Twenty questions

Via the Adventure Journalist, a fun game of 20 Questions. Try it! On one game I played, the computer "won" and gave me feedback, excerpted below (my responses to that feedback in purple):

Similar Objects
a girlfriend, a scuba diver, a soulmate, a jester, myself, the human body, a human being, an acrobat, a boyfriend, a miniature schnauzer, a family, a gypsy. A miniature schnauzer??? I don't think so!

Uncommon Knowledge about me
Does it have spots? I say Probably. NOT! Okay, a few what they call "beauty spots."
Does it have lots of buttons? I say Yes. One on the belly.
Can it be used to season foods? I say Probably. Oh yes, it loves seasoning and spice.
Does it use electricity? I say Probably. Yes, and it gives off some, too. ;-)
Is it mechanical? I say Yes. Not in the least.
Do you use it in cooking? I say Probably. Oh yes, it loves to cook.
Does it beep? I say Yes. Only to make someone move, and then politely.
Does it contain words? I say Yes. Oh yes, it's got lots of words.
Does it have a cable? I say Probably. Yup, TV and Internet.
Can you stretch it? I say Yes. In many ways.
Is it used in a casino? I say Probably. No, not a gambler, at least not that kind.
Is it used to calculate? I say Yes. Okay, I'll admit to the occasional calculation.
Is it a part of something larger? I say Probably. I like to think so.
Does it exist in other dimensions? I say Yes. Oo, interesting... I think that may be true!
Do you put your name on it? I say Yes. Yes, it has my name.
Does it open? I say Probably. I say It opens and closes, like a heart.

7:53:17 PM      trackback [] 

Summertime and the livin' is easy

I spent the 4th of July at Bear Camp Pond in NH, once I found the place my friends were staying (I’ll skip the long “WhereTF is this place?” story, but let’s just say tears were shed). They rented a two-bedroom camp, deep in the woods, with its back porch directly overlooking the pond. My friend Amy knows the owners, who have a rustic chalet looking out on a private beach just up a path from the cottage. Nice people. The place has been in the family for a long time, the old man having bought the property with the adjacent shores designated as conservation land. The pond has one tiny public beach and a smattering of summer cottages mostly unseen from the water, and only non-motorized boating.

I paddled out in a kayak to the tiny islands and back. From the middle of the pond you can see Mt. Chocorua, with its distinctive Matterhorn-like peak, a popular hiking destination (I climbed once from the relatively unpopulated, out-of-the-way Piper Trail). I also spent time floating out by the raft with Amy while her friend Janet told us about the ursine residents that gave Bear Camp Pond its name. She came across one bear once while she was jogging, and they also had bears break into the bolted shed where they keep the garbage. We didn’t see any bears, but we did see loons about 20 yards away from us, and we watched the little snout of a water snake (harmless) wending his way towards shore. Various kids and dogs played and swam near shore, and out near the dock Janet’s son took his first triumphant stand on a wind surf board.

In the evening, Amy’s husband Paul grilled hamburgers for us and for her 16-year-old son and his friend. And we made s’mores, cheating by toasting the marshmallows over the gas stove since it was too buggy outside. We spent the evening playing a rousing game of Monopoly, which I haven’t played since I was maybe 16 myself. Although this made us miss the local fireworks, most of us weren’t looking forward to battling the NH state bird, aka the mosquito. Much better to stay in on the screened-in porch and bask in the cool night breezes off the pond while safe from the nasty little biting hordes.

I drove home early Monday in a light rain, fortunately missing most of the traffic. Too much driving and too short a trip. Maybe another time I can stay awhile. Note to butuki: Winnipesaukee still looks like it’s stuck in the 50’s, as you said. Some mix of charming and tacky, but the natural resources are truly beautiful. And a note to Alicia: I saw a sign for you; it read: “Brake for Moose. It Could Save Your Life.” Under that was: “Hundreds of Collisions.”

2:09:08 PM      trackback []