjoying it. However, if I didn't have the context of Abbey's writings, don't know if I would have cared as much for the book. Maybe I'll review it.
I really liked the follow quote you gave: "[A]s a ranger, a lawman of the federal government, I was a dismal failure… Anarchists tend to make poor law enforcement agents.
ReplyDelete-Doug Peacock, Walking It Off."
Sometimes, I could be an anarchist; but then sometimes I like law and order. ;)
Very good post with thought-provoking quotes I enjoyed!
ReplyDelete"I may have been signaling him with part of one hand."
ReplyDeleteA priceless quote!! One I am sure to put to good use in the near future.....LOL
Bakery memories would be welcomed.
Great quotes...look forward to the raising of the bakery memories!!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to the UP -- just the LP. I bet it's FREEZING right now. And dark.
ReplyDeleteLife might be a road meant to be traveled on foot. To me, it's a city to be whisked through (sometimes). Today, though, I'm on foot, and it's lovely outside!
Tim, I don't see you as an anarchist! But then, I don't see myself that way, but have to admit there is at least a romantic attraction to the philosopy.
ReplyDeleteMichael, thanks for stopping by.
Kenju, next time I'm driving through NC, I'll keep my eyes open!
Danny, it was a great job, I was rolling in the dough, I have posted a series of memories which are in my archives.
Ing, you'd love the UP! Although you mgiht have to do more paddling than walking. In my book, cities are great places to visit and you live in one of the best.
ahhhhhhhhh! nothing like Michigan's UP.
ReplyDeletehappy halloween!!
No one has pointed this out so I will..kudos on having such clean ears. :-)
ReplyDeleteIs the top photo from Baker Cabin Road, Natrona County, WY? it looks like that place. Geology, landscape and plants are right to be that place. Nice photo.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, the banner photo that is there now (I have changed it a few times) is of Capital Reef National Park in Utah.
ReplyDelete