Extravagant Ones:
As I proceed with my final packing after being here in the glories of Montana now for a month and put a bow on our Sixth Extravaganza (from my perspective, our best event ever--and that means putting a superlative atop of five previous superlatives), my mind is simply flooded with wonderful memories of the last month and, frankly, my eyes are filled with overflowing tears when I think of the majesty of it all and of the wonderful times that Kathy and I were able to share with each of you. The purpose of the Extravaganza is to open our hearts and our Montana home to each of the 72 of you who blessed our threshold and to open to each of you (many for time upon multiple time) the glories that this special part of the world has to offer...mission accomplished!
Images freely pour back to me of each daily rising sun, of the dancing rivers, of the netting (and releasing) of well over 1,500 native trout, and of stories upon wonderful stories of the events of each of our days together flood to me as I look back on Extravaganza 2008---images that are accompanied by sounds of thousands upon thousands of unrequited laughter, the sounds of our nightly Report From The Boats, and, most importantly, the sound(s) on the rivers(s) of nature simply being at one with itself--screeching eagles, chirping songbirds, the luscious lapping of water against our boats as we silently drifted downstream in search of the river's bounty. And it is the latter that really speaks the loudest and most importantly--the simple quietude of it all that exists today just as it did two centuries ago for Lewis and Clark who traversed the same Missouri and Clark Fork rivers that we did this Extravaganza. We were blessed for that experience and Kathy and I were blessed that each of you chose to join us this summer.
And what a summer it was: Rivers raged as they seldom have ever before raged (even fishing Rock Creek yesterday in my own personal journey saw the river untamed in mid-July); foliage was in its abundant display as seldom before, reflective of the bounty of snow and water bestowed upon it by Mother Nature herself; and, for the first time in Extravaganza history, (a) we discovered the glories of the Missouri River (see the attached record 32 Twenty Inch Club entrants, most of which were touched and returned while on The Mo) and (b) we welcomed into our arms the International Wildlife Film Festival and their (lucky) six student filmmakers, who under the masterful eye of Emmy winning director Jeanne Rawlings, produced a film for the ages that, in the months and years ahead, will be seen by all ages as it traverses both national and international wildlife film festivals...a film that, in the most masterful of manners, captured the spirit and true meaning of the Extravaganza and (for those who chose to take its full proffered journey) as "A Journey To The Soul".
As you receive your copy of this wonderful encapsulation of all Extravaganzas past, present and future, please feel free to share it with friends and family, copy it as many times as you wish and distribute it for all to see together with its underlying message that the rivers and fish of this nation are the rivers and fish of the people for all to enjoy, and that it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to become active stewards of those rivers and fish, to speak out loudly for the right to their access, protection and enjoyment. To sit silently on the sidelines simply is not an acceptable alternative for either you or me; as, to do so, will silently and slowly result in these assets disappearing one quiet mile of shoreline access and one equally silent fish at a time until the time will come when not even you, let alone your children or your children's children, will have the right to see and experience what you have so done during this now concluding Extravaganza.
Indeed, "Montana Matters"--keep that in mind as you reflect back on all that we did together and, as that guy in the movie said, "if you took a little of Montana with you, give a little back..then everyone wins". Also, with your permission, look to me to be mindful to you in that regard, as what exists here is worth the most aggressive protection that man can impose such his innately pervasive proclivities towards avarice and money-driven greed don't whisk the wonders of this great state away as man has done in the name of progress to so many other states. As each of you has now seen first hand, Montana truly is "The Last Best Place"; let us continue to extravagantly unite together, as one, to protect and preserve this wonderful legacy as America's greatest asset.
Extravagant thanks to and blessing upon each of you. Thank you for being with us and we hope that each of you are better off for being part of this year's event and that you think often of our times together with the same fond affection that Kathy and I have for each of you. On that most appropriate note, Rock Creek Ron now proudly lays down his keyboard for yet another year and, as tradition further dictates, Kocktail Kathy waves adieu to each of you Extravagant Ones (and Ta-Twos, Fours and Threes) from her kitchen window, pining "Y'all come back, now!!"
Viva la Extravaganza!!
Best to all from the now concluding scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
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