Getting ready

Yesterday I tied a dozen black carpenter ants in preparation for my first outing on Priest Lake. Early last year while fishing towards shore from the boat I was

catching large fish on a black wooly bugger. When I opened up the one rainbow that I kept to eat, it was full of black carpenter ants!! The fish were stacked up in the areas of the lake where small snow melt streams were feeding into the lake. The fish were picking off ants as they were washed into the lake. I guess the fish thought the black leach pattern I was using was a huge black ant. This year I'll be better prepared. I have actual black ant patterns tied and ready to go! Watch out trout here I come!!

Note in picture of fly tying vise and flies, the picture in the background of my daughters giving their sainted daddy a big smooch.

Tomorrow I leave for a visit with my brother Brad in Omaha. Hopefully, Spring will have arrived in Spokane when I get back on Wednesday. It's gotta warm up so I can go watch John Henry play baseball! - and go fishing, of course.

I'm not an economist but....

I have had three reoccurring memories (nightmares?) during the last several months as this current recession deepens.

• I'm sitting in an economics class in my early twenties listening to a VP with the local Security Bank in Billings Montana explain how our economy must grow at an annual rate of at least 1-2%. I asked why can't an economy be developed that simply sustains itself, i.e. assumes no growth rate. It seemed to me (still does), mathematically, that at some point the growth model simply must collapse in on itself. In so many words I was dismissed as ignorant. "In order to have prosperity and increase our standard of living the economy must grow". In the nearly fifty years since, I'm not sure I was ever satisfied with any answer to my question. The only explanation that seemed to make sense to me was that the economy must grow at least a rate equal to the increase in population. OK. We must somehow limit our population growth and be satisfied with a constant standard of living which is defined by some matrix other than increased consumption. Don't get me started on incorporating some "social and spiritual awareness" into our standard of living. I've always had a problem with the concept.
• I'm sitting in my study carol at Arizona State University reading literature on the accounting implications of large off-shore corporations. Two thoughts at the time were, 1. is it fair that large corporations can somehow reorganize off shore to escape taxation? and 2. can't corporations simply become too large? Corporations can become too large, lose efficiencies, lose all sense of communication internally, and eventually implode. If you look at the free market model (a model that was almost religion like during the sixties) where corporations are allowed to purchase one another uncontrolled, in theory at least, you could end up with one corporation. Or perhaps, more realistically, you have large corporations that are so large that they are nations in of themselves and able to tax themselves as they see fit.
• Once again I'm sitting in my study carol studying the accounting for pension plans thinking this is absolutely crazy. Corporations don't have to report their "unfunded" pension obligations? It dawned on me that when it came to the really large issues accounting practices were not the result of good accounting theory, but rather the political climate at a particular point in time. I wondered what was going to happen fifty years from now when all these obligations become a reality when cash flow considerations are going to make you recognize the obligations you got yourself into? Business's should be required to report according to good accounting/financial theory, not on the basis of political pressures and whims. At least some level of consistency would exist if this were required. It is insane as it is now. (I'll leave it to the reader to determine verb tenses here. Doesn't seem to me that much has changed.)

So here we are!

• We have decided that some corporations are simply too large to let fail. Well, duh, why let them get so large? I actually heard a politician the other day say that we have to limit the size of financial institutions because we can't afford to allow the collapse of one financial corporation jeopardize the well being of the economy. "Barn door" comes to mind.
• We are hearing that there are cases where the free market doesn't always operation in the best interests of our economy. There is a case for government regulation, i.e. save us from our own greed and stupidity! Yep. We haven't heard to much from the conservatives on this issue other than "let em fail". To a degree I agree. But let's not let them get so large that their failure brings the nation down. It's only the "survival of the fittest" at a certain level. After that level is reached the fittest and weakest all die upon failure.
• We haven't heard the last of the pension fund problem. As a retiree I'm concerned. Thank God my retirement funds were given to me to manage as I saw fit. But I did purchase our annuity contract from a corporation, TIAA/CREF. How about all the public and private entities that supposedly were investing funds to provide for their employees retirements? When I left Illinois State University which had a state sponsored retirement plan, the state had yet to contribute one dime to its share of the retirement plan as the employees had, let alone invest the funds to provide for future obligations. I suspect few states actually have fully funded pension plans let alone pensions that are statistically correct - and they can't print the money to meet their obligations.

Oh, we are not through this mess yet. Interesting times ahead. Save us from our own greed and stupidity!

A story

Leland Lonzberry

One of my favorite Al Johnson tangent stories is of Al’s friend Leland. Leland met his early demise at the hands of a jealous husband - shot with a 45 at close range in the front room of his trailer.

Leland was a bartender at the five spot bar. One of the major attractions of the bar in addition to conversation and booze was the owner’s pet mynah bird, Otis. Otis was a beautiful black bird with an outgoing personality. He had a rather large vocabulary, but his favorite phrase was, “hello, my name is Otis” a phrase he seemed to extend on a random basis albeit with great gusto! It was loud and piercing!

On the night of Leland’s untimely death, the local sheriff’s deputy was called to investigate what a neighbor described as a loud argument accompanied by a gun discharge. According to the neighbor the sounds came from the direction of Leland’s trailer house which was parked on a lot in back of the bar. As the deputy approached the trailer, a sound was not to be heard. All was quite on the western front. The deputy knocked on the door – no response. Another knock. Still no response. He slowly opened the back door and walked even more slowly into the kitchen area. Nothing. As he proceeded into the living room area, he spotted a foot and leg on the floor in the area ahead of him. As he entered the living room, he saw that the foot and leg was attached to a bloody body on the floor. Leland. The deputy slowly knelt down to see who it was and if he could render any assistance. At just that moment a very loud and piercing voice said, “Hello my name is Otis’! It startled the deputy so bad that he fell backwards and hit his head on the corner of the door casing behind him – knocking him out cold as a mackerel. When the next door neighbor came with friends to see if the deputy had arrived yet and what the trouble was, there was the scene of Leland dead on the floor, the deputy out cold on the floor and poor Otis on his perch wondering if all the trouble was due to something he’d said!! As it turned out, Leland had been baby sitting Otis while the bar owner was out of town. Leland’s murderer was quickly apprehended – the husband of a local school teacher. The deputy was a bit embarrassed but fully recovered - the butt of many fearless fosdick jokes.

Gordon et al

Kim's birthday

There once was a girl named Kim.
Whose grandpa's love for her was no whim!

Her birthdays came fast and furious.
To her grandpa this was quite curious!

Only yesterday she was learning to crawl.
Now she leds fast breaks in basketball!

Oh where or where has the time gone?
Memories can become like the mist at dawn.

But one thing is for sure about Kim.
Grandpa's love for her will never dim!!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart.

Love you much,

Papa Skip

Irene's Award

Congratulations Irene. As a fly fisherman, I say, "well deserved!" Beautiful Annual Report cover.

http://sz0060.ev.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/IND%20News%20Release.pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=13624&part=2

See above link for "info release" on her Design Excellence" awards. I really like the annual report cover! It gets me excited for the beginning of this year's fishing season!

Saturday I go to visit my friends Elmer and Bev Kraft in Kalispel, Montana. I plan to come home by way of Sandpoint, Idaho to finish the "permitting process" on RV port behind the cabin. Then I will go to the cabin to view how it made it thorough the winter. Hopefully, the weather will be nice enough for me to take the boat out on the lake for a bit of cutthroat fishing. My heart soars like a hawk in anticipation!

I would have used a copy of your annual report cover, Irene, for my led picture but I feared of copyright infringement implications. I figure the picture of Priest Lake is a distant second but suitable! :-)

I also congratulate Chris on a successful Ojai campaign. I look forward to visiting Ojai with you next winter as we view property with a suitable guest house for Rose and me. haaaaaaaaaa

Gordon, et al

I've Been Thinking Again

I found this u-tube piece on Katy's friend Charleen's site. Pretty much sums it up. It reminds me of a conversation that Katy, Jennie, and I had about the definition of "success" a while back. I am so proud that both of my daughters are successful teachers. They make a difference. They impact people's lives. And when they retire, I am sure they will miss the daily contact with young people as much I do. I miss being a part of young people's plans, dreams, and yes even their foolishness. Being retired is "bitter-sweet".

Dad, etc.

Happy Easter

I remember attending sunrise services at the Congregational Church in Absarokee, Montana. The minister's name was Rev. Wright. He couldn't have been much more than six years older than me. He had a cute wife! I think that's why I went to church!! If she was so cute, how come I don't remember her name? ;-) Oh, yeh, Mrs. Wright.

This picture was taken off of the back deck of the house on Cambridge Avenue in Cambria. Great sunsets every night.

Dad/Papa/Gordon/Skip

So it's been a week

We've been home a week. Weather has been beautiful - 60's. I told the kids I don't know what they have been complaining about, this is great weather. Silence in return.

I have spent three days of raking and cleaning up the yard. I don't think I can stand any more good weather. Could work myself to death! I've made six trips to the dump in my little Nisson pick'em up truck. God am I stiff and sore today~! What's that old saying, it takes me all night to do what I use to do all night. That's me.

Yesterday I was going to pen a blog entitled "thoughts on the way to the dump". But, for some reason all my great ideas have left me. Although I do recall my mom saying that her dad, John, would often return from the dump in Billings with more stuff than he took to the dump. So in honor of my grandfather John I dedicate this post. After Mom's funeral two years ago, the family visited the home place, the Evergreen Farm west of Billings, Montana, the home of my cousin Barry Kindsfather and his wife Bonnie. Much of what remains in the yard is a result of the efforts of my grandfather. Especially the concrete works that he created. He had a love of working with concrete that apparently he and I share. During this last visit I took the above photos. They were taken in September of 2007. I remember talking with my mother on previous visits as she explained these "works of art". The last picture is of a large flower pot made from an old "chamber pot" that grandfather returned with from the dump. The wet concrete was formed around the pot which sat upon a base. ( I can't remember what salvaged item the base was made of - dang it). The scaled effect on the outside was achieved by taking an old tablespoon and pulling down on the wet concrete. The inside of the pot was used to place the soil within which the plants were planted.

The middle photo is of a huge flower pot he sculptured. The internal structure was made from two wagon wheels that he, once again, dragged home from the dump. The base was created from raw concrete and the top part was scalped around the two wagon wheels. He used the old tablespoon to give the work that textured look. At one time, as memory serves me, there were two of these large pots, one on either side of the side walk leading up to the main door of the house.

The first photo is of a grape arbor that he constructed of concrete and cedar. It exists to this day. As I viewed it that day in September, I was struck by the planning and work that it must have entailed! My mother related that Grandfather did this all in the morning before the farming work day began. Immediately in front of the arbor was a rather large fish pond that he had constructed and stocked with gold fish and Koi. Both structures exist today, although the fish pond has been converted to a flower bed.

All of these works of art were constructed in the late 1920's and exist to this day. Many of these types of concrete works still exist in the yard. I never met my grandfather. Some days I think I have! He exists within me. Oh, how I wish I had met him. He died at the young age of 55. He was the son of German parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia to give our great country the knowledge to raise sugar beets. Oh, how my mother loved that man. I am sure I would have too!

Dad, Papa, Skip, Gordon

Vistors

So can you guys pick out who's who?

Pat

Brad

Chris & Irene

Katy

Doug

John

Pat & Rick

Clint & Madeline

Woodpecker who visited about once a week

Grandpa Skip

Grandma Rose

Note Rose & Mad trying to open a wine bottle.

Good times with good friends.

Thoughts on trip home

• Driving in the wind ain't no fun.


• Moose has finally become a good traveler, if sleep minutes per mile is any indication.


• Rose and I do fairly well until about 3 in the afternoon and then all bets are off.


• Maybe I do understand some forms of road rage.


• On the way home, why do we always hit snow and rain in Bend?


• Diners have the strangest names, i.e. the tail of the whale, the bass hole, wet willies, etc.


• Rose said did you see that? To which I replied it could have been worse. It could have been "a piece of bass".


• All this seems to always take place outside of Redding.


• Are people in Redding strange?


• I still very much enjoy talking with young people, i.e. waitress in Madras.


• Don't order the large Margaretta in Madras. Its huge.


• Gosh we live in a beautiful country.


• Moose no longer struggles when I pick him up and put him in the crate in the Blazer.


• Any couple considering marriage should travel together in a car for three days.


• A lot of retired hippies in Klamath Falls.


• I could be happy in a lot of places, i.e Cambria, Morro Bay, Priest Lake, Spokane, Bay area, Montana.


• I could be unhappy in a lot of places, too. Hummmm wonder if there's a lesson there.


• I now have two spiritual places, Priest Lake and the State Land three miles north of Cambria.


• When I die spread my ashes on the above two spots.


• Madeline and Clint are too kind and are my kind of people. I can tell because I "learn" every time I'm with them.


• Irene and Chris are my kinda people too. They make be laugh and feel good inside. They have always made me feel comfortable.


• Pat has a special place in my heart. Gentle Pat.


• I love my family so much. To have Katy, Doug, John, and Brad visit us was special. To share what we enjoy so much with our family was special.


• Hopefully, Jenny, Les, Brandon, Kimmer, and Krissie will be able to visit us next year.


• I think about my sister a lot, a gentle soul.


• How am I going to organize all the pictures I took? Let alone share them.


• I have a foster daughter, Kay, who means a lot to me. And, not just because she does so much for Rose and me. I hope she will visit us next year in Cambria.


• One day at about 4 O'clock Rose said "don't talk to me, I'm owlie." To which I replied "that wouldn't happen to be one of them horny owls would it?" I don't remember much after that.


• Dang your own bed feels good after two months.


• To the young fellow who "cut me off" in Bend, ups yours too!!


• Driving in the snow ain't no fun.


• To have Krissie join us when we got home was special.


• How does one build an appetite when one travels? We literally ate our way across three states.


• I'm going to write a book on "bathrooms I have known". My general observation that Starbucks has the best bathrooms was destroyed by the Starbucks in the Tri-cities. Yeeks.


• Rose ain't a bad driver. She seems to do better when I let her drive a bit!


• Birds and tide pools are special.


• I wish every one could be happy.


• I think too much.

• Gosh I will miss the Sunsets. Sunsets every night.

Turkeys have landed

The turkeys have landed!! We arrived home at approximately 2:30 pm Friday April 3, 2009, none the worse for wear, but tired! Took three days of driving and eating to get here but we did it!! How in the hell one can work up a hunger while driving I'll never know. But we ate our way across three states and arrive home hungry! Rose made clam pasta (as only she can) and we are now ready for beddy-by.

Gosh what fun we have had. Great country Great friends Great visits Great hikes Great weather Great family

How many greats is one man allowed? Arrived home to a great discussion and visit with my grandaughter Kris. Talked about college, life, and things in general.

So much to be thankfull for. Love you all. Talk more soon. OK?

Dad, Pappa, Gordon, Skip the elder, Pops, etc.