Bucket Lists?

I have been granted the time to reflect on my bucket list items made at a much younger age.  Today with heart attacks and the cancer, I can look back at some of the rather silly things from my early bucket lists and laugh, often hard and loud.

Sit atop the great pyramid waiting for the sun to rise while stoned. (I wasn't sober until my late twenties)

Hike the whole length of the Great Wall, again while mostly stoned.

Have a fun filled night with white blonde triplets ------ well, never mind, I'm sure you folks can finish that, of course while I was stoned.


Today my list, taking into account my age and health is a little more realistic.

One big for me, hand feeding one or more of the crows that I've been feeding for a few months now.  Getting to within 20 feet of one! (family group of 5)


So, what about you guys, do you have a list?, have you changed your list?, as you have changed.  C'on share, I promise to only laugh with you, not at you!!


Peace

Mr Ara and I were discussing bucket lists recently; he doesn't have one and I have only one thing on mine. I would like to see the sun rise out of the sea. I have seen it sink into the sea but not the other way round. I think it will have to be in winter so I don't have to get up too early. It doesn't sound very exciting so maybe I'm just a boring person.

Thank you for your post.  I've seen the pyramids, sailed upon the Nile,  Watched Alpha Centauri rise in the far southern sky in autumn and seen the Southern Cross.
Sunrise and sunset at sea is ------- I lack the words, maybe Most Excellent would be best.
I had a friend that was a Navy pilot and I got a ride in a Navy trainer many years ago, I'm sure he fried some fish while we were out over the ocean!!! ( glad I have an iron stomach)

I've been to a number of other countries, most I liked, some I wish I could wipe from my memory.

There aren't that many things from my younger bucket lists that I still think about, well maybe the triplets thingy, from time to time, then I just laugh and go on.

I so hope that you get to watch your sunrise!


Peace

Maybe we could make a Permie bucket list?

Mine maybe:

Visit Wheaton labs, Sepp's Krameterhof and Fukuoka's farm. I managed the Fern's field and Martin Crawford's forest garden a few years ago.
Milk a goat
Learn to Scythe (sort of done!)
Build a rocket mass heater
Eat a meal where everything was grown/provided myself (almost done with my neolithic menu meal)

They mostly are skills gained like the SKIP badges I suppose.

my younger self never really had a bucket list, more a life ambition to homestead....I'm feel I'm getting there!

I have been playing with one.  

I would like to visit Cooper Falls in Maine.  It impressed me during my Appalachian Trail hike many decades ago.

Bicycle to Wheaton Labs.

I have no plans for either for a few more years.

Nancy, if you can make it to Paul's lab, I'll promise to try and meet  you there.  But only if John can join us, someone needs to watch for the bears and approaching snow storms!!!  



Peace

Hi Deane! I just got home from work and I saw your post.
So here goes:
1. build an off-grid house up north with a hand pump near the kitchen sink hooked up to the well, and this well can still be run off solar array. Have a central wood heat source, whether it be rocket mass heater or a hearth fireplace.
2. make just enough money in my own business to get by
3. hang gliding
4. take my youngest boy to see the ocean (I've already taken the other two)
5. build a useful machine - perhaps it would fly - I don't really know yet
6. finish my food forest, while being true to the definition of food forest.
7. build an amphibious vehicle. I live near the water so this would really be awesome.

I sorta, kinda dislike posting this - Oh Bother - here goes.  I remember as a young kid seeing this car!  On the highway, not on the water. (sad face thingy)

What kid would not want to see a car rocketing down the shore straight into the water with a mighty splash???

I would think that you had to ease said car slowly into the water, rather like I have to ease into everything these days !

Thanks for your post, made me smile.

Peace

I have a rather abstract bucket-list goal--to be more blue collar.

Prior  to becoming a teacher I worked at a job in property management--we managed apartments mostly rented to college students from Illinois State University.  I actually loved this job as I literally never knew what I was in for as I was driving to work/school (I was a college student at the time and I could work this job in between classes.  It was really great!).  Sometimes I was moving furniture.  Sometimes I was delivering late-rent notices.  Occasionally I helped to perform evictions (note:  no-one really felt bad for these people.  They had the money, they chose to spend it on beer and not rent and we had proof and they had been warned multiple times.  Eviction is no easy thing to do).  Sometimes I even did stakeouts!  Lots of time I was fixing some small thing or solving some small problem that just needed to get fixed.  

All of this was very hands-on, blue-collar type of work and it was generally fun to do.  In no way would I trade my time and career as a teacher for this, but overall it was a good experience.  And while being a teacher has been a wonderful career, there are times when I have graded too many papers and homework assignments and I just want to get back outside again.  I am only a few years away from retirement and I want to finish my career strong, but do something that contrasts in retirement.  I want to be outside more, have fewer deadlines and paperwork.  I want to make thing (plants) grow.  I want to maintain my acreage.  

I have had a good white-collar career, but I would like to have a bit more of a blue-collar retirement.

Eric

Eric, ponder upon this -- flower farming!!   Roadside stand!!  Honor system coffee can when you're busy or away!!!

Flowers will cause most folks to smile, and what could be better than that?


Peace

Hi Deane,

My initial thoughts were revolving around just growing more food to be consumed in our own household.  I used to be pretty good at this, but school and grad-school responsibilities  have gotten in the way of my summer-fun projects.  I am hoping that maybe next summer (no grad-school!!!) I can reconstitute my gardening again.  And going into retirement, I could see myself growing more veggies outside of the typical hot-summertime crops typical for a mid-summer garden when I am not burdened by another work schedule.  I would like to garden more in the early spring and late fall.  In the region I live, I can easily do 3-season gardening and with a little bit of work, maybe even 4-season gardening.  

But realistically I will need more time that I have available.  I have spent my whole career in the classroom--a wonderful experience--but I long to tend to my gardens and land when I finally get the chance.

I remember hearing from somewhere (I think an NPR broadcast) that part of the key to happiness is contrast in one's life (I am summarizing here).  According the source, examples were given of say an accountant who worked in a very professionally-looking clean environment all day who then on the weekends likes to tear apart a car engine and get all oily/greasy in the process.  Or say the sanitation worker who is surrounded by other people's filth all day who maintains a fastidiously clean home.  I think the same can be applied to endeavors in one's career and one's retirement, which I am approaching.

So back to your reply, while I was thinking about a little bit of food self-sufficiency, I like the idea of the possibility of some extra cash from a mostly passive source--the actual work being done out of enjoyment!  Not a bad idea!

Eric  

OK then Eric, think about veggie, flower and herb stand, per packed or bundled, so much per, coffee honor system.  Maybe a sign stating profits to be used for funding more seeds, starting mixture and a large greenhouse.

Sounds kinda nice to me, if you don't need that much money to get by,  Oh by the way in my area, tomatoes at the nearby flea market are going for $3.50 per pound this year!!!

Honey sales are often a good deal, if you like bees!!

I understand that you are not yet ready, just wanted to offer up a few things to think about.

Peace

Deane,

Actually, flowers and herbs on the coffee can basis sounds like a nice idea!!

Eric

I have reached my mid-60s without ever making a bucket list. I think I was just too busy to think about it. (or maybe not stoned enough [winking face]) But now, I have my list of things I want to do, but this isn't a bucket list, it's my Things to Do list. Like landscaping my entire property into food production and beauty.

And in the aftermath of taking a trip to the west coast with my kids earlier this year, I find I do have a bucket list, and everything on the list are the places I want to visit. So planning to visit Mesa Verde in Colorado this October, and the Redwoods in California next summer. The list will grow, I have never been to Yellowstone....

Adele, sounds as if you have a few very nice trips planned.

Wishing you safe,happy and joy filled adventures.


Peace