Holidays and absences [3]

I vaguely remember the name But that's really cool

But WHERE is Yooper?

WHERE is EVERYBODY come to think of it?

Wow! No pictures? I suppose you don't go in for that youthful smartphone crap.

David H wrote:Remember Hillbilly, the other cranberry farmer who used to post here half a dozen years ago? Well from 2,000 miles away he turned up on my doorstep over the weekend!

My first Forumshire meet-up!

halfwise wrote:Wow!  No pictures?    I suppose you don't go in for that youthful smartphone crap.

I kind of like my phone to be a tool, nothing more or less. Certainly not a life planner or a member of the family.

Mine looks like this:


I did break down and get an old-school flip phone a while back. I know it has a camera but I've never bothered to figure out how to take pictures with it. I suppose it's got a memory card in it somewhere that I could extract, insert into an adapter and plug into my Win 7 laptop for an insufferably long upload.... maybe....

Some of my best photos are still on an old flip phone. Getting them off the thing is like trying to dig an embedded splinter out of your toe.

Cameras on modern phones are great! The quality is often much better than anything you get outside of SLR type setups.

Example from a concert last year.

You know that Vin Diesel film where he is on that planet where for half the day its as hot as the surface of the sun? That's my town.
I am Vin Diesel.

We always suspected as much.

halfwise wrote:We always suspected as much.

Can you stop making those bloody car movies!? I ran out of patience with those about 5 episodes ago and there are still more coming!!!

Lancebloke wrote:Can you stop making those bloody car movies!? I ran iht of patience with those about 5 episodes ago and there are still more coming!!!

K  

My next film is called Riddick Pitch Black and Twice as Smelly 2 and I have to escape from Petty's Barrel.

{{{ Nothing escapes Petty's Barrel!! Sadly that includes the smells }}}

Yes, it's true. The Hillbilly and David H. got together for some wonderful conversation. It was too short, but David exceeded all expectations of kindness and intelligence. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and time spent.

I've missed everyone. Some family difficulties pulled me away from the forum a while ago, which took some time to resolve. I just never got back into it, but here I am.

I haven't checked up on any recent posts yet, but just wanted to say hello to everyone. It looks like the ever crabbit Petty is still around, as well as the gentle and intelligent halfwise. Figg too, she was always fun. I will try to check in once in awhile. I seem to remember offering to be a resource for any questions concerning Christianity, the offer still stands, as long as it's understood the answers given are my opinion only, and not necessarily reality.

Good to be back.
Hillbilly

Good to have you back! Glad you two got some time together.

I always thought your views and responses on Christianity showed patience and thought, and I hope we repay you in kind.

Hillbilly wrote: It was too short, but David exceeded all expectations of kindness and intelligence.  I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and time spent.

Aw, shucks.....

My brother and I really enjoyed your visit as well! It's not often we get to talk shop with a fellow cranberry grower from so far away.

{{And by the way, I know I'm a bit far from the beaten path, but if any other Forumshire folks ever find themselves near the Washington coast, just remember that my welcome mat is out! }}

I'm curious, where, 2000 miles from Washington, do they grow cranberries?

It's always good to hear reports of another Forumshire moot. Welcome, back Hillbilly! (If I can say that, not having posted in several months myself. )

Forest Shepherd wrote:I'm curious, where, 2000 miles from Washington, do they grow cranberries?

I'm happy to try and satisfy your curiosity Forest!
Wisconsin is the biggest cranberry growing state, and  Madison is pretty close to 2000 mi from here.
Massachusetts (particularly Cape Cod) is the second largest cranberry state, and it's closer to 3000 mi. Bandon.
New Jersey is about the same. Oregon also grows cranberries near Bandon which is about 300 mi.
Those 5 states (including WA), plus British Columbia and Quebec, provide almost the entire world's supply of domestic cranberries.

Eldy wrote:It's always good to hear reports of another Forumshire moot. Welcome, back Hillbilly! (If I can say that, not having posted in several months myself. )

Hi Eldy!

Hey Dave! Good to see you again!

Nice, thanks for the trivia

provide almost the entire world's supply of domestic cranberries- Dave

{{ Who is it ends up with your cranberries Dave? When I do buy them would be good to know its going to the right person!

And welcome back Hillbilly. Hope you'll stick around now you've found your way back here
(If folk keep showing back up like this and it might even drag the NotP back to the presses!)}}

Petty, how far away are you from Glasgow? I'm going there for a concert in November (the sixth), and I've got four weeks off, so I might as well spend some days over there . I was thinking I'd go to a hotel or a B&B up by Loch Lomond (basically just because The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond is a great song and it's close to Glasgow ), but if you're nearby it would be cool to meet somewhere.

Petty wrote:Who is it ends up with your cranberries Dave? When I do buy them would be good to know its going to the right person!

Thanks Petty!
All our berries go to Ocean Spray.
It's a grower-owned cooperative, so we're all in it together. In good years we all share the profit, and in the poor years we share the pain, so if you buy one of our products (or don't) sooner or later it will trickle back to me.

{{{ Ringo - By train and boat less than two hours from Glasgow Central on a good day. Get train from Central to Gourock (end of the line to you cant miss it!) terminates at the ferry terminal, theres an express version takes about 40 mins and there's one stops at every station on route takes about twice as long, but either gets you there. Then get the Argyll Flyer boat from there to Dunoon, about a twenty minute or so crossing.

If your driving, about same amount of time, and I would recommend it if its an option as that way you'd drive down Loch Lomond side to get here,



over the Rest and Be Thankful mountain pass (though in November, check its open and not blocked!)



(if you are prepared to take a short twenty minute diversion here you can pop along to Inveraray for lunch, there's a castle, but more importantly the George Hotel, which does superb food and is like popping in to the Prancing Pony, well worth the extra time on the journey )



along Loch Fyne



through Stachur (where I recommend visiting the Smiddy, the medieval blacksmiths)





and along the fifteen miles of Loch Eck (the mirror loch)



and finally through my home village round the coast



and into Dunoon.

Its an impressive drive and packs a lot into a couple of hours travel time.

If you let me know a month or so ahead of when your coming I can put in for some holiday time at work. }}

{{ Thanks Dave, I thought it was Ocean something, I think I asked you once before to make sure my dear ole Maw got the them at xmas for the turkey. But for some reason was thinking Ocean Wave, and that sounded wrong. So thought I'd double check.

Ocean Spray - I shall ensure all our family cranberry purchases are from them then. }}