Whose Version Of The Truth Is Truth Anymore?

 What is a Good Samaritan?

 
This was a 15' x 6' oil painting on concrete, in an Italian Catholic Church, four stories down in a dark room with only a small window bringing in any light.  I shot it with an open shutter and was so blessed to be able to see and keep it.

I was thinking on this snowy Sunday about being Woke, being White,  being a Christian, and being Conservative in America.

Do I have anything going for me anymore? Am I a complete mess of old-school thought and need re-programming? 

I sure don’t think so, but if I turn on any media or social media I’m ready for Fascist or CCP or Gates New World Order re-programming.  Are my kids soon going to turn me in? Not with brown but green or black shirts, and turn me in for my thoughts and views?

Folks, “what we have here is a failure to commun-cate.”

I watched a great short documentary by J.D.Steel last Sunday. It was about 4 people who lived thru Jim Crow, and now in their 70’s & 80’s they retold their stories of Systematic Racism they grew up thru as America continued to deal with the inequality of a world mad with the racism of every type since the powerful realized that they could make money off of the powerless.

Watching JD’s documentary I had many feelings. (The soundtrack was great:) ) They are the same feelings I’ve felt my whole life when I’ve watched or read about peoples of all nationalities and colors being oppressed by the ruling class.  

As ethnic cleansing continues to flourish around the world in Dictatorships and Totalitarian regimes. And as child trafficking and human trafficking flourish with global media, politicians and the oligarchs hiding it like a family secret, I’m repulsed and sickened.  As photos and stories are now being released about it from the underground, I believe we are about to expose the hidden evil behind it all, and we will not want to believe it. We will not want to believe it any more than the Germans wanted to believe 6mm Jews were murdered. Even after visiting the camps, they denied it. Any more than what Stalin did, or Polpot or China and the Uighurs today. 

Racism is real. It’s everywhere, in every nation, in every color, and in every tribe where power and money rule.  

Change Equals Blood.

The great Republican Lincoln began a fight that no one was willing to fight.  He was willing to risk and have a national civil war to begin the freedom of “one” of the great racist evils that men of every color and nation had been profiting off of for centuries.  And trying to stop it was the right thing to do at any cost of blood and treasure.   His Presidential Executive Order of the Emancipation Proclamation that moved us into full-on Civil war and unimaginable death was received by a mostly European white nation as worth dying for, just as our ancestors died coming here to obtain freedom from the rest of the worlds messed up governments.

On top of this, the inability for blacks to fight in the armed forces or be accepted properly even during this war and into the 2nd world war was just another sign of how good people can be wrong and how far and fast this nation has changed in it’s moral attempts to be a better union.

Yes, in America it was the Southern Democrats and elite that wanted to continue their blessings from slavery and what it brought them in overall cost of goods in the market. 

Then the Jim Crow era that began after the civil war around 1877 was the southern democrats “oh no you don’t move”. Since blacks were not slaves under the law anymore, they decided to state by state pass laws segregating what hadn’t been needed to segregate beforehand when blacks were not “equal”. 

Jim Crow laws were not accepted by much of the country who saw them as racist and it took America and in most cases Republicans decades to fight it in congress and civil society.

Thru this process and as a conservative, “inmho” all of the Democrats plans moved into creating a welfare society for our black citizenry so that when Jim Crow ended they could still control these citizens by breaking up the family unit, paying off women to survive with Govt. help to have a family without a man, and in doing so, keep them in a subordinate place where many believed they belonged. Pure evil. 

God bless the fighters too many to name with true American spirit that said “no” to all of this. Worked hard, became successful in spite of this evil, and became heroes to most Americans. 

In the medical, law, music, arts, sports, science, military, and education, heroic black Americans like our founders, fought to rise above the odds and the media of the day lay silent for most of it.

For me in the arts, I look at all the great musicians and singers and actors and athletes who lived thru this period of time 100+ years ago to help the Union continue to find a better America. 

The baby boomer generation that I’m a part of, lived thru the ’60s and as white Americans, we listened to many of our parents who grew up in segregation and went, “hmmm, I don’t think so. That may have been your experience, but it’s not ours”. 

Since the 60’s the rise of black Americans in all forms of the economy began to be something the media could not hide any longer.  The integration of 3rd generation blacks Americans and now 1st generation immigrants from all over the world legally coming to America filled our schools and churches and neighborhoods with multi-cultures at a new level that helped our nation begin to see with new eyes.

Wide-Eyes

So with wide eyes our children and grandchildren today hold no malice to anyone. Only those very few lost in their grandparents' views still hold racist views from all colors and all sides. 

They are obvious.  They are angry, they fight, they hate. 

Unfortunately, the education about all of this continues to push racism to a nation that is the most un-racist of civilized nations. 

Why?

We all need to look hard and deep at why. And who’s next?

Look at money and power. It is the driving factor, and God and non-blacks are honestly not the problems. Politics are.  The super-rich of every color are looking to keep the world racist, fighting, and in wars.  It’s how they remain in power by capturing the vote, or the army by any means. Using money, bribery, brainwashing, blackmail, and fear of death as their tool.

So back to the documentary I started within this blog.  I’m so thankful for people like JD Steel and the investors who continue to expose honest feelings and individual truths of people's lives to help us all understand where and why people feel the way they feel and why they interpret the world as they do. 

For me?  I saw these wonderful black American stories as truthful and painful for their generation. Now with that said, what has been taught to the last 60 years of black American youth. The great-grandchildren of these citizens lived through this change.  How has America changed in 60 years. What have these Black Americans from the greatest generation taught their children and grandchildren about the Victories of America? The opportunities in America. The blessing and sacrifices of America. Or, has this generation propagated the same systematic racism thru these last 3 generations?  And really, who and what groups around the world are still facing the type of racism we had 60 to 150 years ago here. It’s out there and it’s horrible.  They are out there all around the world. No rights, civil or even moral. Enslaved and trafficked because they are poor and vulnerable.  Used and abused. Who’s fighting for them now?  For their basic civil rights. I think any citizen of any race of color today in America is living in the best system for the opportunity that has ever existed. We need to go help others to see how good we have it.

Yea But…

There are and will always be evil men and women with power, using it to destroy and profit off of the citizenry.  Their color doesn’t expose them, their wealth does, so look closely. 

My European ancestors (as most 130 years ago came from very racist societies). 

The powerful of the earth have been taking over land and borders since the beginning of time. Color meant nothing. Money and power meant everything and money and power in the wrong hands is the root of all evil. 

So on this Sunday, as I reflect on my travels around the world and the people and cultures I’ve entertained and been blessed to be a part of,  I’m thankful for all of them. One not better than the other, for a good soul is just that. And a bad soul can be redeemed.  And even though I’m a Christian “follower of Jesus as Messiah”, I respect everyones right to their faith in our country with one caveat.  

Our Govt. Has Failed Us Here Again.

You can not change our Constitution, you can not oppress another religion or nonreligion with any form of violence and you should be here only legally as the laws strictly state. 

You should not be able to be taken care of by the Fed Govt. or State. You should have to make your own way and our language of English should have to be your main language to be a citizen. Speak 12 languages if you want (it’s freeking impressive) but you must learn English. 

And, for our nation's ancestors, our native tribes?  If there is anything in my lifetime I’d like to see, it’s for those nations to be found whole and healthy and a thriving part of the fabric of our nation for once and for all.   Not paid off and kept minimally survivable, but instead a great community that could…. Well, that could manage our air, water, and land a hell of a lot better than we have with their core values being intertwined in ways we hardly understand.  At least I will say, thankfully we didn’t kill them all off to hide the evidence and secure the land only to never look back. And Native Casinos… They are like an evil welfare drug dispenser for addicts. 

Vegas should have been made the only place in the country for this.. (And I love Vegas don’t get me wrong).

So if you made it thru this blog, You'll either be an "Amen" or "you're still a racist A**hole."  As time goes on, I continue to try to be a voice of reason that is willing to read and listen. Isn't that education?

Please take 20min. and watch JD's Documentary on Institutional Racism and learn a bit more about how different people view the state of our nation.

Montana 2020 (the year of Cov.)

Raynolds Pass 

The Year Of Cov. 

Hello travelers.  

Today is Oct. 24th 2020.  Our 39th Anniversary today.  

And here I am,  blogging on fishing.  That should explain a lot about love.

 

Well,  Montana was unique this year. Unique in many ways.  Trout don’t care much about Cov19. or China.   Whirling Disease yes, Cov.19 no. 

But the amount of Americans traveling through Montana and the National Parks this summer was amazing. A completely different group of people than normal years. And the lack of Asian and Europeans travelers filling these areas was noticeable.   

Paid camping spots were hard to find. Almost impossible. Camping on BLM  (Bureau of Land Management) was the ticket off road. 

TIP:  Now, if you don’t want to read my thoughts, you can click on any picture to enlarge it, and then just scroll thru all the photos and skip my explanations:)

My fishing partner from Nashville didn’t make it out this year for the first time in decades. So I decided to change my standard patterns around. 

You see the Snow levels and temps for melting along with rains are really the guide for where and how you fish the Big Sky. This year I left my Daughter and grandkids in the Wind River Reservation of WY and drove thru the South entrance. There was a front coming in and I made it thru the pass before they closed it for a few days.

 

I didn’t find this out till a few days later up in Ennis,  and was glad to not have been stranded up there. Thankfully with my R-Pod now, I don’t have to set a tent ever again, unless I want to.  So to pull over anywhere and have heat and shelter and a toilet, is a luxury I didn’t ever think I’d like. Well, I like it, and I now may have to relinquish my title as a “hard core camper” moving forward. :/

Passing through the Park I had to stop at my favorite Firehole River spot only to find it closed for the season to fishing. That was a first.  Usually it gets shut down to fishing for warm and low water in the summer but this was different. Access to even hiking was prohibited.  

This river is truly one of the wonders of the fishing world. With live geysers  and buffalo roaming around you, it’s quite surreal, and there are also long flat stretches of shallow moving water for throwing soft hackles and relaxing.d

 

  Leaving the West Entrance I passed a few old fishing spots from decades ago, remembering some of my first bear scare moments, and my 1st 19” Rainbow. Passing Lake Hebgen where it always feels like it’s gonna rain or snow, and then looking intently at Quake Lake at the Divide,  and the power of the  Upper Madison to see if I wanted to come back and fish it later. (oh yeah I did:)

Along the slow drive thru the Park this day, sitting at a dead stop, this old guy moved by me without missing a step. Understanding I was in my truck was way better than the dozens of times they have come upon me while fishing and scaring the shit of me for that moment of “now what”. 

Thankfully I’ve never been charged and always have been able to slide into the river off the banks, or climb into the woods around their path, or down a steep embankment; where it’s not worth their energy to follow.  What an animal..

Based upon weather, I chose Lake Ennis as my first place to set camp and use my float boat. I got one of two spots on a bluff  and sat there in the rain and hail for 3 full days. On day 4 it finally began to clear and I was able to go outside and begin unpacking and prepping gear for fishing:) The cactus in this video was cultivated from the hills and a large cacti. I named him Willie as in the red headed stranger. He lives on my deck now in MN, and I hope he lives long and prospers. 

My little rig feels pretty small, high along the banks of the Lake Ennis.

Not to often you get to see  the end of a rainbow from above

At the mouth of the Lake Ennis and the Madison River there was an epic pool of 19” Rainbows.

From my float boat is was a 30 row to and from but worth every second. It took me an hour to find the right fly and presentation to catch the first fish. The next 16 Rainbows this size were a day to remember.  Remember, it’s easy to fish a whole day for trout and never see or land a fish. These are days to remember. 

Dinner for 4 days here.

The contents of the first stomach that helped me find out what they were feeding on:)

This pool of Rainbows were feeding on #16 emergers in a pale yellow. Always small caddis and yes, I found a Salmon fly and large Golden as well.

After 3 days of solid rain, finally the clouds began to break. Down along the shore I found an old man living in the willows 50 yards from the boat launch.  My gut feeling is go say hello to everyone alone, but out here when someone camps off grid away from everyone, you don’t want to bother them or get an understandable gun to your face.  So from up on the ridge I watched him come out of the willows and pull his old rubber boat out to fish. One day I was watching him carry water and coke from his truck into the woods. He took a bad step and went straight backwards into the reeds. His boots were straight up for about 30 seconds before he began trying to roll over and right himself:0.  Yes, he was about 6’, 300 lbs. and in his 70’s. When I moved out a week later, he was still there and his truck hadn’t moved. Interestingly enough the Park Rangers would come by and must have known him because they never walked the trail to check on him or move him out.  I’ve run into many people like this over the years. Instead of living on street corners and pan handling, they learn to live off grid and just want to be alone. 200 years ago that wasn’t strange.

Smoked trout soft taco’s and a nice Chardonnay, was dinner, the first day I landed trout.

Grilled Romaine with Bluecheese and Aged Balsamic. Gotta get your greens.

Fire Roasted Pork Tenderloin on Garlic Mash and Port soaked Portabellos with Tenuta D’ Sovrano.

Although my rig has a full kitchen, I’m always happier setting up and cooking outside.

Keeps the camper  clean and smelling better:)

Morning Devotions at 6AM with Espresso in my fav. Cup

A self portrait by Hal Empie of Tubac AZ

Sunsets on Ennis (Is this the west or what!!)

The best western artists could always paint this sky in their landscapes.

It’s a unique tint of blue and orange, and always make me think I’m in a western movie.

This is when the sun sets,  the temps drop 30 degrees, and you’re glad you have a warm sleep system to climb into. Tent or hardsider.  Some of my favorite memories are 90 degree days and 30 degrees at the fire by 10PM. You’re forced to leave your fire and go stuff yourself into your bag with all your clothes on and a flask of bourbon. 

I left Ennis after a week and headed back south to the upper Madison and Quake lake. 

In all my years I’d never fished quake lake. Driven by it dozens of times. Know nothing about fishing it but thought I could row my little float boat around it for an afternoon and enjoy the view anyway.

Super deep, it felt like a bass lake in MN and I wanted to throw frogs onto the trees and wait for Ka-pow. I only had two hits on my flies all day.  -No fish-   But the rowing for the day was stunning, the changing winds in this canyon had you changing your rowing every few minutes and you’re always looking up to see if a squall is coming in fast over a ridge. I know there are large whitefish here (although I’m not sure how to catch them here). I may try a guide next time. I read an article by a guide who guided Hank Williams Jr. on this lake one day. All they caught were whitefish and Hank was thrilled, he thought trout were a waste of time and flavor compared to pan or deep fried whitefish.  “No comment”..

The  road you see across the lake is where I came down from the highway to launch my tube. That road is the original road from Hebgen to Ennis. in the 57’ earthquake this lake was created and the original road now goes straight into the lake and there are cabins and more still deep in the lake.

I didn’t wear waders this day and I’ll tell you that was not too smart. I rowed back at sunset to my truck. Freezing, I had to strip down and put on a rubber rain suit with my heater on hi to warm up for the 1hr ride back to my camp. I had my camp stove and made a hot cup O noodles for the drive back as well:) 

There is nothing good about trying to put on a rubber rain suit over a wet body in the dark.

And then there was Raynolds Pass

One Mile hike down the Madison from Raynolds.  

This area is catch and release only. The fish are large, smart and very beat up. The mouths on all 7 large Rainbows I released today were terribly damaged. In fact this fish’s right jaw was dislocated and couldn’t even close her mouth fully. When I put her back into the river it took her 5min. to move out of my hands. Barbless hooks should be mandatory in catch and release areas only. This was clear to me today.

Dinner in a warm camper. Yessss.

Fire is a mans best friend

The Madison currents here are pretty tough and very cold.

at 90º and high altitudes I wan’t not singing “smoke on the water” but “Feet in the water”. Oh yeah. and soak your “biff” in it and put it on your head to cool off.

And I never quit being amazed at how fish camouflage in each river differently.

 

Sleeping off grid means feeling secure at night.

After my last 9 fish afternoon I decided to break camp. That night I made up smoked trout and cheese plates with white and red wine and walked to my fellow boondockers along the Madison to supply Happy Hour Appetizers and wine:) To groups were full time businessmen in 100k plus 1ton converted Vans. Both met at my fire for wine and apps.  With Cov19 they both had purchased high end vans with full offices and satellite phones yada..  So one was 29 with a girlfriend live in and the other was 50 with his wife. What did both do that they could do full time from a van?  Pot:O. The 50yr old owned 2 dispensaries and managed them from the road. The 29 yr old was the largest underground high end grower from the east coast. A true pot scientist who grows the highest strains underground (large farms) and has never been busted or arrested.  Both were enjoying the fire and their similar life stories as we sat along the banks of the Madison River near the Continental Divide at sunset.  There are always things to talk about in nature., and politics is not one of them:)

Well, I packed up and began the trek on the backroads up past Wisdom MT and the upper Big Hole River. Weather again had turned and if felt like snow. I wanted to set camp before it hit. The next day I was to drive 4 hours towards Billings MT to meet my daughter and pick up Jane who had driven 4hrs from Riverton WY to meet me for my last week.

Picked up Jane and headed back to the Big Hole by sunset.

First early morning on the Big Hole at Sunrise. Low 30’s and steam on the water.  This upper section is beautiful Brook Trout and Grayling water.

Jane in the portable love seat with a MT. map.

Happy Place:)

1st Brook Trout of the season. They are the best tasting for me.

Now my last full day of floating, Jane dropped me off 4miles up stream so I could float and fish pockets back to our camp.  Well, another first. Over the ridge a massive storm blows in. This gives you 60sec. of warning to get your rain gear on and get to the banks. I do. I button everything down and I’m tucked in where the current can not pull me out and my feet are wedged down on big rocks on the bottom of the steep shore as it all hits.  My new Patagonia waders and Rain jacket were fantastic in this down pour. You couldn’t see 20 ft in front of you. Then large cracks of Lightning, and immediate  thunder. Now this is when you have to make decisions because if lightning hits the river? Hello Jesus, goodbye friends.

Within  5 min. it appears to lift so I lift my feet up and head down stream rowing hard cause I know by the sky this is not over and I’m miles from home with no way out.

I’m passing drift boats with guides and paid guests out of their boat and under willow brush and trees along the banks “soaked” as they had not prepared for weather. At this moment out of nowhere dime size hail begins to slam the river and banks. Like millions of rocks being thrown in the river at one time each one making a 3 inch splash as it hits.  I keep rowing hard. I have my biff on my head, the hood from my spf hoodie and rain parka on so only a handful of hail actually stung as they bounced off my head and float boat.  This whole sequence happened twice over the next 90 min. and I was having the time of my life fishing in these conditions for the first time in hail. Rain yes, many times but hail? Never. And then at the end light snow began to fall for a few minutes. Surreal. 

My biggest thought was the Jane was back at camp alone in all of this and I knew she’d have to break down all the chairs and tables get it all under the R-pod while thinking I’m dead somewhere on the river.  Ya, she was pretty happy to see me float into view around sunset. She then confided that she had asked a couple coming out the river if they had seen a guy alone in a float boat with a cowboy hat on. They said oh yea, he floated by us during the storm and we passed him later when he was fishing a pool along the banks. 

It’s out of your control so just trust, and let it go. 

In our tempo’d safe worlds, there is not a lot of uncertainty each day.

Not having telephones in the wilderness and trusting people will go into the wilderness and come back takes a bit of getting used to. Especially when people don’t come back out on a regular basis. 

I’m thankful my wife has let me venture into this space all these years and now looks forward to joining me each year. Well, after she had a bear above her head in our tent, she did demand I buy a camper and a truck if she’s ever to come again.  (ok, twist me arm).

Raining and cold, a pot of scratch soup is comfort food for sure.

For three weeks, I worked on charts and music many a rainy day,  preparing for the summer jazz season.

That, and I check out every nook and cranny in MT for possible country/folk gigs every year. 

Last morning before breaking camp and heading back to Mpls for the season.

And, (Hey Dr. Dyrud), thanks again for my 3 bypass and doing such a stellar job on my scar.

Till 2021, Thank you God for Big Sky Country. 

See you there soon.

Maple Coffee

Maple Coffee

I've been behind in my last Montana post from last summer. So, since it's Feb and below zero this morning I post some warm memories:)
Here this morning day 11 in the (2017 listen for God and catch trout trip),  I sit here alone with espresso and heavy cream (in my custom Hal Empie coffee mug) at Mountain Palace along the banks of the Mighty Missouri River.  

Going back and upstream 11 days ago I arrived into Ennis MT on a Sunday Morning at 6:30. Pulling into my friends joint "Maple Coffee", I drove to the drive through to hear Lori’s always upbeat and smile filled voice. “Good Morning, welcome to Maple Coffee what can i get cha this morning?”

{Now those who know me know I love a surprise.}

{In a low cowboy voice} "Good Morrrrrrnin. Yesssss, I’d like a large Latte…. an please put it in a small french yogurt  espresso cup……”

There was crackling silence on the drive thru speaker as if a ghost had arrived.

Suddenly she shouts in a high southern accent “ CRAIG T :) is that really you?”

Now these are the moments you treasure when you travel long distances.

Surprising people you care for,  making their day, and yours a bit more special.

You see a few years ago my lifelong fly fishing partner Bruce and I drove by this place one early morning on it’s opening day. In fact it was a test run day, it opened the next day. But anyway, we’re suckers for good espresso and this was a cool new building right on the road into Ennis, MT.

Lori a retired retailer from the NY scene and her Berkshire Hathaway husband had a 2nd home up here and built this Espresso Shop to keep Lori’s energy from blowing up the Madison valley.  Here we are on pre opening day.

So a few years later I come in to Maple early one morning with a small blue clay French Yogurt cup refilled with espresso.  Lori says oh my gosh I want that!  I tell her my wife Jane flies for Delta, ,  and these are Yogurt cups from Paris, found in a corner Deli that she brings home to me:)  We have A LOT of these cups now, so I promise Lori I’ll bring her a couple next time i’m driving 1,000 miles past her place. I’m sure she was thinking, “sure he will”..

So the next year I pack two cups up with my supplies, and drop them off on my first morning thru Ennis. Surprise and Joy was on her face again.  So you see the little blue yogurt cups were the special connection.  And now you know the rest of the story on why she wailed “Craig T is that really you?”.

Her cool retired husband Kevin (From Wisconsin), who worked for Berkshire Hath, got a tip on N.Dak land, bought it before the digging... and the rest is Maple Coffee and Ennis McMansion history :) 

Thank God Kevins WI roots and a retail wife kept him from blowing all those profits years ago. Now making a dollar tip at a coffee shop is actually fun for him. If only now I could convince him to spend more than 2 bucks on a cigar. 

Finding ways to connect with people over things you love makes life richer. Get out and make someones day this week. You'll feel better by it.

And as always I have to have a few fish pics:)

At one in the morning along the bank of the Missouri River near Craig, Montana.

There were 4" crayfish in the shallow rocks as I walked the banks. That afternoon I picked up 2 Crayfish patterns as big as I could get them. Went out at 11PM where I had measured an area in the river I could fish safely by moonlight (you can see the moon above the fish head).  You look for a rise on the moving water or the crash of a big trout and you measure and cast to the spot. It's a bit of a waiting game, but worth the wait.   My first cast of a crayfish to a rising trout was snapped off 1 sec. after it landed. It was a  4x tippet cut clean.   So I moved to a 3x and tied on my only other crayfish. In the same area another rises 10ft from the shore and I lay another crayfish 3ft over the rise and pull it in.  Wham, again, instant mega power line snap. You get so excited at these moments and when you're alone, it's funny, but you're talking to God mostly in whispered tones for no reason other than Silence while fly fishing is the proper thing to do..  In the end this picture above was one of many caught on big double hooked marabou streamer (the only big thing left on my vest in the dark:)

For trout hacks who love to eat trout as well,  Brookies are the sweetest tasting. I took this picture in a small complicated stream 20miles from nowhere.  A large log was over the stream from a beaver. The channel choke point was to dangerous to wade into. So I climbed up the bank and over the tree and back into the stream to find another smaller log crossing just ahead (as seen in the photo). There was no room to cast standing up with these big fallen trees and a narrow stream, so I ended up gettin on my knees, leaning forward and side casting from my left side into the hole that drifted under the tree. You had to get into a position so that when your fly went under that tree (where the trout hang), you could pull it straight back out without snapping off your hook on a branch every cast.  It took about a dozen casts to get my fly into a proper drift into that hole.  When you catch a trout in a technical stalk, it's the most rewarding regardless of size, and she was a great snack before dinner.

At the end of the day in Grizzly bear country, you are always aware of survival.  This means as a "tent dweller"  you don't cook real meals where you sleep.  This place is at least a mile away from where my tent is along the river. I'm camping somewhere at the bottom of that first peak over that tree line.  Of course I have a JetBoil and weeks of backpacker country freeze dried in a bag for emergency, but if I can, every night I plan a real meal. I carry a large Yetti with Dry Ice everywhere I go filled with all fresh produce, proteins and liquids needed. Heck, if you break down my truck it's 1/2 cooking gear, 1/4 fishing gear and 1/4 clothing I never wear:)

 This is my evening prayer.
Wineglass to the heavens and my everyday cheer,
"To The King".