Peaceable Kingdom (long)

[NightOwl]

Well, here we are-- just ending our first  year of official membership and just beginning our second.:W.  Some of us are new and some  have been around for 3 or 4 years through many boardsite moves, but it's hard to tell the difference

For awhile, it was a rough ride for the new paid board what with the  whining of the  trolls and troublemakers (who, thankfully have moved on to greener pastures where they feel welcome and  getting the new system adjusted and up and running.  We are smaller than when on the open board, but clearly, we are also BETTER!

I've noticed that we are a lot more relaxed lately--we feel free to ask questions about almost anything having to do with popups or camping  without having to feel like we are "dumb."  And we also feel free to be silly (ah, the new dancing banannas--love 'em! :-()  :-())  or to share  heartaches and worries or wedding announcements.  (And, it isnt every day someone gets asked for advice  about how best to propose.)

And our new membership fee is a bargain--for it, we get a great magazine devoted to popping up,out, down, sideways, any-which-way,  along with membership in this  well-run Camping Country Club of The Web World  with scenic views no matter where you look,  and good friends to share smores and hot chocolate or adult beverages with  any hour of the day or night.  And, of course, many of us get together in The Flesh  in regional groups and rallies which adds to the fun.

Even members who have physically moved like   AB and Cindy and others  ( soon to include Tim & probably Camperoo)  havent missed a beat in finding us again.  We all just keep coming back and if the board doesnt move at the speed of several pages a day here now, it isnt a problem--we KNOW the success of this board does not depend on volume!  

The dire predictions of   PUT's demise have faded along with  other urban legends and hoaxes, and here we loyal friends still are lead by Dave and Steve and staff--enjoying camping and each other. Why do we think this place is worth paying for in a world of tightened budgets?  Why do we keep coming back when there  are  good, free  websites available for campers of all kinds?  

I think it has a lot to do with  the Comfort Level here in The Peaceable Kingdom.  "Real Life" is not always smooth and easy for any of us and we just KNOW we can always come here and find  understanding hearts  and lighthearted remarks to help us over the rough spots. :S

And besides, NO ONE  minds if we brag about  our rigs or our wonderful modifications  or if we move to the darkside with a hybrid or a  a TT.  It all boils down to a matter of the heart.   :#  :S

So here's to all of us wherever  we are!  :!

[vjm1639]

Excellent post NightOwl!!!:S

[angelsmom10]

I agree that the board has been great lately.  I like the fact that it is not as big as the free sites, posts tend to get lost among all the posts that duplicate each other and just have too many to read.

[birol]

I like the board to no end .... It is so much more than where I can share my PU dreams .......

[B-flat]

This is definitely family!  It's my camping family, that is.  So many cyber friendships have been made and bonds strengthened as well as those who have gone on to real live camping in groups and rallies.  The message board has certainly evolved into the Peaceable Kingdom.

[NightOwl]

I like the board to no end .... It is so much more than where I can share my PU dreams .......

Hang in there, Birol, someday it will happen and when it does, we will ALL be looking over your shoulder giving you advice    :!  :W  :#  :-()

[angelsmom10]

Hang in there, Birol, someday it will happen and when it does, we will ALL be looking over your shoulder giving you advice :! :W :# :-()

When he finally get the PU, he'll have a long list of places to visit.  One of which will be down this way.  I don't have any idea when we'll ever get a chance to meet.:!

[MommaMia]

This is a nice place to come to.  I find that each time during the day that I have a few minutes of downtime I am here checking to see what's new with all of you.  I can't wait to meet all of you that responded to this thread.  You all (or should I say Y'all, now that I live in the south) make my day a little brighter.

[B-flat]

Cindy, I think it's "all y'all" when you want to meet everyone in the group.

[NightOwl]

And, Cindy, I bet you already know that one NEVER says "y'all" when addressing one person, it is ALWAYS plural.  We had this awful man who moved here from "up Nawth" who insisted  on saying "y'all" no matter who or how many he was addressing and constantly wanting to hug people like he'd known them forever (ick!) and trying to cover up his Yankee accent with something he hoped sounded "southern."

He'd have done much better to remain his own self and not tried so hard to fake "southern-ness"  He was really a decent sort but gave a bad impression because of the "act" he put on and the locals never quite trusted him.


:W  Gee, I wonder--if we all got together, would our regional accents sound  dramatically different?   My father said the funniest accent he ever heard in his life was  Lars--a guy he worked with who was born  in Sweden and moved to Tennessee at age 17  where he  lived for another 20 years before moving to south Florida and still had his Swedish accent but strongly overlaid with rural Tennessee!   :eyecrazy:   Lars said he knew he sounded  peculiar but said he couldnt help it and sometimes would try to talk and would break down laughing at himself when his tongue got all twisted up  between Sweden and Tennessee.

[birol]

I can barely understand southern accent ..... Do they  speak english or a derivative of the language ?  :p

[MommaMia]

And, Cindy, I bet you already know that one NEVER says "y'all" when addressing one person, it is ALWAYS plural.  .

I do know that... I think it comes from living in VA for a couple years.  "Y'all wanna go play putt-putt?"

I also caught myself saying  "i'm fixin' to go get me a wheelbarrow!"

FIXIN' !!!! :J

[MommaMia]

I can barely understand southern accent ..... Do they  speak english or a derivative of the language ?  :p

NAhhhh!  We talk redneck!

[MommaMia]

Ooops.

That was a terrible case of hijacking.  So sorry.  Back to the topic.

[NightOwl]

Cindy, I am the OFFICIAL AUTHOR of this here now thread and you'd for sure  know it wasnt started by "the real me" if I objected to a little  hi-jacking (and hi-jinks)  And anyhow, this hi-jack  fits right in with my original post here--the idea that we CAN feel free to relax and have fun. :W

And it's OK by me if you want to make jokes about redneks--I am married to one and after 46 years, I have learned to say, "I'm fixin' to carry  Mama to town this evenin' to fetch a poke full of  collards"

  My God, there is so much turmoil and  misery in the real world, and I come here to escape things like death in Iraq and crime rates in our inner cities, hoping for a little while  to visit friends and chill out.      .  Yes, sometimes there is sorrow, as in Terri's latest thread, but there is also comfort in knowing we can come here and share sadness.   We've   also had  some lively discussions of things out there in the "real world" that we all are concerned  about--we need them so we dont become too complacent--but it is nice to see that  it can be done with civility and respect for each other .

I hope someday Dave gets rich and can sell the whole shebang for a lot of money;  I sure hope he doesnt sell it to Rupert Murdoch, though  :J.  (Cheech and Chong would be OK I guess     :-() :yikes: :-()   or maybe Helen Gurley Brown, hee hee  :eyecrazy: