Everyone has a level of expectation when it comes to your own way of doing things - but in the eyes of others, that effort might not be good enough. If you set the bar at a certain point and say "I want to at least accomplish this" - your goal is set. When others look, they might reflect back upon their own goals and personal expectations and say that they are doing better.
Self improvement is something that we can chase after to make you a better performer. This is the basic principal behind education and actual work / hobby experience. I cannot say with 100% confidence that I am the best I can be - in fact, I don't think that many people can say that without having that little glimmer in the back of your mind saying "I wish I was like that person" or "I wish I could do that". We all have ambitions, dreams, etc. Making them work for you personally is a different story. You have to want to do it.
I look at some people who have really put a great effort into researching our "ever changing" great outdoors and I admire them for doing so - it helps to form some of the culture & behaviour when looking back at ourselves and others.
Why is this important? I think because we begin to take things not necessarily for granted, but we begin to make them habit.. Here's what I am eluding too.....Driving home one night, I stopped at the side of the road in a rural area because I saw eyeshine - as luck would have it the nightscope was in my jumpsack and I had my audio recorder with me. While I didn't really see anything, the point is that I was semi-prepared. Now, for someone who is a newcomer or not as informed as those who are, that eyeshine might have been ignored and the car would have just kept driving past. I'm no expert but all it takes is just a little bit of experience, education, wit and a desire to work with new things and you might find yourself a new interest. If the mere topic of BF is enough to make you squeamish.....Take another look - perhaps through anothers eyes. Ask questions - poke around.
I've received emails from my Simply Sasquatch listeners and my blog viewers saying that they appreciate the introduction to such a field / hobby / interest and some of the experiences it might bring. I really do appreciate the responses and I hope I can help you find your place on this shrinking planet. As I click "Publish Post"...it becomes available to the entire world. Something we couldn't do not so long ago. Information travels fast and there is a lot to share, even though sometimes it feels we have put everything on the web......then something new appears on the horizon.
Don't be shy or scared to try new things. You may gain the wisdom and knowledge that will be deeply satisfying, plus being able to extend your experiences to others may spark a fire within them.
TM
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Absorbing change....
Talk about circumstances, I have found myself in a position that really lets me see things in a different way. Actually - that should be plural. Yes, different WAYS. I've been on both ends of a situation or conversation and I can see how things, in most cases, end up turning out before it actually comes to fruition.
As a perfect example, do I heed my own warnings or wisdom? I like to think that I do but here I find myself trudging out into the bush looking for answers about things I think you might already know about. Even though I have committed myself to promoting safety in the field - curiosity, ambition and desire always wins us over. It is the reflection and review of past experiences that opens our eyes to some of the things that we have (or will) go through which consistently drives us to our goals.
Now something has changed and I know it is for the better. I'm perhaps a little bit wiser, more responsible, more committed to self preservation and most of all, more committed to longevity in things that I believe in and hold dear to me. "Off the cuff" seems to work for many and might do so for some time. Structured, methodical approaches to things also work, usually for the better - and this is what I have learned. If you take the time to think stuff out, it might make things much more clear. If not, move towards your thoughts, goals and ambitions at a slower pace so that you can begin to absorb and appreciate the outcome.
I havent blogged as often as I promised I would and now I realize one of the reasons why - my life and the way I live it is very important to not only myself but to the others around and with me. Blogging doesn's take too much time but it does if you really have to think about what you want to say without just putting a couple sentences out there about last week's news. Nope. That's not me. I want this to be fresh, genuine, straight from the heart and it will be just that. It's a Tickingmind of ideas, thoughts and opportunities.
To my followers, friends & acquaintances, I thank you for your patience and your patronage. My forthcoming blogs are hopefully going to be well received and I trust that growth is inevitable, not only in spirit but in knowledge and wisdom - the three cornerstones of a truly sociable and open environment.
Good night folks, will be posting again soon.
TM
As a perfect example, do I heed my own warnings or wisdom? I like to think that I do but here I find myself trudging out into the bush looking for answers about things I think you might already know about. Even though I have committed myself to promoting safety in the field - curiosity, ambition and desire always wins us over. It is the reflection and review of past experiences that opens our eyes to some of the things that we have (or will) go through which consistently drives us to our goals.
Now something has changed and I know it is for the better. I'm perhaps a little bit wiser, more responsible, more committed to self preservation and most of all, more committed to longevity in things that I believe in and hold dear to me. "Off the cuff" seems to work for many and might do so for some time. Structured, methodical approaches to things also work, usually for the better - and this is what I have learned. If you take the time to think stuff out, it might make things much more clear. If not, move towards your thoughts, goals and ambitions at a slower pace so that you can begin to absorb and appreciate the outcome.
I havent blogged as often as I promised I would and now I realize one of the reasons why - my life and the way I live it is very important to not only myself but to the others around and with me. Blogging doesn's take too much time but it does if you really have to think about what you want to say without just putting a couple sentences out there about last week's news. Nope. That's not me. I want this to be fresh, genuine, straight from the heart and it will be just that. It's a Tickingmind of ideas, thoughts and opportunities.
To my followers, friends & acquaintances, I thank you for your patience and your patronage. My forthcoming blogs are hopefully going to be well received and I trust that growth is inevitable, not only in spirit but in knowledge and wisdom - the three cornerstones of a truly sociable and open environment.
Good night folks, will be posting again soon.
TM
Friday, March 18, 2011
Garmin 2360LT. A dud? I think so...
It would seem that Garmin has the upper had on mobile navigation. I assume that they have also cornered the outdoor market as well, with their handheld devices. The word GPS and Garmin seem to click & stick together.
I had the opportunity to try out a Garmin 2360LT unit and I really hoped that I was going to be treated to a pleasant commuting experience by this device. This is one of the newer offerings from Garmin and it comes with lifetime traffic and a free map update up to 60 days after first satellite acquisition.
What interested me about this unit? A few things at first, before actually being able to put my hands on it.
-Voice command (since in Ontario it's illegal now to play around with electronic devices while driving)
-Bluetooth
-EcoRoute
-Traffic Trends
So away we went, first trip. Ok, a bit buggy. Without going into details, I plugged in the unit and found that I had a few software upgrades to do. Ok, fine - done. Back into the car.
Routing, at best, is mediocre. Yes, it will get you from point A to B, but sometimes in a very weird way.
My profile was set to bring me home using the fastest route, without U-turns, toll highways, off-road and ferries.
Traffic trends and the traffic receiver were on.
The first route was wrong. So wrong. For the "fastest" route it had me driving through a major city to the south end of it, then jumping on the highway for the majority of the trip home.
I can see the highway bit, but when the traffic system shows a delay in the area planned out, you would think that the GPS would re-route. I can think of several ways to navigate the area of congestion. Nope, I had to deal with the traffic jam.
And how about those phantom ramps and backwards highway entrances and exits? The entrance to our local highway, according to Garmin, is on the other side of the road (opposing traffic) heading down the ramp that brings the offramp highway-people into the city. Perhaps this was the "suicide" mode because if I followed the directions I would surely be in a bad situation.
Voice command - A welcome addition but lacks in accuracy and features. Get's bogged down and sits there with a spinning hour glass. Ok I just asked it for the nearest Canadian Tire. It sits and spins. And spins. One of the SLOWEST route calculation / recalculation I have dealt with. Disturbing.
It's supposed to learn my driving habits and places that I go and build upon it, of which I have yet to see. For example, it ALWAYS suggests one particular route when I know that the route I take is shorter and quicker.
Trust me, this is not the end. I am putting this unit to the test. I do not want to see people spending their hard earned money on something that could have been had for less than half the price. Stick around, part two will be out in a little while and you can judge from there.
J
I had the opportunity to try out a Garmin 2360LT unit and I really hoped that I was going to be treated to a pleasant commuting experience by this device. This is one of the newer offerings from Garmin and it comes with lifetime traffic and a free map update up to 60 days after first satellite acquisition.
What interested me about this unit? A few things at first, before actually being able to put my hands on it.
-Voice command (since in Ontario it's illegal now to play around with electronic devices while driving)
-Bluetooth
-EcoRoute
-Traffic Trends
So away we went, first trip. Ok, a bit buggy. Without going into details, I plugged in the unit and found that I had a few software upgrades to do. Ok, fine - done. Back into the car.
Routing, at best, is mediocre. Yes, it will get you from point A to B, but sometimes in a very weird way.
My profile was set to bring me home using the fastest route, without U-turns, toll highways, off-road and ferries.
Traffic trends and the traffic receiver were on.
The first route was wrong. So wrong. For the "fastest" route it had me driving through a major city to the south end of it, then jumping on the highway for the majority of the trip home.
I can see the highway bit, but when the traffic system shows a delay in the area planned out, you would think that the GPS would re-route. I can think of several ways to navigate the area of congestion. Nope, I had to deal with the traffic jam.
And how about those phantom ramps and backwards highway entrances and exits? The entrance to our local highway, according to Garmin, is on the other side of the road (opposing traffic) heading down the ramp that brings the offramp highway-people into the city. Perhaps this was the "suicide" mode because if I followed the directions I would surely be in a bad situation.
Voice command - A welcome addition but lacks in accuracy and features. Get's bogged down and sits there with a spinning hour glass. Ok I just asked it for the nearest Canadian Tire. It sits and spins. And spins. One of the SLOWEST route calculation / recalculation I have dealt with. Disturbing.
It's supposed to learn my driving habits and places that I go and build upon it, of which I have yet to see. For example, it ALWAYS suggests one particular route when I know that the route I take is shorter and quicker.
Trust me, this is not the end. I am putting this unit to the test. I do not want to see people spending their hard earned money on something that could have been had for less than half the price. Stick around, part two will be out in a little while and you can judge from there.
J
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Out of town
It was initially hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that being "out of town" or "out of the city" is quite an easy thing to do.
If you are confused, consider how long it would take you to be in an area that is surrounded by trees, a forest-like setting. Yes, you might have that where you are now, maybe even in a town or city, but what I am referring to is outside of a built up area.
When I first started playing with Google Earth, I was fascinated by the detail that some areas showed. Then, I began to explore locations that I thought seemed pretty small, at least, by looking at it from miles above, a forest can seem pretty small. That is, until you use the ruler / measuring tool. Dragging from one end to another of a wooded area, you can quickly see how much land you are dealing with. It might look small on the map, but inches on the computer screen can mean kilometers or miles. And this is what intrigued me. There are more wooded areas around town of significant size that I was only partially aware of. Having noted the location of some of these areas, I hope to visit them very soon.
I have, in the past, endeavored to visit some of the lesser known "local" forested areas and woodlands merely for the purpose of examining the habitat and environment, I've always marvelled at the deer crossing signs that I see on some roads, only to find that my closest dear is probably is a zoo, or even in a super market.
How close do you feel to the great outdoors? Has city living ruined it for you? Are you just itching to move into a more rural and laid back area? Well until you do so, take comfort in knowing that most people do not act upon their wishes, goals or dreams. Why? Well, money for one reason. The second is that I really do feel that we are a fat and lazy society of convenience and that we only do stuff if we absolutely have to. No, I'm not speaking for everyone, but again, it is merely just an opinion.
So when you get a chance, get out there. Enjoy it while you can.
J
If you are confused, consider how long it would take you to be in an area that is surrounded by trees, a forest-like setting. Yes, you might have that where you are now, maybe even in a town or city, but what I am referring to is outside of a built up area.
When I first started playing with Google Earth, I was fascinated by the detail that some areas showed. Then, I began to explore locations that I thought seemed pretty small, at least, by looking at it from miles above, a forest can seem pretty small. That is, until you use the ruler / measuring tool. Dragging from one end to another of a wooded area, you can quickly see how much land you are dealing with. It might look small on the map, but inches on the computer screen can mean kilometers or miles. And this is what intrigued me. There are more wooded areas around town of significant size that I was only partially aware of. Having noted the location of some of these areas, I hope to visit them very soon.
I have, in the past, endeavored to visit some of the lesser known "local" forested areas and woodlands merely for the purpose of examining the habitat and environment, I've always marvelled at the deer crossing signs that I see on some roads, only to find that my closest dear is probably is a zoo, or even in a super market.
How close do you feel to the great outdoors? Has city living ruined it for you? Are you just itching to move into a more rural and laid back area? Well until you do so, take comfort in knowing that most people do not act upon their wishes, goals or dreams. Why? Well, money for one reason. The second is that I really do feel that we are a fat and lazy society of convenience and that we only do stuff if we absolutely have to. No, I'm not speaking for everyone, but again, it is merely just an opinion.
So when you get a chance, get out there. Enjoy it while you can.
J
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Entourage CIS
This is a neat product, called Entourage CIS. It's a GPS tracking device that is subscriber-based ($179 per year or $14 /mth). It uses your local GSM / GPRS cellular network to relay the GPS data to the control center (Blackline GPS) and allows you to track the location of the device anywhere in North America.
The advantage of having such a device became clear after hearing about the horror stories of people losing equipment, trail cameras, equipment trailers, ATV's, etc.
Very small and drawing only 20mA of current @ 12 volts, this is definetely something that could run for a very long period of time in the bush, possibly forever, should you incorporate a small solar panel to keep your 12v battery charged.
The unit also incorporates an internal battery to give it a few days of run time should the external battery fail. A simply 2-wire hookup is all that is needed (positive and negative) and arming / disarming is done by a RFID key-fob that works up to about 20-30 feet away. Basically, the GPS device senses the presence of the key-fob and it disarms when it is near, and arms when it is no longer detected.
The monitoring costs might seem a little steep, but the features are plentiful. Through a web interface, you can see the exact position of the device, the battery condition (strength) and if the object is moving, the direction/heading and speed.
While it is still new, I am going to run it through the paces and see how well it performs.
It was a web deal from "The Source" that was being offered at an AMAZING discounted price of $49, regular $374 (The Escort GPS Site has it listed online at $399!!!!!)
Yes, it's not a typo - as of today, Dec 21, 2010 it is still available while quantities last @ $49. When I ordered mine I had it shipped to the store and it arrived 2 days later. Shipping to store is free of charge.
Here is the link:
http://www.thesource.ca/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=GPS_Locators&product=1914522
The advantage of having such a device became clear after hearing about the horror stories of people losing equipment, trail cameras, equipment trailers, ATV's, etc.
Very small and drawing only 20mA of current @ 12 volts, this is definetely something that could run for a very long period of time in the bush, possibly forever, should you incorporate a small solar panel to keep your 12v battery charged.
The unit also incorporates an internal battery to give it a few days of run time should the external battery fail. A simply 2-wire hookup is all that is needed (positive and negative) and arming / disarming is done by a RFID key-fob that works up to about 20-30 feet away. Basically, the GPS device senses the presence of the key-fob and it disarms when it is near, and arms when it is no longer detected.
The monitoring costs might seem a little steep, but the features are plentiful. Through a web interface, you can see the exact position of the device, the battery condition (strength) and if the object is moving, the direction/heading and speed.
While it is still new, I am going to run it through the paces and see how well it performs.
It was a web deal from "The Source" that was being offered at an AMAZING discounted price of $49, regular $374 (The Escort GPS Site has it listed online at $399!!!!!)
Yes, it's not a typo - as of today, Dec 21, 2010 it is still available while quantities last @ $49. When I ordered mine I had it shipped to the store and it arrived 2 days later. Shipping to store is free of charge.
Here is the link:
http://www.thesource.ca/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=GPS_Locators&product=1914522
Friday, November 12, 2010
Life
A chain of events took place yesterday, of all days, Remembrance day. And it is no indication of what has yet to come but disturbing non the less that the reminders are inherently built into the name of the day.
It’s a tough time of year, moving at the speed of life, sometimes things just creep up on you and yet sometimes your mind just wanders, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Christmas is coming soon and its a time to reflect on past life experiences. Friends, family, joy & sorrow. A good friend lost his mother earlier in the year and it was a trying time for him to come to grasp the situation and work through it. He did it, but I’m still sure he feels pain, as anyone should.
And so we look upon our past experiences. Our friends. Our families. We are all moving at the speed of life and as we move on, that speed limit is being increased……day after day……Sometimes it’s refreshing to just put on the brakes for as long as you can and absorb and enjoy what is around you.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Something is out there….
I took a bit of time to travel to an area of Ontario that has always intrigued me, so much so that I considered camping out for the weekend to try and come to terms with what was going on there. Do you ever get that creepy feeling – the feeling like you are being watched? You try to satisfy your curiosity for what might be out there by going back and confronting your weaknesses? Or do we even consider calling it a weakness?
I cannot say for sure that whatever is out there defies description and is not meant to be found. I think that at some point, we will come across a formidable being that has eluded us for years. Until this happens, I will always be wary of the fact that there is something out there, watching us. Why do I think this? Well, it’s that feeling I get, particularly in this one specific area. No other place in Ontario seems to do this to me. To the average person, it would just be a considered a typical heavily wooded area that is somewhat remote.
To me, I think that it is home….home to a being that thrives on being elusive, yet lurks just around the corner, keeping an eye on you.
Might sound silly, but I’m sure that we have all had that “feeling” that something isn’t right and something is watching you.
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