And Awaaaay we go!

After spending all of April, May and June in Kennett Square, PA my home away from home and now my sister's house since my Mom died, it was finally time. I had to wait for my Airstream to be built at the factory in Ohio and it was finally finished on June 1st. Then it had to be delivered to the dealer in New Jersey where I could go pick it up, take the 2 hour run through and then drive her the two hours back to Kennett Square. Then came registering it at DMV, insuring, getting all my bills on autopay, license plates, loading, packing, moving stuff around and all the things one has to do to live permanently on the road. I am a very organized person, and it is very much a part of what my job entails, but I've never tried to tackle anything this complicated, ever.

The weather finally lifted, the fog cleared and we were finally on our way. Our first long stay stop is Southwest Montana, where Maddy and I lived before Florida. My porcini patch awaits us and it will be Ruby's first time hunting mushrooms. It is time for her to learn the ropes. Maggie was a stupendous mushroom dog, so Ruby has some mighty large paw prints to fill.

A Return from a Long Hiatus

It has been four years since my last post and a lot of things have happened since then. You already know I moved to Sarasota, Florida and bought a house there. I gardened, grew bananas, mangoes, key limes, oranges, lemons, pineapples, Persian limes, plumeria, black bamboo, brugmansia, orchids, all the exotic plants and fruits that grow in the tropics.  I love learning new things and gardening in Florida was quite a change from gardening in Montana at high elevation.

Seven years seems to be my breaking point. I get the seven year itch and then I need something new to conquer. So, it seemed appropriate, that when I reached my seventh year in Sarasota, I knew I was ready for a change. I had moved back east to be near family and my elderly mother. She passed away in November 2013, so there was that. I no longer felt I needed to hang close enough to get there if needed. Maggie the Wonder Dog, best dog ever, passed away at the age of 15-¾ in October so there was even less reason to stay put. After two very long, dogless months, I got Ruby, another border collie. My fourth full bred border collie. She is a tri color, my first tri color. She's a beautiful dog and is proving to be a good companion. She's smart as can be and sweet as honey. She loves everyone and is a real herder!

Maddy the kitty is still with me and is going to be fourteen in August. 

So, to wrap this up, I've been to New Zealand a few times, photographed lots of mushrooms, fished, went to Honduras and photographed over 100 birds and sold my house in Sarasota. So what is next you ask and where am I going to live? Well, I've bought a brand spanking new Airstream 2018 27' FB Flying Cloud. Ruby, Maddy and I are going to live in it, and travel around the country, photographing, picking mushrooms and fishing. I will continue to handle trips for my loyal repeat clients for the time being and am semi retired. The nice thing is, I can do my work from anywhere as long as I have phone and internet. Life is so much less complicated when you don't have lawn to mow and so many bills to pay. We are about to embark on a brand new lifestyle and we're bringing you all along on the adventure. Here we are waiting for the weather to clear for take off. Join us, won't you?

The Henry's Fork- Opening Day on the RR Ranch

It used to be the place to be on opening day of the Harriman Ranch on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in Last Chance, Idaho. Back in the day, it was a who's who of fly fishing with such fishing elite  as André Puyans, Mel Krieger, Jim and Kitty Vincent, Jim Adams, Mike Lawson, René Harrop, and the list goes on. License plates from clear across the country were parked all over with their little campers, waders hung from everywhere. It is still a big deal to be on the ranch for opening day, but alas, we are all getting older and many of those listed above are no longer with us. It will never be the same to me as it was 25 years ago when we'd all meet in the parking lot, exchange flies, stories, beers and talk about what we'd all been doing for the last year, since this was the only time we'd see each other until next June 15th.

I was on the fork for opening day this year and it just didn't feel the same to me at all. It is one of those things better reserved in great memories which can never change. No Andy, no Mel, it's just not the same. I guess now it's time for the new kids on the block to take over and carry on their own traditions. I will just quietly keep mine tucked away where I can pull from the well whenever I feel the need.

Moose! Finally!

One of my alltime favorite things to see in Montana is moose. They are just such amazing animals and sightings can be rather rare. On this trip, I had decided to go in search of them instead of waiting for a chance encounter. So, these two moose were spotted up in Elk Park over the weekend. It was worth the time spent looking for them.

Rattler on the Road

I lived in Montana for almost thirteen years and never encountered a rattlesnake. Now, I live in Florida and am just visiting Montana and I find my first rattler.  It is a Prairie Rattlesnake, the only venoumous snake of all ten species of snakes in the state. If given a large enough dose, the venom can be lethal to an adult human. Fortunately for me, I was safely stowed in my car with Maggie, so was able to photograph him without having to make him feel threatened, which enabled me more photos.

Big Skies

Back in Big Sky Country

It is starting to get hot and humid in Florida, so Maggie the Wonder Dog and I have decided to spend much of the summer in our beloved Montana, home away from home and home before our present home. The most beautiful and colorful birds are here and so far, we are enjoying the gorgeous views.