Commercialized holidays ~ Boo!

Since it's a holiday and "the" holiday season is upon us, I thought I'd have one more thing to say about holidays. Rick and I were talking about Halloween and how it has become commercialized. I think it's been a long time coming. I remember little boys dressed as Superman from comic books, long before major motion pictures were thought of. (Jeez, I make myself sound old!) But all holidays have become commercial, money-making events for companies who sell us decorations, cards, and holiday goods.

We are all enticed to spend, spend, spend on holidays. Why not make sure the entire family is involved with the spending and that it is meaningful. Have a purpose. Let everyone in on the planning. Spend on items that are going to bring the family together. Make quality time. Young children love to help, so let them! Create activities they can feel a part of. You don't have to carve a pumpkin - there are many ways to decorate one. Let them help to make the holiday treats. Encourage them to help design the costume. Ask them what they think.

I'm not suggesting you don't celebrate the holidays. Not at all! In fact, I'm hoping you do celebrate. (If your beliefs allow.) I like family traditions! Even if you don't celebrate, I'm suggesting we all look into the origin of the holidays. What did they mean long ago? How were they originally celebrated? How did they come about? What country did they originate in? What foods and decorations were associated with the holiday? How has it evolved? Can you bring it back to what it was meant to be?

It's so easy to look things up on the Internet or the library. Why not take a few minutes, do a little research, and share some of the true meaning with the young people in your life? It might just give them a better understanding of the holiday, make them feel part of it, and start a family tradition with meaning.

It's Halloween - Be Careful!

I know lots of people who LOVE Halloween. And I know just as many people who DISLIKE Halloween very much. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings or step on any toes. But on the eve of Halloween, most All Hallow's Eve, I've had these thoughts.

I used to like Halloween, when I was a kid. Loved dressing up, walking through the surrounding streets, and getting pillowcases loaded with candy. And fruit. And homemade treats, too. Homemade popcorn balls were popular. Oh yes, Mom had to inspect it all before we could eat any, but we loved the sack loads of candy we hauled home.

And then I remember a time when Mom started looking for razor blades in the apples and candy that had been tampered with. And I got older and it turned into disbelief that someone would want to hurt children with candy. But since I left that childhood of long ago, being able to walk from neighborhood to neighborhood without a care, I'm overly cautious about small children trick or treating, running in the street after dark and the unknown people, the strangers who are also out there in the dark.

As kids, my brothers and I used to feel confident venturing into areas blocks away from our own street. But then, we knew so many of the families living in those surrounding neighborhoods. We felt secure. When communities began providing organized locations for kids to visit, like the local school, church, or community center, I thought that was a great idea. A safe alternative. Thank you to the organizations that provide these fun, safe Halloween events.

The state agency I retired from used to hold Halloween costume contests, a costume parade, and pumpkin carving contests. I didn't understand it or agree with it, but the administration supported it. Even though they attempted to hold these events during lunch, they often went on for much longer than an hour lunch break. Of course co-workers dressed in full-costume was disruptive throughout the work day, not to mention what the public who encountered costumed state employees must have thought. Call me a party-pooper, but that's just not my idea of what should happen at a government agency.

For a long time I've also thought that Halloween gave bad guys a free day, an excuse, to hide behind a mask and costume and rob or hurt others. This week prime time TV has showcased crooks in costume, some even impersonating police and other law enforcement. Getting dressed for an evening costume party is one thing, but if I have to go into a grocery store or other business on Halloween day, I'm very suspicious of adults in costumes that hide their identity.

Sorry to be a party-pooper. I love seeing the small children dressed in their cute costumes. And I appreciate the homes that have been decorated with spooky decorations to make it fun for the young kids. I just see too much opportunity for the real monsters and creeps to be themselves on All Hallow's Eve. Please be careful.

Getting the hang of being a snowbird

We've been out of the motorhome a few days now, in the house once more, and we're getting the hang of being a retired snowbird. It took us a couple days to empty the motorhome and high-grade clothes and other stuff we had along for the ride. We've sorted the stuff and made a trip to the Goodwill store. Rick has done almost all the outside yard work (mostly digging up dead plants that we knew wouldn't make it without water), and I've tried to take care of the inside of the house. I've done laundry and now we're starting to put stuff back in the motorhome. I love going over to the storage area and visiting our mobile fishing lodge, but 'she' seems like a boat out of water sitting all closed up, empty, and without us. In dry dock and with temps at 95! But the moho looks so good! It's fun deciding now what we will be taking with us on the next trip.

What I meant when I said we're getting the hang of being a retired snowbird is that we've jumped in, with both feet, not into a river, but into the clubs and activities of our retirement resort community. We've checked out the wood shop, arts & crafts club, stitchery club, wood carvers club, AND the pickle ball club. We've had about 2 hours of beginner level pickle ball lessons and we both love it! Not only is the sport fun, but the group is a fun-loving group of active people.

These are only a small fraction of the available clubs and activities we have to choose from. Just about any type of activities are offered and could keep us busy all day, every day. You name it and it's here. When we retired the first time years ago we participated in all the fun stuff and now we have the opportunity to do it again. Hmmmm... How about painting class, quilting, genealogy, ceramics, stained glass, golf, shuffleboard, billiards, dancing of all types, bowling, water exercise, bingo, card games of all sorts, and there's even a computer club if we missed working. They already asked us if we could come by and teach. Hmmmmm...

What to say when asked...

When people ask "Aren't you glad to be out of that motorhome?", I say "No", with a little attitude, I now realize. They say "Aren't you glad to be in your own bed now?" and I reply that both beds are ours and they're both Sleep Number air beds, and both very comfortable. I guess those who ask (neighbors, friends, and family) have no idea how much fun we have in our motorhome. I guess they either don't know or they have tried it and didn't like it. But we love it!

I think they assume we are uncomfortable and cramped for space in the motorhome. I think they think we are not happy to be travelling to the cool north away from the hot Arizona summer. Yes, we miss family immensely and we're happy to be able to hug them now, but are we unhappy in the moho? No! We are very happy in the moho! We are thrilled to be able to do what we have planned to do for many years. To be able to fly fish the glorious rivers of the Pacific northwest and see the beautiful USA.

We were very comfy and cozy in our 35' Monaco Cayman. We like to say "It's big enough, but not too big to keep us out of where we want to go." Living full-time (or many months) in a (mid-size) RV is definitely not for everyone, but we love it. Honestly!


When we pulled up and parked in front of the house I didn't want to leave the moho. I sat in it, sad to be home, not wanting the recent adventure to be over. While sitting in the driver's seat I called my mom to tell her we'd arrived safely, but that I was a little bummed out and she told me that most people would be happy to be home. I agreed, and after the call I had a talk with myself and a quick attitude adjustment, and realized that I could be happy or unhappy. That I could choose my mood. I had to keep telling myself for a couple days that I should be happy and we truly are happy. Poor Rick took the brunt of my bad attitude for a day, but it is good to be home. We love our stick house and our community, and we have some fun events and outings planned close to home.

Now that we are back in the stick house for a couple days, I find myself reaching for a drawer or cupboard that was in the moho. The silverware and glasses are in a different location and the microwave controls are different. Before taking my shower last night I reached for the ceiling vent controls so I could turn on the fan and it wasn't there. I find myself smiling when I reach in the wrong direction for something. And a couple times Rick has had to ask where something is stored now.

This evening before dinner Rick and I sat out on the patio and enjoyed some fresh homemade salsa, chips, and a cold beverage. We talked about the good times we had these past 10 months and how we are looking forward to the next few months and the projects and events we have planned through the winter. The winters are fabulous in Arizona and since we don't like cold weather, this is a perfect place to be for the next few months. After a couple days of being here I can say "It's good to be home."

We have nice views out the windows here, but I can't see a river. However, I can see the golf course ponds and I've tried to practice my fly casting, but the guys who patrol the golf course don't like it much. Rules! Or perhaps they don't want the resort to be over-run by the likes of the Beverly Hillbillies. I'll have to find a grassy area and pretend there's water. Somehow I'll need to practice my fly casting before now and opening day in May.

Who put all this stuff in our motorhome?

Unbelievable! I'd like to know who put all this stuff in the motorhome? Living in a small space like a motorhome, say 400 square feet, brings space management to a new level. We wanted everything to have a place so we wouldn't have to move it to sit down, go to bed, or walk around comfortably. And we did a good job of that. You learn to live with less stuff, or at least you learn to prioritize what is important to have with you. And we have the ability to carry a lot of stuff in our moho. Almost 5000 pounds of Cargo Carry Capacity or CCC. But still, where did all this stuff come from? We were only on the road 10 months!

Yes, it's amazing the amount of stuff we removed from the motorhome when we arrived back at our house! We filled the house refrig, freezer and pantry and we have an overflowing linen closet. Rick and I agreed long ago we wouldn't move because we don't like to pack and unpack. This sure felt like we moved and it makes us want to downsize even more than ever. It's made me think about having 2 of everything, one for the moho and one for the stick house, but that's not practical. Well, truthfully (don't tell Rick), I have started to accumulate separate items for the moho and the house. After all, the color schemes are totally different. The rugs, bedding and linens are different and don't cross over well. We have a new set of pots and pans for the house so I didn't have to unload them. And now that I think about it, the convection/microwave oven has it's own set of cookware. I guess I could have carried in a couple more boxes. Thankfully not.

We've started thinking about the unnecessary items we hauled around that we never needed. For one thing, we took way too many clothes! We are "jeans, shorts, and t-shirts" people and we're happy to say that's what we wore most of the time. What was I thinking when I packed all those clothes? Really, we did it together, wasn't just me. We did plan to weed out the old clothes that should be given to Goodwill and I'm pleased to say we have a box of Goodwill items being filled right now.

We don't like to run out of something (soap, TP, Kleenix, mustard, salad dressing, tuna, rice) so we tend to have 3 or 4 on hand. We're trying to change our thinking on this because guess what? We've found that even while living in an RV, you are never far from a store. Part of our buying is also for survival planning. We like to think we are prepared for emergencies and could get along with what we have on hand.

When we retired, actually before we retired, we started to downsize. Or we thought we were. We liked to think we were getting rid of all the chatzkies and doo-da's, you know, the clutter. Moving back into the house and seeing what is there makes us reconsider our possessions once again. How many pillows are required to be comfortable? (one good one!) How many pairs of tennis shoes does one need? (lots of water sandals!) How many books do we need to keep on our bookshelves when we have a fully stocked library within walking distance? (reminder to read more!) How much yarn do I need? (finish the projects!) So, once again we are motivated to downsize and keep what is really important to us. That's not to say our house will be sterile with nothing on the walls or shelves. But when we get ready to load the motorhome in 5 months we will remember the unloading.

Turning left for AZ

I've been a little sporadic with my posts lately, but we've been busy! I've missed a few days and some of you have sent email asking "Where are you?" or "What are you up to lately?" I have photos and campground reviews that I want to share, so stay tuned and I'll try to get caught up.

We were able to spend a few days in the So Cal area and visited with almost all my family! Haven't seen them in 9 or 10 months! It was so good to be able to spend time with them and catch up on their lives. They are all so busy with all their kids and work!

We arrived at the Soledad Canyon Thousand Trails park in the Palmdale area and they let us leave the moho parked here on-site while we spent a couple nights away. We felt it was pretty secure and it worked out very well for us. I've taken lots of photos of the park and will share them in another post and give more details on the park in a future post. It's an interesting park and as we walked around we couldn't help but wonder what direction the TT Corporation is headed. More on this later.

We are heading out in the morning for Arizona, about a 6 or 7 hour trip. But we know where we are going and what we are going to find when we get there. We called the neighbors and let them know we're coming home and they are happy to have us back - for a while.

Through the Grapevine

I don't remember ever driving the Grapevine, but that's probably because I wanted to forget it. What an experience! A few days ago we came south on Interstate 5, through California, and along with dozens of big rig trucks and hundreds of cars, we made it up and then down the Grapevine. I grew up in So Cal and Rick says we've been on it before, but I guess it's different in a 36' motorhome.

If you're going to drive Interstate 5, be prepared for a rough and bumpy trip. Especially if in a motorhome. From Sacramento south the road is good in a few small sections, but the rest of the 8 hour trip was horrible and California should be embarrassed by the condition of what is probably their main interstate highway. Oh I'm sure we'll find other highways in need of repair, we just haven't gotten into other state's potholes yet. Other RVers advised to take 99 and avoid I5, but we figured it couldn't be that bad! Wrong! And right! It is!

It's a quick north/south route, but be ready. Be prepared. Don't start up the Grapevine needing to stop for a potty break. The last rest area we were going to stop at was closed, and so we went on up the mountain. And up, and up. I kept thinking we had to be near the summit. There is a rest area at the top of the mountain, thank goodness! One of the great conveniences of having a motorhome! Having your own bathroom as long as you have a place to pull over.

The Grapevine is 4 or 5 lanes of traffic, with only the 2 right lanes for trucks and vehicles towing. At one point I had enough speed to pass the 2 really slow, practically stopped, right lanes, but Rick said I shouldn't, couldn't go into the left lanes. So we backed off and travelled slow up the hill. And used the exhaust brake going down the other side to keep our speed at or below 55. I love that exhaust brake and use it often, in the hills and heavy traffic. Love it!

OR to CA

It's late and I'm tired. Just a quick post to let you know we had a great day and made it to the Sacramento area. The weather was good and traffic was light. We were on the interstate from 8:30 AM to about 6:30 PM - a LOOOOONG day! But a good one with a few rest area stops along the way. It started out foggy, but eventually cleared to blue skies in a place called Sunny Valley. Appropriate.


The coffee this morning was decaf (won't happen again), snacks in the morning were pretzel sticks and fresh fruit (no processed sugar), lunch was crab salad (my recipe) and crackers with the fabulous view of Mt Shasta. Finally some caffeine in my iced tea! By the time we arrived at Thousand Trails Lake Minden this evening dinner was leftover baby back ribs, fresh corn on the cob, and fresh zucchini. And the cold beverage tasted especially good!
Tomorrow will also be a long day, but we are anxious to see family.

Southbound

We are leaving the beautiful state of Oregon and heading south to warmer climes, where all those experienced geese and ducks went weeks ago. I say the geese are experienced because they've done this before. This is our first time as snowbirds. And we sure are having a good time! But it's getting cooler and we're finished with our warranty work at Guaranty RV in Junction City. I'll fill you all in on the details in another post. I might even have some tips to share that might make your stay at the RV dealer easier.

Once again, while here, we've met some very nice people waiting for their RVs to be fixed. And it was wonderful to see our Guaranty RV friends. They are all very generous and caring people. Sorry to say goodbye to them, but happy to be on our way to visit with family. We'll be heading into the So Cal area before turning left for Arizona.

We planned to stop at a small Thousand Trails park we missed on the trip north. It's called Turtle Beach Fish Camp (for real!) in Manteca, CA. I called the park just to confirm that they weren't having wildfires, mudslides or road construction -- you know, something major that might make us reconsider our decision to stop there for a day or two. WELL! They are having a problem with the electricity to a portion of the park and they are busy so we've decided to pass them by and wing it. Probably drive 6 or 8 hours until I get tired. Probably 400 miles or so! Yikes! I'll need lots of coffee and sugary snacks throughout the day! No fear! Rick always takes care of me while I drive! And he makes sure I have a cold beverage ready after we get parked and settled into camp for the night. (And I've already got the lunch and dinner planned for the travel day - just so you don't think it's one-sided or anything.)

Here in Oregon the gold and red leaves are falling from the trees, floating in the wind like colorful butterflies. And as the leaves are blown along the sidewalks the sound reminds me of a babbling brook flowing over the rocky stream bed. The air is crisp, even foggy in the morning, and Rick says we need to be where it's warm. Looking at the weather forecast, it'll be in the 90's when we get back to AZ!

Where will we be when the snow falls?

We won't be where the snow falls! But we thought we'd be back in Arizona where the temps are in the 90's and the sun shines most everyday. Instead, we're in Oregon where it rains most everyday. But at least it's not snowing here.

This morning Brent, the owner of the campground where we stayed all summer, called us and said "You should be glad you're not here! We have 6" of snow and we're expecting more of the same for the next few days!" We're glad to not be in the snow, but wish we were still fishin!

When we get to Arizona there are activities all the time! We'll be able to go to craft classes, wood carving, water exercise, the gym, play pickleball, ping pong, pool, and bingo! There are dances, dinners, and entertainment galore! There are social events of all sorts, all the time! Just about anything you can think of. And all within walking distance. Or golf cart driving distance. I'm already counting the days until opening season next May! Can't wait to get back to Montana!

When I took these 2 short videos with our digital camera I thought they would be good to look at over the winter when we were missing the river. I hope you can see the tricos or baetis flying all over. And the hungry fishing gulping them up!

Sorry if you have slow dial-up speed and the videos don't load quickly.

Unanswered questions & musings

It's been a few days since I've posted and I'd gotten so used to writing everyday that it seems strange not to post something! So I've taken a few days off and now I'm back!

It's been an interesting few days. Good days, but for me, bewildering and confusing. With all the bad financial news coming from the TV and Internet, and with the presidential candidates 'fighting' for followers, I went into a little funk. I'm sort of surprised that the 'bad' news could bring me down and I've spent some time trying to figure out why it got the better of me. Too much self-analysis. I'm ready to think good thoughts, positive ideas, and happy times.

I'm really happy to be where we are, and I'm not missing the fly fishing too much, but still I went into in some sort of self-inflicted funk. I'm happy to be safe and comfy in our motorhome. We're healthy and secure. I'm usually the one to embrace change, welcome change, so it made me stop and think. "What's going on Mic?"

We're in Oregon for a few days before continuing south. I'll fill in the details and tell you about this place in the next post. It's a good place that I want to share with you in case you ever find yourself here. In between doing some fun activities for us, I expect to have spare time to get some blog stuff done.

I'd made a short list over the past couple weeks and now is a good time to share it and get it off my mind. Then we can get on with sharing photos and fun travel stories.
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Why are the fish always rising on the far bank, just out of my reach?

Why do mosquitoes buzz in my ear when I'm trying to sleep?
And am I the only one who has to get out of bed to find that buzzing mosquito? (Mom?)

Why does it rain after washing the car?

How can I happily walk straight into the 52 degree river, but the shower has to be hot before I can get in?

Why does the wind blow in the opposite direction of where I'm casting?

Why were the groceries on sale yesterday?

I always thought the starry sky was brightest in Arizona, but you haven't seen the stars until you've been up at 2 AM in the Middle Of Nowhere, Montana with the Big Dipper soooo close it seems you can reach up and touch a star.

Why are the fish eating something I don't have in my fly box?

And how do those fish know to hide under the grass and behind the overhanging tree?

Why don't we have a water-proof digital camera that will fit in my pocket? (note to self - Olympus or Pentax?)

Why does technology still amaze me with all the new gadgets and software advances?

Does the Honda CR-V at 30 MPG balance out the motorhome at 9 MPG?

Why are the only 2 choices for satellite TV local channels New York or Los Angeles? While in Montana the prime time shows start at either 6 PM or 10 PM, one too early and the other too late.

How did we get so lucky?

Scenic drive along the Columbia River

Once we get on the road, with no particular desire to see the sights along the way, we get where we need to be without interruption. When we left Montana, after saying goodbye to friends, we drove about 6 hours to get to the Cabelas's store in Post Falls, Idaho.

When we're not in a hurry we prefer the 2-2-2 travel plan -- drive 2 hours, arrive by 2 PM and stay 2 nights. It is so convenient and comfortable to travel in our motorhome that before we knew it 6 hours had passed. Not all of our homeward trip will be so intense or non-stop. It is easy to find a rest stop or scenic overlook and stop for lunch or a short break.

Cabela's is very generous with their large parking lot for overnight parking for RVs and trucks, along with dump stations and water. We've also found they provide dog kennels and horse corrals for those travelling with animals. In addition, we always seem to find something in the store that we need. The displays of taxidermy animals, aquariums full of live fish, fly tying materials, fishing equipment, clothing, and their restaurant could keep us entertained for hours.

While at Cabela's we spoke with a man about our planned trip and he said "Oh no! Interstate 84 is only a 2 lane road with lots of curves, switchbacks and hills. You don't want to take that road with a motorhome." I looked at Rick, the navigator, with raised eyebrows and I was thinking "What do you have planned for us Rick?" The man then admitted that he hadn't been on the road for 20 years. Boy, am I glad we took that highway!



On the second day of our road trip we travelled 8 hours along beautiful Interstate 84, following the Oregon/Washington border, and the path of the Columbia River for hours. Having been recently separated from our summer river, it was delightful to see that much water again. Boy, I'm glad that Rick is the on-board navigator and mobile photographer. Without him I wouldn't have these photos or been on this highway.

Not as enjoyable as the rest of the trip were the direct routes through downtown Spokane and Portland. The traffic was heavy (rush hour!), but worse than the number of vehicles were the deeply rutted roads through the heart of the cities. During the 2 days we were frequently on the Lewis & Clark Trail and the Oregon Trail. I told Rick that it seemed they had simply paved over the deeply rutted roads formed by the pioneer wagons. Rick laughed that they had paved the Oregon Trail. When I got the motorhome to track properly in the ruts, the Honda toad wanted to do something different, weaving just enough to pull the motorhome tires out of the ruts. Our weaving duo kept the cars away from our sides. It's nice when the surrounding cars give us a wide berth.



Although in the dry desert of Oregon, it was fascinating to see the large Columbia River, the tall sharp cliffs, the barges pushed by tugs transporting goods, the personal fishing boats, and a number of dams generating power. The weather was clear, but I bet it can be an extremely windy gorge. The tall surrounding cliffs are sprouting the large turbine windmills, but they were mostly listless. If we were travelling with only the car there were many pull-outs and small parks I would have liked to have stopped for. If you get a chance to travel on Interstate 84, take it. We think you'd like it.

Rick's Book Club (with comments by Mic)

Oprah has a Book Club, so why not Rick?

When he's not tying flies, fishing, puttering with the motorhome, or talking with the other campers and fishermen in the fly shop, Rick's been reading books. Lots of books! So many that I've asked him if he's reading every page. I thought I was going to be the one reading all the books once we started travelling, but he's surprised me with his passion for reading novels. For about 20 years the only type of reading Rick did was of technical computer magazines, software documentation, and PC newsletters. And the daily newspaper. He loves the paper, but since being in Montana he hasn't read one regular newspaper. We get a newspaper delivered to our motorhome when we're staying in a Thousand Trails park, but he resorts to the Internet for news when we're not at TT.

Rick used to say he didn't have time to read something for fun or entertainment. He has a wide range of likes from Stephen Hunter to Zane Grey to Clive Cussler to Michael Creighton to Ralph Compton to John Grisham to James Reeves to Louis L'amour. He's usually willing to try something new, but once he finds an author he likes, he wants to stick with them.

We're lucky to have a bookstore in Dillon, aptly named The Bookstore. They have shelves and shelves of books, both new and used and you can trade in the books you've read and earn points towards another book or two. The owner is super nice and she donates the extra books to other agencies in need. Another good source of used books are the Goodwill Stores. For the hard-to-find and must-have-it-now, Amazon.com provides another supply of books and just about anything else you didn't know you needed.

Rick likes the Compton, Hunter, L'amour, and Grey authors because they write about history with some fiction thrown in (or maybe it's fiction with a little history interspersed). Some of the books are based in the west, and a couple are based in Montana, making them interesting since that's where we spent the summer. Rick has just started The Brethren by Grisham.

The last book I read (a few months ago) was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I thought it was very good and I passed it along to my Mom when I finished. (I wonder how she liked it? I'll have to remember to ask her.) Before that it was Grisham's The Bretheran and The Last Juror. I like mystery, detective, thriller, who-done-its. Grisham, Crichton, Grafton, and Higgins-Clark.

Have you read any good books lately? Any that you would like to share with us? We'd like to know what you're reading. Send us a comment and tell us about a couple of your favorite authors.

Rick & Mickey have left the river!

The last few days of summer were magical. Well, more than just the last few days. The entire summer has been wonderful. What a perfect way to de-stress from work. The magic is not just the fishing, but the friendly people we've met and been lucky to spend time with. The fishing is not the primary reason we've hung around until the end of September.

The temps have been cool, but just barely warm enough to keep wet wading. The temps overnight were sometimes down to freezing, but nice by noon and through the afternoon. Two or three layers of long sleeves kept us warm. The crowds of anglers were fewer and with the water flowing at only 33 cfs, there were no guided drift boats. Just the rare raft or kick-boat. The fish were pickier which meant we had to be trickier. What some call 'technical' fishing. Some like easy fishing, some like a challenge. At times it's been a top rated challenge.

We love to fish! We are retired and this is what we planned to do when we stopped working. We know how fortunate we are. Fly fishing is something we share and we love to do together. On one of our last days I wandered downriver, away from the other 3 guys fishing, and totally out of Rick's sight. I walked down the river bank and around a bend and couldn't hear anyone else on the river. I could have been on another river it was so foreign. I landed a couple decent size rainbows and enjoyed the satisfaction, but it wasn't the same without Rick there. I definitely enjoy sharing my fishing moments with Rick.

We'd been in Montana about 100 days. It was time to leave, to attend to personal business and to visit family. We miss family. We're not sure where we'll spend next summer, but we have our Mobile Fishing Lodge to take us there. Fortunate, yes, we are.