TIM

Thats an acronym my friend Dan Stewart invented for when things that are just different here and it's his way to explain it.... This Is Mexico....things like this picture of my last years fishing hat that I left on our custom built cedar hat rack. The moisture here in the summer works on everything and of course the hat had sweat on it and the so the perfect formula for this to occur....I really like the look of the little round  beanie on the top of the cap.

So I'll be needing a new fishing hat from our friends at Great Yellowstone Fly Fishing Outfitters. The humidity here is particularly hard on electronics. TV's only last a few years, appliances last a little longer but eventually the quit. In the 13 years we've been here we've gone through 3 TV's, 2 Air conditioners, 3 microwaves ( we actually had one that we rebought that we left in a unit we rented ), Several coffee makers and lamps, we have one right now that blinks in a kinda S.O.S, fashion and our pretty new Refrigerator makes a sound like a 737 take off every so often.....But...what we hadn't seen was this.

I barbecued Chicken and as we sat down for our first meal on the patio a piece of plastic came off my chair when I put my arm on the arm rest. So we discussed the UV rays and what they can do and it wasn't long before a leg collapsed and sent me floundering around the tile floor. MP sure got a kick out of that . Turns out all 4 had to go to the basura

 

So when we walked in this year and everything worked perfectly we were ecstatic. Instant and fast internet. Cold blowing air and we're happy campers...what's a few plastic chairs in exchange for this wonderful life style...Funny thing . In Moootana my guitars need vigilant hydration to make up for the dryness and to not damage expensive musical instruments but here in Mazatlan my guitar just loves it. I just clean it and put it away each season and every year it's ready to go with no neck adjustment or anything. In fact it's thriving here. Through the years the climate and humidity has it accepting the most beautiful and unique patina, a kinda of yellowing of the plastic binding and darkening of the spruce wood that I really like. So that makes three of us that love Mazatlan, me MPeasy and this guy.

So our first night we go out to sunset. we'd only been here for an hour and it was plum hot and humid, kinda uncomfortable really. But we visited each other as we seem to be the first of our group down this year and Walla....look how close I came to getting a ' naval assist ' on our first sunseta. We're off to the great start.

And if you're green flash watcher which I am also I'll say this...Ya can only get it by being here. I've taken hundreds...ok dozens of pictures trying to time it when it flash just as it drops off the horizon and it seems to be impossible....or....it could be that a camera can't capture what the human eye can...or...it doesn't really exist...now isn't that fun ? Some of you might say what in the hell is he talking about, he has that captured right there. Well, that looks kinda yellow to me, maybe a little green at the top so it could be....or.....or....?

And in the holy $^*& department how'a that for chompers on a fish. The waters warm so the guys who like to be in the water are loving it. This guy speared this slimey just 10 yards off our beach as we were resting under an umbrella. he also had a Pompano and 1 nice big lobster...and they tell me the fishing's slow, well, we'll see about that.

Moving on....

Now that's a lot of Deer. And these aren't your Choteau Street eat your flowers and trees variety, they're actually wild and here in Montana that distinction is sometimes kinda blurred.

So I have this theory....with our lifestyle of changing locations with the seasons like a lot of things in nature it helps you get perspective. What it does is that we always have newness . When you go from Alaska to Montana to Mexico to the lake, the river , the mountains you see it differently each time. unfortunately we also seem to get to looking at most things as they become routine....and there's the rub, we gotta see the wonder......so me and MP took a bit of a road trip yesterday to say adios for a few months to our new neighborhood. Unlike the road system in Alaska where you can go north or south and not for very far here there's county roads everywhere. new discoveries. We crossed the Lincoln road in the Helena Valley onto Chevilier Dr. and Walla,  as we drove along the Dearborn River for 20 miles we saw just two cars, er,,,,,trucks. It's gorgeous.

We louped over to Interstate 15 at the wayside of Sebian where we off ramped at Spring Creek and ran the recreation road up to the mighty Mo north of Wolf Creek...It was sunny but cool and the wind was bright . Even though it's off season there were maybe 50 boats floating this part of the river. As I snapped the pic of these three guys I actually shivered  knowing that feeling of being in an unprotected boat with every bit of clothing you have on and loving every minute of it and maybe even like these guys paying for it.

They call those drift boats here but they're really more like a pram developed and built for these type of rivers. Considering what they charge for guided fishing here if it were me I'd be looking at having one built for 4 people just as Willie Boats did for the Kasilof and Kenai....so then you take $350.00 X 4 , then throw in catch and release only and no fuel or sales Tax as well as no State Park fees or insurance requirements and by jiminy I think you could make some lettuce at this deal....just my perspective of course, the theme of this blog entry. And oh...the boat launch is free....unless, you're this guy.

Well , enough on that rambling commentary on the State of guided fishing here on the Mighty Mo. So, MPeasy and Measy will be jumping the jet real soon for our Mexico home and there's new stuff to experience for sure, the flows of life. For one thing it will be 85 degrees and sunny. We'll see how it goes but being there a little earlier this year with the warmer water I'll have a good chance of catching the roosterfish that surf fishermen like me are obsessed with. I'll carry my large road and throw the topwater the first week while I scout around.

That's my ' Mexico Pile ' from a few years back. I always put my gear out as I remember what I'll need as we get closer to traveling. This next pic is this years pile...it might be new but I guess it's comfortably familiar at the same time...

Hope ya all come back, I'm going to write more and fish harder so fish pics to come .....Adios.