OCT-B-2
TAKEOFF FROM
MD/DC/VA,
A HYSTERIC
JURISDICTION SENSITIZED TO EVEN A CASED RIFLE,
AS I TRY TO GO TO DENVER TO PACK UP
FOR THE TRADITIONAL FALL ELK HUNT
Oct. 17, 2002
It is a good thing I arrived early and in a private car to sneak around
to the Premier counter, where it was in the lull between the early morning and
noon rushes, and I picked a senior flight attendant. She immediately recognized the rifle case and quietly, we went
through the drill of her checking the inside of the case to be sure there is no
ammo and the weapon is inoperative.
Then it took more effort to trim out sight pounds in the removal of my
horse carried pack which I carried empty in the big suitcase so as to load it
later. In it I stuffed the binoculars,
range finder and several items of paper into the duffel bag which would become
my carry-on, I now would stuff my backpack into the duffel to have only one
carry-on bag at check-in. I had to
reduce the bag from 78 pounds to less than 70 pounds in order to avoid a $75 surcharge,
and I got ten pounds out. The next long
wait was at the security screening, where the suspicious hardware in my duffel
bag caused no alarm, but they did want to take apart the laptop. It is a good thing I elected not to take any
of the photo albums, and left my cell phone in the Bronco. My plan for return is to get on the
Washington Flyer and the Metro with only the big suitcase, and then leave it at
GW, in order to get back to the Shady Grove Metro Station and schlep home to
get the Bronco which resides there during my absence, and get it for the
groceries which I will need for the evening and morning before the race, for
which I have already set the clocks in their “fall back” position so as not to
miss the Hospitality Suite where I hope to rendezvous with Mike Broderick. It is to Mike that I faxed my Xeroxed
drivers’ license photo ID and the bib number, chip number, and confirmation
booklet so that he can pick up my running bib at the Expo on the weekend when I
will still be in Denver.
So, air travel in general is more
difficult, but add a cased rifle and a lot of gear for the kind of activities I
am preparing for in the Rocky Mountain wilderness to have a bit of camouflage,
and it will consume all the recommended two hour lead time.
ON BOARD THE
767 U/A FLIGHT TO DENVER
READING THE
WASHINGTON POST, WHICH SEEMS TO BE ONLY NEWS OF THE SNIPER, AND ALLOWING ALL
GUNS EXCEPT FOR THOSE OF THE POLICE—WITH MARYLAND’S GOVERNOR BEING QUICK TO
CANCEL THE START OF HUNTING SEASON FOR FOUR MD COUNTIES
There is a campaign for election going on for every
congress seat, and mayors and state officials in only two weeks. What is the dominant theme? Who knows?
I have the Washington Post with me and the only news in the entire issue
is about the sniper on the loose somewhere in the district MD/DC/VA. and every
politician is falling all over every reporter they can find to tell them they
have the solution—ban all guns!
Virginia’s answer to the problem is to ban all guns except for those
carried by police in the Richmond Capital. But our renowned Governor Clendening
has decide the way to keep the law enforcement officers from being flooded with
calls about “cam0-clad men with rifles crawling all around the woods” (unaware,
apparently of the MD state laws and uniform laws everywhere about blaze orange
during big game seasons) he has “banned the discharge of all outdoor firearms,
and has canceled the start of the muzzleloading season for deer in four MD
counties, including the MD in which I happen to live. This, he says, will persist, until the sniper is caught—possibly
interrupting the deer season for the whole state for the whole year. I find that a rather interesting process.
For one thing, if I were not here in the air, I had
been invited by Dale Kramer to go for the opening day of Muzzle-loader season
with his friends on a farm where they let all but eight point or better bucks
walk, with the occasional exception of a doe if someone needs venison. I had invited him to come to Derwood with
his daughter and bowhunt for deer—two of which watched me put the hunting gear
into the car as I left this morning. He
already has the house key, and he helped me get the big ram down from
Zimmerman’s as well as being the one to direct the remodeling if and when it is
done, so I told him to use Derwood estate for his hunting lodge. It would be good if his daughter scored by
bow, since that is still legal even if they are trying to destroy all hunting
with firearms. This may make for a
bigger problem of the kind described next paragraph.
I left early for work on Tuesday morning. I was
before dawn on a rainy foggy morning and cruised down Canal Road at good speed
since I was before any traffic. As I
was at fifty miles per hour, after having navigated up my drive and all around
my house without so much as a close call, a big brown body flashed out of the
bush on my left and dived right in front of the Bronco, so close that he would
be broadside in front of the push bar and grille protector, my “cattle catcher”
in front of the SUV. If I had gone
straight, I would have hit him in full flight front and center and hurled him
up, and he would most probably have come back through the windshield during his
hang time.
I swerved, but just slightly, so as not to risk
rolling the Bronco on the rain-slick pavement, and “reverse lead” him, so I was
aiming at his tail. And as he hurtled
forward, right and I edged left, that is what I connected with—his tail. To my right I saw an indelible impression,
his big head being whipped around carrying a ten point rack. It was so quick, I saw only his continued
bounding over the opposite side of the road—at the C & O Canal where I had
run not that long ago. So, he was
unhurt—and, with apologies to the animal rights activists---much more importantly,
neither was I. I had made an investment
in doing the Bronco up with a major tune-up since it needed it and I will
probably have to keep it for its NEXT 200,000 miles! So, I am glad the faithful Bronco escaped unscathed also, since
ea heavy-bodied buck would have totaled it out on the spot.
Now, one week later, I am in traffic on a Tuesday
night trying to get north, from Canal Road to the 495/270 merge in a
gridlock. I creep forward, and see
flashing lights on the side and there, sprawled over the Jersey barrier, is the
bleeding body of my ten-point buck. He
had been killed by a regular car, and the car had caromed of two others with
emergency vehicles awaiting their removal.
So, let’s just call of this year’s hunting season, and bring in cougars,
cheetahs and leopards to Derwood, who will have less thrill but greater need
than Dale Kramer’s daughter to patiently try their claws at limiting the
overpopulation of these ubiquitous and tasty quadrupeds.
LEAVING AT JUST THE WRONGF TIME AFTER SITTING
AT MY HOME AND OFFICE FOR THE PAST FIVE WEEKS WITH LITTLE ACTION OF ANY
KIND
Now, of course, everything must happen. I am asked to come to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia,
and I have left that in the hands of a capable agent to do the negotiating for
me, but still will not have ticketing or itinerary by the time of their
requested departure, which might be as soon as the day after the MCM on 10/27
for as much as two weeks.
My long-term tenants leave on Saturday the 19th,
at the time I am gone and only then can anyone have access to the house to
landscape, remodel, clean it and then have the realtor show it. So, it will sit until all those things that
I tried to secure before leaving have all been put on hold, even though I directly
spoke with John Shorb and his Landscaping business who is sending his Carlos
Martin, director of the domestic residential landscaping division in his large
empire of lawn workers, but Dee Rosenberg the Realtor has asked that all these
things to be done but will not authorize their doing it. She made a list of repairs, and as a special
favor, Dale Kramer will be going by to estimate and get started as soon as they
can assign a team, so, I finally told him to proceed on the basis that I trust
him to do what needs doing so that I get the house presentable in its basic
good condition and shown to “Show and sell” as soon as I return, and before I
potentially go to the far side of the world.
A FAMILY VISIT
I had dinner at the Mongolian grille in China Town
with Kate Jones last night, and we got to know each other well, and talked just
a little about her favorite sister, who shares many of her characteristics,
genes, and a good respect for the family that made them what they are. We also looked over tow of the six or more
photo albums I had brought to get her pumped up further for her dream
participation in the Lingshed Trek in July 31—August 23, ’03.
PLANNING FURTHER FAMILY VISITS
I have corresponded with Tom, Sherri, Cheryl, and
Milly regarding the passel of new kids being born and coming soon up in
Michigan, suggesting I try to make the rounds on Dec. 13—15 when I come up to
visit.
LONG RANGE PLANS FOR FAR-FLUNG TRIPS
I have assembled the itineraries for the Mindanao
Mission in three parts and the preceding trip to Gainesville/Cumberland that
will immediately precede it in January. (Oct-B-3) I have recruited two new
pediatricians for the Malawi Mission and am trying to get the itineraries and
supplies for that mission started (Oct-A-12).
And I am going to be in China for the first two weeks of June of 2003
besides the Lingshed and other Himalayan Treks, so I am trying to do all that
advance planning now while I have been close to home—the only “lull” between
the multiple storms of travel and other activities as the next year is blending
on this year’s schedule, with a year-end letter punctuating the division mark
in between them.
And, now, another set of advance plans being played
out in fact—I am on my way to Denver to visit Don and Martheen, then stock
up for the elk hunt and head for the fourteener Capital peak—even carrying
a one-way heavy-duty rifle, which I will need to retrieve at some point. So, come along for the ride!