HOW YOU CAME UPON TLN
Feb 1, 2011 19:52:29 GMT -5
Post by BRIAN on Feb 1, 2011 19:52:29 GMT -5
I am re-newing this post since we have many members now and I had first posted it in 2007.
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I was in 4th grade (in 1969) and since I was interested in the outdoors I noticed a book my friend was reading from the school library. It didn’t have a book cover on it and had a pair of snowshoes engraved in the green hardback cover. He briefly told me about it and I got it out the next week.
This began a love affair of sorts I have had with this book and its characters for now 30+ years. And I do know this for sure....without telling you my life story here, I was made fatherless when I was eight. My mom was and still is the wonderful person who raised us 3 boys under her rules however when my father left, my grandparents moved in.
My grandfather was like a god to me. He grew up in the north central wilds of Pennsylvania in the 1920-30's. He hunted and trapped, he knew his wildlife and in my experience with the book.....in my minds eye- he was the BIG LINDSAY in my life. Of course when he came to live with me most o his outdoor experiences were behind him then however he did take me on long hikes and taught me everything from how to fish with a cane to building a wilderness shelter.
My makeup today is much the same. I have kayaked in the Yukon for a 45 day stint, I have climbed several mountains higher that 9 thousand feet, I completed the Appalachian trial twice (thru in 1978 and sectioned 1980-2001), I go snowshoeing at least once a year in the Adirondack Mtns in NY., I have a camp in north western Pa. and someday hope to bump that location to either Minnesota or upper Michigan. I fish, I hunt and used to trap as a kid however in my area trapping is only reducing the populations of wildlife we still have here. everything is built up. its a shame but it isnt what it used to be like in my area. Back at my camp, sure, I could trap. But to do it responsibly would need to be there to tend them. just not worth it here anymore. I dont waste those energies though, using them on kayaking long stretches of rivers on 4 day weekends.
I owe all that I am (other than my interest in my bride ) to my grandfather and Trap-Lines North. I often "feel" Jim in my senses as I wake to greet another morning on the trail or when kayaking coming out of a winding deep woods creek or river into a quiet secluded lake filled with fog. In the beginning of the book when Jim is walking home from the station and he realizes the open water will be gone soon....this is an example of how I "sense" the outdoors. I began using all my senses in the woods and on the water long before (and better, I think) ANY of my outdoor buddies did.
As you can tell I have read the book at least once (
, try 70 X)
I started looking for Vanderbeck/ TLN information as soon as the internet was available to me (maybe ten years ago?) Unfortunately, most of the people are gone and all we have are the memories of those who wont be here much longer. We do however have little nuggets of hope. We have Jim's kids, (and I haven't heard anything lately about any info coming from them) who could still be a link to him. Lindsay, and the others......I wonder if Mary, Ida or Irene are still with us?
We do have Jo Ann and Bob who are there, THERE. That’s like the best location, not just in Nakina, but right on the homestead. Have you met these wonderful people in person. I surely hope to soon.
Our website, I think its important to try to get all of our research and thoughts into the forum on the website. This way if someone of importance (linked to the book or the era in some way) sees all this current interest they might chime in.
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I was in 4th grade (in 1969) and since I was interested in the outdoors I noticed a book my friend was reading from the school library. It didn’t have a book cover on it and had a pair of snowshoes engraved in the green hardback cover. He briefly told me about it and I got it out the next week.
This began a love affair of sorts I have had with this book and its characters for now 30+ years. And I do know this for sure....without telling you my life story here, I was made fatherless when I was eight. My mom was and still is the wonderful person who raised us 3 boys under her rules however when my father left, my grandparents moved in.
My grandfather was like a god to me. He grew up in the north central wilds of Pennsylvania in the 1920-30's. He hunted and trapped, he knew his wildlife and in my experience with the book.....in my minds eye- he was the BIG LINDSAY in my life. Of course when he came to live with me most o his outdoor experiences were behind him then however he did take me on long hikes and taught me everything from how to fish with a cane to building a wilderness shelter.
My makeup today is much the same. I have kayaked in the Yukon for a 45 day stint, I have climbed several mountains higher that 9 thousand feet, I completed the Appalachian trial twice (thru in 1978 and sectioned 1980-2001), I go snowshoeing at least once a year in the Adirondack Mtns in NY., I have a camp in north western Pa. and someday hope to bump that location to either Minnesota or upper Michigan. I fish, I hunt and used to trap as a kid however in my area trapping is only reducing the populations of wildlife we still have here. everything is built up. its a shame but it isnt what it used to be like in my area. Back at my camp, sure, I could trap. But to do it responsibly would need to be there to tend them. just not worth it here anymore. I dont waste those energies though, using them on kayaking long stretches of rivers on 4 day weekends.
I owe all that I am (other than my interest in my bride ) to my grandfather and Trap-Lines North. I often "feel" Jim in my senses as I wake to greet another morning on the trail or when kayaking coming out of a winding deep woods creek or river into a quiet secluded lake filled with fog. In the beginning of the book when Jim is walking home from the station and he realizes the open water will be gone soon....this is an example of how I "sense" the outdoors. I began using all my senses in the woods and on the water long before (and better, I think) ANY of my outdoor buddies did.
As you can tell I have read the book at least once (
, try 70 X)I started looking for Vanderbeck/ TLN information as soon as the internet was available to me (maybe ten years ago?) Unfortunately, most of the people are gone and all we have are the memories of those who wont be here much longer. We do however have little nuggets of hope. We have Jim's kids, (and I haven't heard anything lately about any info coming from them) who could still be a link to him. Lindsay, and the others......I wonder if Mary, Ida or Irene are still with us?
We do have Jo Ann and Bob who are there, THERE. That’s like the best location, not just in Nakina, but right on the homestead. Have you met these wonderful people in person. I surely hope to soon.
Our website, I think its important to try to get all of our research and thoughts into the forum on the website. This way if someone of importance (linked to the book or the era in some way) sees all this current interest they might chime in.
