Day 5, the first ride after our first rest day. Roxy and I had quite an adventure. I’ll cut to the chase.
I was told that south of town there are 2 Mennonite farms, so I decide to go further and make the next day easier. At one of the farms I am directed to a nearby spot owned by the brother of the first brother, Mennonite levi, secluded and with a stream nearby. I find it and although it has no trespassing signs I enter. It took a while to find the water (it was a little swamp) and longer to find a camping spot. After I set up camp and cooked a dinner I went to get some grass for tied up roxy. As I do the third time a car pulls in and goes by me as I crouch hiding. 20 minutes later I hear a weed whacker then it comes close:
Then I’m being surveilled by a freaking DRONE!!!
I watch the drone as it watch me. Why is it looking at me so long? I wonder should I pack up? It’s 730 almost sunset. It takes an hour to pack and load!
So then I slowly quietly start packing up, getting ready to move on into a very remote bush area- at night.
Then someone walks up thru the bush on the side of the field. Time to play the Jedi mind tricks. What’s he going to do? Am I on Levis brothers’ property, or someone elses?
At this point in time I have to reveal that when I first went on this property I went further back past a trailer then looked for water.
I passed weed plants!
Now knowing that, can you imagine how I felt when the car pulled in, the drone flew over and the man showed up?!!!
So he’s there and he doesn’t see me so I say hey what’s going on. I’m at Levis brothers place camping out, they gave me permission, this is it right?
No. It’s next door.
He’s so surprised to see me I’m confused. I’m looking for my other drone he says. Well I just saw one. You didn’t see me with that one? No I was looking for the other one. I didn’t see you.
Omg I almost fainted I was so relieved. Can you believe from 25 feet away he didn’t see me? So we chatted for 10 or 15 minutes about solar, living simple and so on. He wasn’t mad at me being there he said I might as well stay cause he said what kind of trouble could I cause, what with the horse and all.
So I did.
Then he warned me about the bears and the wolves…
Chris MacLuckies’ professional career began with a decade-long stint as an organic vegetable grower in Ontario Canada. His career is prolific in breadth and scope. He has farmed organics commercially, volunteered in Guatemala, ran a gardening business, raised and raced sled dogs, tended his livestock, and ridden his horse on a multi-country expedition.
Chris is a certified TEFL ESL English Teacher, author of seven books, freelance content creator, and outdoor travel gear designer.
