Thursday, September 18, 2008

Zoom w a View: It’s true - nature almost had a negative impact on me

In 1965 I visited a friend in Dundas, Ontario, the summer after meeting, training and bonding with him and a cabin full of other teens at Couchiching Athletic camp - and almost met my end.

And had it handed to me on a platter.

Charlie (now a lawyer and gifted wood-worker in Fergus) was a year older than I, had his drivers license and thought I’d be impressed with the sight of a herd of buffalo at a nearby farm.


I probably would have been too if I had been able to see them after arriving at the farm, wading through knee high grass in a ditch and perching on the top of a fence post.

“They’re too far away,” I said.

We saw several No Trespassing signs attached to the fence but ignored them and were soon running boldly across an open field toward a small herd of shaggy beasts.

Were we nuts?

The owner of the farm thought so and was soon whipping down his laneway in a pickup truck, honking his horn.

He caught the two of us seconds after we’d retreated to the safe side of the fence.

“Can’t you read the #&%!* signs?!” he yelled.

Still bold I answered, “We didn’t see any signs.”

“Don’t you know buffalo can out run you and kill you?”

We had to admit we didn’t.

The bison farmer let us leave only after several more words of warning and Charlie and I were happy to get home in one piece.

Do you ever ask yourself:

How did I get out of my teenage years alive?

Do tell.

[See post below for context and photos]

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2 comments:

Mojo said...

How anybody survives being a kid -- much less a teenager is beyond me. We never challenged any bison in my part of the world, but we did challenge the law of averages on quite a few occasions. What can I tell ya... it was the 70's.

G. Harrison said...

hi mojo,

at my son's wedding on Saturday, after a few beverages were consumed, my son and best man climbed a tree that hangs over the boat dock and dove into the river.

I thought, what fun! Where's my swim suit.

How could I tell him that it might influence the young kids present, or that it wasn't a good idea? I taught him how to do it - from trees and rocky ledges - when he was 10 or 12 years old.

"As long as you're careful" is my motto - for a few more years at any rate.

cheers,

gord h.