SnowBirds

I used to hate that term. When I was a young construction hound I thought it kinda implied weakness or meant you couldn't handle Alaska...well, now I know its just a natural migration, a way of life. So tomorrow me and MPeasy are 'jumpin the jet' as Geno used to say and in true Jethronian style we went and saw Denzel Washingtons new movie Flight  to get us warmed up to the experience. Here's a couple of pics of what we leave behind...the ol Minnow 4 looks kinda chilly wouldn't you say?

The Stats speak for themselves I'd say:
Sunrise Mile 14, 10:00 am, sunset 3:34 pm, 5 hours and 34 minutes of daylight, current temp +2
Sunrise Mazatlan, 6:35 am, sunset 5:20 pm, 10 hours and 45 minutes of daylight, current temp  + 73

So for the New Year I'm really not setting any new goals or resolutions like I have in the past.  I'll just continue on this course I've set to be a lead a good life. So one thing I recently decided that I've attended my last fisheries related meeting, from here on out I'm done being an insider and I'll get my fisheries news in the paper just like most people. Here's  a verbatim conversation I over heard at the coffee machine of the last Cook Inlet King Salmon Task Force meeting.
Ron- " Paul, how ya doin? "
Paul-  " how do you think I'm doing ?...we didn't fish."
Ron- " we didn't fish either Paul".
Paul- " yeh...too bad".
For years I've expected our community to come together and be there for each other and the fish. But I think we have to first have the right atmosphere to problem solve and a mutual respect of all the community's importance...I'm afraid we're a long ways from that.  I used to tell people the commercial / sportfish divide was a good thing, if we fight over fish that means we have fish , right?. Well that might be true but from here on out I can't be around people who lack even any plain old common courtesy, civility.  I guess I have a way of condensing things down to the simplest form but what Paul said there was really this....me and my family are more important than yours...So I leave those fisheries meetings disappointed in people when I'd like to be uplifted by them, well, I used to  because I'm done with that.

One of the coolest things we ever did  for Christmas here at Mile 14 were these luminaries, it was MP's idea. In the last blog she made some luminaries and our friend Lori builds them as well so I thought she'd like to see.

As you can see on my counter we're closing in on 60,000 reads since I started this blog a couple years back.  That's pretty darn cool for me so thanks to you all that come visit. My next edition I guarantee will be fun and colorful....and I'd bet dollars to donuts they're be some fish involved, fishin is the mission for the musician. But since I was a bit serious in this blog I'll push that theme a bit and end with a few things you and I know about life but doesn't hurt to review....

Don't mud wrestle with pigs...you both get dirty and the pig likes it.

What people think of you is none of your business.

You're in charge of your own happiness, find it and then share it.

Its impossible to worry and fish at the same time.

Creating things makes good moe-joe....luminaries, bottle trees, gardens and music, compost and bokashi and...... Happy Holidays and best fishes

BUT.... I am going to miss the wilderness feel here at Mile 14, the Fitness Place, my sauna, my Gibson guitar, running into old friends, Christmas on the River, Jet-Dog and of course my all time favorite machine....the snowblower.