I Went Camping

I wrote this little story about a little place up near where I live and a man who lives up there and a camping trip and well you'll see.....If you have time to look at it, I sure hope you enjoy it.....and thanks for letting me post my stories up here......I appreciate it.

http://web.mac.com/sinai/Site/Blog/Entries/2008/6/12_I_Went_Camping.html


Paul from Alabama

Well, Paul..
Rats...that is NOT the way to end a mountain moonshinin campin out story.
You mean to tell me that I sat up all this time throat in my mouth, holdin my breath in terror, and you just end the dang story?

Well. Rats.

Well the danger was over, and then the absurdity started and ..... OK you're right.......:)

Paul from Alabama

Not always. It was a fun story. Thanks.

I tell you the truth I could've gone on about the next day and going back to get my dog and staying up all night and laughing and carrying on with Morris and his wife.....and all that coffee we drank that night and how cold it was.....but mostly I remember us laughing and laughing.....My dog? It had eaten some glass some how and it cut his stomach all up, he was bleeding internally and when I touched hi stomach he went bonkers, he could have easily killed me right then and there but didn't...and when I went back next morning to see what happened he walked right up to me and started licking my hand, I took him to the vet immediately cause I knew something wasn't right and sure nuff it wasn't.....Me and Morris went back up there in his old Power Wagon and got him and all my gear....I got my Jeep next day too....and then there was the time the yellow jackets made a nest in the pot and chased me down the creek and had to jump in to get away from them.....and well......:)

Paul from Alabama

I am not too worried about you and the yellow jackets, but I sure hope the dog lived to a ripe old age.

I ended up giving the dog away to a good home a couple of days before I left the country......He did fine with the new folks, don't know how long he lived though......

Paul from Alabama

You have me laughing..I can just picture the entire senerio...lol..unbelievable the situations we can get into...

you just brought back one of my funniest memories of early marriage..we too in Canada have our moonshiners...yep, was married to one..lol...

Roger learnt moonshining from his great grandfather, a tradition passed on as we ladies pass on our favorite cooking recipes..it's actually interesting (to me only I'm sure) that I don't drink alcohol yet enjoyed a drink of moonshine and pink lemonade many a day or the taste dandelion wine grandma used to make...back to my story..

Roger made moonshine from time to time, not for the money saving aspect, just as a family tradition I guess, I had never heard of moonshine in my day, of course I was younger and not a woman of the world.. so through the moonshine years, not because of Roger but because it was done more frequently than the Royal Canadian Mounties would have liked, that they put restrictions on cake yeast sold at grocery stores and bakeries, when you purchased cake yeast you would have to sign your name for it..good tracking device...so back to the story, get lost in thought much as you do Paul from time to time especially when the memories come back so vivid..so I'll continue or it will be Friday when I finish gabbing...the alternative to cake yeast of course was the package yeast, and that could be bought in smaller portions at different grocery stores and who would be the wiser....

It's time to make the batch, here we are, just bought property on Georgian Bay, little 2 bedroom cottage (all carpeted-this bit of information will come into play later in the story) which we would use until our main house was built..Roger drove a car carrier at that time in our lives, the boys might have been 2 or 3...

So this early Sunday morning, while others went to church, Roger started his batch of moonshine..the barrel was put into the boys room..during the night he would have to leave for work which was 100 miles away, now I had strict instructions as to when I had to add sugar/fruit etc. - can't quite remember now but if I sat and tried, I might come up with the recipe..perhaps I can pass it on to my boys..lol...

Dawn came early Monday morning, I was awakened by the boys crying
and yelling 'Mommy/Mommy' so as I put my feet to the floor there was a squeeshy/squeeshy gook inbetween my toes, with lights still off I made my way to the back bedroom where the children were..here Roger had put same poundage of dry yeast as he would have cake yeast and there had to be about 4" of slime greay fermenting yeast all over the floors..

So for an entire day this little lady cleaned and cleaning and washed rugs..we used that cabin as a night cabin when our home was finished and for years there after when weather was damp, the smell of yeast was strong....

Now we have everything under control, few changes in the barrel and it would be time to distill...my father was a great inventor so between he and Roger they made quite a unit...this cabin had a back shed, maybe about 20 x 20 that we had built bunk beds to sleep let's say 20..always had big gangs pop over almost every weekend..that's what happens when you live on the water and hubby knows how to cook..lol..so they prepare to distill..now my grandfather who then might have been 80 loved to visit when the brewing was happening, guess it brought back many a memory for him as well now that I think of it...can remember him sitting near the unit watching the first of the brew to come out, he'd take a spoon and light it..blue flame meant that it was 'pure', after checking he'd have the spoonfull..wouldn't take that long before he was using one of the bunks...remember that Roger would say, perfect day, cold outside not visitors but it was almost like ESP, everyone would be visiting that particular day...

This particular day, the bottles were being filled and set on the shelf for later secretly storing them...now some of you must be shaking your heads, not Betty, a moonshiner..lol..but do have many memories much as you all..as these were great times, fun times...so I'll continue down memory lane...

Remember my little boys were very young, Jeff went to reach for one of the bottles and it fell hitting full force on his poor little toe which split open because of the pressure of the bottle fall, so now I'm off to emergency, worrying that when I say a bottle of pop fell, that he might in his younger years learning new words might have come across the word 'moonshine' lol..after a few stitches back home we came..watching just incase the Canadian Mounted Police were following...lol..a vision for sure...

Roger would make a batch through the years, almost until he passed at 47..as everyone came home after the service I gave each of his sibblings a bottle to keep in memory..kept a few for me..the day Greg got married, I prepared a punch using 'moonshine' setting a glass a each 250 place settings and having a toast in memory of Roger..he wasn't there with us in body, but smiled in spirit..

So many more moonshine stories I could tell..wonder what I did witht he map of where he burried them all..someone digging on the property one day can have one alcoholic find...

I so do thank you Paul for the memories...
Bet you didn't know you'd find a 'moonshiner' amongst the DG friends...

Watch me get arrested now when I arrive home tonight! Please bail me out if I go missing...forget the missing, might just go dig holes in Port Severn...lol

Paul, you just gotta show Betty how to do a blog like you do.

Then I could not get anything done, let alone gardening - I'd be reading everyones stories - LOL.

You brought back some memories with the Power Wagon.
Stepdad bought a used (forest service) PW in Utah. We drove up a foothill into the mountains near Moab that was so steep, and looked more like stairs than a road, that he locked hubs, put it in what he called "granny gear", set the hand throttle on, popped the clutch.

After the truck climbed the first "step" (I was about 13), I bounced my head off the roof and then fell on the door handle, so started complaining about the pain and roughness. He told me to get out and walk. We both walked beside the truck. He steered through the drivers side window.

It climbed that hill at about 1-2 miles an hour - amazing vehicle.

Now that I think back, I'd love to have one of those today - even with $4 fuel.

Betty, that was a great story about you, Roger, the kids and moonshine.....But I think you need to get one thing very clear in your mind and for God's sake don't forget it.....OK?...OK......You don't tell nobody around here you cut your 'shine' with pink lemonade, the repercussions could be, well catastrophic.......:)

Bubba, you know what? I had a sneaky suspicion you'd know about or even have an old Power Wagon.....funny that.....:)
and last thing, there's granny gears and there's Dodge Power Wagon granny gears:)

Paul from Alabama

OK, here's the follow up....Part 2......:)

http://web.mac.com/sinai/Site/Blog/Entries/2008/6/13_Entry_1.html

Paul from Alabama

Thank you for the ending.

And - would either of you be kind enough to sent a thirsty Texan a wee dram of the "good stuff"?

Grew up in Tulsa (when Oklahoma was dry) and my uncle had a bunch of friends who were bootleggers - saw some really "neat" cars. Double trunks, huge motors, armored sides and glass, etc.

Finally understood why so many Tulsans were making weekend trips to Joplin, MO - probably why the Will Rodgers Turnpike was built - LOL.

Whew! Much better, Paul. I wasn't too worried about you, but I sure did worry about that dog. Thanks.

Bubo, I refer you to ATF document #2934: No distilled spirits maybe manufactured or distributed....And I wouldn't break the law, so whatever you do don't accept or sign for the package I sent UPS to you this morning, labelled for medicinal purposes only.......:)
There's a museum in Dawsonville, Georgia that had some of the old cars with double trunks, huge motors etc.....Lots of old 40 Fords with extra springs to keep car from looking like they were loaded down.....and there used to be a chicken house with about 7 different kind of stills setup absolutely authentically just like they were when they were running...It was a really interesting exhibit.

Sharran, the dog was fine if it's any of your bees wax.....:)
The owner was also fine for those you who cared.......:)


Paul from Alabama