I suppose you really don’t have any interest in this subject but nobody told me what to write about this week so here goes. I should have been prepared considering this meeting was proposed near the International Dark Sky Community of Borrego Springs, CA. We met in a weedy desert field during that strange time of night when it was not really dark but not really light. I guess twilight covers it best. It was so hard to see, and then suddenly there was this huge creature undulating under the road and on across the field. This 350’ serpent wasn’t much of a date. He was mostly metal and rust and although he looked absolutely amazing, he wasn’t much of a conversationalist…much like other dates I’ve had.
My husband was 6’3” so I wasn’t unused to tall guys but well, I’m not sure how tall this guy was. We met in the mysterious huge trees of northern California but I know for a fact, though he never corroborated it, he was from Michigan originally and had something to do with carving out Lake Michigan. He had a nice beard and his language wasn’t as bad as some loggers I’ve known. I like animals well enough but he frequently had this enormous blue ox with him that he called, “Babe,” and he always, always carried this huge axe. Well, that can get on a girl’s nerves so I cut him loose.
I thought it might be kind of fun to date someone from a completely different part of the country. The next fellow was from Calais, ME; couldn’t hardly get much farther away from California than Maine. He was also tall, brawny, bearded, and didn’t talk much. He always wore those high boots, not that it mattered but there was just something kinda fishy about him so that relationship went into the drink.
This next fellow was very green, very tall, and always walked with a staff. He even called himself, “The Journeyer.” We bonded instantly because at that time I was still doing a lot of hiking, and trust me, you can do a LOT of hiking to see the sights around Philadelphia, PA. Let’s face it, sooner rather than later our relationship cracked as badly as the Liberty Bell and I was on my way.
Then, I thought, it’s time to head back west and find a cowboy. Well, this fellow in Oatman, Arizona, was sort of appealing with his white beard and blue eyes, and I never could resist a soft flannel shirt, but he was more interested in foxy friends than a friendly gypsy. But the wild burros of Oatman were certainly attentive, especially if by chance you were wearing a ring with many carrots. I headed north.
I thought this guy from Whidbey Island would really sweep me off my feet but he was a little emaciated for hugging and it was unnerving because he never looked me straight in the eye. Onward, maybe I should try another country.
This fellow in Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada, really took the cake…actually he could have taken a cake. He had a very washed-out complexion but he was neat and clean and very well dressed for somebody who appeared to live right there in the harbor. He was holding a bright red rose and well, I’m all about getting flowers. He V-E-R-R-Y slowly and deliberately reached toward me with the flower. I took it and thanked him but it took him nearly fifteen minutes to straighten back up. Flowers I can take, anemic complexions I can deal with, but even so he was a just little slow for me. What can I say, a good man is hard to find. God Bless until next week.
Winter in the Wilderness, the first e-book novel published by Minshall, is offered at most Internet book sites. A print edition may be obtained from Amazon, or you can order an autographed copy from the author at Box 1040, Congress, AZ for $7.95 plus $3.50 for postage and handling.
The fourth edition of RVing Alaska and Canada is available through Amazon.com.
At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”
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