Penn State 49 - Michigan State 18

Skogs, Schluep and Anh journeyed to Happy Valley for a true cultural experience.25 degrees it was...

They joined the natives in ritual statue waiting and photos.

Frozen solid, awaiting a celebratory meal of fried chicken.

After "the grouse" 2007

20 minutes after, gun returned to Schluep

I'm having a terrific hunting season, at least as far as the three upland ingredients are concerned: dog; gun, birds. The new puppy is an incredible little hunter, with the drive of my beloved Abbey but a working range (so far) that ensures she is visible most of the time and a bold point, something my labs have never had. The bird numbers are up this year, with the grouse cycle peaking. Where we used to walk and see one bird, we now see three or four, all the time. My gun (pictured in Schluep's arm above), the Parker, is working well after a trip to the smith. However, the three ingredients have yet to interact in these here Pennsylvania coverts. Such is the continuation of my shooting slump.

It all began last January, with the visit of Macho and Schluep. By all accounts, including the missus, we had an awesome time. We went rabbit hunting, as it seemed a better bet than chasing scarce grouse. And, it was during the rabbit hunt that the slump became firmly, inexorably, established. It was late in the day and we had not killed any bunnies. Just as we prepared to cross a creek the beagles treed a grouse. Schluep had the Parker, and, novice city slicker that he has become, was preparing to walk up on the treed bird to get the perfect shot. In an act of cursed impatience I snatched the gun from the do-ragged hipster, our beloved editor, and fired off a shot: a miss. No worries, the bird flushed right to left, in the wide open, my favorite and a certain kill with the Parker. Another miss. What?

Perhaps it was the curse of Schwall who still blames me for not having invited him to join us (he was, after all, nearby in Taipei). Or, perhaps it was Abbey, who had recently departed for the heavenly grouse covert. I have no idea. What I do know is that since then I have been unable to shoot anything with consistency. I am so far beyond embarrassment at this point. I am desperate. So, gods of the Parker, please send me a sign that things are going to change...

Canada

No one has posted here in a while, so here goes. Here's the Haddad family in Canada at the end of August near the Bay of Fundy, where the tides vary by 30 feet or so. The tide is coming in, and where we are standing was covered in water within 2 hours.

The Schwalls Invade Club Med

The blog's private detective captured a few of these incriminating photos during a hedonistic romp through Japan. The depravity!

Recent memories

When we were young and care-free in Brazil ...

Cruz Carlos Alberto George

From Brad (July 2, 2008):

Trip home from Guatemala went fairly well. He's a good kid and pretty much ate and slept. We've had a few rough nights (actually Leah has) mainly because Bella is a Momma's girl, and Cruz isn't 100% accustomed to me yet. But given that he's been home less than a week, we're good.

Ben's New Business Plan

Mr. Schwall, surrounded by spokesmodels, vehemently defends his proposal to drain Catskill springs for his new bottled water brand.

Water harvesting plan in Sullivan County faces opposition

By Adam Bosch

Times Herald-Record

July 17, 2008 6:00 AM

LIVINGSTON MANOR — A proposal to harvest bottled drinking water from a spring near the Willowemoc Creek has drawn the ire of businessmen and anglers who fear it might hurt the local rivers that draw tourists from around the world.

But the two men who pitched the project say they'd take a relatively small amount of water from the spring. They're consulting with a hydrologist to measure and curb impacts on nearby bodies of water.

Paul D'Amico, a retired doctor in Livingston Manor, and his brother-in-law, Warren Mosley, want to harvest 36,000 gallons a day from a surface spring off Old Route 17. Mosley said they've talked with companies that would retrieve, bottle and sell the drinking water, but have not yet struck a deal.

"Most large companies have not been interested because the amount of water is so small," said Mosley, who's retired from the U.S. Air Force.

Average bottled water springs harvest 175,000 gallons a day, nearly five times as much as the Livingston Manor proposal, a spokesman for the International Bottled Water Association said.

D'Amico and Mosley said they'll demolish five blighted bungalows and build a small fill station near the existing spring house on the 90-acre property. In June they told Town of Rockland officials that six to eight trucks would fill up at the site each day, and the operation would have no effect on neighboring rivers.

The property, owned by D'Amico, lies just across Old Route 17 from the Willowemoc Creek, within sight of the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum. The project has drawn opposition from residents, businessmen and fly fishermen. Already the Town of Rockland has received eight letters railing against the plan, or advocating a meticulous review of it.

Because the spring feeds Paradise Lake, which eventually drains into a wetland and the Willowemoc, many fishing groups have voiced opposition.

"Anything that's going to withdraw from a spring is a matter of concern to everybody, including the fishermen and everybody in the community who profits directly or indirectly from fishing," said George Beatty, a member of the New York Anglers' Club.

And because local businesses thrive on fly fishing tourism here, groups like the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce have come out against the bottled water plan, saying it poses a risk to let "private enterprise tamper with this ecosystem."

Others say approval of water harvesting is dangerous because it could open the door to similar projects.

"If this plan goes through, a precedent has been set," said Manny Zanger, from the local Trout Unlimited chapter.

Town officials said they'll stringently review the project. Rockland might even hire its own hydrologist, said Supervisor Patrick Casey. That's fine with Mosley, who said his plan should not be shot down for fear it would start a trend.

"They should take it on a case-by-case basis," he said. "Anyone else would have to go to the Planning Board, just like we are. That's why there's a process."

abosch@th-record.com

The Schluep, the dock and the striper

11:00 pm, July 5, 2008

An alternative to the New York club scene:

"Walked down to the docks in Menemsha around 10pm last night, and after 45 minutes of casting, one lost fish (possibly a scup?), a nearly caught fishing trawler (docked), and a 10-15 minute fight, I pulled this in... Nice, huh? "

Very nice. Dance to the music.

We be the blog

It all started when a friend of mine from grad school created a blog and invited me to post. Immediately, our e-mail communication, which had been frequent, ceased. I initially hated the blog as an e-mail alternative. The blog removed the spontaneity and the privacy of e-mail. Succumb to the blog and you are forced to compose. At its worst, the blog can make a person pose. But, once you get over the privacy related hang ups and begin to use the blog for your own end, it turns out to be a more enduring way of communicating on-line. It's a great archive. I really like merging the images and links with the text. You can edit stuff if there's something in a post you want to change. So, here I am, three or four years after condemning blogs as a pretentious evolution of human communication, imploring my old friends to contribute to this one. Some of you are slow to the post, but you will eventually succumb. Oh yes you will. Thanks Gerry and Confucius for your posts. Confucius? That's a tough one to spell...

Here's Aidan in Mexico a few months ago in search of Mayans among the ruins. Looks like he barely fits through the door. They must have been pretty small. I think Mel Gibson got it wrong in Apocolypto.

By the way, what's a blog?

I assume that Pete wants us to add in here, since we are "empowered" to do so, so here is my entry for the day: Baby Flornce in the Sink. I figured it was best to show this photo and not the pne with her playing with the knife set....

Canoga Weekend

Kendall and friends

Clayton meets Lilly

The Kleinman family made the 4 hr treck to northern Cayuga Lake last weekend to reconnoiter with some old friends and check out Lilly, a german shorthair pointer we've selected as our new dog. The kids had a great time on our friends' farm, just north of last summer's vacation spot. It was quite a treat eating straight from the farm, lamb chops, angus burgers, bacon, eggs and mescalin. We found a couple of solid wines at the local wineries (5 minutes drive) including the traditional dry Riesling and a Lemberger, which was described as Pinot Noir meets pepper. Kelly drove in late Saturday from a day at the Culinary Institute of America, not far from the Schwall compound. That's it for Kleinman news...

Blogging 101 - Adding a new post

After you've logged in, click on "New Post" in the upper right hand corner of the blog and you'll end up on a page with several tabs. The default tab is "Posting" and on it there is a title line as well as a window for composing entries. The composer takes a bit of getting used to, but you mostly just type. To add a photo, click on the tool that looks like a photo. To add a link, highlight the word(s) you want to link and then click on the funky icon with a globe and chain links.

The Master Birder

Baltimore oriole

Well, you boys are not buying into this blog yet, but I will stick my guns and try to represent you as frequently as I can in hopes that I can draw you out. Our old friend Skogs has evolved into quite a naturalist, with a scope of amazing photographs that includes birds that I have to look up in my Sibley guide, a gift from the Schlueps. His photographs are perfectly composed portraits of single subjects (mostly), backgrounds expertly clipped to allow us to appreciate the setting without distracting from the bird, or canid.

Periodically, I'll get an e-mail from Mike on something in my general area of work, gleaned from an environmental list serve that he subscribes to or just from his own research. I'm really impressed. In fact, and this really isn't only directed at Skogs, I'm incredibly impressed with all my old friends and amazed that we are still in touch. As Schluep pointed out, our seminal years together (emphasis on semen) were half a lifetime ago. Somehow, with all of our divergent paths, we've found each other again. I truly value this connection.

So, this is my appeal. Please get off your frickin' lazy arses and post something! Do it for Skogs, who was not very pleased with my erroneous link between him and the EPA toxics inventory.

Greg

Siting a new landfill

Some of you have asked about the man we once called the six foot wonder. Here he is, in all of his adult glory, although I think this photo is a few years old. Greg, as he is now called, is happily married with a 10 year old daughter, Meghan. Most importantly, he lives yards away from colonial Williamsburg, meaning we no longer have to stay at ye olde Motel 8 when we're down there.

A Brazilian Reunion

Schluep, Pete, Macho, Schwall and Chung

Before trout, there was Brazil. Macho and Tati threw a wedding for the history books. Although it was all about their union, they channeled their energies into their friends and family who had made the trip, the mecca. By the end we were all hopelessly indoctrinated into the cult of the Macho, evidenced by the white regalia. It would make us pure he said. It would cleanse our minds of dirty thoughts. Why is Schluep's hand on my arse? Why are our faces so unnaturally colored? I love judo fashion.

Pennsylvania Trout - May 31-June 1, 2008

Schluep models a brown

Schluep, Skogs and Macho descended upon Pennsylvania Furnace, fly gear in tow. Four novices fished the little Juniata, waving nymphs and the occasional dry fly. Skogs lost his leader to a brute of a brown, while Schluep claimed to have landed at least one, remarkable in that it occurred while out of sight of the group. Mostly, the going was slow and Macho resorted to sitting in the stream in lotus position to channel away his negative energy. Trains running along the gorge broke the idyll, but, to a man, it was a good day.

Skogs skewering a fly

Sunday morning found Schluep raising all at 6:30. He was able to recruit Skogs and myself to join him at Penns Creek. We had much of the creek to ourselves for the first few hours. Beautiful water, and beautiful fish. Macho, content to do the dishes and load software onto Kelly's computer (that's not a euphemism), was unflappable in his Teflon happiness. It seemed we had just found our groove as a group when we parted ways. Some kind of repeat is definitely in order. Shalom.

10:30am brown, at least 24" (honest)