jus' an update and stuff that makes me laugh

OK...yesterday I expected a brother to show up and bid me farewell...he didn't. Also, the insurance adjuster/estimator guy came out to finally assess the damage. It was also the first time my landlord dared show her face. I was pissed. She obviously really doesn't care about the quality of life of me and fellow tenants. You folks in the customer service industry please take note. A problem customer doesn't just 'go away.' They get angrier if you ignore them and a small problem turns into larger problems.

So anyway...I had an uncomfortable meeting with my landlord. I won't go into it here but the matter was settled. I'm out, the building is, this morning, getting a patch job and my dog Bonnie (what I was really writing about) is quite disappointed in me. Not in the upcoming move, not in my 'handling' of my landlord, but in my choice of dog food.
Now my dog lets me know what's what. Even though I try and get her good food, she has her preferences. I always try and be tuned to her preference but sometimes you just screw up you know?

Now Bonnie doesn't know or trust a lot of folks. It's not really a bad on her part, it's just that it's hard for a Border Collie to grow up in these cramped conditions and circumstances. Border Collies don't make good pets for the most part. Their work ethic is very strong and will turn ANY game into a job. I like these dogs because they work all day every day for the most part, as do I (kinda.) I can relate quite well to them. That's why she's my third BC.

Bonnie's not a 'chow hound.' She doesn't stick her head in a bowl and not stop eating until it's gone. She nibbles through the day. I like that about her. 3 handfuls of  'Kibble & Snouts' will last her all day. It's really quite wonderful.

So anyway...sheesh...(I digress) one of my two neighbors (who I'll call Dianna) always gives Bonnie treats when she sees her. Sometimes these treats are canine gastronomical delights. Sometimes they (apparently) are not. When Bonnie gets something she thinks is yummy, she will sit, lay down without the slightest coaching. She learned to sit and lay her first day in the shop. She will do either at the slightest provocation IF she knows there is some food (something tasty preferrably) in your hand . You would think her quite well trained....but I assure you...

When Dianna gives her a treat she likes, she will do anything you ask. IF you tried the same thing with a crusty, dry, milk bone dog biscuit (you know what I mean) YOU'LL be the one begging her to take it. She hates them. She hates ANYTHING that looks or smells like them.
She will eventually take it gingerly from your hand but she won't eat it. She will simply take it and bury it...immediately...right now...and come back for something better. Right now, there is half a bisquit she buried under a railroad tie out front over six months ago. She can't walk past it with pulling me over and re-burying it. Cracks me up.

SO...I bought her some food. The place I always bought her food went out of biddness and I had to try and find the equivalent diatarally (SP?). I got a brand named "Diamond" which is supposedly a quality dog food.
She hates it...

Have you ever watched a dog bury a 40 lb bag of food?
See below...

 Going...

 Going...

 Gone...

Done. Don't feed me anymore of this crap...

Arizona rodmaker Mike Johnson, recently made a comment on his blog. I asked him if he was going to be able to stop by one last time befor I left this hell hole.
His reply was "Congress is a dangerous place to visit."
While I believe he may have been referring to one of the many dangers of visiting me, I don't think he had this in mind...

Downtown Congress, AZ destroyed by fierce winds..

Looks like the perfect time to be gettin' out of AZ...

New Digs

Hi folks...
Yep new digs.
I am moving as was obvious a month ago.
Contact info will change a little.
The email addy will stay the same;
Troutgetter@aol.com
Physical mailing address will be;
M. Shay
96633 Pinon Village Rd
Inyokern, CA 93527

The actual location is a little place named Kennedy Meadows in CA in the southern Sierra.
For me it will be 1/4 mile from heaven...The south fork of the Kern. A half hour to the Kern Plateau and little Golden's, Two hours by jeep trail to Monache Meadows. This was pretty much always my home water. I am only in AZ because I was spawning and when the river dropped I was stranded on a gravel bar.

If you ever want to check weather conditions before making the trek to fish (or see me) you can go here and see what's what.

(No, I won't be in Inyokern. Inyokern is little better or worse than where I now reside. The US Guberment has decided that mail can and will be delivered to Kennedy Meadows by the Inyokern PO. Funny they can't even do that in Congress AZ but I ain't complaining.)

Now as slow as the damn donkey that delivered mail to Congress was, I suspect that the same poor beast will also deliver mail to this address. I ain't complaining. Not at all!
Once I'm in there, I will apparently have a phone and so I will also have Internet even if it's somewhat sporadic. So my email addy will not change.
I will also have a phone number.
It will be;
559-850-7429 (SHAY) heh heh...

Anyway...the new place is going to be a 'bit' on the rustic end of the spectrum. No water, no electricity except what Mr. Honda provides and rodmaking is going to change for me.

When I first started making rods, I taught myself to make a rod two ways. With electricity and without.
I am going to be doing a LOT of things without firing up a generator. Your rod will be more 'handmade' than ever.
While I will have eliminated a lot of recurring monthly charges (rent, electric bill) I will still be a slave to intangibles (water begging, fuel for generator, denatured alcohol, sandpaper, etc) and the extra time needed to complete a task that would have taken moments or minutes with plug in power. Supplies that were just around the corner (so to speak) here in AZ will involve a day trek down the mountain and back. That's going to be pricey in this part of CA.
So I don't expect the actually cost of making a rod for you to be any less, but it could actually take longer. I'll find out for sure once I can actually get all my tools up there and set up. For now, I'll more than gladly honor any order at the price of $1395.00 if you're willing to have a bit of patience. The price may go up or down later but if you order it at that price, I will deliver it.

Anyway...the new shop right now is nothing more than a shack my dad built 40 years ago. This is not the same shack I'm going to try and live in. It's going to need a decent sized addition to make it work, not to mention windows. I'll need to find a new home for all the clutter and stuff in there right now...assuming my neighbors haven't stolen everything and cleaned it out for me.
This won't be the first task once I'm outa AZ. The first will be getting yet ONE MORE roof on the cabin. This will be the fifth roof in 20 something years. I'm sure this one won't last any longer. The last roof I put on blew off in a year or two and I haven't put one on in well over ten years. I expect to pretty much find the place a train wreck with the governor sending in another train in a matter of moments.

Anyways...the object of this page is to let you know I'm NOT out of business. I'm just rearranging things and it will take a while to get it sorted out. If all goes as planned, I will have my tools out of storage in the spring, shop set up and making rods by summer.

Luv,
Mike

Well it had to happen...

...sooner or later...

I've been keepin' the wolves from the door for years...

Yesterday it came to an end.

Now I've meant to post a lot of stuff this last month. I've taken tons of pictures, done a lot of work and it all came to naught yesterday.
I got my five day notice. I'm moving out.
This isn't going to be easy on many levels.
I owe people work, not just a little bit either.

So here's the plan...

I'm moving to "my Alamo." My last stand. The place I always held in reserve for when things got more than unmanageable.
The Alamo is located in Kennedy Meadows.
There is no phone, no electricity, no running water. It's my shack located pretty deep in the southern Sierra on the Kern Plateau. Yep...golden trout water. and plenty of it.

Now this is just about the absolute worst time of year to move deep into the sierra. I mean really...middle of sierra winter and talking about moving things such as a 500 pound lathe, ya know, to a shed you can't get close to with a truck and trailer.

So the plan is simply to store the shop here in AZ, move it in the spring (if I survive) and try and stay warm and alive until then. It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be fun, but I'll finally be out of AZ and I'll finally be back in trees, water, and fish.

There is going to be a holy shitload of work to do and just getting there seems insurmountable at the moment, but it will happen.

So I temporarily bid you adieu (SP? LOL)...I probably won't be able to post a damn thing until I can afford and arrange phone service (not an easy feat in this place) but pictures will be forthcoming at some time in the future.

Until then I wish all of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/whatever, and love and peace through the new year.
I'll update when I can and possible.

To my faithful customers...
Thank you...each and everyone of you.
To my new friends and brothers in AZ...an open invitation and a wish for peace, happiness and prosperity...
To the brothers I've been lucky to help here in AZ...I am always at your beckoned call.

Love to you all until I can do what I's gots to do!

Mike