The fog of war, life, and running

If you read about battles, sometimes they will talk of the ‘fog of war’, by which they mean that you can have all the plans you want before a battle, but once the fighting starts, you have a real hard time knowing what is really going on.

In life too, so often you don’t know what will happen in the future, what the results of your actions will be, how other people will react, what to expect. It can be really hard, and you have to make decisions the best you can, not knowing the the result.

Several weeks ago, I went for a run out in the fog. It was so thick I couldn’t see for more than a few hundred feet. Through the fog, I could only see one power pole through it. Once it was passed, I could just barely see the next. It kind of struck me our life is like that. We can’t see the distance to the end of the journey, but just a short way down the road. We have to trust God that he will keep us on the right path if we follow him.

What makes the Northeast unique…

Every region of the country has their own quirks and differences based on the culture and topography of the area. It has been fun and interesting figure out some of the things that makes New England what it is.

• Out here, Dunkin Donuts is king, not Starbucks. They are literally everywhere out here, it’s pretty amusing.
• The accent. Actually, most of the people I’ve met don’t have any discernible accent. But there are some, particularly the Boston accent (think Car Talk or Tom Silva on This Old House) that are quite distinct.
• Wicked. Up here, this word isn’t solely used for evil people, but is more often used as an adjective similar to the word very. So you could say ‘It is wicked hot out today!’ or, ‘that was a wicked climb!’ (which could have positive or negative connotations, I’m not sure if there is a way to tell). Also, ‘That was a wicked game, I loved it!’
• Drug stores: I’m not sure if the population of the north east is continuously in need of prescription drugs to stay alive, or if there is something else these stores have that makes them so popular; but there is a glut of these stores around here. Where I am currently, there are at least three Walgreens, Rite-Aid’s, and CVS stores here. Some right across the intersection from each other. It’s odd.
• Drivers are more aggressive. If there is any way to get past someone who is stopped, they will take it. And they expect you to do it as well, so it has created confusion when I haven’t gone. 😛
• Toll Roads: It seems that all the major interstate highways around here are toll roads. I guess its their way of paying for road maintenance. Thankfully, my car has a toll transponder on it, so I don’t have to worry about always having change with me. The system actually seems pretty efficient, so I don’t think it will be too bad when the new I-5 bridge from Portland to Vancouver is built with tolls. The problem will be more convincing people to go along with it. It’s a logical way to pay for it, charge the people who use it.
• Topography: New Hampshire is known as the Granite State, and for good reason. The igneous rock is everywhere! In the NW we have rocks, but it is mostly basalt and volcanic, and, smaller. That’s something that strikes me out here, the huge uninterrupted rocks out here. I climbed a mountain at Acadia National Park yesterday, and the top was almost one huge continuous rock. Quite different from Oregon. Maine and New Hampshire are defined by extensive glaciation from the last ice age, but instead of creating fjords as in Norway or Alaska, it was a large continuous ice sheet, so it pretty much ground everything down, and you have these long narrow lakes and streams, and then the mountains, and long bays with numerous islands.

I’m sure there is more I am not remembering at the moment.

I am at the two month mark of being out here, I have about one month left to go. It has been fun to see everything out here, and there is a lot more I’d like to fit in before I head back, but I am ready to come back to Oregon.

Deep River

This past Saturday was the Deep River Ancient Muster in Connecticut. What is that you ask? It is only the largest gathering of fife and drum corps in the United States!

For about six years, my brother and I played in a fife and drum corps that was part of an American Civil War reenacting group. We were attracted by the music, and it was very enjoyable to perform all over Oregon with them, both in reenactments and parades. There is simply nothing like martial music.

Fife & drum corps eventually died off as part of the military after the bugle was introduced, and other, more modern forms of communication were invented. But they do survive here and there, and especially, for some reason, in Connecticut. I don’t really know why.

Since I still love to hear this music, and this parade in Deep River was actually within striking distance for me, I decided to meet up with a couple friends in the area, and go watch it. I was glad I did.

Looking down the road the drum corps

The Ancient Mariners Fife & Drum Corps

A drum corps from Basel, Switzerland

A reenactor drum corps

I thought this corps costumes were hilarious!

Of course, pictures don’t give nearly the full impression. Here is a video:

http://www.facebook.com/v/887896720888
Deep River Fife & Drum Corps

http://www.facebook.com/v/888155826638
At the end of the parade, most of the musicians assembled as one massive corps, and did the route all over again.

Overall, there must have been 40 fife and drum corps! It was excellent. It is always great to hear good music.