Riders of the Night >>9-28 to 10-04-09<<

badspell · Post by **badspell** » 09-28-2009 05:59 PM

Way cool picture Captain.

I don’t know why, but I think you’re a bikes blues and BBQ kind of guy. Campfire… gazing at the stars… a few good friends.
Appreciating things so many miss in life.

Post by **Captain Fantastic** » 09-28-2009 07:33 PM

Close, but no Grog. Leather breeches, a white silk Spanish shirt obtained at sword point from some hapless gentleman, a Captain's cloak, and a tricorne. Munch on highly seasoned sausages and rutabagas, and mostly stagger about the decks with a tankard of whiskey or stout.

Lastmartian · Post by **Lastmartian** » 09-29-2009 03:50 AM

And stout is a very good thing...

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 10-01-2009 08:45 PM

What is this Riders Of The Night that you speak of?

Post by **Captain Fantastic** » 10-01-2009 08:55 PM

'Riders of the Night' was a term coined by Art Bell for the listeners of his Art Bell Show, later Coast to Coast AM. 'Wanna Take a Ride' also later was used in reference to those who would take this night journey with Art Bell - wherever it led.

'Riders of the Night'. People who stay up really, really late. Question everything. Trust No One (at least initially) and who do not gladly 'take rides with strangers'.

Very Mysterious and Reassuring.

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 10-01-2009 09:00 PM

Sounds good to me!

BTW, I am an official "Weird New Jersey Night Rider", so I will feel right at home

megman · Post by **megman** » 10-01-2009 09:46 PM

Captain Fantastic wrote: Question everything. Trust No One (at least initially) and who do not gladly 'take rides with strangers'.

Very Mysterious and Reassuring.

Why are there pirates here? What is keelhauling? Who are you people? NO I won't get in the dingy............

Post by **Captain Fantastic** » 10-01-2009 09:54 PM

Ye do not have to get IN the dingy, but it helps a bit if ye ARE a bit dinghy. Or at least sufficiently grogged up to navigate the pitching and rolling of the decks of a night.

Steady as she goes, maties!

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 10-01-2009 10:56 PM

You know, I never really thought about this - but I would love to see the star filled sky on a moonless night, from a sailing ship out in the middle of the ocean. It must be an absolutely amazing sight.

SquidInk · Post by **SquidInk** » 10-01-2009 11:01 PM

It is...

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 10-01-2009 11:05 PM

Post by **Linnea** » 10-02-2009 12:21 AM

Gonna share your sea voyage(s) with us, SquidInk?

...

SquidInk · Post by **SquidInk** » 10-03-2009 12:00 PM

OK, I'll give a short summary:

Many times in my life I have wanted out. On such occasions, I find myself dreaming (night & day) of the adventurous lives of all of my Lost Generation heroes.

I was employed as an aircraft mechanic, at an obscure rural airfield in California. The boss, an ex drill master named Sgt. Mice, was unbearable, and after spinning my wheels for two years, I was at my wits end.

One foggy morning I was servicing the landing gear on a 1930's Boeing Stearman Biplane when the boss showed up (late, as usual), hurled a few insults my way, & told me he should just send me off on a slow boat to China - as that would be less expensive for him the long run.

Suppressing the tempest of rage inside me, I put down my wrenches, removed my jumpsuit, and walked across the air field into one of the greatest adventures of my life. That afternoon I caught a ride with a trucker (who in a strange twist of destiny would later become my brother-in-law) to the port of Stockton. I walked up a gang-plank and negotiated with the captain of the "Gretke Oldendorff" for passage (one way) to China... well, Tai'pei... no visa needed, only a passport which I had, and an onward ticket, which I procured while I waited for the paperwork to go through. The whole process actually took a few days, but they had a few days to kill, while they waited for cargo.

This was in fact a slow boat to China.

I started out as a paying passenger, but shortly after we passed under the Golden Gate, I was able to work in an un-official capacity, and earn back most of my fare.

I spent a couple of months traveling the Pacific with some of the best, most genuine people I have ever met (14 nationalities among the crew, and never a harsh word - only teamwork).

The stars were unforgettable. One evening, when I had become "one of them", I asked about the sextant I had seen on the bridge. The whole crew cheered at the idea of breaking it out and having a contest to see who could take the most accurate readings with it. Sextants are essentially for academic (and emergency) use, but seamen take pride in being knowledgeable of the old ways as well as the new.

I literally had tears rolling down my cheeks as we stood the pitching decks, in the cold wind drinking cheap ouzo, laughing, and taking what turned out to be surprisingly accurate readings. I knew the experience couldn't last for me, because the world has changed too many times - I wasn't even supposed to be working with them - union rules. I can say this was probably the only time in my life that the experience even came close to living up to the dream - I was very lucky.

I missed my "calling". Little do we know as 15 year old punk kids, we are making decisions that will ultimately take our lives in uncontrollable directions...

megman · Post by **megman** » 10-06-2009 01:54 AM

Came across a photo I had of the night sky when I was in Belize. Scaled down here doesn't do it justice. If you look really close in the center you can see the Milky Way.