Sunday, April 13, 2008

Summer Cut - with or without racing stripes?

Have you even been sick with a cold or the flu, laying on the couch for hours on end half watching one of the numerous moves in your collection that you have seen a million times half zoned out due to sheer boredom and cold medications when something catches your eye and you are suddenly struck with an over whelming urge to start some random project that you have been putting off for weeks? Poor Gregario was the victim of this very phenomenon just a few hours ago.

There I was laying on the couch watching a move i had already seen a dozen times before when I looked down and saw gregario laying there looking a bit shaggy. The next thing he knew I was headed for the horse sheers which usually means he makes a run for it but today I think he was actually thinking the same thing I was. "Its about time..."

Project complete - time for a shower and back to the couch for a nap. - jan

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Everyone is Sick


After we each got back from a nice little mini vacation, sure enough, everyone in the house is sick - and just in time for the weekend. Little Elizabeth comes home from grandma and grandpa's in Texas with Pink Eye, at about that same time Kate comes down with what turns out to be severe bronchitis / borderline pnemonia. Of course since I had just spent nearly a week outside in some frigid temps in Wyoming and the Colorado high country and went immediately back to a stressful week at work, my immune system wasn't exactly up for a challenge. So of course I get the pink eye from Ellie and Kate is nice enough to only give me the sore throat and cold part of her ailments - so far no bronchitis...
Anyway, instead of working out in the yard and getting the place cleaned up from a long winter like everyone else in the neighborhood, we have been taking turns napping and watching the little princess. Since we haven't been outside working or burning money at home depot we did manage to get what everyone seems to come to our site to see... more pictures of Elizabeth! Enjoy! - Jan

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Spoiled by the Grandparents

While Jan and Casey were fishing the freezing cold streams of Colorado and Wyoming, Elizabeth and I decided to head south to some warmer weather to visit Grandmom and Grandpa and get spoiled rotten. It was so much fun to see Elizabeth play with many of the toys from when I was little. Some of them, like the castle and Michael's Pink Panther, I remember vividly.
Seeing Elizabeth walk around and around the glass table in this picture brought back so many memories of my brother playing hotwheels on the glass top and making forts under the table. No wonder my mom can't seem to get rid of it!

Elizabeth's favorite adventure while at Grandmom and Grandpa's house was the sheep skin. She would rub her face in the fur and lay on it for minutes at a time (minutes at a time is a long time for our ever active, constantly moving Elizabeth). Elizabeth was even allowed to bring the sheep skin on the back porch to lay on while she was playing with her toys so that she would not get cold from the stone floor. Nothing is too good or off limits for the grandchild!


Sunday, April 6, 2008

Spring Break Fishing on Grey Reef


Last year for my brother Casey's spring break, he flew out to Colorado from Michigan to get a jump start on the fishing season hitting some of Colorado's amazing trout waters including the South Platte, Taylor, Arkansas, and Frying Pan. It should be noted that the term "Spring break" is a bit of a misnomer in Michigan, it should probably be renamed to something like "it's still winter break" or "late winter break" or possibly even the "I've got the shack nasties and gotta get the heck out of here break"... you get the idea. Its cold and dark and its not exactly getting any warmer. Colorado on the other hand is a perfect spring break destination for those seeking variety. It not uncommon this time of year to be able to ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon... As far as the fishing goes, the rivers are starting to pick up a bit from their low winter flows and the fish are starting to get a little more aggressive as the water starts to rise in temperature. We had heard some stories about a stretch of river called Grey Reef up in Wyoming where the trout averaged 18" and fish over 5lbs are not uncommon. Now I don't know about you, but I have heard of places like this, and in fact we have some here in Colorado however what they usually don't tell the river is jam packed with people, the fish are no where near 18-20" and they fishing pressure is so intense that just getting hooked up into a fish takes an advanced degree in fisheries Biolology with a minor in voodoo, and even then the 5 lb fish may take years before you ever even see one let alone get a picture with it.

Grey Reef is completely different. The fish really do average 18-20" and 5lbers probably aren't that uncommon and the fishing pressure relative to Colorado fishing is non-existent.

We spent our first day with Guide, Dave Cook of St. Peter's fly shop in Ft. Collins CO, who rowed us down the river and tied (and untied) the knots - one of the great luxuries of having a guide!

Grey reef also have some great walk and wade waters below the dam in Alcova - Casey went to town the next day raking in the fish. It was certainly a memorable trip!

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