Queen - Innuendo

I haven't posted a video for quite a while. I didn't want my blog to become a video showcase of my interests.

Anyway, this might be one the most perfect pieces of music in existence. The lyrics are pointed and thoughtful, the harmonies perfect, the guitar is sublime and a bit mysterious, all backed by a pulsing rhythm section. I also like the video, with its surreal imagery.

It is too bad that Freddie Mercury is no longer with us. He was special.

Enjoy.

First Things First

I love fishing!

I never do enough of it.

This time was special. It was special because it was the perfect fishing day. Which is rare, so rare in fact, that it is the first time that it has happened to me. I have also had a perfect fishing night, but only once.

The day was perfect. The sky was slightly overcast. The wind was blowing mildly, like the hot breath of Jezebel. My boys were with me. It wasn't just the weather that was perfect, it was everything. We left on time. The truck has no serious malfunctions, the boat had no serious malfunctions, everyone had a life jacket, everyone remembered their license, we had enough gear, the gear that we did have was in good condition, and we caught fish like we were the last source of bait left on the planet.

The fish varied in size from normal planters to big ol' suckers. We caught Rainbow Trout, Cutbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout and even one Tiger Trout. The highlight of the day for me was catching the Cutthroat seen below. It is the biggest Trout I have ever caught.

I eat the fish I catch if they are large enough. I don't have any problem with the catch and release crowd, although they seem to have a problem with me. I think that once in a while, it would do them good to harvest some of the fish that they catch. Killing and eating food is a lesson that can only be learned by doing it. I believe that doing this fosters a complete respect for the creatures that are killed for my benefit. It makes this gluttonous fat guy a little less gluttonous.

Beer Can Man

A few weeks ago, I spent a whole week doing Professional Development (teacher training) at Brian Head, Utah. The course was a fascinating survey of the impact of the spruce beetle on the forest in the Brian Head area. The never ending interplay between all manner of species within a given ecosystem is overwhelming.



It should come as no surprise when, in the middle of nowhere (shouts Pee Wee Herman), I found a pile of soda and beer cans. Who is this foul jackass that spreads his filth in the form of Busch beer and Tiki Punch cans? Every "remote" place I’ve ever visited has been first befouled by the Beer Can Man....why?



On another note, I may be changing my mind about the right to take ATV’s on trails. Without exception, everywhere there was a road or an ATV trail, there was trash to be collected (proving Edward Abbey right). Perhaps this seems like a no-brainer, but the amount of garbage present along rutted roads versus hiking trails was staggering. And by staggering, I mean utterly shocking and aweing.



We are swine! People are absolutely filthy dirty when they go into the wild.



On yet another note. Is there anything more phony than a resort town? I couldn’t wait to come home and wash my hands of cabin/mansions, stylish outdoor clothing, bike pants, timeshare condos, bike pants, and cabin architecture. Park City, Jackson Hole, and Brian Head all stink to me like the rich and disconnected. One can’t purchase the quality that comes from an experience, when that experience was packaged by a salesman at a posh outdoors store.

We trapped about 50 chipmunks. We were doing population studies of small mammals in various ecosystems.

This is what my friend the machinist calls "ass time." He said it...not me.

We had one trapping area that was just about at the top center of the edge of this canyon. The canyon is called Cedar Breaks and it is incredible. Whilst trapping there, I strayed from the group for a few minutes and walked to the edge. I am glad I did.

"What our economists call a depressed area almost always turns out to be a cleaner, freer, more livable place than most." Edward Abbey