My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
GregSplett
Adventurer
You have been busy! So have I so I had some catching up to do.
I used to play pool in the evenings at the local watering hole with an old gentleman. We became good friends as he loved fishing and pool and so do I. One evening he asked if I could repair his bathroom floor.I said of course and met him at his house a couple of days later. I had never been there. Upon entering the house I realized he was a classic horder.I fixed his bathroom and did some other repairs for him. A couple of years later the old boy left us and I cried a bit. Then I got a call from his son. I guess I was in the will and could have anything inside the house I wanted. I was trying to politely turn the gift down when the son insisted I meet him at the house. Turns out that the old boy had been collecting antique and classic fishing gear for most of his life. Tens of thousands of dollars worth. LOL I took what I wanted for the man cave and helped his son turn it into college money for his kids.
I used to play pool in the evenings at the local watering hole with an old gentleman. We became good friends as he loved fishing and pool and so do I. One evening he asked if I could repair his bathroom floor.I said of course and met him at his house a couple of days later. I had never been there. Upon entering the house I realized he was a classic horder.I fixed his bathroom and did some other repairs for him. A couple of years later the old boy left us and I cried a bit. Then I got a call from his son. I guess I was in the will and could have anything inside the house I wanted. I was trying to politely turn the gift down when the son insisted I meet him at the house. Turns out that the old boy had been collecting antique and classic fishing gear for most of his life. Tens of thousands of dollars worth. LOL I took what I wanted for the man cave and helped his son turn it into college money for his kids.
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
ITTOG.....regarding the Ford Pinto I'd say "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" would apply here......
Arjan....."French farmhouse" sounds pretty cool. It's been decades since I had the pleasure of visiting France.....
JD.....yes I'm real pleased with my accomplishments and she's thrilled to death. It's been good for her I think.....
Tim.....I'm not sure of his acreage but a guess would be (5) acres of which 95 % is covered in junk.....
Greg.....I like that story and it reminds me of the Glacier National Park rangers story.....his teenage daughter would visit an old man that lived alone in a cabin along the western border of the park. He had no relatives and when he died he left in his will his cabin and all his property to her.....she was (18) at the time. For me that will not happen.....a few days ago we were talking and he looked me straight in the eyes and said "what's your name again ?"......
With that being said, he has been giving me things along the way. He told me that I was free to pick anything that I wanted and often while we're walking around the property he will offer me most anything that I admire or simply make a comment about.....such as.....
And then there is this vase. Now my hoarder buddy is nearly (80) years old.....he brought this vase from inside his house one day and he said "I'm tired of tripping over this thing and I want you to have it. My kids made this in grade school". I turned him down a thousand times but he would not take no for an answer. So now I'm the proud (?) owner of this vase.....dried flowers and what not included.....
On the road in three weeks.....
Arjan....."French farmhouse" sounds pretty cool. It's been decades since I had the pleasure of visiting France.....
JD.....yes I'm real pleased with my accomplishments and she's thrilled to death. It's been good for her I think.....
Tim.....I'm not sure of his acreage but a guess would be (5) acres of which 95 % is covered in junk.....
Greg.....I like that story and it reminds me of the Glacier National Park rangers story.....his teenage daughter would visit an old man that lived alone in a cabin along the western border of the park. He had no relatives and when he died he left in his will his cabin and all his property to her.....she was (18) at the time. For me that will not happen.....a few days ago we were talking and he looked me straight in the eyes and said "what's your name again ?"......
With that being said, he has been giving me things along the way. He told me that I was free to pick anything that I wanted and often while we're walking around the property he will offer me most anything that I admire or simply make a comment about.....such as.....
And then there is this vase. Now my hoarder buddy is nearly (80) years old.....he brought this vase from inside his house one day and he said "I'm tired of tripping over this thing and I want you to have it. My kids made this in grade school". I turned him down a thousand times but he would not take no for an answer. So now I'm the proud (?) owner of this vase.....dried flowers and what not included.....
On the road in three weeks.....
GregSplett
Adventurer
Those sprinklers are very neat. I ran into a friend that was around the pool table back then and asked if he remembered Jack. He reminded me what a grumpy old man he was. I had forgotten. I grew up with a bunch of old grumps so I am not as sensitive to it. My bullcrap meter pegs quicker the older I get too.
Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Great work on the house and garden! I have spent the last month in Egegik Alaska, and will sped the next two on the Bering sea. I miss my truck, and camper more than i expected. I knew id miss the dog like crazy, Ill have the option possibly next year to bring him with me to the remote locations.
Thanks for letting us all follow along on the journey with you.
Thanks for letting us all follow along on the journey with you.
drifterdan
New member
Love reading your stories. I miss the Gallatin Valley. Couldn't handle the winters any more. Safe travels for you and the dogs.
tgil
Well-known member
Well, I've changed the order of my reading and decided to start at the beginning. I'm 120 posts in and can't continue without pausing to ask if you still keep in touch with the French students?
I chuckle now and then, while reading from 2012. Blockbuster was still around and you knew better than to get involved with Facebook!
Keep keeping on!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
I chuckle now and then, while reading from 2012. Blockbuster was still around and you knew better than to get involved with Facebook!
Keep keeping on!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Greg.....yep, I too like those old sprinklers. They're pure steel and weigh a ton. I actually like everything that he's given me.....they're all a piece of his story.....
PNWY.....I had to Google Egegik, Alaska. That's just south of where I spent some time as a young man.....Iliamna Lake, Alaska.....and that was without a doubt the most beautiful and amazing place that I have ever worked.....and thanks for following along and being apart of this blog.....
ITTOG.....so that's an interesting point you've made....."recharged".....and you got me thinking about my life. I'm not certain that I am "recharged" as I've truly begun to enjoy being a part of a community once again. I miss life on the road.....I always do when I park myself for a bit. But I also have such a strong desire to settle down these days.....maybe it's because I can't or maybe it's because the desire to travel has been working overtime for so long.....
Drifterdan.....I first came to the valley nearly two decades ago and almost immediately fell in love with the area. I bought land and decided someday this valley will be my home. Whenever I leave I almost immediately wish I hadn't, and whenever I return I'm always grateful. Thanks for the well wishes.....
Tim.....The French students ! Thanks for reminding me.....those guys were great but no I no longer stay in touch with them. I've met hundreds, if not thousands of people in my travels and so many say let's stay in touch. I might do that for a short period of time but I never do long term.....
A few posts back I had mentioned visiting a ranch to gather stones for my friends property and how that visit had greatly changed my summer plans. While I was there the owners of the ranch asked to see some pictures of what I was building and they loved it. Long story short they offered me work on their property building some stone steps. They had hired a landscape company a few years prior and they got this.....
Well, I decided what the heck and for the first time since 2005 I took on paying work and this is what I did. First thing was to replace those stairs and build a wall along the driveway....
I started another set of steps for them.....
They had an excavation company, a fence builder, and barn builders working on the property and before I knew it the excavator had hired me on too..... I was in charge of fine grading the site.....
And the placement of any and all boulders.....
I also worked on a construction site but I didn't take any pictures of my construction gig but I will tell you I wore a hardhat, an orange vest, and worked with a shovel digging ditches and replacing old lead water pipes.....and I just loved it.....
Then I got an offer to do some plumbing work for a homeowner. And I accepted that work as well.....and I loved it too.....
I guess you could say that Tanner loved it too.....
All told (as of this post) I've made about $3,000. I never expected to make any money this summer, and while I'm far from being a wealthy man, I decided that I needed to give that money away. Now you may be wondering why I even mention this.....from time to time people will say I have inspired them to travel.....so I hope to inspire others to do good work while they're on the road (heck.....we all do good deeds from time to time but it's easy to forget when you're in travel mode).....and I'm also telling you this cause it's a part of the story.....that's it.....
Money went to a poor family.....not all families are doing well in this great economy.....some families are struggling. If you can't afford to purchase stocks, it doesn't much matter how high the stock market goes. And money also went to the Humane Society International.....that money went to help stop the dog meat trade in Asia where dogs are cooked alive.....just to improve the taste of the meat.....that whole idea just makes my stomach sick.....
You've seen this before.....I'm trying to make this a large part of my life.....
On the road in two weeks.....
PNWY.....I had to Google Egegik, Alaska. That's just south of where I spent some time as a young man.....Iliamna Lake, Alaska.....and that was without a doubt the most beautiful and amazing place that I have ever worked.....and thanks for following along and being apart of this blog.....
ITTOG.....so that's an interesting point you've made....."recharged".....and you got me thinking about my life. I'm not certain that I am "recharged" as I've truly begun to enjoy being a part of a community once again. I miss life on the road.....I always do when I park myself for a bit. But I also have such a strong desire to settle down these days.....maybe it's because I can't or maybe it's because the desire to travel has been working overtime for so long.....
Drifterdan.....I first came to the valley nearly two decades ago and almost immediately fell in love with the area. I bought land and decided someday this valley will be my home. Whenever I leave I almost immediately wish I hadn't, and whenever I return I'm always grateful. Thanks for the well wishes.....
Tim.....The French students ! Thanks for reminding me.....those guys were great but no I no longer stay in touch with them. I've met hundreds, if not thousands of people in my travels and so many say let's stay in touch. I might do that for a short period of time but I never do long term.....
A few posts back I had mentioned visiting a ranch to gather stones for my friends property and how that visit had greatly changed my summer plans. While I was there the owners of the ranch asked to see some pictures of what I was building and they loved it. Long story short they offered me work on their property building some stone steps. They had hired a landscape company a few years prior and they got this.....
Well, I decided what the heck and for the first time since 2005 I took on paying work and this is what I did. First thing was to replace those stairs and build a wall along the driveway....
I started another set of steps for them.....
They had an excavation company, a fence builder, and barn builders working on the property and before I knew it the excavator had hired me on too..... I was in charge of fine grading the site.....
And the placement of any and all boulders.....
I also worked on a construction site but I didn't take any pictures of my construction gig but I will tell you I wore a hardhat, an orange vest, and worked with a shovel digging ditches and replacing old lead water pipes.....and I just loved it.....
Then I got an offer to do some plumbing work for a homeowner. And I accepted that work as well.....and I loved it too.....
I guess you could say that Tanner loved it too.....
All told (as of this post) I've made about $3,000. I never expected to make any money this summer, and while I'm far from being a wealthy man, I decided that I needed to give that money away. Now you may be wondering why I even mention this.....from time to time people will say I have inspired them to travel.....so I hope to inspire others to do good work while they're on the road (heck.....we all do good deeds from time to time but it's easy to forget when you're in travel mode).....and I'm also telling you this cause it's a part of the story.....that's it.....
Money went to a poor family.....not all families are doing well in this great economy.....some families are struggling. If you can't afford to purchase stocks, it doesn't much matter how high the stock market goes. And money also went to the Humane Society International.....that money went to help stop the dog meat trade in Asia where dogs are cooked alive.....just to improve the taste of the meat.....that whole idea just makes my stomach sick.....
You've seen this before.....I'm trying to make this a large part of my life.....
On the road in two weeks.....
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85_Ranger4x4
Well-known member
I have seen cars from similar situations in the JY which is probably where those will end up. External shell looks good, all the floors are gone and the vehicle is a big mouse nest stem to stern.
Sad to think that is someone had sold them before storing them in a field for years they may not be sitting in a JY...
tgil
Well-known member
Glad to see you update the blog. I've never had a chemical dependence, but I am an addict to stuff like this. I find myself coming here several times each day, hoping for another bump to get me through until the next one.
The John Bunyon quote, love it! Sounds like you were actually enjoying having a paying gig or three? Possibly, the knowing you could pass it on to someone who needed it more was the drive? This world needs more who can see through your eyes.
As to all of those you have met along the way, I can relate. So many times though, I've found I didn't stay in touch like I had intended. Then it was too late.
I hope once you get back on the road, you take your time getting wherever you're going.
Keep keeping on!
Oh, almost forgot the pic of Tanner. I had Jack Russells for a time. They were digging machines! I rarely got them to do their digging in a place that was beneficial though!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
The John Bunyon quote, love it! Sounds like you were actually enjoying having a paying gig or three? Possibly, the knowing you could pass it on to someone who needed it more was the drive? This world needs more who can see through your eyes.
As to all of those you have met along the way, I can relate. So many times though, I've found I didn't stay in touch like I had intended. Then it was too late.
I hope once you get back on the road, you take your time getting wherever you're going.
Keep keeping on!
Oh, almost forgot the pic of Tanner. I had Jack Russells for a time. They were digging machines! I rarely got them to do their digging in a place that was beneficial though!
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Tim.....just wanted to make it clear.....no, I had no plans for any of what I described to happen. It just happened.....first came the offer of paid work. My living expenses this summer have been negligible (it's rent free and I don't pay for electricity and I live in a truck camper).....it was rather easy to give the money away. And I earned it over a few months.....I got it in cash maybe averaging $200 at a time.....so that too made it easy to give away (it wasn't like I handed over three grand at one time.....that may have been difficult honestly). And I really did enjoy working.....
Check out: clunkmonkey.com it's a great blog although the author (the father) doesn't seem to write so much these days.....a family of 5 traveling & living in a truck camper and a tent trailer.....
Also: Sailing Zatara on YouTube.....a family of 6 traveling & living on a catamaran.....
(Those are my favorites sites to follow).....
On an afternoon hike.....
Napping on the way "home".....
Coming "home".....
An evening storm passes by.....
Grateful to have a roof over our heads.....
And another day lived.....
Check out: clunkmonkey.com it's a great blog although the author (the father) doesn't seem to write so much these days.....a family of 5 traveling & living in a truck camper and a tent trailer.....
Also: Sailing Zatara on YouTube.....a family of 6 traveling & living on a catamaran.....
(Those are my favorites sites to follow).....
On an afternoon hike.....
Napping on the way "home".....
Coming "home".....
An evening storm passes by.....
Grateful to have a roof over our heads.....
And another day lived.....
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tgil
Well-known member
Tanner! That face, napping on the way home!
There are actually another couple of adventures from this site that I'm also trying to "catch up on". Tim & Kelsey have great videos, though I'm only on 18 or 19 when they first started out. I can watch youtube on my TV which makes for a great way to waste a day, but the last time I tried, it wouldn't play them in succession. 5gooverland is another. Family of 5, I think in Mongolia right now.
The original that got me hooked was Dan Grec taking his wrangler around Africa.
I envy each and every one of the trips I try to follow.
FWIW, today, I made it to 7/14/14 on your journey. I'm still working on getting caught up to present!
Keep keeping on!
There are actually another couple of adventures from this site that I'm also trying to "catch up on". Tim & Kelsey have great videos, though I'm only on 18 or 19 when they first started out. I can watch youtube on my TV which makes for a great way to waste a day, but the last time I tried, it wouldn't play them in succession. 5gooverland is another. Family of 5, I think in Mongolia right now.
The original that got me hooked was Dan Grec taking his wrangler around Africa.
I envy each and every one of the trips I try to follow.
FWIW, today, I made it to 7/14/14 on your journey. I'm still working on getting caught up to present!
Keep keeping on!
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