Good Times

The break of dawn signaled the start of an adventure that was long overdue. I meticulously scanned my gear checklist, ensuring every essential had been packed. The last thing I wanted was to leave behind a vital piece of equipment. My backpack was brimming with anticipation, just like me, as it was loaded into the back of my trusty truck. My companion, Candy, and I were off to pick up our fellow adventurer, Clark.

As we pulled up to Clark's home, he was as ready as ever, his own pack swiftly joining mine in the back of the truck. The road ahead beckoned us, the promise of the wild filling our hearts with excitement. Our first pitstop was the local liquor store, where we each picked up a pint of CR to toast to our journey later. Next, we swung by Jersey Mikes, our favorite sandwich joint, to arm ourselves with some hearty subs for the road. While Candy and Clark devoured theirs during the drive, I decided to save mine for when hunger would strike later.

We hit the road by 10:30 am, embarking on an hour-long journey on highway 115. This route was undergoing a facelift with expansions and replacements, adding a bit of a challenge to our drive. Nevertheless, we made it to our designated turn-off and started traversing a rustic country dirt road. The rough terrain and serpentine curves slowed us down, but it only added to the thrill of the adventure.

Finally, we reached the trailhead, our gateway to the wilderness. We hoisted our packs onto our backs, tightened our belts, checked our gear one last time, and set off. Candy accompanied us for the first mile before bidding us goodbye and returning to the truck. She was to come back the next day around noon to collect us.

Clark and I marched on, and shortly, we were greeted by the gurgling waters of a creek. It was labeled a creek on the map, but it roared with the intensity of a river. This was the first of our many encounters with the creek as we ventured deeper into the canyon. The first crossing was a breeze; we managed to bypass the deep water and continue on the path. But further into the canyon, the creek widened, the water rushed rapidly, and the bed was strewn with slippery rocks and boulders. Thankfully, I had packed my hiking poles, which proved to be lifesavers. Clark and I divided the pair between us, using them for support during the eight times we had to cross the creek.

As we ascended the canyon, we kept an eye out for potential campsites. After some searching, we
stumbled upon an ideal spot—an open meadow area with easy access to the mountain side in case of sudden rain, and trees perfect for hanging our hammocks. Wet boots and socks were the first things to go, replaced with dry footwear—comfort was key here.

Setting up camp was our next task. We gathered rocks and boulders to construct a fire pit, strung our hammocks between sturdy trees, unpacked our sleeping bags, and prepared our headlamps for later use. With our temporary home established, it was time to fish. Armed with our fishing poles, we scouted the creek for promising spots. It didn't take long for Clark to reel in a sizable trout, much to our delight. He managed to catch another one later, while I wasn't as lucky. We followed a catch-and-release policy, so after snapping some pictures, the fish were returned to their home.

As dusk descended, we built a small fire, reminiscing about the day's adventures and Clark's lucky catches. I finally dug into my sandwich, sharing half with Clark, and we enjoyed our pints. However, the tranquility was disturbed by pesky gnats. They were attracted to the salt and moisture on our skin, making us prime targets. Despite the bug spray we had brought, the gnats remained undeterred. Our only relief was sitting near the smoke from the fire, which seemed to keep them at bay.

As the evening progressed, we whipped out our Jet Boil to prepare our dehydrated meals. Clark chose Chicken Teriyaki, and I went for Beef Stroganoff. After boiling water and pouring it into the bags, we stirred the contents and waited. The result was far from gourmet, but it was hot, filling, and tasted delightful after a long day of adventure.

As the night cloaked us in darkness, we let the fire dwindle and die out. Climbing into our hammocks,
we snuggled into our sleeping bags, suspended between the trees. Sleeping in a hammock wasn't as uncomfortable as one might think, though I found myself wishing for a pillow to achieve that perfect comfort level.

Sleep, however, proved elusive. The unfamiliar sounds of the wilderness kept me on high alert, my ears pricking up at every rustle or snap. Every noise seemed like a potential bear or mountain lion sneaking into our camp. Before retiring, Clark and I had made sure to point out each other's sleeping spots, in case we needed to defend ourselves from any intruders. We had brought firearms with us, acting on the principle of 'better safe than sorry.'

The morning arrived early for me. By 6:15, I was wide awake and decided to start dismantling my hammock and repacking my gear. With my tasks completed and Clark still asleep, I seized the opportunity to try my luck at fishing again. A few casts later, I had caught my first fingerling trout. As I rebaited my hook, I noticed Clark stirring, finally joining the land of the living. We fished for a while longer before returning to camp to break it down completely and begin our descent.

We were meticulous about leaving no trace. We collected all our belongings, packed up any trash, and doused the fire pit's ashes with water to ensure it was fully extinguished. Even though our boots were still slightly damp, we put them back on, knowing they'd soon be wet again from the creek crossings.

Making our way down the canyon was an adventure in itself. We had spotted several promising fishing spots on our way up, and now, we planned to hit each one. Our intuition paid off—we caught two more fingerlings at the first spot. By the end of our journey, we had caught about eight fish in total. Clark, the undisputed champion, had caught the first, the biggest, and the most fish, which cost me three dollars in our friendly wager.

We reached the parking lot around 11:30 am. Our timing was impeccable, as Candy arrived just 30
minutes later, right on schedule. We loaded up our gear and set off on the drive home. Our first stop was a coffee shop in Penrose, where we refueled with coffee and sandwiches. Sitting on the patio, we regaled Candy with tales of our 24-hour wilderness escapade, sharing pictures and recounting our adventures.

By 3:00 pm, we were home, and I headed straight for the shower. The hot water washing away the grime and fatigue felt like a luxury after our adventure. Despite the challenges and the occasional fright, it was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.

Off We Go!

In just a few days, my son Clark and I are set to cast aside our usual home comforts and dive headfirst into an exhilarating expedition to the Beaver Creek State Wildlife area. The adventure springs into action when Candy, my dear wife and Clark's doting mom, drops us at the trailhead. We're crossing our fingers that she can manage this without shedding too many tears or issuing her "be safe and have fun" reminder on repeat. Don't fret, Mama, we're up for the challenge!

Our route is no walk in the park - it involves navigating a canyon, which is about as simple as trying to solve a Rubik's cube with oven mitts on. The weather here has more mood swings than a toddler who skipped their nap. One moment, it's all sunshine and rainbows, and the next, you're caught in a downpour that would give Noah's Ark a run for its money. And let's not even broach the subject of the terrain - it's a wild mix of steep inclines and slippery rocks that would make even a mountain goat think twice.

To meet these challenges head-on, we're armed with our trusty hiking boots and a pair of old tennis shoes for creek crossings. Why tennis shoes, you ask? Well, there's nothing that kills the joy of a hike faster than the squish-squash sound of waterlogged boots.

Our gear list includes hammocks (because who wouldn't want to sleep swaying gently under the stars?) and a lightweight tarp, the MacGyver of camping equipment, ready to provide shade or morph into an emergency rain shelter.

The crown jewel of our trip is undoubtedly the fishing. Beaver Creek is a paradise for brown and rainbow trout. We're equipped with the top baits for the season - live worms, salmon eggs, plastic worms, and flies. Neither Clark nor I are seasoned trout fishermen, so this part will be as much of an adventure as the hike itself. I've prepped a couple of telescopic rods and strung them with new line today - here's hoping the fish are feeling cooperative!

But, the real treasure isn't in the potential catch of the day. No, the true reward lies in the shared experience of casting lines with Clark, trading stories, and probably laughing loud enough to send every fish in the creek darting for cover. As I survey our gear, trying to lighten our load while realizing we'll likely only use half of it, I can't help but chuckle. Each piece of equipment is a tangible symbol of the adventure that awaits. Every item adds to the anticipation, the thrill, and the memories we're about to forge in the Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area. Here's to hoping we remember everything...and if we don't? Well, that's what makes it a true adventure!

Trumped

Oh Boy, what a day in America yesterday.  A bunch of people who don't have a clue followed a man who only cares about himself and really made us all look stupid.  I would not be surprised if they all follow Dip Shit Don to Guyana and drink the kool-aid.  Probably the best thing that could happen to America.  If you don't understand what I am talking about, just google Jim Jones.

So let's see what else is going on.  Started a new project this week, building a balsa Gee Bee E5.  Should have it done in about a month.  Takes a while as you spend most of the time waiting for glue to dry, so it is a slow process.  Looking forward to having another hanger in my office.

Speaking of the office, wow it has been busy, busy and I hope it stays this way.   I feel bad for all those who are struggling but am thankful that I and both boys are still working.  Keeping our heads down and staying focused and hope to return to some normalcy at some point.

Even with COVID we had to say what the fuck and just get out of town.  Candy, Clark, Haley, and I all went to Florida the day after Christmas.   We all flew and for the most part, I wasn't too worried.  I would say that flying was the closest I have been to other people in while, but everyone whore their masks.

We had a great time.  It was nice to get out of the cold for a week and spending time on the beach, eating out, and riding bicycles.  Being that Florida is flat even a fat boy like me can get out and ride the bicycle.  

Candy and I spent most of our mornings out collecting seashells.  We would hit the various beaches early in the morning about an hour before low tide.   Most days we were out before sunrise and were able to enjoy the spectacle of the sun rising.  What a beautiful site coming up over the ocean.

This is the best time if you are a serious shell hunter.  The water didn't seem too cold and I was out in it looking for shells.  Not sure why we both have such a fascination for seashells, but I think it is the hunt for that perfect shell that makes it so fun.  I would say that we are shell snobs at this point and only looking for those that are perfect.

We would get back to the Condo around 10:30/11:00 and then grab the kids and we would hop on the bikes and head out for breakfast or lunch depending on the time.  Candy and I would then head out and try to catch Pokemon and the kids headed to the beach.

I would say that we drank too much that week.   Cocktails started anywhere between noon and two and we would be celebrating the rest of the day.  Nothing like drinking frozen pina colada's in December/January in 80-degree weather when you come from temperatures in the 30's.  Luckily none of us got pulled over for a BUI, but I will say we should have been on a couple of our outings.  What is a BUI, well bicycling under the influence.

If I could figure out how to do it.  I would move and live on Sanibel for the rest of my life.  It is just a great place to be, the weather is beautiful, and being Florida the people on the island are actually friendly.

In addition to all the shelling and biking, I was able to get a little fishing in.  Nothing major was caught, but I did land a few small fish.   I would fish in the evenings in the canal behind the condo.   This is where the grille was located with a picnic table and a couple of lounge chairs.   We would hang out in the evening and grille, fish, and of course have a few more cocktails.

Coming from Colorado, it was great to see everything so green and even flowers in bloom.  Just a much different climate than what we are used to.  

Being that it was close to Christmas the bike paths were illuminated with lights and made it
fun to ride through.   I am guessing we probably got at least 100 miles in on our bikes while we were there.  On the island, it is really the best way to get around.  Even when going to the grocery store we would ride our bikes and load the groceries in the basket on the bikes.

One day we headed out by car and went to Ft. Myers and played some miniature golf.  It was an awesome course with water, trees, and some challenging holes.  I have not played mini-golf in years and I think everyone had a really good time.  I know I did, well I won so of course, I did.

With the weather being so nice we also spent some time out on the Kyacks.  We had them for a couple of days and would sneak out and go for little trips in the canal.  The girls reported that they saw some large iguanas. 

All in all, it was a great seven days, and am already looking forward to making our next trip.  Below are all the photos that I couldn't squeeze in above.

Sanibel Island

A few weeks back Candy and I had the chance to be in Sanibel island for a few days.  We had a great time and found some really nice shells.  I was fighting a sinus infection but still managed to have a great time.

We road out bikes most days when we went out to eat or to shell on other beaches.  We ate at the condo several nights.  We would grab something to throw on the grill and fix and easy side.   This gave me some more time to do some fishing.

This trip I spent a lot of time digging for shells.   Basically you are out in the water and running your had along the sea floor.  when feel something sticking up just dig and most likely it is a shell.  A lot of them have visitors living in them so you leave them.  In several places every handful I would pull up nice shells.   I cant believe there a so many.  Every time we go it is a different shelling experience.   This trip we mainly found tulips and lighting whelks.

I had pretty decent luck fishing this trip.  I caught a 3ft shark and that was pretty exciting.   I got it up to the dock and ended up cutting the line.   You can be sure I wasn't going to stick my hand in it's mouth.   I also caught four catfish, and four other fish.  Had a great time just kicking back and fishing.

I had taken my two 1970's fishing machines with me and I caught fish on both of them.   I was using shrimp and pin fish for bait.   I caught the bigger fish using the small pin fish as bait.

Sign of the Gypsy Queen

Been feeling down this weekend.  Got some kind of sinus thing going on.  Waking up with a soar throat, then burning eyes and pressure in my head.  Slowed me down this weekend but I did get a few things done.   On Saturday we were planning to go hunting for camping spots, but with my burning eyes, I just couldn't see myself driving for four hours.   I kicked it on the couch for a bit and watched a little TV, about 9:30 AM I finally got moving.

Friday morning I got my corvette back.   It has been gone for just about two years.  I brought it home and parked it in the garage and then headed to work.  I wanted to hang out and gawk over it, but had shit to do.   After work on Friday we headed over to the pub and met up with the boys and a couple of friends from work.   We were celebrating Candy's 51st Birthday.   Had a few beers and some food.  I think she had a great time and it was nice that the boys could make it and celebrate with her.

Saturday morning after lying around I got up and backed the vette out and washed it all up.   It cleaned up nice and is really running good.  It should with all the work that has been done to it.  Luckily it was all covered by our car insurance. After I was done I drove it over to the shop and parked it there.  Did a little clean up and rearranging.  Just around 1 PM, I got back and we headed out for lunch.

On our way to lunch we came across an estate sale.   The house was big and it was full of stuff.  We walked through and I found a few small items.   I picked up some suspenders and a tie.  I also snagged a couple of boxes of fishing lures.   Figured I could do some type of display with them and my Fishing Machine that I picked up.

When we got home I laid down on the couch and fell asleep.   Candy was messing around with her embroidery machine.   When I woke up she showed me what she had knocked out.   She put her initials on a pair of converse.  I think these are pretty cool.

I pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the couch and then just went to bed early.

Feeling a little better today but still not moving to fast.  I did head over to the shop this morning and cut up a piece of wood to hold my lures and fishing machine.   I cut down 1/8 inch piece of plywood to fit and then cut a slit at every inch.   This allows the hooks to slide through and be underneath the wood.  When I got the lures they were all tangled and hooked together in a box.  I slid all the lures on and then placed everything in a wooden box.   No idea what I am going to do with it and I don't have any place to display it, guess I will box it and put it up in the attic at the shop.

Fun in the Sun

So we did get our asses out of bed early and went fishing.  We left the house just after 6 AM.  We headed down to Brush Hollow and had a line in the water by 7:15 AM.  I am sorry to report that we or at least I didn't catch anything.  Candy read while I was fishing.  We took Donkey with us today and she had a blast.  She found squirrels, rabbits and lizards.  She was going ape shit most of the morning chasing critters around.  She was grinning from ear to ear today.

This is the second time that I have fished this area and not caught anything.  Lot of fish were jumping but I didn't hook anything.  I fished for about two hours and spent a good time laughing at Donkey as she was chasing what ever she could find.  She came across a squirrel and it ran towards Candy, I thought it was going to jump in her lap.  I packed up and then we headed down to Canyon City to stop at a quilt shop and get some lunch.

While Candy was at the quilt shop, I filled the truck with gas and then hung out waiting for her to finish up.  She wasn't long.  We grabbed some lunch and then headed out to see if we could find a place to park and eat in the shade.   We found a great spot and were able to park along the Arkansas river.  Man it was running fast and furious.   We got Donkey a burger and she was pretty happy.  Candy was walking around and taking some pictures.  She got a nice picture of a monarch hanging out. 

Donkey got out of site and then I heard a splash.  We started calling her and after a couple of minutes she came running.  She must have jumped or fallen in the river.  She was soaking wet from head to toe. She is lucky she didn't get swept away.

Our dogs name is Pebbles, but she has put on a little weight and she looks like Donkey from the movie Shrek.   I guess today with my green shirt, this would make me the Ogre.  She is a great dog and she had a blast today.  So did Candy and I, it was nice to get out and get away from the house.  If we would have stayed home I am sure I would have been working on the yard or cleaning house.  We got back to the house around 1 PM.  Once we got home I headed out and ran over to the shop and did some cleaning and worked on another rotary hoe tiller wheel project.  I plan on giving this one as a gift.  Then came back to the house and worked on cleaning up the garage.  It is still a mess from our remodel project.

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring.