Team PaddleFish in the Texas Water Safari Race

The Fly Fish Chick, aka Christine Johnson, is participating in the 260 mile paddle race in Texas. She's not in the race for the fame and glory of finishing in first place! She is in the multi-day race to raise money and awareness for Rett Syndrome. Christine has been training for the race for more than a year, only to have the June event date delayed by heavy rains and flooding. She didn't let the postponement deter her determination even though it meant rearranging schedules and vacation trips for many people.

The race must go on and today the race has started! The Fly Fish Chick and her new race partner have cleared the first 3 portages and are well on their way to surviving this 100 hour race. Clearing the dams and rapids will be the tricky part of the race. It will finish on Wednesday I believe.

flyfishchick blog
Fly-Fish-Chick on FaceBook
Track the progress of Team PaddleFish on the map
Team PaddleFish on FaceBook
Austin TV interview with Christine
Even on Twitter http://twitter.com/TheFlyFishChick

Christine is an avid fly fisher as is her boyfriend, the Professor. More on how we met them later.
Go Team PaddleFish!

Trying to Relax, Meeting Nice People

Has it taken me this long to relax or are the people getting nicer? Perhaps there were so many fishermen here in the beginning, all wanting to catch lots of fish, hoping for the big one, all wanting a prime spot on the river, elbowing their way in, pushing others out, that the chaos got to me. Maybe I was one of them. ?? Or maybe I'm just now realizing that we've been here 100 days and we have many more left to enjoy. I have to think it's a combination of both.

We, and the other fishermen, now say, "I've caught a nice fish. I'm happy with one fish." In the beginning of the season it was all about numbers, quantity not quality. We’ve met some very nice, interesting people this summer. We’ve been fortunate to see many return from years past, some staying for a day or two and some camping out and staying longer. It's nice to get reacquainted and spend more time with them. Tom offered to take us down the river in his drift boat. Jeff brought his cata-raft and elk meat. Logan left us a bottle of wine. Jerry treated us to dinner out. Don treated us to a couple dinners (in & out) and wine. Ray shared his smoked trout. We shared many meals plus more with Eric's family and a couple dinners with Kenny & Linda. Clark brought us a sweet watermelon. Stan and Steve who give so much of themselves. (Many more that I can't remember right now.) All treated us to their friendship and good conversation. It's been an enjoyable summer with friends.

We’ve met people who have been "on the river” for many years, who make this their livelyhood, like Chuck Robbins, Tim Tollett, Dick Sharon, Andy Bennett, Tim Mosolf, Tom Smith, Russ Kipp, Dan Delekta, and Terry Throckmorton. And some equally nice “younger” guys who also make their living on the river like Justin and Travis Hartman, Matt Bryn, and many more.

We’ve met newcomers to the river who are looking for the big fish, who we tell they’re lucky just to hook one, let alone bring it to the net for a photo. Heck, I’ve told many that if you can just see a fish rising you’re doing well. It’s been rewarding for us to help the nice guys. Like Jim from Maine who finally asked me what fly I was using, who I gave flies to, who I walked out to the river with to spot the fish. Steve jokingly asked if I was “giving clinics.” Jim from Maine told his friends from Maine, William and Josh (father and son) to look for the woman wet wading and I'd help them. They came around the bend in the river and were surprised to find me in the middle of the river, yes, wet wading. William and Josh had been on the Madison River for 3 days with a guide and within a few minutes I was able to give them flies, show them rising fish they had not seen, and they said they caught the biggest fish of their trip so far! That felt good.

We enjoy helping most people with fishing tips and with flies. Seeing Greg & Stuart (father & son) catch fish together was special. Seeing Steve and his grandkids fishing side-by-side was heartwarming. Eric sharing a fish photo with his kids made me as happy as the kids were.

I'm still trying to relax. I'm enjoying life and looking long and hard for the good. Considering all things, taking the bad with the good, I'd say there's been far more good times than bad. I hope you say 'hi' when you see us.

More Camp Style Living

Smoked trout, hot cheese dip, smoked oysters and mussels, jalapenos poppers wrapped in bacon, london broil in the dutch oven with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, bbq tri-tip, bbq chicken thighs, chilie relanos, bbq chick breast, brats, twice baked potatoes, fresh salads, rice of all flavors, breakfast burritos, apple crisp, peaches and cream, and smores. We have been eating well for the past few weeks and we've had a lot of fun.

Been Busy Having Fun

We've had friends visiting for the past few weeks and we've been busy having fun! They love to fish and enjoy the camping lifestyle.

Rick and Eric cooked most of the dinners outside on the grill or in the cast iron dutch oven.

One night they made fried chicken and it was yummy!

We've taken lots of photos of our follies and fishing.

I'm happy to say that I spend more time fishing than on the computer.

A much needed change of scenery

Instead of fishing, I headed to town with Stefanie and their 2 kids. We went to a few places in town for some shopping and then picked up some groceries. We were back to camp around 1:00 where we'd left Rick and Eric tying flies. When we got back they were on the river, catching lots of fish. Rick tied up a special Compara Dun pattern that I wanted and they had lots of success.

I walked down to the river and the two irritating guys were there, but they were leaving. Yippeee! My "favorite" had gotten a hole in his waders and Rick said he'd gotten up on the far bank and practically took it all off in an effort to dry off. Thank goodness I'd missed that show. Rick also said earlier he asked one where they were going to fish so he didn't intrude too close. Rick said "Do you mind if I fish here?" and the guy said, "I'm fishing here next to my brother." Rick said he didn't want to fish way out there, he wanted to stay on the close bank. So Rick fished from the bank. He didn't get into the river and as the guys watched, Rick hooked a big fish and it ran out to where they were fishing, jumped high in the air a couple times and threw the hook. Now that's a show I would have liked to have seen. Rick didn't need to land the fish. The guys were surprised and from that point on walked around the area where Rick was fishing. (Unlike me, when they walked right through.) Perhaps they did learn something during their stay in Montana.

The visitors both eventually left the river and left Rick and I to ourselves. There were only a couple of boats who floated by and no one else within sight. Although it was well into the afternoon, the fish were rising and Rick had tied what they wanted. We fished with dries, spotting each other's fish and coaching each other on our casts. We took turns and had such a great time laughing and just having a good time together. And we caught lots of fish. Around 4:00 we headed the short distance back to camp where Eric had the cata-raft hooked up and ready to launch. We were going to float and fish from the campground to the next takeout point and we purposely had waited until the end of the day. We wanted the majority of the guides to be out of the way. We cruised on by a couple drift boats and found the spot we knew from the past; a wide open, slow moving, glassy section of the river, the surface disturbed only by the big heads of gulping trout. I had on a dry fly, one of the Compara Duns that Rick had tied, so they put me at the front of the raft. As we sat there anchored, Eric pointed out a fish rising waaaayyyyy downstream from us and said he'd pull up the anchor to get closer. I said "no", let me have a try at it first. He said "It'll be a tough set!", as I cast to the fish. And after letting it drift a good long distance I saw the water move and the splash and I set the hook! And I set the mood for the rest of the float trip. It was a blast, with lots of fish, most not so easy, but soooo much fun! It immediately brought back memories of the 3 of us floating the rivers of Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana as we'd done for years. Eric is great on the oars and I've trusted my life to him on some scary waters. I think I caught the first 3 fish and then I sat out the next inning while Rick and Eric each caught a few. A couple guide boats with clients drifted by and I asked if they were catching lots of fish. One guy said a couple, one guy said he was getting skunked. Yikes! I thought I'd better keep my squeals to myself. Actually, I'm not a squealer when I hook fish. I prefer to be quiet about it = most of the time.

When I wasn't fishing I was looking for rising trout for Rick and Eric. I can truly have as much fun spotting and coaching someone else. It was great to be able to tell them "Another foot towards the bank, right beyond that rock, down another 10 feet, should be right THERE!" and the fish would take, and they would set, and the fish would jump, jump, jump and we'd quickly net it and release it! Lots of jumping brown trout in the 18" to 20" size, with a couple nice rainbows.

We called Stefanie around 7:30 to bring the truck and trailer for the take out and she met us around 8:00. The mosquitoes were thick, but Stefanie had a tasty dinner waiting for us back a camp. I have some photos and video of the float trip that I will try to post next. What a great day it was. I'm in a much better mood.

Update on cross-country bicycle ride

If you haven't checked in on Todd and Jared's website lately, Todd is making good progress on his cross-country bicycle ride. Todd is riding from Oregon to Virginia in support of his nephew Jared who is battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Their website is interesting, humorous and you get a view of the ride from the comforts of your home. Todd's narrative is funny and his photos are great. Check it out if you have some time. You'll find the blog under Follow Me here http://www.jaredsmiles.org/  (Todd added the Follower feature to his Blogger blog and you can easily add yourself. I've thought about adding the Follower feature to ours, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I already have one Follower so I guess I should.)

Ahhh, the marvels of modern technology. Todd is also using Twitter. You can find him here http://twitter.com/Jaredsmiles if you use Twitter.

Todd, I hope you have clear skies, a smooth path, and a tail wind in your favor.

Happy 4th!

We are enjoying our 4th of July with Eric and his family and Jeff and his family here at the campground. Although the forecast is for afternoon scattered thunderstorms, we're going to cook out on the campfire again tonight. We have brats, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and smores for dessert. I hope we get to do a little fishing today. Tonight when it gets dark (10:00 PM or later) they will light the fireworks they brought with them.

We hope your 4th of July is filled with good food and lots of good friends and family. Be safe.

Ocean-to-Ocean Bicycle Ride

Our new acquaintance, Todd Larsen, has started off on his cross country, ocean to ocean, 60 day, 4,400 mile, bicycle ride. This is going to be a journey to follow! Todd is riding his bicycle from Oregon to Virginia to show support for Jared, his 21 year old nephew. Jared has been living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for 16 years and his courage and determination has inspired Todd to make this journey of a lifetime.

You can read about Jared's life and Todd's trek at http://jaredsmiles.org/. From there you can find a link to the daily ride blog or go here http://jaredsmiles.blogspot.com/.  Be sure to bookmark these links or add them to your Google Reader. You can also easily become a Follower on his blog and post comments. Todd has posted about a half dozen times to the blog so it's easy to catch up on his preparations and his first few days in Oregon. Todd's descriptive and creative writing style has already got me looking forward to his next day. We wish him much luck and safe travels as he makes his way through 11 states.

The ride will be tough going for Todd, but I'm sure not as tough a time as Jared has had through his life-journey. Todd is hoping to raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In addition, he is hoping to raise money for Jared's medical expenses and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. No donations will go toward the bike ride. It's an interesting blog, an adventurous undertaking, a touching look into someone else's life, and a heartwarming glimpse at the love of an uncle for his nephew. Stay safe Todd, stay strong Jared.

Ryan Reichle = A River Angel

Ryan Reichle was a river angel. One of those people who enjoyed the river and wanted others to feel the joy of being on the river. I can’t say I knew Ryan really well – other than running into him at the fly shop, we didn’t hang out together off the river. But we saw each other on the river on a regular basis and he was always friendly, helpful, and polite.

It was probably 2004 the first time we met Ryan, on the river of course. I was bringing in a big fish, wondering if I’d land it, hoping I’d land it, when this fishing guide in a big white cowboy hat leaves his clients and walks towards me with his big boat net. He asked if he could net my fish for me. Of course! Please! And with that, Ryan netted my fish and we released it and became river-side friends. I don’t believe he offered to net the fish just because I was a woman either. When you saw Ryan with his clients you could see that he was doing his best to ensure they caught fish and had fun.

We looked forward to talking with Ryan. He willingly shared his knowledge of fly fishing and traded flies with us. He didn’t play the “secret fly game” that some guys do. He let me play fetch with his dog and showed off Henry’s doggie tricks and good manners. He loved both of his dogs. The last time we saw Ryan was September of last year when the river flow was shut off. Yes, he was fishing on his day off with his 2 dogs and a friend. Knowing it was his day off, we didn’t want to intrude on his peace, but I did take a couple photos of him. I thought it was special that he would be on the river fishing with his dogs nearby, being where he worked and earned his living, but doing what he wanted to do on his day off. I think if you are a guide and you also love to fish, you will know what I’m trying to say.

We’ve been looking for Ryan since May 16, wondering if the next boat floating downstream would be the Keffler with a black and white dog sitting proudly in his spot. When we saw someone on the oars wearing a big straw cowboy hat we hoped it would be Ryan so we could find out about his winter adventures. But we hadn’t seen him and now we know we won’t. His passing has been on my mind all week and I’m still trying to find the words of how I feel.

How confused and sad I am. I cannot begin to understand why. I don’t understand the depth or darkness of it. I don’t know why and never will. I just know Ryan Reichle will be missed by many.

Friendly mention of a friendly guy

Last summer while fishing one of our favorite rivers, we started to notice some of the same fisherpeople day after day. One of the guys who was very courteous and always gave us plenty of elbow room was Brad Terrell from Alaska and Colorado. It didn't take long for us to strike up a conversation with Brad and get to know a little about him. He'd fished Alaska for years and it was apparent he knew fly fishing tactics. And he practiced good river etiquette, both for other fishermen and for the fish. We swapped flies and stories and I even took a couple photos of him with his fish.

Brad's been a fishing and hunting guide and we enjoyed discussing the river, the fish, and techniques. We exchanged emails with Brad a couple times this past winter and he told us about his new website, Dream Drift Flies, and we'd like to share it with you. Through Brad's website you can order from the entire inventory of Montana Fly Company (MFC). If you're interested in fly fishing I think you'll like the site.
http://www.dreamdriftflies.com/index.php

If you're going to Alaska to fish and you need flies for Alaska, Brad also has a website called Flies For Alaska http://www.fliesforalaska.com. Check them out for your fly fishing needs. Looking forward to fishing with you again this year!

Good Friends & Good Times

We've found that RVers are the friendliest and most helpful people! I guess that's because we all want to live in a home-on-wheels and travel. We have a lot in common with each other, dealing with the good and bad of it. And we try to help each other do this.

We're lucky to have gotten to know a few good folks in our travels. This week we've been visited by Mike & Sharon while they rented a RV lot in our resort community. Another couple who own a lot here, Tim & Crystal, have also had some free time and we've seen them a few times this week also.

Well, actually we first met them on-line at the website iRV2.com, but we've camped with them at Quartzsite for the past 2 years. It's been fun to visit with them this past week in our own communtity. We all went out to dinner one night and we had dinner with Mike & Sharon a couple nights ago in their motorhome. (We felt so comfortable in their motorhome and I can't wait to get back into ours!) Another night the six of us got together at Tim & Crystal's motorhome and enjoyed drinks and dinner on their patio.

The weather was warm and the sunset was a gorgeous orange and pink. Just as it was getting dark someone noticed a wild young bobcat at the end of the yard romping around chasing a rabbit. The young bobcat appeared to only be playing with the rabbit because we agreed that he could have easily caught it. The bobcat climbed a small tree and we could see it precariously making it's way to the end of the farthest branches. It chased some birds out of the tree and slowly made its way to the ground where it again played with one of the birds. We had heard that the residents in our community had complained about the bobcats and called AZ Game & Fish to remove them. It was a special moment to see the wild bobcat at play. It was even more special to spend time with good friends. Thanks guys and safe travels!

First day of Quartzsite Big Tent Event

We drove the 2 miles from our QZ camp to experience the first day of the Big Tent Event. We hadn't planned to go on the first day, wanting to avoid the big crowds, but our friends were leaving early and it would be the best day for them to see it all. So we got up early and drove down the road. And we were very surprised to not find the same large crowds as last year. We were directed to park around the back of the tent and had only a very short walk to the entrance. We saw all the vendors inside and outside the tent in a couple hours. It seems like the tent is a lot smaller than last year, with not as many vendors. The crowds were there as we remembered though.

The second day of the RV Show found us once again making the same trip with some other friends who were only going to be around for a day or so. We were happy to drive them to the tent on Sunday morning, especially when we found hardly any cars in the main parking lot at 9 AM! We parked right at the main entrance and walked the inside and out once again. I even found a cheese grator that I wanted to buy. Hand-powered for times when I don't have electricity, like now. We looked at a few of the new and used motorhomes for sale, just for kicks because our friends wanted to look. They'd like to trade up someday, but we're very happy with our 2008 Cayman. The crowds were very light, almost non-existent, which made for easy walking.

The rest of Sunday afternoon was spent in our coach with friends watching the Arizona Cardinals win their football game and then the Steelers win their game. I guess our motorhome might have been the only one with the game on. Whenever there was loud cheering and yelling everyone could tell we'd made a touchdown. We enjoyed some snacks during the game and topped the day off with a huge potluck.

Like spokes of a wheel

There are about a dozen motorhomes gathered around our little campsite. The 'Drifters' were the first to stake out our domain, and then we arrived along with a couple others, and it seems the coaches haven't quit arriving. Some are only staying a couple days, others may stay a couple weeks. As some leave, others are pulling in to take their place.

It is very beneficial to be camping with others who also have Monaco Coaches (including Holiday Rambler, Safari, and Beaver) because we're sharing what we've learned about our motorhomes with each other. Rick has gotten a lot of help from Mike to make modifications that he's been wanting to tackle. I think on the first day Mike moved and turned our sewer macerator which we've never used. Now that it's easier to get to, we will! Rick is also going to re-arrange all the switches near the front door so they make more sense to us. Rick helped another guy install their new interior sun shades. With everyone around for a few days, any questions that someone might have will be easily answered by others who have completed the same task.

Landscaping - Quartzsite style

Some of the campers here in the desert of Quartzsite arrange rock borders around their camping domains to stake out their territory. I think there is a rule that you're supposed to not be closer than 15 feet to the next camper, and the rock borders clarify the boundries. Some look like yards, with their campfire rings, chairs, and patio areas.

This is a picture of some of our guys moving rocks around to mark our territory and create our firepit and evening seating area. Thanks to Mike, Tom, Rick and Tim for organizing our landscape rocks and to 14 year old Luke for digging our firepit. This evening we had happy hour and good conversation while watching the sunset. Tomorrow night we'll have a roaring fire to sit around and enjoy happy hour. Feels more like home now.

Why Rally? (Part 1)

Why? To learn about new stuff. To connect with friends. To see different RVs. To know more about our RV. To have fun. To learn a new craft. The entertainment. To meet new friends.

A year ago, as (sort of) new RVers, having just purchased a motorhome, we wanted to attend a rally. We'd had a 5th wheel trailer many years earlier and lived in it full-time for about 7 years, but living in a motorhome was going to be a little different and technology had changed quite a bit. We were looking for information on all the new gadgets, devices, and systems to make RVing easier. In January 2008 we attended the FMCA Western Regional Rally in Indio, the same rally we are currently attending. Yep, we've come full circle and are where we were a year ago. Only a little older and wiser.

Last year was fun! It was the thrill of a new motorhome and being on the road once again. It was the hope of meeting new friends. It was anticipation of all the new high tech thingies that we "needed". It was definitely the experience of being at a rally with 1500 other motorhomes, each RVer hoping to also find what we were seeking. Having also attended an FMCA International Convention and a Monaco Coach Pre-Rally in 2008, I'd say the Monaco Rally was the best. The Monaco Rally cost more, but they catered to Monaco coach owners. There were Monaco technicians available to resolve most issues with your coach. They provided lots of good food and entertainment, as well as drinks all day long for those who like to start happy hour at 10 AM. It was also specific to our motorhome and the major vendors were there to offer assistance with all our systems and appliances.

It was a good FMCA rally here in Indio in 2008, but we thought it was only a so-so rally this year. Because we have done the same rally twice in 12 months, much of it was familiar. It did not have the awe and excitement that it did the first time. I heard a couple attendees say the number of vendors was less than last year which may be true. In 2009 there were approximately 1400 RVs attending, 1700 day passes in 3 days, 14 coaches sold and 8 more coaches ordered.

Since the seminars covered pretty much the same information, we skipped many that we attended last year. Sitting through some of these a second time didn't sound like fun - "GPS Systems", "Let's Clean the RV", "Dinghy Towing", "Low Voltage", "Water Filtration", "Insurance Can Be Easy" - especially since most were put on by vendors hoping to sell their product.

I'll finish with the rally posting tomorrow in Part 2 and let you know more about the activities and entertainment. What was hot and what was not.

"You have to earn your air"

Continued from prior post- "Something to share"

Steve,
Your email about the elderly gentleman really touched me, as I know he has touched you. I'd like to ask if I can put the story on my blog? What's your new friend hoping to do? Is he wanting to live closer to his sons? What does his future hold? Thanks for sharing this with us.
Mic & Rick

Rick and Mic,
A lot has happened since I wrote the email this morning: he has received a nice warm jacket and other clothes, he has a little more money in his pocket for food and he will be living in a home for at least a month. Tonight will be the first time in a very long while that he will be able to shower and sleep warmly and safely. The lady who owns the house is recently divorced, with the house in foreclosure and at least one child. She saw him on a bus bench last night and asked if he needed help. He said no, but she said I know you do because I've seen you around a lot sitting on the bus bench and doing odd jobs. She said she would make a place for him to stay at her house. When she found out he had a nominal budget for housing, she immediately agreed to give her master bedroom and bath to him for a month. When I took him to the house and paid the lady, he was so proud and happy, and he just had to show me the room. So, we have bought some time to formulate a plan and a backup. His belongings consisted of the clothes he had on and obituary articles about his mother and his grandmother.

Kenneth Jackson is 61 years old and does not have a plan for the life he has left. But he and I are talking about that, and I think plan number one will be to get him to Illinois where his sons live. I don't know what the sons will think, but I will talk to them on the phone to see if we can work something out, even if it means providing subsistence pay for his lodging there.

Kenneth is very articulate, humble and newly hopeful, in spite of his circumstances, and I find it a joy to be around him. As you can see, it's already a fairly long and complicated tale, with much more to come. He has a small social network on his side now, so things can only get better. He actually expected he would die on the streets. I would be pleased to have you use it on your blog. If any of us don't feel fortunate in our lives, then we haven't seen enough of the lives many others live and we haven't thought clearly about the subject.

I think my son is right in a way when he says, "You have to earn your air."
Steve

Steve,
I wish you were here so I could give you a big hug. The tears are running from my eyes. I feel so hopeful for his man. He is blessed to have you by his side. And it makes me want to be more thoughtful and caring in the way I treat people.

Thanks for sharing and I hope you let me know how he is doing.
Mic

Something to share

I'm still feeling a little puny, as my grandma used to say when one of us felt a little under the weather. It seems I've gotten away from my daily blogging just a little, what with all the activities going on and the holidays. But there are lots of words circling in my head, so stand by. And even though I'm not 100%, I'm far better off than many, many others. When I start to have a little self-pity party, I just have to look at what others are dealing with to get me off the pity wagon.

Rick and I are fortunate to be able to spend time with family this fall and I've got some photos from our visits to share later. But not everyone is so fortunate. Although we are all dealing with some personal hardship, be it health issues, relationships, or money problems, we tend to lose sight of others who are suffering much greater hardships.

We received a very touching email from our friend Steve and I felt compelled to share it with you. With his permission I'm sharing.

Wednesday, 10:25 AM

Rick and Mic,


Your recent comments about the good lives that most of us have were, I hope, taken to heart by your blog readers. I got a lesson of my own in thankfulness two days before Thanksgiving Day when I was approached at a market in a poor community by a slender old black man. He introduced himself by name and said he needed help, although he made it clear he wanted to work and was not a beggar. I had a cup of coffee that I had just bought and was in a hurry to get somewhere, but I talked with the man for a few minutes and ultimately gave him ten bucks.

Well, as you might imagine, I felt happy with myself as I drove off. But several hours later I began to realize that I needed to really help this man. So I looked for him around the market several hours later, feeling a certain sense of urgency. Luckily, I found him and we sat down together to talk. I heard this man's hard luck story from his childhood in Louisiana all the way up to the current time in his poor little community where had come two years ago to take care of his sick mother. She died a year ago, but he remains a polite, dignified man in spite of having no place to stay, no food, no transportation, no phone, only the clothes on his back, not having had any medical or dental care for as long as he can remember. He has as close to nothing as anyone I have ever met.

I gave him more money for food, hoping that he would have something to eat on Thanksgiving Day. But I still knew he needed more help than that. When I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, I couldn't stop thinking about how unbelievably blessed all of us are, having no idea what other human beings within our reach are going through. So, you can bet I was truly thankful, and I tried to share my feelings with my teenage grandchildren as well as the adults gathered around our table.

When I was younger my cynicism might have taken over, and I would have walked away after the first encounter. But now I have a project. I hope to find him a place to live today and to ultimately get him to Illinois where his adult sons live. They don't know how destitute he is, and he doesn't want to tell them for fear of worrying them. Besides, he has had no way to contact them.

I am telling you this because you know me and will understand that this is unexaggerated truth, and because we should all realize that we cannot be thankful enough. How lucky we are.

Steve

I sent an email back to Steve and asked to know more about this man and the outcome. I will share his reply with you.

Laughing at myself

I admit I sounded like a dud in the previous posting about Halloween. Yep, a dud. Admitted. But those are my thoughts and this is a blog, one where I get to write my thoughts so they don't keep circling round and round up there.

Today I received an email from a good friend, someone we got to know pretty well over the past summer. It's always good to hear from him. When I read it I laughed, actually had a good laugh, and thought he was also having a good laugh at me. That's OK. We learned to understand each other's sense of humor after a short while and my first thought was 'he's poking fun at me.' Even Rick had a good laugh at the email.

But then I said to Rick, "Perhaps this is honestly true?"

Mic,
I had errands to do yesterday and I found very conspicuous signs saying "Please Remove Costumes Before Entering" at the bank and a convenience store. Sad state of affairs.

I do like the Mexican tradition of celebrating "Dia De Los Muertos."

Steve

I'm not able to see his face through email, and you don't always get the feelings a person is trying to convey through email. I can't see if he has a grin on his face or if he's serious. But he did get me to laugh at myself. Thank you friend!

On a sad note, I did read about or hear about crimes, some tragic, that were committed on Halloween. I'm not sure the crimes were so out of the ordinary or if they made it to the headlines because they involved a Halloween costumed bank robber or a child out trick-or-treating. But as my friend said, it is a sad state of affairs.

Trip to the Big Hole River

Although we're counting down our last days here, we took time out today for a fun trip to Melrose, Montana and the Big Hole River.

Well, actually, we made the trip for world famous hamburgers at the Melrose Bar & Cafe with Steve and Marilyn and not for fishing. We didn't take our fly rods!

It was a beautiful trip! We saw antelope and 2 different types of deer - white tail and mule deer. We were on the lookout for moose, but alas, no moose on this trip. Marilyn is determined to see a moose and she has a tight network of friends and accomplices who are also on the lookout and call her when there is a reported sighting.

The hamburgers were very good, as were the fresh real-potato fries. It was the delicious Montana beef - so tasty and totally opposite of fast food burger "meat". The company was fantastic also!

We visited the 2 fly shops in the immediate area before heading over to the river. The cottonwood trees line the river and the leaves have just started to show the bright yellow, gold, orange and red fall colors. The sound of the river flowing over the rocks was like Mother Nature's music. I can see us spending time next year on the Big Hole River, exploring this beautiful area.

What's a narwhal?

Leave it to our friend Nan to suggest that I had caught a narwhal!! I guess being from Hawaii she knows what a narwhal is and could see the resemblance of a narwhal in my rainbow trout - with the fly rod appearing to protrude as a tooth from it's mouth! (I give her credit for knowing a lot of odd facts because she's from Hawaii.)

When she left us the comment a couple days ago I said, "What the heck is a narwhal? Anyone should know by now that this is a rainbow?" And Rick had the biggest out-loud laugh because he knew what a narwhal was and said "She's right you know!" And he said good thing I didn't post the first photos he took. Read on...

A narwhal is a small whale weighing 2000 to 3000 pounds with a 3 to 10 foot long tooth that grows on the left side of it's mouth. Sometimes they have 2 of these unicorn-like tusks. Narwhals live in the northern most Arctic waters. (This photo is from the National Geographic website with credit given to Paul Nicklen)

When I caught this fish I took it to shallow water to release it. It was a good size, about 22", and Rick was close by to snap a photo with his Sony camera. I didn't want to lay my rod down in the muddy muck of river bank that is drying up, so I put my fly rod in my teeth. I have to give credit to Eric for teaching me that manly trick, although it is a favorite pose for many fishermen. I was feeling quite clumsy with the rod-in-teeth and the fish-in-hand. I didn't want to drop the fish nor the rod.

I managed to get the rod under my arm for another photo, one I posted a couple days ago, resulting in the rod appearing to protrude from the fish's mouth. I thought that was better than it protruding from my mouth.

This just reinforces a lesson of photography! Pay attention to what is in the background for fear that a tree might be growing out of the top of your subject's head. Or a long-stick-like tooth might appear to be growing from the mouth.