Extravagant Ones:
Well, this is my last California evening for a month and, now that I have all of my client matters (finally) put to bed, I thought that I would take a moment to let each of you know just how stoked that we are to be able to share all that Montana has to offer with you in the weeks shortly ahead.
As you rookies will experience for perhaps the first time, Montana is a reflection of Mother Nature at her finest and ficklest moments. Witness the weather of this second week: rain, sleet, snow, rain and now forecasted abundant sunshine...all four seasons wrapped into just as many days. Let that be a lesson for all as you pack for Extravaganza 2008--more often than not I change layers and lengths of clothes multiple times on a daily basis, and not to have those layers available to you is to dance with the dark side of betting odds. Memories are still vivid of our second Extravaganza when, on one day, we were fishing in multiple layers and battling wind and rain only to be greeted (read, welcomed) the next day by 70 degree weather.
What will the weather be like when each of you are here, you might ask; well, the answer will vary depending upon which draw of which river that you might be fishing at that particular time. The same river will produce sunshine and 80 degree weather, rain with 50 degree weather, and wind and downdrafts, often all within 15 minutes of each other. The weather forecast in Montana climes is best told by each in terms of "what was it like 15 minutes ago", thusly so fickle our Mother indeed is and will be.
Regardless of the outside elements (and, yes, after cattle prodding, the %$#^& painters will be vacating Extravaganza Headquarters tomorrow..egad, what a story that is!), the weather inside of our hearts and souls will always be warm and fair. Kathy and I look forward to welcoming you into our home and that special part of the world that we were so fortunate to find just six years ago. In anticipation of your arrival(s), in addition to the 55 (count 'em) cases of wine already laid in, (a) the liquor cabinet is now overflowing (not for long, however, as Group One arrives a week from tomorrow!); (b) on Sunday, we took delivery on a whole corn-fed and tenderly raised steer (already sliced and diced, that is); (c) we have a hind quarter of buffalo stowed away for you in our downtown Missoula meat lockers; and (d) we just completed the purchase of three (yes, three) entire hogs, one of which will be the co-guest of honor with IWFF Executive Director Janet Rose on the Fourth of July (the former to be roasted on a spit in the backyard and the latter to oversee our Sixth Annual Casting Contest).
Costco does its major delivery of dry goods tomorrow (yes, the order was THAT large that they were glad to make the 1 1/2 round trip delivery run for us!), Kathy will be a daily Costco visitor for fresh veggies (tomatoes optional), and the host of folks lining up to make your stay a pleasant and memorable one is legion. Get this: Montana's Fish Wildlife and Parks Board Chairman Steve Doherty and Montana Wildlife Federation president Tim Aldrich will be on the scene for Group Two; our six high school student photographers will be on hand along with Emmy winning director Jeanne Rawlings and the entire IWFF staff (and the photographers' parents) to film the activities of (this year) Group Two in high definition; Kathy's twin sister Julie and sidekick Barbie will make their fourth annual trek all the way from Florida to join Groups Three and Four; son Tyler will fly in specially to oversee the Fourth of July events and Casting Contest; our own Blogmaster par excellence, Dave Stallard, will be on site again for the whole Extravagant enchilada, and a host of our dear Montana friends (including internationally published writers Kat and Larry Martin, semi-retired professional golfer Miller Barber and his wonderful wife Karen, Outfitter Jeff Freeman [our designated bbqer this year], his wonderful wife Maria and my great friend and partner in subdivision killing, Rock Creek Protective Association John Menson, to name but a very few) will also join in on the fray.
Where will we fish?? Frankly, who cares! Fish we will, for sure---that's all that matters, and the fish and fishing, in my now growingly expert opinion (as well as the opinions of many, many others) is going to "ON", particularly as things subside after now a month-long legendary runoff. My prediction: This year, Extravaganza 2008 will burst all previous records and catch (and release) over 2,000 healthy, native Montana trout--a wonderful bouillabaisse of rainbows, cutthroats, browns, cutbows and bull trout (last year the rough fish count was 1,750 trout with 65 fisherfolk).
So, gang, just how many emails has it taken to get us here to this point in time, the one week from flag up of Group One? Yikes, a bunch, but each one had a special message for you, the combined wisdom of which is best earlier summed up by your knowing that Kathy and I simply can't wait until we see you on our back porch, with drink(s) in hand, looking out over Rock Creek upon the fire and horseshoe pits below, so that we can thank you in person, Extravaganza style, for being with us, in many cases for multiple times, and officially announcing that "the games have begun." Upon reflection, I sure would rather be at these Extravaganza games in Montana over those "other games" to be hosted later this summer over in China!
As I conclude this message, I now turn off my California computer and look to a few hours of shut eye before my 7:30 a.m. Delta flight in the morning. To that end, the organizational part of Extravaganza 2008 is now complete, now let's strike out together for a wonderful return on that well invested time and energy!
See ya on the flip side!!
Best to all from the Bay Area,
Rock Creek Ron
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