Greetings, Fellow Extravaganzers!
It is hard to believe that February has now come and virtually gone, but that, indeed, is the case! Just imagine: Rowdy Group A-ers, four months from today you will have already come and gone to Extravaganza 2009; you folks in Veteran Group B will be just finishing up your second day of fishing; and those 18 of you in Wacky Group C will still in the batter's box with just a few more days of waiting!
Your hostess with the mostess, Kocktail Kathy, and I return to the scene of it all next Thursday where, during the ensuing week, we will be in the final preparation stages for Extravaganza 2009 with our great land based operator Doug Persico of the Rock Creek Mercantile and with our outfitter par excellence "John The Great" Gould of Double Up Outfitters. In fact, just to make sure that Sir John still knows how to guide, he and I will be fishing together two weeks from today--fishing the Bitterroot River in the famous skwala hatch that marks the prelude of better things to come post-runoff. (The skwala is a stone fly that hatches each March...it is a cousin of the Golden Stone Fly that will be abundant in each of our three Extravaganza fishing groups.)
Wow, even though I have been more quiet than usual, there has been a lot going on with the Montana scene. First, and most importantly, snow still abundantly falls in the Bitterroot Mountains (upwards of 18 inches just this past week) such that our snow pack (that will yield our fishing water come late June and early July) is right at 100% of "normal" (whatever that is nowadays!). That is GREAT news!
Secondly, Kathy and I have the great privilege to announce that six teenage photographers have now been selected by our great friends at the International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF) to serve as our resident moviemakers during Extravaganza 2009. The film camp will span for two weeks starting June 22nd and, thereby, include each of our three groups. These budding filmmakers will be producing a movie to be entitled "Montana Matters" that will tie into a massive collaborative "Montana Matters" fundraising campaign that I am spearheading and coordinating for IWFF and the Montana Wildlife Federation--a campaign that will be rolled out in April by Montana's governor beautifully accompanied by one of the MM spokespersons, actress and model Andie Mc Dowell, and a multi-decadal campaign that will feature its own original commissioned artwork, a cd collection of Montana songs narrated by Missoulian native country and western signer Shane Clouse (the cd will feature his newest, written for us song "Montana Matters"), as well as hats, tee shirts, water mugs, posters, post cards and its own website, all embellished by a custom logo designed with élan (pro bono) by veteran Extravaganzer Dave Studeman and his magnificent Sage Brandworks partners.
Thirdly, the progress of the new house that we are constructing along the Blackfoot River is nothing short of magnificent. You veterans out there will recognize the names of our veteran professionals "Contractor Bruce", "Landscaper Eric" and "Stonemason Karl", each of whom are (blessedly) employed and hard at work in making this 3,000 sq ft dream on the shores of the magical "A River Runs Through It" Blackfoot River a reality. Those who were with us for last year's Extravaganza saw the property in its raw form; each of you will get to see this masterpiece in person on the day of your Extravaganza 2009 arrival. I will send updated photos to all during our March Montana stay.
So, gang, the rest of the world may be falling apart all around us but all is well in Extravaganzaland! And what a nice gift each of you has given to yourself--a respite from the economic craziness that surrounds us into the blissful Montana quietude that will be your five day summer companion partner and an opportunity to meet and make new friends in an environment where only having a good time is welcome company.
Kathy and I stand ready, willing and able to greet you upon your Extravaganza arrival; we only wish that that date was today and not four months hence. But, then again, it will be June before we all know it!
Best to all,
Rock Creek Ron
No comments:
Post a Comment