As we edged closer towards the precipice, we discovered that it was far and away more than just a waterfall. It was a gorge of unimaginable depth. We could not see the bottom. Some miles to the East of us across what may have been the Mississippi river we saw a vast black precipice in front of us. Some 3, maybe 5000 feet.It was very unknowable at the time.
We knew that we had to return upstream a good 20 miles to be able to clear the one mile width that was rapidly broadening on this confluence of the Mississippi falls, so we planned carefully. I saw to it to make a few stout poles to help with our transit, and so we set out. It was a very rapid ride. However, the run was smooth and the poles really helped us get across without too much trouble. It took us about 7 miles to get downstream and across a one mile area. We cut it close, but we made it in good order. Sadly we had to leave our boats behind, and with only two mules we reverted to travois and journeyed south, skirting the precipice, wondering what happened to our world? We were headed toward the arch, bathed in milky sunlight, what else to do? We were truly explorers now, so let’s go see.
Bobbo 169877
Spring 2029
Thanks for these, Yusef.
Our family went on a kayaking detour in Tenn. or Missouri, IIRC, sometime in my teens. A bit of family lore was born out of Dad’s utterly misguided, rookie of-course-I-can ‘confidence’ out of that. He went under in his kayak and the water took his glasses. He feverishly searched in the running water and shore for ’em, angry he was out some $250 in ~’95 money. I was only 8, but apparently this search went on for a ridiculous amount of time, and yes, any search at all was pointless.
This summer, my family + bro’s went on good family-level rapids on our trip to West Virginia. Colin and I were born there when M&D both wrote for the Bluefield Telegraph, and Dad *really* wanted to show my three nephews WV. (It is pretty as long as you’re away from people. Well. McDowell county, I s’pose.)
I’ve never been south of Pennsylvania lol.
I’ve been in every state except West Virginia and Oregon.
When it came time to retire I would have settled for any of the more rural states but having grown with lakes and trees I landed 2-3 miles from the ol’ homestead.
If I’d been 35 instead of 55 at retirement time I’d have heard Alaska calling.
lol 56 and “retirement” is not even in the picture.
“I’ve never been south of Pennsylvania lol.”
Wow. Dad’s dad was from southwest Virginia and was remarkably wary of going north of the Mason-Dixon. I’m told one of the very few times he did was for my parents wedding in Chicago. Poppee was with the 69th Flying Tigers in Southeast Asia during WWII. One of his duties was to deliver supplies over the Burma Road in China. Absolutely nuts.
The Top Gear boys drove up in old, worn “lorries” a while back. That was especially fun, for me.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Ledo_Burma_Roads_Assam-Burma-China.gif
I think I’ve been to 36 states, including Hawaii, Alaska (and DC). Mom has four to go, and she’s openly determined to go to them, just to check ’em off her list.
I have been everywhere except the some of the south, Hawaii and Alaska.
Ive Been Everywhere, Man – Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNj6spCtUE0
One windy and wavey (?) day on Seal Beach in California, a big wave confiscated my Mom’s glasses and carried them who knows where. We attempted to look for about 15 seconds before realizing how silly it was to even attempt that. Probably washed ashore in Fiji by now.
From the dead thread on pickups.
I LOVED our 2014 Ford Raptor. The interior and HVAC was far superior to the 18 Chevy pickup and 16 GMC Yukon we have now.
That vintage ford is 2010-2014 for the Raptor, I think it went two years longer for the regular pickup. There were some transmission controller issues in them early on, and they seem to rust in the tailgate too soon. A must have option on that vintage of Ford is the tailgate step, it’s sweet.
At 6’5” I find the Ford seats to be wider and more versatile than the Chevy ones, they heat and cool better than the Chevy as well.
Still the same. Always glad to get out of the plywood seats of the Silverado and sit in luxury in the Ford at the end of the day.
I lost my wedding ring in Hanauma Bay while snorkeling. We didn’t even try to find it in the sandy bottom. Fortunately it was my wedding ring, not Mrs. Whiz’s, which cost 10 times as much as mine.
Chicks and bling SMDH…
lol All my SO’s were cheapskates like me.
LOL, hers wasn’t that extravagant — mine was fairly cheap, thank goodness.
I hardly ever wear mine.
Made it out of a SS nut back in 2009 after I lost the hose clamp I wore for a couple of years.
Forgive me, I read that first as “nose” clamp.
Mine’s platinum, so slightly painful if I had to replace it but not the end of the world.
That aside, I’ve lost enough weight that I won’t risk it swimming.
Creech, with my bad spelling and autocorrect I’m suprised it wasent nose clamp.
mine was fairly cheap, thank goodness
I originally had some cheap Amazon special ring ($40), shattered the first one at the biltmore estate during a trip, replaced it, and years later found that it was causing nerve issues in my hand and arm after racquetball, so I switched to a silicone ring (4 for $10). I really don’t care what happens to it other than the fact that I prefer the current color over the other ones in the pack.
I don’t know why, but the narrative reminds me of the novel Earth Abides, where a super plague wipes out 99.99 of humanity and the protagonist engages in an across the nation and back journey to try and find companions.
” The World, the Flesh and the Devil”
+1 very good book
YourHandleIsReallyLongOMG
Damnation Alley, with the hilarious conceit that the protagonists want to get to Albany, NY, of all places.
Cinematic masterpiece.
“2 men sentenced to prison in Zambia for plotting to kill the president with witchcraft
LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — A judge in Zambia on Monday sentenced two men to two-year terms in prison with hard labor after they were convicted of plotting to kill the president using witchcraft.
—
The court found that they had been in possession of charms, including a live chameleon, an animal tail and 12 bottles of concoctions and had intended to use them to put a spell on President Hakainde Hichilema with the intention of killing him.”
Dammit. America’s no fun. Ya know they have all sorts of charms for fun shit, too. Add in B̵e̵l̵i̵e̵f̵ placebo and it’s all real. Me curious and me may wanty.
Can you imagine all the Donald voodoo dolls out there?! Prolly give the Cabbage Patch dolls a run for their money.
States I’ve visited
https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-states/?st=AK%2CAZ%2CCA%2CCO%2CFL%2CGA%2CID%2CIL%2CIN%2CKY%2CLA%2CMA%2CMD%2CMN%2CMO%2CNC%2CNV%2CNY%2COK%2COR%2CTN%2CTX%2CVA%2CWA&vc=1ca032&uc=90cfea&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff&sl=on
Countries
https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-countries/?st=AT%2CCA%2CES%2CGB%2CGR%2CIE%2CJP%2CKW%2CMX%2CNL%2CUS&vc=1ca032&uc=b3c3ca&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff
It’s hard to decide whether to include localities I have merely passed through vs. lived in.
https://youtu.be/hY8wZJx2kz8
Countries: https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-countries/?st=AT%2CAU%2CBS%2CCA%2CCH%2CCO%2CCZ%2CDE%2CFR%2CGB%2CHK%2CID%2CIT%2CJP%2CKH%2CKR%2CKZ%2CLA%2CLK%2CMA%2CMX%2CMY%2CNL%2CRU%2CSG%2CTH%2CTR%2CTW%2CUS%2CVA%2CVN&vc=1ca032&uc=b3c3ca&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff&ss=on
Russia and the Philippines are snagging waaaay more real estate than where I’ve actually been, but I’ve been.
States: https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-states/?st=AK%2CAL%2CAZ%2CCA%2CCO%2CDC%2CFL%2CGA%2CHI%2CIL%2CIN%2CKY%2CMA%2CMD%2CME%2CMI%2CMO%2CMS%2CNC%2CNE%2CNV%2CNY%2COH%2CPA%2CSC%2CTN%2CTX%2CVA%2CWA%2CWI%2CWV&vc=1ca032&uc=90cfea&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff&ss=on&sl=on
I think I’m forgetting a few. We drove to Maine from somewhere, so I must’ve gone through NH or VT.
https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-states/?st=AR%2CCA%2CCO%2CDC%2CDE%2CFL%2CGA%2CHI%2CIL%2CIN%2CKY%2CMA%2CMD%2CME%2CMI%2CMO%2CMS%2CMT%2CNC%2CNH%2CNJ%2CNV%2CNY%2COH%2COK%2COR%2CRI%2CSC%2CSD%2CTN%2CTX%2CVA%2CVT%2CWA%2CWY&vc=1ca032&uc=90cfea&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff&sl=on
I went for “got out of the car for more than a piss or a roadside meal” as my filter.
There’s been a Groovus sighting at TOS!!! He said he’d pop in here at some point to say hi.
Huzzah!
🎉🥳🥳🎉
Hidey ho Glibarinos!
I really hope Trump send troops to Philly.
☀️🍿👨🏭
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcEvNwQ7v-U
🎶🎶
To save Santa Claus from Eagles fans?
Good morning, Sean, Ted’S., and Stinky!
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/krasner-trump-national-guard-philly/4269108/
Send ICE to all three meetings.
My guess is that Philly is awash with judges and DAs that make the jails revolving doors even for serious crimes. Until the people there get sick of it and get them out of office everything else is just a bandaid.
Morning all.
“The public safety problem is Donald Trump,” Krasner said. “The public safety problem is not these cities, which are enjoying historic lows in the number of homicides and shootings.”
Link on same page: 27-year-old woman shot, killed on front porch of home in Philadelphia
Wife has had the news on for the last couple of hours. It looks like the Kirk shooting really was a turning point. People are sick of the left’s bullshit.
It’s easy to have “historic lows” when you fudge the numbers.
Wife has had the news on for the last couple of hours. It looks like the Kirk shooting really was a turning point. People are sick of the left’s bullshit.
I don’t know, people have short memories. I remember all the “unity” after 9/11, but the left was just faking it until it was safe to go back to business as usual. Now NYC is about to elect a Hamas-supporting Marxist.
And ignore the first couple hundred years of the country’s history.
Nuns on the Run 2
Let me guess – The church was in the process of negotiating the sale of the large and valuable piece of real estate that no longer houses a convent.
Unless they can get the money to the Cook County Assessor’s Office …
Aren’t they sworn to obedience or some such thing?
Wow!. And all Sisters, too.
Hope their parents were there to meet them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAXkZkGzxWk
suh’ fam
whats goody
I have no idea, I seem to have misplaced the morning.
I feel like I had entirely too many beers last night.
And I did.
They hit you like an EARFQUAKE?
https://billypenn.com/2025/09/11/marshas-south-street-chivonn-anderson-opening/
🙄
You haven’t opened yet and you have plans to expand? Who’s fundingit? Certainly not the customers, you haven’t got any yet.
https://gaming.amazon.com/home
Prime gamers, Amazon added two more classic D&D games – Ravenloft series and Spelljammer.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Weird/comments/1nfrsun/there_are_ticks_under_the_paint_of_my_wall/
GAH!!!
The story in the comments is even worse.
Try again
Fun with maps in the soon to die thread
https://www.fla-shop.com/visited-states/?st=AK%2CAL%2CAZ%2CCA%2CCO%2CCT%2CDC%2CDE%2CFL%2CGA%2CHI%2CKS%2CKY%2CLA%2CMA%2CMD%2CME%2CMN%2CMO%2CMS%2CNC%2CND%2CNE%2CNH%2CNJ%2CNM%2CNY%2COH%2CPA%2CSC%2CSD%2CTN%2CTX%2CVA%2CVT%2CWV&vc=1ca032&uc=90cfea&hc=40bfa6&bc=ffffff&ss=on&sl=on