Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Paperwork & Patagonia

I've been working feverishly completing all my "administrative" paperwork. I've just got one more to do; my 2009 permit usage report to the Tahoe National Forest. I should finish it and mail it tommorrow.

Then I pack for Chilean Patagonia and leave AM Friday, arriving in southern Chile 24 hours later. The flight is a drag. It generally takes a day to re-coup. I intend to write a report when I get back. I should have something to read prior to the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show, 26-28 Febuary. Maybe I'll even write about fly fishing...having not lately, except obliquely.

One thing I'll not miss...the snow-shoveling. I've been doing a lot the last 10 days. It is summer in the southern hemphispere...an interesting weather change.

Ole!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

shoveling my life away...

Well, I came back "up the mountain" from the ISE show in San Mateo on Saturday. I made the early get-a-way because I didn't want to get caught in the first wave of snow-falls we've had this week. Actually it hasn't stopped...one after another.

Today, was the 5th straight day I've shoveled and pushed snow off the back-deck. I prefer doing it daily instead of all at once...if and when the white stuff ceases falling! If not, I would have worked my tail-off unloading 4 feet of snow today. The cummulative snow is accurate...because, like the fish I land...I always employ measuring devices. Well, la-de-da; what a self-rightous jerk! Also daily, I shovel the entry to the side of the garage and clear-out the berms that are left at our garage portals by our drive-way-clearing service. I have made one expedition to the north-side of house (sort of like Nantuk of the North); the side of the house with the big picture windows. The mission was to clear the snow so that we can see our live, multi-colored-lighted Christmas trees on the forest-knoll. We keep the lights on for the entire winter. You're probably asking..."what da #@&%" does this have to do with fly fishing?!"

Well, let it snow..the fish need it...yeah!

My back yard...it is beautiful when there is a lull in the snow-fall

Nanuk

Monday, January 18, 2010

...before the snow

Reading a friend's blog made me think of the title for this post. Check Jay's blog at http://www.northernsierraflyfishing.blogspot.com/. If you like swinging for wild steelhead his recent post shows the passion.

Well, I guess I'm jaded, but the ISE San Mateo is a mere shadow of its past. I had a booth there from 1990-2000. This year I manned in the Sierra Fisherman magazine booth. It afforded me an opportunity to see if the ISE San Mateo improved...nada. I saw more people in one day in the '90's than I saw in 2-1/2 days at this year's ISE.
Regardless, I had fun seeing familiar faces, BSing about fly fishing and was satisfied with the presentation Bill Forward, Andrew Harris & I gave to interested show-goers.

The only time I was tempted to cast a fly was during a feeding frenzy at the Crown Royal Hotel Koi pond in the lobby........

Friday, January 1, 2010

...Wishing Y'all a Healthy & Prosperous 2010

Went to the Village At NorthStar last evening and saw some close-up fireworks. It was all fun; the sights, the scene and the people. Actually the pyrotechnics started about 9:30 PM and lasted for about fifteen minutes. The video is from a friend's I-Phone so the images are not really precise...nevertheless you can listen to the audio.


I "couched-it" today. Being New Year's Day...well it is Bowl games times. I was most interested in the Rose Bowl. Being a west-coaster I wanted the Pac-10 to beat the Big 10...well the game just ended and Ohio beat the Oregon Ducks 26-17...darn. For you football fans I've included the following video.It is funny....