Hmmm...Not sure if I'm one that fits in or not, but I will say that the love of canoe country, wherever that may be for all of us, is a pretty tight bond, imho.

In any event, since I live in Madison, I always look forward to 'Copia weekend, and would even be happy to host a gathering this year, should that be something folks would be interested in. But I'd also enjoy a MN gathering, in either the Cities or farther north. I'll figure out which way to vote in the poll, but I'm all for meetings!

Hey
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If this guys there...then I am too

I'd even consider meeting some of you paddlers

And now back to the question at hand. What season and where is the best location to have a MN QJ Rendezvous? Of course, those from other parts are welcome to join us. 

 Spartan2,

I sure hope so!  And I absolutely appreciate what you were saying!

Hey, how many of the rest of you bums claim to haul pink flamingoes around with them in the park?!?!

If THAT doesn't qualify ME as a misfit, I'm not sure what could!!!

Hey, I like Riversend's pics, too.  At the present time, however, we do not seem to be communicating well together.  That's all.  His point isn't clear to me & seemed a little negative.  Could be it wasn't intended that way.  I'll allow for that.

Could be I'm just in a not-very-understanding suckee mood today.  Hopefully folks can allow for that, too.

Thanks!

Jimbo

Hi Jimbo!  Just to make it perfectly clear--if I sometimes don't "fit in",  it doesn't mean that I don't like it here or that I am going anywhere!!  You're stuck with me!   

So far, the people who "don't fit in" on QJ (all two of them bold enough to say so, that is) have together logged over 1200 posts to this website.

Just a few more "rebels" like these and we will have racked up quite a count!

To claim website "misfit" and then walk away sounds to my ear like the smug assertion, "I've got the rest of you pegged... and I'm definitely NOT like you.  As a matter of fact, I'm gotta walk away from you."

Having met a good many QJers, paddled with a good many QJers, and corresponded with lord-knows-how-many QJers over the years it would be MY confident observation that we pretty much resemble the rest of humanity.  We are diverse as hell.  We got misfits all over the place!  Misfits for what?  The MAIN "what" that holds us together, as Spartan2 so accurately asserts, IS our love of canoe country.

As a moderator - albeit a not-as-active-one in recent years - I gotta report that there ain't a whole heckuva-a-lot-of post-throttling going on behind the scenes on QJ.  Unless it is deemed (by multiple moderators) absolutely inflammatory or obscene or requested by the original poster to be rescinded, not many posts get stifled on this website.

I doubt that I have zapped 2 posts in the past 12 months... and those might have been over two years ago!

Anyhow, I encourage all: be diverse, be respectful, and say whatever you want.  Walk away if you need to.  Come back if you want to.  Let's just be respectful... to misfits & non-misfits alike.

Jimbo  

To Riversend:

If you are leaving QJ, I am sorry to see you go.  We don't live anywhere near the canoe country, so we wouldn't have been coming to the rendezvous no matter where it would have been held.  To travel to the canoe country for a get-together in January would be out of the question for us--even Duluth or the Twin Cities is too far.  We hope to make it to Madison in March, but even that is a big undertaking.

Fitting in is another situation altogether.  As another one who often doesn't "fit in" here, (albeit in for completely different reasons) I have a bit of understanding, but even so, I would like for you to reconsider.  You will be missed.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have looked at the wonderful photos you have posted in the middle of the winter--the wolves in the snow are coming to mind right now--and just for a minute I have felt a tiny bit of the joy you must feel to actually LIVE up there!

There is room here for all who love the canoe country.  Or so I have been told.  And just because some want to gather away from the north country, it doesn't mean that you must be an outsider, or that you must leave.

I hope you will reconsider.  I will miss you.

Lynda

I'll meet any place in MN (depending upon the date) and, as some of you know, I was originally pushing for Duluth... until I opened up db's interesting graphic re: where MN QJer's actually live.  That made the choice pretty much a slam dunk (at least in January).

Re: Riversend... his message is completely lost on me.  I have no idea if he coming or going from QJ, what he is trying to say, or even what exactly his post has to do with this thread.  Then, again, I've never claimed to be very bright.  I like his choice of poets, though.  If Riversend wishes to take the initiative to set up a rendezvous somewhere else (IF that's the point), I suppose I might consider going.  I say, "have at it."

I'll have to see a lot more evidence of interest, though, before I'll invest more of my time in checking out menus, room availability at restaurants, reasonable-rate motels, etc., for whatever location we might choose.  Perhaps I blew the whistle too early?

I'm listening....

Jimbo  

We decided to pull the plug because it did not seem to be an idea that was being embraced as something QJers were interested in doing. Our first thought was to have it in Duluth area. When we were informed about where QJ 'hits' were coming from, we moved it to TC.

One thought is to have it in conjunction with Midwest Mountaineering's Spring Outdoor Expo, but we are not 'married' to that idea. If something else works better, in either the TC, Duluth, or elsewhere, we will consider it. While we realize that having this 'discussion' will produce varied opinions, we also hope it will produce some solid interest and some consensus.

One thing we want to avoid, is to be competing with the already well established QJ rendezvous at Copia, March 11-13 in Madison. We are supportive of that event, and plan to attend it. We hope many QJers will take advantage of that opportunity. We want whatever happens in Minnesota to complement that event.

I think we are open to any and all suggestions/ideas about when and where a rendevous should be held. Feel free to post your ideas/suggestions here.

We also hope that Riversend will reconsider his position.

Please note that I have posted a new poll to give feedback.

marlin55388 wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2010 at 12:53pm:


I'm in either way.