#when i first saw WW being played at a friend's house i went home and immediately started begging my mom for a gamecube

[smellslikebot]

i got reminded that SD gundam force exists, which reminded me of a time i was playing an MMO years ago where i knew someone whose username was Zako or Zaku or something. and one time i called him "zapper zaku" & he hit me with a "-_-"

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] TsukiPro Special CD - Starry Sky Collection Track 2

Yay~! This time, it’s VAZZROCK!! Next one is Mamoru and Koki’s and then the rest of the Yaminabe series dramas ww

Thank you once again to Deea for the files~! Please don’t ask her as per her request, thank you!

Also, Sho briefly mentions the story behind Lyra the constellation so, please do give it a read to understand it completely ^^

※ Please don’t re-post these translations without permission. Instead of reposting, please just like/reblog instead ^^

Under the cut, enjoy~!

Track 02: [心揺さぶる音楽を -こと座 ベガ-] “Music that Shakes the Heart – from the Constellation of Lyra – Vega”

Mamiya Takaaki, Kira Ouka, Onoda Sho, and Nadumi Ruka

[0:00]

  MAMIYA: Everyone, thank you very much. We’ll leave the rest to you.

SHO: We’ll leave it in your care.

SHO: We’ll be taking our leave now.

OUKA: Thank you very much for today.

RUKA: Thank you~!

  SHO: Now then, thank you for the hard work once again.

MAMIYA: Good work.

OUKA: Great job.

RUKA: Yay~! We all did well!

SHO: With this, VazzRaji’s first season recording is now finished.

SHO: Our party with the staff is over as well and now all we need to do is return to the dorms.

SHO: I heard that if we go straight home from here, it’s not that far but…

SHO: Takaaki, do you want to call a taxi?

MAMIYA: Ah, that’s right. Let’s call for one by the main street.

MAMIYA: But, uh… Can I ride a different one (from yours)?

OUKA: A different one? Where do you plan on going?

MAMIYA: Don’t look at me with such cold eyes~ I just feel like going for a little walk.

MAMIYA: If I walk from here to the dorm…

RUKA: If we’ll trust the map application, it’d take about 10 minutes!

MAMIYA: See? That’s what he said. It’s not really that far.

MAMIYA: I was just thinking of walking around to feel a bit refreshed.

MAMIYA: That much is fine, isn’t it?

RUKA: Ah! Then, I’ll do the same~! I don’t really like the smell of taxis and I try avoiding them as much as possible.

RUKA: Also, I ate a looooott of meat and rice so I wanna exercise a bit!

RUKA: And so~ Takaaki-kun, can I go with you~?

MAMIYA: Of course, you’re welcome to~! Let’s take it easy together, ‘kay?

RUKA: Alrighty~!

OUKA: (sighs) Ruka, if you walk back to the dorms from here, won’t it override your calorie intake?

RUKA: Non, non, non, Ouka-kun~ Doing things when you feel like doing them is important, too!

RUKA: In other words, there’d be no feelings of guilt lingering!

OUKA: Is it like that?

RUKA: Yes, it is! It’s kinda the same as when women go shopping.

RUKA: “Oh, I might find some use for this,” they say and then they end up buying more than intended~

RUKA: In my case, I say “I’ll lose it all in practice tomorrow” and then I eat as much as I can!

RUKA: If you say that, you won’t feel as guilty! Doing the things you love sometimes is important, too~

RUKA: It’s essential, right~?

OUKA: I see… That’s deep.

MAMIYA: By the way, I only want to walk, okay?

SHO: Yes~ I don’t really have any feelings of guilt but, can I join you for your night walk?

MAMIYA: Oh~ Sho, you wanna walk, too?

SHO: Yes, I’m the same as you, Takaaki.

SHO: Heading straight back to the dorms feels like a waste and somehow, I’m in the mood to walk, too.

SHO: I had so much fun a while ago that I feel like wanting to enjoy your company for a while longer.

MAMIYA: In Sho’s case, isn’t it just because you had too much to drink?

MAMIYA: You’re looking quite pale, y’know~? See? (Mamiya touches Sho’s hand) Your hand’s a bit warm, too.

SHO: (chuckles) Is that so? Well, maybe it is, since Takaaki’s hand feels cool and nice.

RUKA: Were you bad at handling your alcohol, Sho-kun?

RUKA: Like, your head feels floaty whenever you drink?

SHO: Hmm… I don’t think I’m particularly bad or good.

SHO: Though, it’s true that my head feels kind of floaty but, it doesn’t really go beyond that.

RUKA: Heh~ I’ll remember that~

SHO: Hm? Why would you want to remember that?

RUKA: When I know what my friends’ limits are, I can help them when they’re troubled about what to drink next or when they’re about to pass out, right~?

RUKA: I can handle my alcohol well so don’t hesitate to rely on me, ‘kay~

SHO: Thank you. Ruka’s very kind and reliable, huh?

MAMIYA: ROCK DOWN’s bonds are so dazzling~

MAMIYA: Alright! Then, Ouka will go home first in a taxi and then—

OUKA: Wait. Do you really think I’m that much of a loner to go home by taxi when you’re all walking?

MAMIYA: Yeah.

OUKA: (Ouka grabs Mamiya by the necktie) You should at least lie in a situation like this.

MAMIYA: (with a pained voice) O-O-Ouka-kun… Ouka-kun? Don’t pull my necktie…! My neck’s gonna fall off…!

MAMIYA: My neck’s gonna snap…!

RUKA: (smiles) VAZZY’s bonds are so tight, huh~!?

SHO: Ouka, calm down~

OUKA: Tch.

RUKA: So, that means~ Ouka-kun’s gonna walk with us?

OUKA: I am. Now that that’s decided, let’s get going.

OUKA: Let’s go. Hurry up and go.

RUKA: Yes sir~

MAMIYA: Y-yes…

[05:00]

  RUKA: (singing) ♪ Let’s go on a walk, let’s go on a walk~! ♪

RUKA: (singing) ♪ I am the great Ruka-kun~! ♪

SHO: (chuckles) Ruka’s in a good mood, huh?

OUKA: I’d understand if that was his energy after drinking but, I’m surprised that he’s naturally like that.

OUKA: In a way, he’s pretty energetic.

MAMIYA: That’s to be expected. Ruka’s a stage actor after all.

MAMIYA: I think he’s got more energy than a certain someone here~ He’s got pretty great stamina.

OUKA: I see.

SHO: I’m so sorry, Ouka. We ended up going home by walking.

OUKA: Ah, no. If I’m being honest, I was the same as everyone else. I felt like going for a walk.

OUKA: That’s why you don’t have to mind it.

MAMIYA: Oh my~! You’re quite honest with Sho, aren’t you, Ouka?

OUKA: If someone tells me something directly, I answer as honestly as I can.

OUKA: That’s all there is to it.

MAMIYA: In other words, you’re rebellious when it comes to me?

RUKA: (smiles) Walking like this together with everyone feels kinda nice, huh~?

RUKA: The food and alcohol during the staff party was great, too! I’m extremely satisfied~

RUKA: I’m super happy!

OUKA: Ruka, your voice is too loud.

RUKA: (laughs) I’m sorry, Ouka-kun.

RUKA: I’m feeling good and the wind feels so nice~ I just got taken in by the atmosphere. (to Sho) Right~?

SHO: Hm? Yes~ (to Mamiya) Right?

MAMIYA: (to Ouka) Right~?

OUKA: Ruka and Sho aside, when Takaaki does it, it’s disgusting.

MAMIYA: So mean!

RUKA: Alright~! Sho-kun and I passed!

MAMIYA: Discrimination is not good, Ouka.

OUKA: Don’t hold on to me, you drunk.

MAMIYA: I didn’t drink any though~

MAMIYA: I only drank like, one beer and about two or three ciders.

RUKA: Me, too! Normally, I’d drink so much more but, I have to wake up early tomorrow.

RUKA: Hm… But, Takaaki-kun, Ouka-kun, Sho-kun, and I are kinda a rare combi so—

RUKA: Going home so early just kinda feels like a waste…

SHO: Even though you say that Ruka, Gaku asked me to take you home safely.

RUKA: Ack! That bastard…!

MAMIYA: As expected from his partner! He can read you like a book~

OUKA: You laugh at him and all that but, you need to wake up early for filming tomorrow, too.

OUKA: Walk properly, get home, and then go to sleep.

OUKA: Don’t tell me, “let me watch one video before going to sleep,” got it?

MAMIYA: (groans)

SHO: (laughs) Looks like he can read you well, too~

SHO: Although Takaaki takes his work seriously, there are times when he indulges himself, huh?

SHO: Just like me~

RUKA: I-I don’t think that’s something you should be smiling about, Sho-kun… (laughs nervously)

OUKA: Good grief… So, our leaders have the same weird tendencies.

SHO: Please don’t abandon me.

[08:19]

  SHO: (gasps)

RUKA: Hm, what’s wrong, Sho-kun?

SHO: Look, Ruka. Since there are no buildings around, you can see the stars properly.

RUKA: Ah! It’s true!

RUKA: Woah~! Since when did I last see the stars like this~?

OUKA: We might have seen them but didn’t really notice them much.

MAMIYA: So, they can be seen properly even in the city, huh~!

OUKA: The stars I saw from my relative’s house when I was younger were even more amazing.

MAMIYA: Heh~ In the countryside?

OUKA: In Okayama Prefecture’s prefectural border.

OUKA: I was in elementary school back then probably. I went there about 2 or 3 times during summer vacation.

OUKA: In any case, the stars were so beautiful that I’d lay down and look up at them until my mother came to scold me.

OUKA: It’s such a vivid memory that when I close my eyes sometimes, I feel like I can still see them.

OUKA: The scent of incense, the squeaking of the wooden floorboards, the sound of the wind chimes, and the starry sky spreading from the night sky.

RUKA: When I imagine Ouka-kun with stars, it makes for such a perfect picture that I get scared~

RUKA: Ouka-kun, you really love stars, huh?

OUKA: I guess. I love them.

OUKA: Not just the stars but the universe in general. When it’s shown on T.V. I end up watching it completely.

MAMIYA: This is my first time hearing that~

OUKA: Have I not told you…?

OUKA: Don’t you generally prefer conversations where you can talk of anything compared to half-hearted ones that don’t fit your interests?

OUKA: It feels good to be able to talk about what you love, doesn’t it?

MAMIYA: I see~ That’s such a great reason that’s so fitting of you, Ouka.

RUKA: I love stars too but, not on a realistic scale, I guess.

RUKA: I love things with star designs! They can be cute or cool~!

RUKA: Oh, and they’re good luck~!

MAMIYA: Oh! Now that you mention it, I feel like a lot of your t-shirts and bags have star designs on them!

MAMIYA: Don’t you have shoes like that, too? Ya know, the ones designed with stars for buckles and stuff?

RUKA: As expected from Takaaki-kun! You’ve observed well, huh~? Those are my favorite~

RUKA: It’s the one I decorated with the make-up artist backstage! It’s the only one of its kind in the world~

RUKA: I wear them to feel in the mood before a play!

SHO: You really take acting seriously, huh~ Leaving it to luck is not manly, was it?

SHO: Though, you give me the impression that you would leave it to your own abilities.

RUKA: (laughs) That’s correct! That’s exactly it!

RUKA: Whether it’s luck or abilities, the one that wins in the end is the me who practiced a lot.

RUKA: The only superstition I believe are good luck charms, I guess.

RUKA: I usually feel like giving it my all when I’m acting since I can~

RUKA: Though, there are a lot of people on stage who believe in superstitions.

SHO: True. I think I have the same way of thinking. The world is not so simple that we can win on luck alone.

SHO: But, we can’t completely undermine luck and being lucky. That’s about it, I guess~

RUKA: Yep~! Samesies~

[11:43]

  SHO: (chuckles) Hey, does everyone know the legend of Vega from the Lyra constellation? It’s one of the brightest stars in the Summer Triangle.

MAMIYA: That’s pretty sudden~ The Summer Triangle constellation is uh… Altair, Vega, and… Ah, Deneb! It’s that one, right?

MAMIYA: The only thing I know about it are the stars’ names.

OUKA: I’m the same.

RUKA: Wow, you’re amazing! I didn’t even know the stars’ names!

RUKA: I only know the words “Summer Triangle”.

SHO: (chuckles) That’s exactly it.

SHO: Lyra is the constellation that’s shaped like a musical instrument. It’s the lyre that appears in Greek mythology.

SHO: The story goes is that it’s Orpheus’s lyre up in the sky.

SHO: The legend says that Orpheus went to the Underworld to reclaim his departed wife.

SHO: He offered his music to the King of the Underworld and managed to charm him.

SHO: Though, it seems like he failed with his initial plans of bringing his beloved back.

SHO: I’ve been told this story when I was young and I remember admiring the music that was supposed to have swayed even the King of the Underworld’s heart.

SHO: I just remembered that suddenly.

RUKA: I feel like Sho-kun’s violin can shake the heart of the King of the Underworld, too~

SHO: No, no. I still have ways to go.

SHO: I think that the violin is something that I still have to learn for quite a long time.

SHO: It’s never-ending and it makes me feel a bit scared but, it has its own charm, too.

OUKA: It might be quite similar to the reason why I admire the universe.

OUKA: Something that we want to chase for an eternity.

RUKA: Ah, that kind of phrasing is perfect for my ideal stars!

RUKA: Something that we admire for eternity is something that we’d yearn for for a long time!

RUKA: Isn’t that cool~?

MAMIYA: I feel you. Though, it’d be a plus if I can make mine shorter.

MAMIYA: See? Just like those stars spreading above our heads right now.

MAMIYA: I can see them all the time and I feel like I can reach my hand out to them. They’re always watching over us.

MAMIYA: I was just thinking that it’d be nice if the fans thought of us like that, too.

OUKA: “Watching over” is so like you.

MAMIYA: Right?

SHO: Right now, we are the ones being watched over by the stars, huh?

SHO: Let’s continue to do our best so that we can become those kinds of admirable people~

RUKA: Yeah!

RUKA: (singing) ♪ Let’s go home, let’s go home~! I am the great Ruka-kun~! ♪

OUKA: Like I said, your voice is too loud.

MAMIYA: Alright, let’s sing together in a moderate tone then~

MAMIYA: Alright, Ouka, you too~!

OUKA: I won’t sing.

  SHO: (chuckles) We’ll continue to make music that will shake your heart one day.

SHO: Beautiful and dazzling music just like the stars that’s dedicated for you.

  ==END==

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

If you like this, please consider buying me a ko-fi here to support my work. (o^▽^o)Thank you!!

[janinediary]

Janine Yasovant คลิกเพื่ออ่านบทความนี้ เป็นภาษาไทย

The Saiburi District in Pattani Province is the first place I was invited to experience a Chinese cuisine lunch at Toyota Phithan Saiburi branch. Saiburi is a strange place to live because in the past Chinese people traveled by boat to reside in Thailand in the Malaya peninsula. The Chinese get along with Muslims very well; they've  lived together peacefully in the same villages. The name "Saiburi", derived from Sanskrit, means the city between two rivers under the protection from the wind, under the moonlight. I was excited about that trip because I never rode in a rowing boat before. After lunchtime, the image of the river that day was so green bounded by high grass. Such a wonderful dream to think about. The river by the sea reminded me of Claude Monet's paintings. The sun shone and it was windy.

When I began came to write about the Arts of Thailand, I tried to contact the artists from the south of Thailand to see the progress in cooperation. I spent five years in the south of Thailand and I wanted to communicate with a particular artist. I found a painting of Waearong at the port of Pattani, next to the house in which I lived for three years. In the afternoon, I opened a window to see a group of fishing boats and hawks in the sky. In the South it rained almost every day but the fishing boats and hawks were never afraid of the storm. I saw the picture and asked him (Waearong) on Facebook whether it was Dechanuchit bridge or not. He told me it was not. It was an estuary of Pattani. Nowadays they did not allow fishing boats to dock at Dechanuchit bridge. For almost a year I did not talk to him until the women's group in Saiburi expressed the need to buy Pipit Pakdee Palace back from Chinese people. Then we had a delightful though too brief conversation:

JY: What is special about your latest exhibition "Saad Si Mueang Sai"?  

WW: There was an obvious reason why a group of Southern artists joined an exhibition called "Saad Si Mueang Sai". The exhibition was held on 21-22 June 2014. The main focus of the event was a project to bring back a memory of Saiburi: the missing province. Initially, this was my own idea when I heard that Taluban mosque wanted to buy an old palace as a gift for Mueang Sai people. As an artist, at that time I needed a suitable place to exhibit works of me and my group. In my mind, it was so marvelous to hold an art exhibition in a beautiful place just once, especially in a palace. My idea was quite similar to that of the "Saiburi Looker" group which narrated the history of the Mueang.

One day in a café, the Saiburi Looker group and I talked about setting up the exhibition together. This group came up with a wonderful exhibition "Give back memory of Saiburi: the missing province" and I exhibited my paintings with Southern artists. We also discussed how to attract people especially those who lived in Mueang Sai to visit our exhibition. I said that I and my friends in the South Free Art group would like to bring art students from universities and colleges  and local artists to a field trip in a village to meet some villagers. Instead of asking some historical questions to villagers randomly, everyone in my team agreed that we should set up a meeting place and welcome all local residents to talk to us. If you ask me, I think it is very difficult to talk about something from memory. This meeting was unexpectedly successful because many local villagers and merchants who came to us provided very interesting information.

Before this meeting, I used to set up a workshop at Baan Suan Kong village, Chana District, Songkla Province. At that time I exhibited my paintings to make people realize the value and beauty of that area. People there had a simple life and most of them were fishermen. After constructing the first port in Songkla Province, an investor wanted to build the second one at this village. If this port was constructed, villagers would have no place to live and work. We all knew that it was a desperate fight against the power of money but we have to object and continue to fight on.              

JY: Tell us about yourself?

WW: My name is Waearong Waeno. I was born on 3January 1955. My parents have three children. I was the second son and I have one older and one younger sister. With a passion for drawing and the determination to enroll in Pohchang vocational school, in 1973 I came to Bangkok to work and enrolled in Ramkamhaeng University instead. In 1977 I qualified for the selection test from Pohchang vocational school and I was in the department of international fine arts. Back then not so many men from other provinces passed the test to study in the fine arts department. Most students in the department were former students of this school. I studied there for two years and I got an advanced diploma but there was no Bachelor's degree for my field yet. If I wanted to further my education, I had to select the teaching field which I disliked at that time so I decided to find some work after graduation. An older sister of my senior classmate in Pohchang vocational school was a manager of a company called "Asonar" which made cassette tapes. At first I applied for a messenger position and later I was a salesman and in the end I became a Southern branch manager.

With a  better job position, I decided to start my own family. My wife was a Thai-Indonesian who lived in Bangkok and she was also a Muslim like me. We were neighbors during my study at Pohchang vocational school when she studied mechanical techniques. At present I have a son and a daughter and I also adopted a child of my older sister due to the negligence of my older sister's husband. My wife used to work for a Japanese bank called Sakura in Bangkok. Later, my father passed away and we had no one to take care of his house. At the same time, my wife's workplace was merged with another company and many employees were laid off. With these two sound reasons, we decided to move and settle down at my father's house in the South of Thailand and start over. Now she is an English and math tutor for primary and secondary school levels. I was also invited by Darunsat Witya Islamic school to be an art teacher. At first I was not so sure of myself because personally I dislike teaching jobs. The reason why I took the offer to be the teacher and now am still working as an art teacher is because the school gives me so much freedom and I also would like children in the South of Thailand to learn about art in the right way.          

JY: Tell us about the South Free Art Group?

WW: This is a small group of artists that was founded to do some art to reflect the way of life in the South of Thailand. Everyone has his/her own proficiency in the way of working. Some of them are lawyers, graphic designers and many of us are full time freelance artists. I am the advisor of this group. Apart from being a teacher, my team and I opened an art equipment store to make picture frames and stationery for all kinds of drawing. And at the time I had important work to do. It was an exhibition for the opening of Rajabhat University Yala in Yala Province. Many art teachers from various art institutes were invited to join. Southern freelancers were also welcomed. The exhibition took place from 13 -15 July 2014.              

JY: Any news about the group that would like to buy the Pipit Pakdee palace?

WW: There was definite progress for the purchase of Pipit Pakdee Palace because of harmonious cooperation from Saiburi people but this was only borrowed funds from villagers. Any person who was interested in this could donate some money. Artists who went to set up the workshop were willing to sell their works. If people were interested in art works, they were able to ask artists about the price of a particular painting. Extra income from the sale of paintings was transferred to the fundraising campaign for buying Pipit Pakdee Palace. I and Southern artists from Prince of Songkla University, Rajabhat University Yala, vocational schools and local artists came to help set up the fundraising campaign. As for the price of my works: a painting without frame cost 2,000 Baht and a painting with frame cost 6,000 baht. If one of my paintings with frame was sold, the fundraising campaign would get 3,500 baht/painting. For this exhibition, I accepted a customer's order but the painting style had to be from my idea. I also have prints made from my original paintings as souvenirs. The small print costs 300 baht and the larger one costs 400 baht.   

       JY: Is there any involvement with the government in your exhibition?

WW: The producer and the team did not want the government to be involved in this exhibition. We, as people of Saiburi, want to tell the story ourselves. Until now, the news on the media about the South of Thailand is all about conflict and turmoil. That is not entirely true. In reality, a Buddhist can befriend a Muslim and vice versa. They can play sports together although their beliefs and society are somewhat different. Currently, many adult Muslims are going to work in Malaysia due to a better economy there and they have no problems communicating with Malaysians. After the end of Ramadan, adult Muslims return to visit their home. The difference can clearly be seen here. Gold shops are full of Muslim women who just came back from Malaysia to buy gold in Thailand. What I said is just one reason so please think carefully. What will happen if people in the South of Thailand are not Muslim? Fruits including southern langsat (Longkong) have too low a price and the cost of rubber drops. You might wonder why there is no protest from Muslim people. They undoubtedly believe that Allah assigns everything, that Allah provides what is good and satisfying. We will not lay blame on anyone or anything. Although many bad things have happened, we all hope that one day peace will come back to us, with love and faith.

[thebiggest3vil]

STORY TIME! #2: I Got Cheated On And Embarassed In Front Of My Whole School😂😢😂 (*Funny!/ Fucked Up!)

So for this story time I'm gonna tell you about how I got cheated on . It's funny but fucked up at the same time so if you like reading then this is the post for you! So back, relax and read how I got PLAYED 😂.

So the first day of HS starts up and ya know things are different. Ya boy is a Sophmore and after a very weird freshman year of HS I started to find my way. I had more friends , I hit a growth spurt after being 4"11 and under my whole childhood life, I had a summer job so when I came back I was drippin in that Armani Exchange (Remember that store!? Damn) So when I came back my dress game went from like a 3 to a 12 and I don't care if that don't make sense it's my story lmao.

(Ok So where was I....OH Ok sophomore year)

So the day goes by and it's time for Gym. Now everyone knows that the first day of gym ain't really gym it's just niggas sitting on the bleachers and for 30 minutes and MAYBE they bring the basketballs out for the last 15. So I goto the bleachers and I see my mans at the top and I'm like "Yeoooo !!" And he went "Ayo boul!!" And that's how we signalled each other at the time lmao. So we sitting waiting for class to start and a bunch of kids walk in (I'm not paying them no mind) and as they got closer to the top all I hear is my name following "YOOO CUZ IT'S BEEN A GRIP!" I look over and it's my bro from my track team . At this point I'm like hype I got my homie in by gym class followed by my other homie...nigga gym was so tough. So as I dap him up these 2 girls walk behind him. One was kinda cute, Brown skin ass was glorious. The other was a lightskin girl, kinda tall was BAD (at the time) omg and I had my best shirt on nd shit I was fly but I'm not really worried cause all my niggas are in gym with me and when has that....ever happened when ALL your niggas had the same class besides lunch. So we sitting and my bro from track called me over and we started catching up. Out of nowhere the lightskin girl grabs my shoulder and asked what my name was (mind you was staring deep into my eyes like nigga my soul, I was beside myself) I told her my name and I went throughout my day.

So like a cool 2 weeks passed and ppl telling me "yoooo Brittney likes you" (Ima call her Brittney cause it's my story lol) mind you at this point it's been established by the brotherhood rank system aka period 8 lunch who were the baddest in school and everyone was tryna talk to them. They were arguably the 5 baddest in the school and niggas were on their heads. Now my one friend bagged one if them on the spot and the other one was already cuffed, but for them to tell me the most sought out one wanted me!? NI-GGA! I was feeling my self I started wearing shit I didn't usually wear to school (side note: I wore this Armani T shirt with the Black true religion jeans and some polo boots with this Hugo Boss jacket I was fly) Anyway weeks go by and I'm in music class talking to to homies and I tell them like yo....im bout to talk to Brittney....the problem was....

Brittney was the ex of my bro from track! So I'm like damn you my homie I'm not gonna do that to you etc I'm like I'm going to chalk It up, he goes "nah bro you good go head we friends but we broke up years ago" (THIS LOW-KEY WAS A WARNING But my dumb ass wanted a girlfriend so I'm like bet where she at?) Ok ok remember how HUGE MySpace use to be? Remember this.: So fast forward I ask for her number and she didn't have one cause idk but she had a house phone plus she added me on MySpace. So on MySpace that's were I started spitting THAT GAME and long story short I changed my relationship status from single to taken and THAT. SHIDD. FELT. GUUD! That shit felt like every nigga in that school had a shot and I came through like M'Baku like "Essssss challuuunge deeeeey" . You couldn't tell me shit , plus we had the same spanish class so we were out her being a couple nd shit and for the moment it was all going great.....until....

On one Friday it was a big ass party and instead of going I went to my Cousins house cause tbh fuck them parties they last like 1 hour always. So the weekend ended and Monday rolls by mind you I was getting calls from random ass numbers and I dont answer those like that so when Monday came around we had a fire drill and as SOON as everyone was outside and saw me they ran to me. I had atleast 8 people Coming up to to me saying "Dog bro you my mans get your girl she was at the party all up on some other nigga". me being naive as fuck is like " brittney? My baby? oh nooooo I don't believe yall shut up" but in the back of my mind I'm like ....wait....coikd she? Naah...so I go ask her and she immediately denies so I'm like ok cool. This was around the same time "rumors" started spread around the school that she was out here for the whole team was thottin and when I brought that up she goes "ww...well...that's not true who are you gonna believe your so called friends or someone who loves you?" AGAIN Me being a dickhead I'm like " Yeaaah baby Bonnie and Clyde, Hov and Bey, Angelina and Brad , we all we got! "(I'm laughing writing this cause I was like this..) Now along the way it was signs that were happening that I thought were weird. She would Always have "family" over or her "cousins" just came over out the blue and she had to get off the phone... 😂😂😂( I know man I know laugh! GO AHEAD! Its been almost 10 years fuck yall for laughing 😂🤣) Nd I'm like for an only child you sure have alot of family coming through. So the noise of it all started to get to me and I was over here questioning the relationship. I had a homie tell me to me face "Bro I do not want to see you get hurt and if you keep talking to her we NOT cool" so that night I'm like it's too many signs and tbh I don't wanna be with you anymore (even thoe I did....i did like fuck and I was acting like a bitch) so we broke it off and that's it.........WRONG!

Remember when I told y'all I was in love like a dickhead....well not even 3 days later we got back together cause she "missed me like crazy" and I'm like "baby I miss you too ajdgssnsjdndkd!😂" so we back together and like for them 5 days we were cool....the 6th day....nigga so I stayed after school with her and she was talking to me about Spanish tutoring and how this other nigga in my class was taking tutoring and that we should go....problem was the Spanish teacher got sick and cancelled so we stayed until the 4:00 bus...for her since she lived close it was the 2:45 shuttle so we kissed and she left. Fast forward to the after school bus my step sister stayed after with me and as we were riding back home she scream my name and says "Hey do you still go out with Brittney!?" Me confidently I'm like yeah whassup? She goes "Well hold on they talking bout she goes out with the one boul aka the NIGGA THAT WAS GETTING THE TUTORING IN SPANISH! I felt like a dickheaaaad on the bus. So many emotions, I felt like my lil bitch ass heart was ripped out, so I went home and called her she said message her in MySpace for right now. Thus is where I bring MySpace back.....how about I look on her shit and She put Boul in her TOP 5 behind me!!!!!!!! I was livid so.....

I messaged her like " Yo, are you and Bro talking what's going on...?" She hits me with a........

"Well I thought we were just friends talking " I was so angry I was like (From what I remember I wish I knew my account info but to sum it up I said ) "BITCH how dare you do that to me I loved you and you disrespected me you punk was blah blah blah " I wrote shawty a whole book angry and after I shut my laptop off.......and cried.

Smh lmao so my step sister growing up never like to see my super upset so idk HOW but she found her house number and I could hear downstairs her arguing with her nd etc. I didn't care I was upset I went on my MySpace and changes ALL my profile songs to breakup shit. Damn near a Chris Brown playlist I was HURT! I was writing cryptic ass messages talking about ima be lonley forever and yeah it was BAD! but eventuall I got over it....and the following Monday she ran straight over to me at was like "oh I'm sorry I really am and I'll get rid of all my contact and etc etc. We gotta spread some rulesnif we wanna make this work" I wasn't tryna hear dat shit. So in the end I said fuck it and we wentniur separate ways. I don't have any hate towards shawty but it was fucked up how I happened. Looking back, everytime I tell this story it gets funnier cause I was sprung. But yeah that's how I got Cheated on.....Never again thoe😂😂😂

[therationalempiricist-blog]

“The Man in the brown suit”.  The following anecdote is a recollection of true events. They are recounted to the best of my ability. Names of persons or places mentioned have been changed for privacy reasons. As with most ghost stories, sometimes the more simple they are, the better they are. In evaluation, out of all of the ghostly encounters I have had, this one was one of the strongest in memory and one of the most important for me as it , in my mind, consolidated WITHOUT a doubt, that the spirits of the deceased do walk amongst us. My whole life the paranormal has followed me. I didn't often have people I could talk to about my encounters. The kid of people you could swap stories with, chat and try and make sense of it all. Sometimes I felt those who I did open up to used my accounts against me and just wanted to continue my pariahdom throughout my childhood, however, it wasn't until I was in my second year of highschool that I really started to gain friends. They were incredibly understanding and as I would soon find out, empathising friends. One friend in particular could empathise with me on a very similar level, Rebecca. Rebecca and I had both not only had our own encounters with the paranormal but also shared encounters. We talked a great deal about our experiences, our beliefs and our lives. We both had similar challenging upbringings and we really bonded and stuck together because of it. As time went on, gaining more and more independence from our parents and as pressure grew in our final years of Highschool, Rebecca decided it was time to move in with her boyfriend, Lucas and his family. Lucas and his family were very familiar with the Paranormal. Especially Lucas’ dad Peter. Peter was an very intelligent man. It was never confirmed, but I had asked him more than once if he had something along the lines of a Photographic Memory. One thing he did confirm, and speak openly about was his Clairaudience. While he didn't sit around and relay messages from the other side, he did give a good insight into the abilities of others.  He was the first person to tell me I was “ a mecca for paranormal beings and spirits” and that they liked my energy. I'm not sure what they saw back then, I was a pretty sad kid most of the time but he had suggested to me once without really saying it, that it was my strength that drew them close. Lucas’ mum Susan seemed to agree when it was suggested. She often supported the “mecca” suggestion when we would chat about our experiences. Rebecca similar to me, seemed to be more of a emotional conduit amongst other things at the time. She quite often had her little psychic hat on and we had alot of fun when she would randomly say what I was thinking, no matter how random it was. But before I knew Lucas’ parents, the first night I ever spent in their home really opened the gateway for me to start confidently asking questions about the other side. They lived in an older suburb, in an older home. Their home and land seemed to have a decent history and held a heritage listing within the local area, though of what grade, I am not sure. The facade of the single story Edwardian-esq 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom residence was cream in colour, weatherboard, with a maroon roof and a dainty white picket fence complete with an ornate wrought iron swinging gate. A thick, heavy wooden door accented with a period original white stained glass horse and horseshoe halo silhouette, held guard at the entrance. Either side, two double sized square windows. The front room of the house, the living room, was the entirety of the original dwelling, being no bigger than 5m by 5.5m. The ceilings still as tall as the day they were erected completed with dark wooden picture rails and Baroque inspired crown moulding. I imagine the real substance of the room would have once been a beautifully abundant fireplace, now covered over with an old 70′s style elemental gas wall heater.   The living room always had a weighted gloom about it. Whether it was the partially midnight green walls or the density and height of the trees covering the small front yard absorbing the light, I am not sure. The remainder of the home wasn't much better. There never seemed to be any natural sunlight beaming through the windows. Always a cloud or a shade of some type. It was hard to imagine the residence ever having a luminosity and radiance about it. I don’t know much about who lived in the home or the types of energies they bought with them that perhaps over the decades oppressed and suffocated any brilliance that enter, but what I do know is the original landowner was a Military man (suggested to me WW I but possibly earlier). I was told he built the house, adjacent workshed/ garage and stable himself.  If he was accompanied by a family or was alone remains a mystery but I imagine he kept to himself and earnt a keeping dealing with livestock that reside on the remainder of the property. The remains of the original, now roofless stable and original workshed/garage were still on the property and became a boundary lines later down the track when the property was subdivided and more residences established. It was never indicated to me how large his land really was but Susan and Peter quite often would find horse or cow bones in the yard while gardening, so it suggests the owner had space for animals a plenty. When you walked through the remainder of the home it was almost like you were walking through time. Different parts of the house were added on in different decades. You are greeted with this simple but lovely heritage facade, lovely tall ceilings and polished hardwood floors throughout the living area and adjoining matching bedrooms but then followed 50′s/60′s/70′s tacky Linoleum floors, mixed match pastel coloured walls and cupboards and not to mention original worn out plumbing in the bathroom, kitchen and rear laundry/ toilet. It had a lot of history. the kind that costs a fortune to fix and replace!  One of  which, and  one of the creepiest parts of the home was undoubtedly a “bungalow” that was built in the yard. I couldn't pinpoint what era it may have been built in, but we know it had Asbestos and was built out of concrete and chipboard. Very tacky looking shed like structure with a small sink and no immediately obvious purpose. It was built in a such a way that it divided the yard in two horizontally so you could only see the back of the property through the Bungalow windows if looking on from the house. The windows of the Bungalow lined up with the windows in the laundry perfectly and quite often if you were at the laundry sink, say washing your hands, it was a shocking cliche` that you would see shadows moving past in the back of the property where the remains of the stable were. Every person who I had ever spoken to about the rear section of the yard had negative feelings and experiences about it. It just had “Haunted” written all over it. My first impressions of the home being full of activity were pretty accurate. You could feel such a mix of emotion and history in the home. You could almost see everyone who had lived there wondering the through as they might have done so many years before in their stereotypical period garb. Rebecca and Lucas never said straight away they thought the house was occupied by more than just the living. However, when I first visited and expressed my concerns, Rebecca did say she felt the same as me the first time she visited. That in itself said enough. I never imagined though that on that same night I would see what I saw and find out that I wasn't the first. The first time I visited  their home was on my 17th birthday. Rebecca thought it would be a good idea to come over and hangout with them and just chill. So that's what I did. After school on a Friday, I walked to down the road to the train station and jumped on. A handful of stops and a short walk later, I was there. I met a couple of Lucas’ friends and we played cards, listened to music did what average 17 year olds did and just chilled out. There were no ghosties that any of us were cognitively aware of, nothing sinister, just happy vibes. Lucas’s mum had told me when I arrived that for many years that house had been full of children coming and going so, i picked up on the fact that Lucas’ parents did not feel unfamiliar or put of by lots of noise. The house at that time, just felt lived in. When it was time to go to bed, Rebecca set me up with the living room on one of the big, white, super comfy and cushy couches, a nice warm blanket and Susan even left the heater on the living room as while it was coming into spring, the nights were still a little cold. Being that I was in a strange house and still afraid of the dark, the orange glow from the heater provided a very nice night light and illuminated the entire living room. In some ways I thought in contrast to my impressions on the house fighting for light during the day, at least it saw a warm glow at night.   I was laying there trying my best to go to sleep, but being the insomniac that I am, falling asleep was proving difficult so I just lay there there mulling over the evening and listening the the creeks and cracks of the old wooden floorboards and the tall now sepia walls as the temperature grew colder and the house settled. After counting scallops in the architraves and tassels on the red persian rug, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I could remember was jerking awake. I do not remember dreaming but if I was, I imagine that I was dreaming about falling or running away from a predator. My whole body had and electric tingle and I could feel my pulse in the ears and hitting my body like a hammer . When I opened my eyes, they were very blurry and sticky because I had stupidly not taken my eye makeup off that night before bed, so I rubbed my eyes. I looked out in front of me and immediately I saw a man standing at just in front of the entrance to the hall. He was an older caucasian man wearing a brown plaid like suit, a white or cream collard shirt, a tie in a similar colour to the suit and a matching Bowler hat and cane. Had a gentle looking face. Not harmful or predatory looking at all. He was standing there illuminated in the orange glow just looking at me. He was standing is such a way that suggested he was walking toward me just before I saw him. I felt my heart drop and for maybe 2 seconds our gazes locked. That short time frame felt like an eternity. A multitude of thoughts ran through my head. “How long have I been asleep for? Who is this? What does he want with me? Don't hurt me! Is this one of Lucas’ Grandpas coming over? Why is he here after we have all gone to bed? Is this a lost neighbour? How did he get in here? Through the back door maybe?” His expression was such that I was expecting him to  say something such as “Oh! I didn't mean to scare you” or “Sorry love, Im... I'm just here for” and I was already preparing my replies in my sprinting chain of thought, but, as soon as I blinked, he was gone. I sat up and without hesitation, I realised what I had just seen. I didn’t know if I should be scared or excited or wake up Rebecca and tell her what I had just happened so, I just layed back down, adrenaline pumping. I ran through his expression, the texture of his clothes. I tried to pinpoint what decade he materialised from. Was there any telltale sign? What would his voice have sounded like if he had spoken? What were the colour of his eyes? Was he wearing a wedding ring? What was it like where he came from? Why was he here? Why did I see him? So many questions I may never have answered. It was maddening. Eventually I was exhausted enough to fall back asleep. The next morning I woke to the sounds and voices of Rebecca and Lucas stirring around in their bedroom which was backed on to the living room. I jumped off of the couch and hurtled myself to their room. I quickly collected myself at the door and knocked. Rebecca opened the door and after a casual, “Good morning!”, asked how I had slept. I was just about to start spurting it all out when I heard crockery clinking and unfamiliar voices coming from the kitchen. I pointed toward the kitchen and whispered to Rebecca, “ Who’s that?” She responded with, “Oh! That’s Lucas’ sister, Elle and her partner, Leo”. I tried to remember hearing them come in at any stage during the night or morning but I couldn’t. I must have really been out of it because I am usually a very light sleeper, if I get to sleep that is. Rebecca took me to the kitchen to introduce me. Susan told me that we were having a big breakfast on the front porch because Peter’s parents were coming over, “so better go and have a shower before the hot water runs out!” - The pros of having an ancient Hot Water heater! ��While I was in the shower, the same questions and thought circled around my head to nowhere, like water down the drain. I was so sure about what I had seen yet so unsure all at once. Was I just delirious from lack of sleep? I had never had hallucinations before. Was I just dreaming and letting my imagination get the better of me? It felt SO real... it couldn’t have been a dream! I pondered countless ways to subtly talk to Rebecca at breakfast but I still felt so indecisive about how to approach the topic, given their whole family would pretty much be there. What would they think of me??   Sitting down to breakfast amongst the introductions and the small talk, I waited patiently to tell Rebecca what had happened and after about five or so short minutes, I finally got my moment.  Even though both of us had seen “things” before, either of us had seen a Full Bodied Apparition- a full of ghost, I was half waiting for a throw away remark such as, “ Are you sure? Maybe you dreamt it?” but, she looked at me with a sort of cheeky smile as if she wasn't surprised. Before I could question her expression, Lucas asked what we were whispering about and Rebecca told him, loud enough that the whole table could hear mind you. I was just beyond embarrassed but then Lucas had this very interesting look on his face. It was very similar to the one Rebecca had held on her face not moments ago and before I could even ask, I was interrupted by Lucas’s Grandmother who looked at me with a smile on her face chimed in. “Funny you should say that!” As soon as I heard those words, I just felt goosebumps run over me me and I slumped back in my chair. My mind was racing with possibility. I was so very hoping I wasn't the only one, and it was starting to appear as if I wasn’t. She turned to Lucas, “You may not quite remember, but you were little you used to talk to yourself a lot. I sometimes wondered if it was an imaginary friend or maybe something else but I specifically remember one day, I walked into the living room where you were nicely sitting on the floor playing and chattering away and when I asked you who you were talking to, you turned to me, and said ever so sweetly said, ‘The man in the Brown suit nana’”. As soon as I heard phrase, “The man in the brown suit”, I felt my heart stop. Lucas just said, “ Looks like I am not the only one now.” and everyone had a good laugh. I felt so many emotions crash over me and I had a barrage of questions for Lucas but, he told me he didn’t really remember much. “I remember enough for the story to sound familiar, but I haven't heard from him in years!”. He said with a big sarcastic grin. Even after poking Peter’s gifted mind,or ear rather,  for a little while we just bounced ideas and scenarios off each other but in the end we had more questions than answers. Every night since that I spent in their house I had hoped to see him again, to ask him all of the questions I couldn't before. And while we had many Ghostly encounters in the home, it couldn't really be defined who or what was responsible. Many emotions, impressions and vibes. Overall, no one is really sure who the man in the Brown suit was. Maybe he was the original owner of the house? Maybe a long lost relative? Maybe he was just a long lost soul hitching a ride on the Kate Mecca Express! I hope one day, that we will have answers to these questions but for now all I know is that, that was the moment that washed away any doubt I ever had in my mind about Spirits being among us. I have seen first hand that they are and for those that are here with us, I hope that they are happy. I hope that they no longer experience pain or sadness and that they are in a better place. I understand that through experience, it is difficult to communicate with the Spirits of our loved ones but every day we get closer to understanding more about their world and how we can break the barriers. We just have to be persistent and hold onto experiences such as this which make the research all the more worth it! Forever curious, -Kate

[nobelmemories]

,                                               

           More Nobel Memories – Along The Nobel Road

                                       Part II

Picture 1 is of old R.J. Sarnie Crawford Garage at Nobel. Picture 2 is Foundation of George Hunt Barn. See stories to follow:

         A couple of stories ago I told a story about the Harrison farm and how Andy Thompson use to ride a horse named Louie in from Dillon each day when he worked at C.I.L. Well I was talking to my friend Bob Hammel since then. Bob is the son of Gord Hammel and Agnes Thompson. Gord served in the WW 2 and around that time they lived on the old Nuremberg Farm, later the McCoubrey farm on Hammel Ave. Bob advised that the horse old Louie ended up being owned by his father following the end of the war and they traded it for a cow from a family called Little, who lived up Britt way. I asked which lived the longest the cow or the horse and his reply was: He did not know but they got milk out of the cow for the next year.

     This reminded me that when I was young the old timers who loved horses would know all of the horses in the country and would tell you pedigree of each of the horses. They did not have computers in those days so they must have done a lot of talking and stor telling about their horses. They use to do the same thing with the old cars from the 1920’s and 1930’s. They would tell you who bought that old model t or model A etc. and who bought it from who and quite often where it had ended up being the power source for a Saw Mill, Buzz Saw or some other purpose.

      I remember my dad back in the forties buying a 1928 Chevrolet, he then shopped around for an engine and Uncle Sarnie installed the engine in the car. Mother then took a paint brush and she painted the car robin’s egg blue. We had the car for several years and then finally bought a 1948 Mercury. When I was going to High School I met two brothers from the MacDougall Road, their names were Bill and Jack Johnston. They had ended up with the old Chevrolet and cut the top off of it and made a tractor. I was quite interested in that car because when I was quite young I had earned a one dollar bill. We were on our way to the McKellar Fair. I was in the back seat playing with the dollar bill, I was pushing it up and down the window of the door, it slipped from my fingers and slid down the glass and inside the door. I never told my parents. I learned the dollar was definitely gone because the Johnston boys had thrown the doors away when they cut the roof off the car.

     I believe a lot of the talking I mentioned was completed on Friday nights. We always went to town, the ladies would do a bit of shopping and the men would mostly visit. Usually gathering at Beatty’s Corner.  Often beside the old horse watering trough that still sits there. I am not sure wether it was Friday night or Saturday night the Salvation Army Band would also be playing there. They would talk about their horses, cattle and crops and of course the old cars. I remember standing by my dad, he had a habit of standing with his left hand cupping his chin and his right hand cupping his left elbow and supporting arm. I would try to do the same. Dad loved to meet new people and so often I would see him approach a group and start talking to them. Some would kind of ignore him initially, but he would stay there until they warmed up, when he had their attention and had a good conversation going, then he would assume his position. Left hand on chin, right hand on elbow. I loved my dad.

     When I was around 12 years old I bought my first and only bicycle from a fellow named Alex Bull who lived in the Nobel village. I paid $15 for that first bike. I know it represented a lot of trips around that golf course chasing those silly white balls. I don’t know where Alex ended up but I was told he ended up being an airline pilot. At any rate, I had that bike for a while and they came out with a three geared rear wheel that you could buy and simply exchange for your present rear wheel. The gear shift was mounted on your crossbar and there was a little lever that you would move to the three different locations for the three speeds. It really worked well.. One weekend in the fall of 1946 or 1947, I decided to go up to visit my friend Bob Hammel and go hunting. At that time Bob’s family were living in what they called the old Godfrey Place. To get to it you traveled up the Carling Road past Simms Lake and the old Harrison farm and turned up a driveway to the right just past Arden Quinn’s driveway. Their house was located right up against the C.P.R. fence and would be about where the present south end of the bridge of the present day Carling Road Hwy 559 crosses over the railway track. The Carling Road at that time was actually Hwy 69. Bob and I took a little lunch and followed a trail that use to go back to Dinner Lake, hunting for partridge. As kids and young men will do, we got into a discussion. That day the discussion was what happened to a projectile after it hit the water. There was no discussion of killing anyone or committing an armed robbery. Bob was of the opinion that the bullet lost its power after it hit the water. We were sitting there eating lunch and I took Bob’s apple and threw it into the lake. I then proceeded to blow a hole through it using my .22.  Bob argued that was a poor test because the apple was not completely submerged in the water. There was no use arguing with him, so I just kind of filed it away. We continued our hunt and later returned to their house. There was no one home. Bob wanted to try out my new bicycle wheel  He took off down the driveway to Hwy 69. I was a little bored, so I got a galvanized metal pail that was there. I filled the pail with water, held the .22 over top and pulled the trigger. Walla I was right, the bullet blew a hole through the bottom of the pail. I took the pail and threw it over the fence back of the house onto the railroad property. I never thought any more about it until the following week at school. I think it was Ronnie Hunt, Bob and I were eating our lunch. We had been given the ½ pint of milk . I was listening to Bob and Ron talk. Bob had just informed Ron that he was grounded at home. I had just taken a big swallow of milk, when Ron asked how come you were grounded. Bob replied: well some tramp off the track shot a hole in mom’s scrub pail and I got blamed for it.  The milk halfway down my throat exploded coming out my nose, mouth and I think even the corners of my eyes. I started laughing. Bob didn’t think it was so funny. He said it was you wasn’t it you s.o.b. I confessed. I don’t know if it saved Bob from his grounding or not.  I know after that when I was around the Hammel house Agnes always seemed to have one eye on me.

                 THE PLANNED HOME INVASION AND ROBBERY

       When the war ended and the ammunition plants were closed down, Many of the people were suddenly out of work. Many of the shacks and hastily built homes were abandoned and left as they were. One such house was located on Felsman’s Drive on the north side of the road just over the railway tracks and was about the same location as Dick Lubbelinkhof’s present house is. There was an old 44.40 cal Winchester lever action rifle leaning up against the living room wall in the house. I was familiar with the rifle as my mother had borrowed one from Dave Lumsden the previous fall to go deer hunting with. My brother had also borrowed it one time, I had shot it and found it to be quite accurate. I reasoned that no one would be back for it anyway and I could steal it, keep it hidden so no one would see it and go hunting with it. I had listened to all of the detective stories on the radio and knew I just had to be careful and be sure to leave no fingerprints at the house. I was pretty sure I would be able to pry open a window and leave no sign of my coming or going. The big thing was it got dark early and I would really have to move fast to make the two and a half miles down then back again before dark. So I got home from school and picked up a set of dad’s old work gloves and headed out on my mission. I traveled down Slaght’s road, crossed over the railroad tracks, into the bush by the little pond. I then started running at a pretty good jog and was just about through to where the present golf course road was. I came full tilt around this big white pine and put on my brakes as fast as I could. There was the biggest black bear I had ever seen. It must have been twelve feet tall standing on its hind legs (actually 6’) and weighed twelve hundred pounds ( actually 250). It was a sow with two cubs. I froze and looked up into the bear’s face. She didn’t seem to see me, just stood there sniffing and snorting and swinging her head back and forth. I finally got my legs to get moving and ran as fast as I could out to Mac Campbell’s house.  He was on the back porch when I ran up to him, but I could just make sounds, I was so scared I could not talk properly. I think I finally got the word bear out then turned and ran on home. I think I later told mom and dad about seeing the bear but never told them about the mission I had been on.  I never did get back to see what happened to that gun or the house. I don’t think it ever crossed my mind to steal anything again either. I kind have had it in the back of my mind that someone was watching me. People often asked me in later years as a police officer if I never had opportunities to break the law and my answer was always the same. Yes, I did, but I had to shave every morning too and I always did it with a mirror. I also remembered that bear.

     Once we had a bicycle we hardly moved without it. There are so many stories that we can tell about our falls and scrapes. I know I sure had a lot of them.Tthe one that sticks in my memory happened on the old Hwy 69 in front of Hartley Bosely’s house. Now Kathy and Ken Rosewell ’s. We all got pretty good at riding with no hands. I was probably eleven or so. I drove out our driveway and headed south, riding with no hands. I remember as I passed Mac Campbell’s driveway thinking, I wonder if I can do it with my eyes closed. I seemed to be doing pretty good when all of a sudden I was airborne. I had crossed the southbound shoulder, hit the guardrail cable and flipped over the handlebars. The ditch right there was about 12’ deep. I landed in a pile on the bottom of it. Today I have pretty severe back problems. It probably would have helped if I kept my eyes opened.

                                    THE GEORGE HUNT FARM

      In my time George Hunt did not live on his farm. He had sold the farm to Harry Demick who owned the Garage on Gibson Street in Parry Sound. George Hunt was foreman on the Highways Department and worked with a crew including his nephew Vernon; Milt’s son on Hwy 69 in the Nobel area. It seemed we would see them working every time we made a trip to town. George lived in a two-story house that still sits there. It was at the bottom of the hill on Nobel Road, about a quarter of a mile south of the old barn. George’s son Arnold lived in the house beside him and immediately south across the shared driveway. Arnold’s family were Gwen, Ron, Doug, Gary, and Lois. I spent a lot of time at the Arnold Hunt house. They had pigs in a pig pen over near the tracks. Ron and Doug were two of the best pig riders I ever saw. They had a huge dog house for a shelter for the pigs. One day one of the boys was riding a pig and got caught between the fence and the eve of the dog house. The big pig was just a bucking, every time it bucked it would lift up the side of the dog house. I thought there was going to be real damage for a while, but they survived. The Hunts were sturdy people.

     I spent a lot of time at the old farm too, now owned by Demick’s. I don’t remember them living there full time. I remember one of the daughters.  I think her name was Shirley. She was close to my age, cute and a real Tom Boy. There were not too many things that she would not join in.  One day a group of us including Dean Simpson and Gary Mace were in the Hay Mow. It was all loose hay then, we would climb to the top of the mow then slide down the hay onto the thrashing floor. Some hay had already been thrown onto the thrashing floor. It was one of the mentioned boys jumped from the top of the Hay Mow, slid down onto the thrashing floor, across the floor and kept right on going through the Hay Hole where the feed was thrown down to the stable. The stable floor was solid cement. I remember there was a lot of moaning and groaning going on. Like we use to say, he was pretty near knocked out.

He did survive and I think we probably went home after that one.

     Two other stories that come to mind that happened down in the barnyard. One day I spotted a rabbit in the yard, I thought it was a pet rabbit and I chased after it. It took shelter in a pile of rocks. I crawled in and grabbed hold of the rabbit. I never thought before about a rabbit’s back legs. It turned out it was a wild snowshoe rabbit, I was scratched up pretty good before I finally smartened up and let the rabbit go. The second happening involved Roman. Roman was a hired hand and came from one of the Baltic countries. He lived on the premises and did the farm choirs. One day I was down there and I saw Roman walking across the yard. He was not a very a tall man, but he was built like a weightlifter. He was carrying one of those 3 gal tapered horse watering pails. Demick’s had some sheep when Roman got halfway across the yard, the old ram came around the corner of one of the buildings and spotted Roman. The ram charged. Roman seen the ram coming, squatted and held the pail out in front of himself, holding onto the top ring of the pail. The ram hit the pail and folded it skidding Roman backward. He did not fall over. The ram shook his head and walked away. Roman laughed and went on his way.

     In the old days there was a trail that crossed the railroad track behind Hartly Bosley’s house, now Kathy & Ken Rosewells and also behind the Mac Campbell house, now Richard Cloutier’s. It swung slightly to the right running down behind Lumsden’s backfield then south coming out onto what is now the George Hunt Memorial drive. I remember walking through there when I was quite young, hunting partridge. I saw this bird high in a pine tree. I thought it was a partridge and shot it. It turned out it was a Barred owl. I had broken its wing. I thought perhaps I could take it home and my mother would be able to mend its wing. She was good at that sort of thing. I picked the bird up and held out my finger and let it grasp my finger in its talon’s. Don’t ever do that. It just about squeezed my finger in two. I was feeling pretty bad about shooting the owl, but not so bad once he got hold of my finger.

     Prior to about 1950, there were few municipal dumps around. Everyone who had any acreage at all had a spot on their property designated as a dump. Most items that were burnable would be thrown in the stove and burnt. Kitchen waste and ashes went over the bank or into the gardens as compost. When you drive down George Hunt Drive towards the present Golf Course, Demick'ssdump was on that flat rock you can see on your left shortly after you pass the present day Driving Range. Most of us kids would check out the dumps for treasure. One day Dean Simpson and I were on our way home and passing their dump. We checked it out. We found one of the glass cylinders that formed the part of the really old gas pumps. The side was marked off showing the gallons. The hand pump on the side of the pump was used to pump up the gas into the glass cylinder.  If a person wanted five gallons of gas you would pump up to the five-gallon mark, then fill the car or container using the hose and gravity feed. Having found this cylinder I thought I could make a really nice aquarium out of it. I was really excited as I had wanted one for a long time and now I could make one. Dean and I looked and found a pole to put through the cylinder to carry it home. The bad thing was, we used a white birch pole. It was too rotten. We got about halfway across that rock and the pole broke and the glass fell on the rock and broke. I never did get my aquarium until I was married and had children of my own. Then I bought it for them. Lol.

     The old George Hunt (Demick’s) Barn caught fire in 1950 and burnt to the ground. I remember going down after school and standing on the ramp that led into the thrashing floor. There were many heads of cattle and several horses that burnt in that fire. That’s all that could be seen, the roasted dead animals smoking in the ruins. The faces of the people showed the loss. The old George Hunt Barn was no more. I could not remember the exact date of the fire. Jack Vigrass advised me that he and Gary Mace were on their way to school on their bicycles, seen the fire and spent the day watching the fire. On their way home, they stopped at the golf course and were hired to caddy for the famous boxer Joe Louis. I know Joe Louis was touring with the circus in 1950, so the barn burnt in 1950.

     In 1950 the Nobel Parry Sound area also experienced the Oil Spill that contaminated almost all of the beaches in both the inner harbor and the entire Big Sound. It was a means of employment, attempting to clean up the spill for a couple of years thereafter. But they still just scratched the surface to this day, 67 years later you can still find signs of that spill.

                                     COWBOYS AND INDIANS

        During the war, there was a bus service run by McIssac Bros. that ran between Nobel and Parry Sound. If my memory was correct it cost 10 cents to go from our house to Parry Sound. The main bus stop in Parry Sound was on the corner in front of Shamess’s store. Corner of James St and Sequin St. We used it to go to the movies at the Strand Theatre on the main street just before McKinley’s Hardware. The best movies, of course, involved Cowboys and Indians. We all had cap guns and rifles and of course bows and arrows. Most of them were homemade, the guns were often made by cutting out a dynamite box in the shape of a gun, fasten a clothespin to the hand grip with the open end up where the hammer would be. We then cut rubber bands from an old inner tube, strung them from the front of the barrel back and hooked them in the mouth of the clothespin. Then we would just aim, squeeze the trigger and the clothesline at the same time releasing the band as a projectile. Bows were made from Hazelwood or ironwood and the arrows from dry cattail stems or dry cedar. We would force empty .22 shell over the end and find some feathers to whip on with thread on the other end. Gary Mace, Dean Simpson, Dale Godfrey , and later Allan Manning Jack Vigrass played in every bush for a couple of miles. I earlier mentioned a circular trail being built behind the outbuildings on the Lumsden Farm that circled the backfield behind the outbuildings coming back out behind the old Harry Smith Property. Starting ¾ ‘s of the way around that trail during the war there were at least two shacks and an old house trailer. I remember the couple living in the trailer had the last name of Penny. There was a trail that went down the hill about 1/3 of the way around the circular trail and came out near the entrance to Ben Ritchie's present home off  Slaught’s Road; Now Murray Point Road. During the war, there was a family named Fox lived there. One of there boys also joined in our wars. The favorite spot to play was on a bluff of rock immediately behind where Ben’s house now stands. There was a trail gradually sloped up about twelve feet to an overhang of rock that we called the cave. When the overhang was formed a smaller block of rock fell off the point and was like a table in front of the Cave or overhang.  This was where we would pick off the Indians or bad guys as they tried to sneak up on us. That was unless one or two of us wanted to be an Indian or bad guy that day. There are some readers who would like to take offense to my telling this story, but in my time we also did a lot of reading. I will admit that we were somewhat influenced by the western movies, but we were equally influenced by the stories of the North American Indian and his way of life, living off the land, appreciating nature, learning the ways of the animals and birds so that you could live with them and harvest them as you needed for food and clothing. I am inclined to walk with a slight stoop, most people who know me well can recognize me a mile away by my stooped walk. My mother use to get after me all the time to stand straight, I still walk with a stoop. I had read and to this day believe there is some truth to it, that Native or Indian people are inclined to walk more pigeon-toed or with the toes turned in, where most European descendant people are inclined to walk with their toes pointed out and walk like a duck. I wanted to be an Indian so badly that I would constantly try to walk with my toes pointed in.  I am probably the only one of my group who is inclined to walk with my foot straight instead of in or out.  So obviously my life was influenced by the Indian of that day.

     I just made a trip home from town, I passed the Municipal Road on the way. I was just remembering that the Municipal Road use to be called Hoddy’s Side Road and for those of you who still enjoy your old memories, the entrance off of Nobel Road use to have a big White Pine tree right in the middle. The Locals all referred to that corner as THE PINE TREE CORNER. If you drove out of Hoddy’s Side Road to Nobel Road, if you were going north you drove around the right side of the tree, if south you drove around the left side of the tree.

     These are my stories for this session.