Happy Thanksgiving

What isn't there to be thankful for and happy about? I'm sitting here listening to music looking out the big back window watching the birds at the feeder - chickadees, tufted titmouse, cardinals, a downy woodpecker that has no fear of any of the other birds. While all the rest take turns going to the feeder, it gets its fill no matter what lands on the feeder. All the others will take off from it the second another lands. It's very cool, there are like 30-40 birds out there.

The International Fly Tying Symposium was a good time last weekend. Saw lots of friends and my presentations were well attended. As usual, I learned all kinds of stuff from fellow tyers and attendees. One of the coolest things was a streamer that Chris DelPlato tied that imitates a black-nosed dace - a minnow that is very common in trout streams that is a favorite food of larger trout and other fish. This thing looked about as real as the real thing when wet! And as is one of the best things about flies like this, it's fairly simple to tie - you don't have to be a master tyer to crank them out. Chris, you got it just right with this one - color, shape, depth and the essence of the natural - very practical and efficient tie. I wish I had a picture to post here. If you're reading this CD, email me one and I'll put it up...........very nice.

We have about 20 people coming over today for dinner - family and friends. Karen's preparing some things now, I'll make a ham and my mashed potatoes. Everyone else is bringing something either for dinner or dessert. When I'm done with this, I'll go outside and cut some firewood and blow the driveway and front walk of leaves and sticks that came down this week in the rain. On second thought, I'll wake up Hunt - my 20 year old son - and have him blow the driveway and walk. I think he came home last night............

So here's something very cool. We sent this exploring satellite named Cassini out into the deep dark of space and it's been hanging out around Saturn. It sent back this pic of Enceladus perched over the vast rings of Saturn. Beautiful stuff, huh? Enceladus is very small - about 310 miles across - about the east-west width of Pennsylvania. It's also very cold, something like minus 200 degrees celsius and covered with ice - it reflects almost 100% of the suns light that hits it.

Check it out here if you're curious to see more...................

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/enceladus_up_close.html

Got to run, the woods is calling me. Enjoy your turkey and those you share it with - if you're in the US of A, or if not, just have a great day and smile at someone you don't know.

Life if good. Be glad you're not a turkey.

Be Curious

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. ~Albert Einstein

Curiosity................didn't kill a damn thing. What it does do is make life more wonderous, joyous and best of all it teaches us the things we might never find out through any other means.

Open your eyes, ears, nose and mind and ask yourself questions about the things those senses bring to your brain........absorb, think and wonder. Always wonder..........................

Reality is better than any fiction, and richer than the mind can imagine.

Ironic, isn't it......................................???

Life is good. It's really good.

The International Fly Tying Symposium

Yes, it's that time of year. The symposium is almost here - November 22 & 23 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Somerset, NJ.

I'll be there tying throughout the weekend and doing a slide program each of the two days, signing my book, teaching a fly tying class on Sunday morning, and both days I'll be a featured tyer doing a 1 hour video tying demonstration.

Lots of fun, can't wait. The best part is seeing all my tying friends, friends, and people I've met over the years that come to the show and learning a few new tricks and techniques.

Here's the website and more info:

http://www.internationalflytyingsymposium.com/

Stop by my table and say hi, or come to one of my presentations and heckle me.

Life is good. Share something you love.

Writer's Block...

Of course, when I'm not on the computer I think of all kinds of things to write and rant about. Then when I get here, I can't even think!!

Classic stuff, but nothing new. We all get it and it goes away when we least expect it to. Maybe it's because lately I've been working my butt off at work and traveling all over creation, and then when I'm home I'm cleaning up the downed trees and limbs from the early snowstorm that hit almost two weeks ago. We have enough fire wood for 5 years, and I'm still not done with the chain saw.....it is great exercise and I love being outside. I may have to take one day this weekend and fish for a few hours to cure what ails me.....more like cleanse the mind from the foreign matter build-up from work. I got some today going to Boston and back in 8 hours........................fly, meeting, fly back...........forget about eating, thank God Karen had something ready when I get home and she doesn't mind my having crabby-pants until I eat.

Got to hit the hay.............

Life is good. If you're going to work hard, find some time to fish out the cob webs it creates in the mind.