Another week has flown by in Missouri River country. We’re seeing an incremental drop in temperature changes – every little bit helps – and the entire team is looking forward to the arrival of fall.
The undoubted highlight of the week has been the unexpected arrival of Marley the Border Collie. Marley showed up one morning, hanging around the shop and eventually crashing on the shop floor most of the day. Bearing no collar, it quickly became apparent she had wandered far from home or perhaps been left behind. We posted signs all over town and called contacts in the area, but no one seemed to know where she belonged.
As the days moved on, I showed up to work each day expected someone to have come and claimed the perky dog. She remained, herding both the vacuum and the lawn mowers diligently, and seeming pretty content to watch as we washed boats and attack the hose whenever it stepped out of line.
One day I could not find her and eventually discovered her in the back of the building, hard at work guarding the two lawnmowers, making sure they didn’t start moving and ransack the shop.
Long story short, shop rat Jake has adopted Marley and she’s currently on a short road trip with him to Idaho visiting family.
The rest of this week has been taking up with a quick run to Bozeman and long days in the shop. I’ve been reviewing the latest and greatest in women’s fly fishing gear for an editorial project, and have had fun taking new pairs of waders to the river and giving them a go. Wearing waders in ninety degree heat is not ideal, but this is business, and there is no better way to review a product than to put it through a day on the ‘Mo.
Shop life continues as usual. Shop crew shuttle sheets look a wee bit more creative this time of year. This one, for example, is for a float from Three Forks, Montana to New Orleans, leaving at 7 AM and arriving in The Big Easy at 5:30 PM. In a 1972 tie-dye “hippie van” with big permit on the license plate.
Creativity makes it all worthwhile.
I’m getting ready to leave on Tuesday for Idaho and a Patagonia fly fishing press event. Most certainly looking forward to a few days networking, checking out new product and perhaps fishing a bit. And, hell, flying in a plane. After a summer working in extremely small towns, a day hopping airports doesn’t sound bad at all.
Look for a report next Sunday!
