Handle, Elucidated !

[bugeyedriver]

OK Tom, I'll go first:

 

BUGEYEDRIVER - No, I do not travel the highways for hours and hours on end, hyped up on way too much coffee, attempting to reach a distant destination . . . I drive a 1959 English roadster called a "Bugeye" because the headlights are permanently positioned in the UP position. They're called "Frogeye" in England. I've had it 20 years and it is great therapy to drive . . . top down, low to the earth, wind in your face, bugs in your teeth from the constant grinning, smelling all the fragrances of the new spring growth . . . Beats the the heck out of hiring a therapist.

 

OK folks, its time for you to step on up to the bar and tell your story . . .

[mountainborn]

Ah ain't real sure my ma' would like fer' me to be a' elucidatin' in public, but here's the story.

mountainborn

I was already in the Navy when the US became involved increasingly more and more in VietNam. I wasn't writing home and my grand ma was worried about me. She wrote a poem about me. It was called Mountain Born. Here it is:

[earthdancer]

Well, ok........ here goes. earthdancerimages became my business name as a photographer.... hence the "images" on the end of the name earthdancer. I spent most of the 80's traveling around the southwest, primarily AZ, living in a cabover camper on my GMC pick up truck. I was boon docking before I knew there was a name for it!

I lived mostly in the AZ state forests and worked in nearby towns. My main source of employment was at the Grand Canyon every summer. Worked several jobs, either waitressing or at the GC Trading Post Gift Shop, or at the GC Campground in Tusayan ... anything to keep money coming in. I love the canyon and hiked it often. I met several Navajo families while I lived there. One couple lived out in the woods near me. I even spent some time on the Navajo Reservation and spent one day herding sheep! (Which I nearly lost !!! My handle coulda been Bo Peep !) A Navajo man and I was talking one day about my lifestyle, and he said I was "dancing gently on Mother Earth", earthdancer was born.

At the time, one of the ways I was making money was making jewelry.... beaded earrings. They became "earthdancer earrings" and I sold them from Tucson, Sedona, Jerome to Grand Canyon ! As my photography hobby grew, it became earthdancerimages. I've been earthdancer for 25+ years now. I have always loved camping..... so it seemed to be the perfect handle to hang onto.

Geri

[bugeyedriver]

Mountainborn, I've always noticed your knack for writing that can paint pictures and that your heart is into it . . . now I know where it comes from. What a special grandma!

 

Earthdancer, You may dance gently on Mother Earth, but your photography shouts strongly about the spirit that dwells within. I LOVE your pictures, thanks for linking us to them!

 

Meanderthal, your handle is one of the cleverest ones I've seen in a long time . . . after you've meandered throughout these lands in your Oliver I'm sure we'll all be enthralled with your true story of what it means to you!

[bugz]

mountainborn that poem is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing it.

 

I ended up with bugz in a fairly boring manner. Years ago when I first got Internet access I ran home with my disks, a set of floppies I believe, and loaded everything up. It finally came time to enter this strange new land and I couldn't proceed until I picked a username! I sat there forever trying to think of something the whole family could use since I didn't realize everyone could have their own. I ran through names of cartoon characters and thought of bugs bunny and from there chose bugz never realizing I would someday be answering to it.

[earthdancer]

Mountainborn, I love the poem from your grandmother. I guess I have read it 10 times already! You were certainly loved by her! What a wonderful way to earn a handle.

Ok...... enough about you...... you gotta tell us the story behind your wife's name, "butcherknife" ! What's up with that ??

[mountainborn]

BUTCHERKNIFE:

It was our first outing of the year, Lake Greeson, Kirby Landing, jug fishing. It had been one of those Winters that seemed to hang on, and on. We were camping in a 34' motorhome and pulling the boat, "Harm's Weigh" http://www.geocities.com/harmsweigh/ , behind it. We had been planning the fishing trip during one of the worst ice storms to hit our area in many years. The power had been off for a little over three weeks. We live on the end of the power line, in a "saddle" of a "finger" that runs down from Cross Mountain. It was wearing upon us pretty heavily, what with the refueling of the generator, keeping up the livestock, ect., ect..

Though we had satellite access to the internet and television, we would plan and dream about warmer Spring Time days on the lake, Fish frys, dominoes, and good times with old friends.

It was the first morning of the first day at the lake. Up early, I had started the coffee and was sitting at the picnic table under the screen tent. Betty came out of the moho saying that we would have "woppum" biscuits for breakfast so we could get on about the business of setting out the bait traps.

Woppum biscuits is them that are frozen in a cardboard tube. To open them you wop um' on the edge of the table to open them. We were going to quickly get breakfast out of the way and get out on the water as soon as possible.

Pouring her a cup of coffee, Right after the wop, I heard her say that the biscuits were stuck togather.

[phil underwood]

not sure how to describe mine..

 

 

but here is a pic of me and the wife

[bugeyedriver]

Phil,

 

Well done! A picture is worth a thousand words . . . Oscar & I are looking forward to seeing you guys at Lake Mathis this weekend for some campfire campin'!

[phil underwood]

we are too.. i think Denise already has the truck hooked up..

[tumbleweed]

The cat that Denise is holding is the FAMOUS Jerry of national Casita fame. I am priveleged to be counted as a friend of Jerry and his family. Jerry has his very own chariot ably handled by Carol and Jim Upton of Canyon Country,CA and where he goes, they go. He has seen more fiberglass trailers than most people and loves them all. At night he can be seen on top of his stroller stargazing and taking accolades from his throngs of admirers! So if you see the flag that you can see on the Casita behind Denise and Phil, be sure to stop by and meet Jerry! FYI, the Uptons are pretty nice,to!!!!

Chuck

[phil underwood]

yes, i believe Jerry and his family were from California

[ghostrider399]

From the days of Compuserve, and other early BBS boards, onward I have used Ghostrider, in one form or another, as my on-line handle. I like to keep that particular handle as a way to make it easier for anyone who I may have known, and lost track of, to find me. The simplest answer answer as to why Ghostrider, is because I like it. The full answer is best discussed over a round or two of refreshments. Just like Scuba I have had to append numbers to the end due to the increasing number of people on the internet, especially those that are into comic books, Top Gun, or bad Nicolas Cage movies. So the 399 is in reference to my union local. IBOT Local 399, Hollywood Haulers, Studio Transportation drivers. (Kelley says 'Hi Billie!' Now you know my on-line handle. That is if you ever get of the road tour and go on-line. )

[earthdancer]

Welcome Ghostrider! It's always interesting to read how people come up with their online handles. Welcome to the Oliver "family". I don't have an Oliver, I have a Casita, but I dream of one day owning an Oliver! Awesome little escape pod. Geri

[phil underwood]

on all the racing forums,that im a member of i go by PaCemkr86... google it

[SeaDawg]

Wow, Phil. That's a beautiful car!!!

Sherry

[mountainborn]

Didn't Google it, I Dogpiled ( search engine that combines many search engines in one search ) it !

Dude, untill I went to some of the links, I thought maybe you had a pace maker installed in 1986 ! He, He,

Enjoyed the photos.

[phil underwood]

Wow, Phil. That's a beautiful car!!!

Sherry

thanks Sherry