Tea Leaves

As promised at about cocktail thirty I drove MP over to the Rippie Parlor to capitalize on our birthday hunch. She bought 55 rippies, Crazy 8's, Harbor Lights and some really cool looking round ones whose shape was better than the name. Well...it wasn't the first time in our lives we've mis-read the tea leaves. Out of 55 she hit for 18 so I say we won $18.00, she says we lost $37.00. I encourage her to re-invest the 18 because I figure that if we don't its not fulfilling our premonition. But MP's in charge and always being cautious with money she takes the 18 bucks and offers to buy breakfeast with it the next day, and she did. We had the 'Lucky Benny' (eggs benedict) at Buckets Sports Grill, it was great, all 1200 calories of it.

Saturday was just a great day for a fishing guide. It was sunny and in the 70's which made the river a little off color but their were few boats and I got to fish with my friends Chad and Dave as well as phase two of the Marci project. That guy on the right is my friend Chad Nyreen, his friend Dave there caught the fish. In my world the biggest compliment I can give is when I say somebody is steady, thats Chad. He's an E-6 at Elmendorf AFB and every year for his squadron Christmas Party I donate a trip for a raffle prize. I know Chad well enough to know he'd never be involved in something fishy but it was one of life's true coincidences that he won this years trip, mmmmmmm. He was going to bring his fiance April but her grandmother passed away so she flew to the 48 to be with family. They're getting married June 26th and as Chad told me about April I was stuck with knowing the deal...one life ends, a new life together begins...its the deal. The next pic is Dave fighting the 32 pounder we landed. It was cool, I take pics and Chad does the netting, this is a guides dream because if something goes wrong its NOT MY FAULT.

We had a great day, the company with the two Airmen and Mike and Marcy Swan was the best. I told Marci she was going fishing with me until she catches one and she's so much fun to be around I almost hope she doesn't, at least not too soon. AND, she brings a big ol bag of Mexican shrimp fishing with her ( they have a place in Puerto Penasco). AND, the shrimp is even peeled. You can sit in my boat anytime Marci. This pic Marci took of me doing what I do best, talking and laughing. Notice I'm wearing Mazatlans' most recognised trademark, Pacifico.

This morning I needed to get my bike ride in early as the Indy 500 starts at 8 am in Alaska. I happen to get home just as MP was walking Jet down to the river where we instantly notice something different. These two pics are hard to see it but there is a ribbon of thousands of Hooligan making their way upriver along the bank. I've seen them this thick many times and it never stops amazing me, the river is alive with them. The hooligan were called Candlefish in the day when they actually rendered them for lamp oil. They're a smelt type of fish and I think the scientific name is Eucholon. I'm embarrassed to say that unlike the salmon here I really don't know much about their biology. They obviously spawn here as they are always ripe but I don't know where or when. I really don't even know if they die after spawning like some anadromous fish so if any of you out there know these questions do me a favor and let me know.

In the first pic you can barely discern that the whole school is head to tail, for miles. If you click on it you can see the fish a bit better. I took the next pic from above and the dark ribbon you see along the shore is entirely fish. Mile 14 is one amazing place. Oh, some folks love the hooligan fried, I personally find them soft and mushy and am not very fond of them. But just to have such a remarkable resource in your own backyard is pretty cool. The birds are happy.