Tall Stories and my great grandfather

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Tall Stories(and my great grandfather)
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Tall Stories Fairy TalesCommon Elements

• Ending
• And they all lived happily every after
• (after a bit of drama)
• Beginning
• The hero wants to do something heroic
• But the forces of sanity say it is insane
• Never ending struggle between sanity and
  greatness
• Science
• Cameo role
• An excuse that distracts the forces of sanity
• Love for the Outdoors
• The real point of the story
• The force that drives the hero to do heroic things

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Two Example Stories Greenland Expedition (1 of
2)

• Ending And they all lived happily every after
• The bit of drama
• NY Times reported
• Ward lost (and presumed the worst)
• But no mention of my grandparents wedding plans
• Sanity Invited to earlier expedition
• But wife objected
• Had to wait for another invitation (after her
  death)
• Scientific excuse
• Prove or disprove Weather over Greenland ?
  Weather over America
• False Earth doesnt rotate that way
• Resolution
• He was never lost.
• The younger members gave the old man a head
  start.
• But the weather turned nasty,
• and no sane person would continue onto the cache
• A couple weeks later they found Ward
• exactly where he said he would be (at the cache).

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Two Example StoriesHistory of Snow Surveys (2
of 2)

• Ending
• And they all lived happily every after
• (after a bit of drama)
• Beginning
• The hero wants to go for a walk in the woods
• in winter
• with his bride
• Sane people didnt do that in those days
• Before REI EMS Designer Outdoors Clothing
  (for men and women)
• Unacceptable she was wearing mens furs
  horrors!
• Science
• Cameo role
• An excuse that distracts the forces of sanity
• Water The perfect excuse for risking ones neck
• Love for the Outdoors
• The real point of the story
• The force that drives the hero to do heroic
  things
• His SNOTEL sites most romantic locations (and
  least accessible). Why?