I thought that I would share the latest version of our Russell Canoe Livery promo video. Put together by Garrett Russell, much, if not all, of the footage was created by him as well. I’d love for him to create more! Due to copyright and music editing issues, it is best to watch the video without sound.
How is it August already? I will soon start gearing up for the upcoming school year, and the canoe livery will be winding down for another year. By the time the school year is finished, I am eager for all of the craziness that is the canoe livery. By Labor Day, I am more than ready for the next school year. Right now, I am excited for the new school year to begin. The planning has indeed already begun!
On a historical note, MTV debuted with “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles on this date 43 years ago. I can’t imagine a more perfect first video, especially considering that the year was 1981. Campy and self-aware, it set the stage for a solid 15 year run of great music videos. That may be a joke, and even a meme, but it isn’t far from the truth. By 2000, the MTV we grew up with and loved – the MTV that took Madonna and Michael Jackson to new levels of stardom – turned primarily to reality TV never to return to its roots. Gen X and Xenniels remember …
Ah. Camp! Such a loaded small word. First and foremost, there is camping with family and friends. Even though my parents owned and operated two campgrounds and a canoe livery, I didn’t grow up camping much in the traditional sense. Even if we didn’t camp much, the overnight canoe trips we took with Dad (Mom was one and done!) were legendary. I think about the planning that went into our trips and how we broke the “rules” and threw a tube in with our gear – Erica and I taking turns tubing for a bit; Dad pretending to leave me in the dust when it was my turn, waiting for me around the next bend. Mrs. Taylor would be waiting for us at Cedar Springs with ice cream cones.
Over the years, I attended the National Turner Syndrome Camp, memorized Bible verses at church camp, spent endless hours playing with cousins at deer camp(s) (there were deer camps on each side of my family), helped run 4-H day camps for elementary students, and ended up with my picture in the paper participating in a local Vacation Bible School day camp. I also attended Camp Oak Hills as a Brownie, my first time away from home aside from spending the night at my grandparents’ house, and the Broad Business Student Camp (BBSC) at Michigan State, which led to my decision to attend the Eli Broad College of Business (hence the name) at Michigan State University to study supply chain management. Quite simply, much of my life as a child and young adult – indeed, some of my best memories – involved camp in some way, shape, or form. I would not be the same person without it.
Each August, Grandma and Grandpa Buttrick would take us grandkids to Kenton in the Upper Peninsula (almost to Watersmeet) for a week, the site of a hunting camp passed down on Grandpa’s side for generations, the land originally homesteaded by my Forward ancestors. We spent the week visiting waterfalls, riding the hills around camp, swimming in and hiking around Tippy Lake, traveling into the tiny village of Kenton itself to visit the grocery store/library/post office, and holding target practice with Grandpa using a pellet gun. At night, there were hot games of Uno and Spoons around the living room table. As a kid, there is nothing better than sharing a bunk room with your siblings and cousins!
So many camp memories stand out. As a child attending church camp at Bayshore Camp in Michigan’s Thumb, I first experienced tipping over in a canoe. As a tween, I paired up with a boy I didn’t know well. In spite of explaining that I had years of canoeing experience as my parents’ owned a campground and canoe livery, he insisted on steering. Inevitably, we ended up in the lake, the coolness of the lake hopefully camouflaging my rising anger. I have never forgotten.
Years later, as a teen, I attended the National Turner Syndrome Camp at King Mountain Ranch in Estes Park, Colorado. I met other teen girls who faced the same physical, emotional, and social challenges as me for the first time. Words fail me other than to say that those experiences at King Mountain Ranch filled me with a confidence that I would not have had otherwise. One of my favorite memories is of how my friends and I scared ourselves silly watching The Shining after learning that the movie was filmed nearby. It is still my favorite horror movie and my favorite Stephen King novel. Those two years attending the National Turner Syndrome Camp still mean so much decades later. Most of all, I hope children of all ages have the opportunity to experience camp in all its forms. Those varied experiences not only added to my education in invaluable ways, but they shaped the person I am today in countless ways.
I’ve been thinking about the delicate balance between reading and writing lately. As a writer, I love to create. At the same time, I am continually inspired by what I read. I am still trying to find a balance. When you add in teaching and my love of technology, it becomes easier to see why I should be both writing and reading more.
Over the last several years, I’ve dabbled in other forms of storytelling. As I earned my writing certificate through Delta College, I had the opportunity to take a screenwriting course. While I have no plans to write screenplays, it opened me up to the storytelling potential of even short videos. I’ve never looked at movies the same since. During the pandemic, I dabbled with learning how to podcast. I found it fun, but unlike here at Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde, I would like to dedicate a podcast to a single topic. I haven’t found the right topic … yet.
As a teacher, I took a short digital storytelling class a few summers ago. I learned so much, and as I pursue teaching online, I am sure that I will have the opportunity to create several videos for my classes. Today, I thought I’d share the video that I created a few summers ago. Just another fun form to explore!
What is it about being 18 that makes it so special? My best guess is that 18 represents a sweet spot. While childhood is largely behind you at 18, you are legally an adult. There are few things that one is not old enough to do at 18 – with the exception of legally drinking, renting a car, or reserving a hotel room. Yet, there are plenty of youthful years left. At the same time, high school is now behind you – or about to be. It is time to look ahead. Many 18 year olds have yet to figure out exactly what they want to do when it comes to a career or post-secondary education. The possibilities are endless.
I distinctly remember 18 and being so excited to move on from high school and my hometown. I could not get to Michigan State fast enough. A lot of time, preparation, and hard work made my years at Michigan State a success. My wish for all 18 year olds and all members of the class of 2024 is for them to experience that sense of wonder and endless possibility for themselves.
The middle of March will always bring memories of long family weekends in Grayling, MI. Every year, we would attend the annual Michigan Recreational Canoeing Association meeting. For my parents, it meant meetings, ordering merchandise for the summer ahead, and sharing ideas with other canoe livery owners. As a child, it meant a long weekend swimming in the hotel pool, interspersed with time in the arcade and ordering pizza at least once. Above all, I counted it as a sure sign of spring and the long summer to come. Throughout my childhood, I considered it the first sign of spring – right up there with the return of the robins,
I loved going to the Holidome for the weekend. My immediate family all attended, of course, but the entire conference took on the atmosphere of a family reunion at times. When my aunt married, she and her then husband Kevin purchased a canoe livery on the AuSable. We spent lots of time with Aunt Amy during RCA weekends. In fact, when Aunt Amy later helped my mom and I place orders for the upcoming summer during the pandemic – an experience I hope to never repeat – it sparked a bit of nostalgia between sisters. As Mom and Aunt Amy said, we were the association before the association. They reminisced about the old meetings and some of the more memorable owners. At one point, my dad even served as president.
Other liveries on the Rifle attended too. One of my dad’s best friends at the time, Phil, owned Cedar Springs. His wife and daughter, both named Connie, attended as well. Both were family favorites. Phil’s daughter taught with my mom for years, while his wife watched us while we were in the pool from time to time. Every time we passed Cedar Springs on our annual overnight canoe trips with our dad, my sister Erica and I were treated to ice cream cones as we headed home on the river.
The White family attended as well. White’s Canoe Livery happened to be the first canoe livery on the Rifle. In fact, there would be no Russell Canoe Livery without White’s. My grandfather got the idea from Don White and then started Russell Rent-a-Canoe out of what is now my home. It all started in 1959 with a Ford pickup and a six haul of canoes. To this day, the only person I know who knows the Rifle River as well as my dad is Ladd White, Don’s son and current owner. I hate to think of the knowledge that will be lost when my dad and Ladd are no longer around.
For some reason, I seem to remember that there would be a March canoe trip as part of the meetings. At one point, it may have been referred to as the Ides of March trip. As a child, that fascinated me. I could not understand why anyone would want to canoe in the winter. In my child’s mind, canoeing and tubing meant one thing and one thing only: swimming. What was the point of canoeing if you couldn’t get wet? That happened to be my biggest gripe about March. March supposedly brings spring, and yet, it would be months before I could swim the river again. It didn’t seem fair.
The Rifle River and Russell Canoe Livery will always be a part of me. My first home happened to be near our main location in Omer. One day, hopefully decades in the future, it will also be my last. March is when it all starts to spring to life once again. Reservations start rolling in, plans are made, and merchandise is ordered. I love it all, especially our customers. Here is to a wonderful summer 2024!
I admit it; I am obsessed with creativity. How do we access it? How do we inspire and cultivate it in others? I am especially concerned about this as a secondary teacher. Over the last several years, I’ve noticed an appalling lack of creativity among students. Many are content simply to move on to the next thing, complete the next step. I particularly saw this during the pandemic. It is what Robin Williams’ character in “Dead Poets Society,” Mr. Keating, discusses in one of his many monologues and develops into a theme throughout the movie, challenging the status quo, not to mention the idea of carpe diem. Ultimately, his students pursuing their passions, against the wishes of their parents, lead to some horrific consequences. While one would hope that such attitudes would have changed since the 1950s setting of the movie, I’m not so sure it has when it comes to education. Unfortunately.
I’m just grateful that I have a creative outlet that I love. Growing up, I loved the art class I took in high school. Sadly, I can’t draw or paint well at all. Yet, I loved coming up with different composition projects in various materials. I can always come up with an idea. Some, of course, are better than others. I also adore art history and find it fascinating. In the end, I wish I had had more confidence in what artistic ability I did have growing up. Who knows where it would have taken me?
Over the last few years, I’ve subbed for an art teacher whom I got to know fairly well during student teaching. I always loved subbing for her. I had fun watching students work on their projects, including ceramics. It made me want a place of my own just to create. I have everything I need, including space. I just need to take the time to make it happen.
What’s sad is that we live in a society that greatly rewards conformity. As adults, we get caught up in work and other obligations. Most of us have precious little time to further develop our creativity. Can you imagine if we did .. or at least valued creativity?
Vitamin C – Graduation (Friends Forever) (1999) (Video) (Lyrics)
(Written February 12, 2024)
I came across the video for “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by accident this past weekend. Sometimes nostalgia slaps you so hard in the face that it cannot be ignored. While I can’t say that “Graduation (Friends Forever)” was ever a favorite, it did leave an impression when it first came out during the spring of 1999. How could it not? I graduated from high school in 1999, and quite frankly, the target audience.
In the midst of watching classic videos from the 80s and 90s, YouTube saw fit to suggest “Graduation.” Thinking “why not?,” I found myself transported back 25 years. What struck me most about the video wasn’t the song at all. Frankly, I still find it way too saccharine. Instead, I thought about how I could have guessed the year from any still photo from the video. Not a cell phone in sight.
It cracked me up. The video definitely fit the late 90s aesthetic that we all thought so bleeding edge at the time. In fact, the girl’s outfit in the video, the layered yellow tank top with the orange/yellow slip skirt, reminded me of one of my go-to outfits in 2001. The only difference? I didn’t layer tank tops. Instead, I wore a jean jacket over a yellow tank top. I remember it vividly because I loved that outfit and that look so much at the time. Maybe it is time to bring it back.
While I can’t say that I loved or even liked high school (I couldn’t wait to graduate and move on), it is fun to look back from time to time. After watching the video, it hit me that this June will mark 25 years since I graduated from high school. How? Just how? Interestingly, “Wear Sunscreen,” a spoken-word release based upon an essay, became popular during the spring of 1999 as well, even though it dates to 1997. See below.
The advice still holds.
Nelly Furtado – I’m Like a Bird (2000) (Video) (Lyrics)
(Written February 11, 2024)
Late to the party, I discovered Nelly Furtado’s incredible album “Whoa, Nelly!” nearly a year after it dropped. It became a huge part of the soundtrack to my semester in Quito, Ecuador during the fall of 2001. If I was traveling across Ecuador, I had “Whoa, Nelly!” with me. “I’m Like a Bird” happens to be the breakout single and the most well-known song on the album, but the entire album is incredible. “Trynna Find a Way” and “Turn Off the Lights” stand out as well, but it remains one of the rare albums I can still listen to in its entirety.
Why did I like it so much? Wanderlust, probably. The entire album is about making your way in the world, figuring out what you want out of life, and every other 90s inspirational/motivational cliche one can imagine. Nelly just did it a bit better than others. What always struck me about this album, the song themselves, the music videos, and Nelly herself is the originality of it all. “Whoa, Nelly!” as a whole definitely fit the late 1990s/early 2000s aesthetic perfectly. Yet, something unique about Nelly herself stands out and shines. And then there is the uniqueness of her voice. There is no mistaking it.
Originality always resonates with me, and I think that is why I love this song and the entire album so much. I can’t help but think of all of the adventures I had across Ecuador, including the bio research station Tiputini (in the Amazon), Otovalo, the Galapagos Islands, and more each time I listen to Nelly. There is nothing quite like being 20 and having the entire world before you. “Whoa, Nelly!” captures it well.
Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde 