12/17

I woke up this morning, another year older, in one of my favorite places. Huddled up in my sleeping bag, stairing up at the ceiling of the camper shell on my pickup, I noticed I had picked up a stow-a-way, a fat Gecko. I wondered how long he had been there and was greatful that he did not get cold and decide to snuggle with me in the night. I would later catch him and release him in a snarl of dead cedar branches, clumped over a pile of rocks. Should've offered him enough cover to avoid beeing eaten by a bird - assuming there wasn't a Rattlesnake coiled up under the rocks. But for now, I was toasty in my bag. It didn't get terribly cold last night, but, cool enough I was having a hard time making myself get up and out. I did want to get moving though because I had Trout to fish for and, if everything went good, and I didn't spend too much time goofing around, I might even catch one.

Just beautiful! Happy birthday.

Thank you sir!

Happy birthday. Nicely done and spent exactly like you wanted to.

&

Looks like you had yourself a nice relaxing birthday...

livin the dream,..

Life is good!

Happy Birthday, Sir.

What a wonderful way to spend your birthday!

Another year will be added to my tally in just 11 days, it's hard to believe 59 of them have gone by this fast. I wish I could spend it like you did yours, but in the middle of Christmas and New Years, it's hard to get away. I will spend it at home with my wife and a good steak.

Beautiful pictures, great fish, amazing setup, and a birthday. Congratulations on all.

What was in the flask? Great pics, enjoy and congrats.

+1

Great fall pics, Happy Birthday.

Now that's my kind of Birthday!
🎈Happy Birthday 🎈

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! It is greatly appreciated! I usually camp out somewhere for my birthday, some years alone and some years with friends. Most years I camp at the Blue River - mostly because it's close enough to my home and I know some good spots that catching fish is reasonably reliable so that I can concentrate on relaxing and not worrying too much about catching fish. I usually tried to do some kind of essay - written, photo, or a combination. Some years i just cant seem to come up anything. This year, everything seemed to fall into place. The season is late and there was still some color, the weather was great, I caught fish and camp was wonderful - cool enough to huddle up close to a fire, snuggle up in a sleeping bag but not freeze to death sleeping in the back of a pick up truck. Anyway, coming home and posting an essay then, getting all the positive replys really makes the trip special, and I thank you all.

This years selection was Appleton Estates Signiture Jamaican Rum. It's great mixed with Sprite but also is smooth enough drink straight out of the flask on a chilly afternoon without burning your tonsils out. It was a gift from a co - worker but very quickly became one of my favorites.

Capt. Mac: As a cruising sailor, I visited almost all the islands that made rum. My favorite was Mount Gay Eclipse, but it didn't like me. Headache every time. Most all rum distillers have a primo sipping rum: Even Bacardi, the most over-rated and hyped liquor brand. I don't like white rum, but Baron Rothschild in St. Kitts made some good white rum, for a while. I like some of the higher-end Appleton's, the Flor de Cana, Cruzan's Single Barrel(before the newest owners), old Pampero Anniversario(in the leather-covered bottle). I haven't tried the Pilar($$$), but assume it is good. The worst rums are the French ones. Yuk! When I got to St. Croix in 1987, the Cruzan Rum was $1.29 a fifth at Woolworth's. Twice a month it was $.99 a fifth. I said, "I'm never leaving!" But in 1991, I went to Venezuela in my diesel motor yacht, and diesel was $.10/gal, rum was $1.00 a bottle, Chilean wine was $1.00 a bottle, tenderloin beef was $.40/lb, and the local chicas were free, THEN I said I was never leaving! But, after a year, the immigration guys, said: "You gotta go!" Nothing lasts forever.
As I say every afternoon: "It's Rum: 30"! Happy Birthday, Capt. Mac!

I bet you have some stories tell IslandJim. I am not near the rum afficionado that you are but I do enjoy drinking it. My favorite is Carabean Rum that I get when we go to Belize.