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heather-in-heels · 6 years

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Sam

This is a love story, but it is only love in the sense of meeting a person who changes you forever. You meet them at a time in your life when you need their fresh set of eyes the most. As a result, you wind up in love with them. Not a romantic love, but a thoughtful love where you know you left an imprint on their heart and they left one on yours, too.

Sam was a New Yorker, I live in the Los Angeles Valley. East Coast. West Coast. Over 2000 miles in between. That has all the trappings for a romcom waiting to happen, but in reality it doesn’t pan out as meet cute as you imagine.

We met on Tinder. Another setback. This is the end all, be all, of the apps for hookups. Swiping and uploading your best photos — voila, maybe you find your true love because an algorithm and narcissism said it should be so!

I’ve always liked to read the captions. His read, “If you have a good world view and you enjoy movies, candy, wine, and adventures... I think we would get along just fine.”

Swipe right. Hard right.

So I gotta ask what you do for work cause you clearly have more than the rest of us :-)

Also... hi :-)

That was his first message to me. I had to dig far into the recesses of my Tinder profile to find it. The message made sense if you know me. Most of my online dating photos are me with brand mascots. I write about characters and they’re in 70%, if not more, of my iPhone’s photos.

Hi Sam. Winking emoji.

That was my first message back to him.

Sam was staying in Canoga Park, a part of the San Fernando Valley I knew well(ish). It was a little more foreign to him. Kind of like how I felt about Brooklyn, where he lived and I had never been.

We talked for several days, on and off the app. He asked me out. I said yes and our first date was on March 12th. Sunday. I never go out on Sunday nights. That’s because I am boring. I go to bed early. There was something about him, though. If the conversation in person was half as good as the one through text, I had to meet him. This could either work for or against me, but that’s the bet you take on any date.

When Sam walked into the restaurant/bar, my eyes felt like a row of jackpot symbols at a casino. He looked like the actor Patrick Wilson. He dressed well. He was funny and thoughtful and witty. I felt like I won some kind of lottery I didn’t know existed. We all put our best foot forward on the first date, but this wasn’t the best version of him. This was him. I was seeing every bright part right now. The color gold in a world gone gray.

This was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be with when I saw my future. Previously in this episode of Heather’s Life, I had dated nothing but scrubs as my girlfriends liked to call them. I didn’t know what it was like to date a good guy.

I went to the bathroom at one point and when I came out, he was chatting with the people at the table behind us. He had also hung up my coat, that I had carelessly tossed onto my chair, onto a hook. I stood and watched him speaking with these people for a moment, smiling. It was so him. Charming the whole room and everyone in it.

I’m leaving out my favorite detail. He came bearing a gift. We had been talking about our favorite candy before we met and I said mine were Twizzlers. He brought a pack with him.

I never ate the Twizzlers. It was such an unspeakably simple, kind act that I wanted to hang on to them.

We talked about our lives and selves and dreams. He told me about how he saw Daft Punk live at their Alive tour. We talked about our mutual love for EDM. He talked about his DJ’ing he had done before. Rick and Morty, and how he identified as Rick. Anne Hathaway, his celebrity crush. His dream of becoming a late night talk show host. How he hated missing the turn exits on the freeway and having to drive further out.

Sam was a man of spontaneity, something I, as a person, have never been able to do. No, wait. I was spontaneous once. I used to take trips, even though I had debt and little money to spend. Then I turned 30 and stopped doing a lot of things. Sam insisted that this was no excuse. No way to live. He had debt too, but it didn’t stop him from showing up or living life.

Hours later, we got ready to leave. He offered to give me a ride home. I never say yes to these kinds of offers. But, I felt safe with Sam. I knew it would be okay.

We drove the short distance back to my place, singing along to Taylor Swift on his Apple Music. Full blast to “Style.” We missed an exit on the way, but he laughed it off.

A good first date. An even better first kiss.

Life went on. He went home and I stayed put. Both of us worked a lot. I should add here that he worked so much. Rivaling myself, and that is not a good thing either.

A few months later, some texts in between, me going on dud dates with other guys, Sam texts me to say he’s coming back to California. “Let’s hang out!”

I jumped at the chance to see him again.

See, it happened. A second date. We weren’t supposed to get another, but we did and the catching up was even better the second time around. Things were changing for the both of us, on the up and up. I was getting my student loans paid off. He was interviewing for new design clients in San Diego.

Another drive back to my place together, and then we decided to go out again the next night.

Three dates? Inconceivable! He had a surprise for me this time. We were going to a carnival. He was the driver and I was the passenger. But, even though I had no idea where this carnival was, I still directed him to the right place. I had a feeling I knew where it was when he mentioned seeing certain landmarks and it wasn’t in Van Nuys. I won a stuffed otter as a prize.

Later that night (well, it was more like later that morning), we drove back to my place. I had a thought on the way there. Why go home at all? He had always wanted to go to Malibu and I live close enough. It was a beautiful night and I suggested that we drive down to the ocean.

Sam was so excited to do it. The drive was a straight shot down one road. The top to the car was down, the wind was blowing, and Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” was blasting on his Apple Music. It reminded me of that moment in the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower when the main characters are driving through a tunnel listening to David Bowie and feeling, as the protagonist Charlie called it, infinite. Every time I turned to look at Sam, he was grinning from ear to ear. He was having the time of his life. And even though I was a mess, with my hair everywhere and no makeup on, I was too.

Life and time went on after that night and we went back to our respective worlds. October approached and with it the New York trip I was going on. I had been working myself to the bone every night after work for months and was exhausted and excited for it to finally come together. Sam had mentioned we could hang out when I got to New York. We FaceTimed a few times together and he, somewhat begrudgingly, admitted he would go with me to Katz’s Deli. There were way better food places than Katz’s to go to, he said.

What was our last conversation about? The last conversation I had no idea would be the last one? Bob Ross. He loved Bob Ross and I found a game on some website that you could play and told Sam about it. We admitted that it did look a little challenging to play and maybe it could be played by someone else later on.

That was the last time I talked to him.

I found out about Sam’s death on Friday September 28th. I was packing my suitcase for the New York trip. Then, I saw a Facebook post about him. He had died.

The five stages of grief rolled out fairly quickly. Denial, because it felt like a sick joke. Anger, because I could not understand. Bargaining, because all I could see was this beautiful, living, laughing boy. Why did he die when so many horrible men get to live? Depression. Acceptance.

I haven’t gone through the fifth stage yet. I think I’m still stuck in the fourth.

I put a black dress in my suitcase first, rolled into a tight ball. The Twizzlers occupied their own side pocket. I gradually packed throughout the night in between taking calls and answering texts from concerned friends and family. Sometimes I would pause while packing and stare off into space. Or I would pack while crying because my brain kept telling me to move forward.

When I arrived to the airport on Saturday, I felt like I was walking through JELL-O. Everything was a dull roar. I stared off aimlessly into space for about an hour before I decided to go sit at a bar. I drank at a rock and roll themed bar and talked to a stranger sitting next to me about what had happened. I don’t know how we stumbled into this conversation. He was a VP for a banking firm in New York. Had 500 employees under him. Knew what it was like to lose someone and shared his own story with me. I felt less alone.

The turning point, which I tell everyone about, happened at 12:30 AM on a Sunday morning. I had arrived to my hotel by then and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was hungry and went to the pizza place next door. In front of me was a couple from Australia. Behind me was a guy from Atlanta. Behind him was a woman from Fort Lauderdale. Everyone was from a different place in the world, all gathered together for pizza.

It changed everything for me, this moment. This was the first time in years where I felt a connection. I haven’t gone out or done much in awhile now. I sleep, I work, I go home, and work some more so I can pay my student loan off. This loan has taken over my life and it totally shows.

I don’t live, and I am trying very hard to get better about that. This is something Sam, in the little time I knew him, told me I needed to do. I used to fight him on this. Everything is too expensive. He would counter that he also had debt. I need to be working during this time. He told me you can work at any age. Finally, I would get to the bottom of it all and admit that everything was so fragile. My life is like a carpet that is always close to getting yanked out from underneath me. I don’t have a husband or children or a house or anything that a lot of people have at my age. I’ve gotten to the point where I am grabbing this carpet and refusing to let go because I am too afraid of what happens when there is no more carpet.

At the core of myself, this kind of behavior infuriates me. The me that I am and have always been. The me that Sam saw. She sees me doing this and knows it’s actually childish behavior. She is a person who tells me to be kinder, keep doing more, and do not believe one state or city or country can stop you. She keeps the faith that it will all work out even though she doesn’t know how.

That Sunday morning was the first time in awhile I felt connected.

Several hours later, I prepared to say goodbye. I had asked his cousin in advance if I could go to his service, out of concern that it would not be appropriate since I knew so little about him. She graciously said I could go. The outfit I had to wear, the drive into Brooklyn, the absolute feeling that this was concrete and final. He was gone.

The drive to Brooklyn was my first one there. As the car got closer to the building, I saw all of the cop cars blocking off the streets and everyone heading into the building. There were so many people. Every single one impacted by him. Most of them were crying.

I had never been to a funeral for an Orthodox Jewish family before. The actual burial would take place off-site. No cremation. No flowers or wake. A shiva would be held on Wednesday. The men and women sat on opposite sides of the room with folding tables standing in place between us. We may have been separated, but grief held everyone together like a nasty cobweb we were all trapped inside.

The first moment I heard the fine print details behind Sam’s debt was when his brother delivered his speech. I knew Sam had debt, of course. Knew how much and how he had incurred this debt.

What I didn’t know that even in debt Sam kept giving to everyone he knew. He continued to financially support his family. He paid for everything he could with the little he had. He gave what a reasonable person would not or what they would try to excuse themselves from doing. When I told him I was coming to New York, he offered to let me stay at his place. I laughed when I heard that. Part of it was because it was funny, since I assured him I already had a hotel room. The other part was that I could not imagine making an offer to a person I barely knew.

In retrospect, I saw that every action, every decision, came from a place where kindness and love were put forth first. Give, and maybe ask questions later. He loved you for who you were and wanted to be there to support you at every turn.

I cried a lot.

When I left, a monarch butterfly flew in front of my Lyft car. That butterfly was completely Sam’s spirit. I just knew it. He would not want me to go back to the hotel and cry. This was a big week for my career and my dreams. Months of hard work went into this week. I could not disappoint the people involved. This meant just as much to me as it did to them.

What followed, in light of a deeply dark day, was a beautiful week. The gala was a hit, I walked up to the NASDAQ stage instead of crawling this year (young me crawled so I could walk... I get it now!), and the panel was amazing.

“Great minds unthink alike.” It was the company 15th anniversary theme and one I felt throughout the entire week. Connection remained a personal running theme for myself. I felt myself connect in New York City. This was a city that used to scare me during previous visits because I didn’t think I had a place there. It was different this time. I have friends, I have work. I have a network that I did not have years ago. I can walk anywhere. Everything is open 24/7, there’s something new to explore, and new faces just waiting to be met.

I saw a similar monarch butterfly a week ago. It made me smile. I knew it was him. Don’t ask me how I knew something like this. I just do.

Sam came into my life at a time when I needed a new perspective. He taught me that there are men out there that will love me for who I am. He also taught me to go out there and chase adventure. I’m 30. I’ll be 31 soon. It sounds like it’s a little late in life to learn lessons like these, but I don’t think it is.

I wonder if this is just the beginning.

For the rest of my life, I will be thankful to have known him. A little bit of time is better than no time at all and he was, and will always be, a teenage dream to me.

#personal

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shirttrendingstore-blog · 5 years

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Once upon a time there was a girl who really loved Otters and tacos shirt

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limejuicer1862 · 5 years

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Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Roger Stevens

has published forty books for children. He is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, a founding member of the Able Writers scheme with Brian Moses and runs the award-winning website www.poetryzone.co.uk for children and teachers, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. His book Apes to Zebras – an A to Z of shape poems (Bloomsbury) won the prestigious NSTB award. Recent books include I Am a Jigsaw; puzzling poems to baffle your brain (Bloomsbury); Moonstruck; an anthology of moon poems (Otter-Barry) and Be the Change; poems about sustainability (Macmillan). Roger spends his time between the Loire, in France, and Brighton, where he lives with his wife and a very shy dog called Jasper.

The Interview

1. When and why did you start writing poetry?

I can’t remember the first poem I wrote, but I was probably around 12 or 13. I was at secondary school. This would have been in the mid 1960s. I do remember making books of my poems. I would fill hard-covered exercise books with poems and then ask my cousin, who had a typewriter, to type out the best ones. At school we had two English teachers and I guess I was lucky as they were both brilliant. ‘Old Nick’, as we used to call him, looked stern and quite frightening with a shock of black hair, was a strict disciplinarian – woe betide anyone who answered him back – and taught us about classic and traditional poetry. We studied Shakespeare, Chaucer, Byron… he taught with a passion and made poetry exciting and understandable. ‘Flossie’ was more laid back. He was fun and interested in contemporary literature. It was in his lessons that I first met e. e .cummings, whom I still love. Later, the poems of Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri, published in The Mersey Sound in 1967, had a great influence on me. In a way they were Britain’s answer to America’s beat poets. They showed me that poems could be about anything – girlfriends, a visit to the chip shop, anything at all. Roger McGough is still one of my favourite poets. The other big influence in my teens was Bob Dylan. I was in a band (a beat group we called it back then) and he showed me that song lyrics could be so much more than rhymes about the moon and June. I always thought his lyrics were poetry, something recognised recently of course, by the Nobel Prize people.

1.1. Why do you still love e.e.cummings?

That’s a good question. I think I probably liked him as a teenager because I don’t think I’d ever read anything quite like him. I think it was his sheer audacity – writing WITHOUT USING CAPITAL LETTERS? Wow! Flossie also introduced the class to the novel Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stearn. Written in the mid 1700s – it was a novel way ahead of its time. As a teenager “experimental” writing, as I saw it then, was very appealing. After school I went to art college and became fascinated with all things avant garde. John Cage… the Fluxus school… and that was all reflected in my writing and poems at the time. None of which would be good enough to find a publisher now. And now, when I read ee cummings – it’s not just the cleverness of the style, the content means more too. Which, I guess, speaks to me as a grown-up.

1.2. What other poets do you like to read?

I write mainly for children, and so I read a lot of poetry written for children. My favourite is probably Roger McGough. He writes for children, of course, but also for adults. He writes poems that are accessible, that anyone can read. But that have so much more to them. He can do that thing where you read a poem and he tells you something that’s true – but that you’ve never thought of before. And you think – Ah yes! Of course. I love Billy Collins as well, for similar reasons. It’s a phrase you often see on the backs of poetry books – deceptively simple. But sums them both up. I like Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy… and for children’s writing Michael Rosen. I’m currently reading Stephen Dobyns, a poet that I’ve only just discovered. And enjoying his writing very much.

2. What is your daily writing routine?

I don’t really have a daily routine. I keep a notebook with me at all times and write in that most days, whenever I think of something worth noting or see something that could inspire a poem. I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night to write in my notebook, too! Now and again I’ll look back at my notes, dig out any ideas that still seem sensible and work at turning them into a poem or a piece of prose.

But usually writing comes in clusters, when I need to spend concentrated bouts on a particular project, for example if a publisher has commissioned a book from me. When I have a deadline ahead, I will set aside a few hours each day, usually in the mornings, to work exclusively on that book. My time won’t be spent only on writing, because projects often involve research. When Brian Moses and I wrote What Are We Fighting For? for Macmillan, it involved a lot of reading about the two world wars and researching the roles played by people and animals at home and abroad. For that book I spent several weeks working all day creating the 60 or so poems that were my contribution.

I am currently working on a ‘best of’ my poetry collection, but the poems for that are already written and so at the moment I spend an afternoon or two every week trying to choose the best hundred from the thousand or so poems that I’ve had published over the years.

I have two writing projects planned for next year. One is an autobiography which will document what life was like for me and my family in the 1950s onwards. I hope my grandchildren, grand nephews and nieces and those who come after them will find this interesting. I will probably self-publish this. I am also going to write an adult crime thriller, which I hope will interest a mainstream publisher. That definitely will involve a daily routine and I will probably sit down to write immediately after breakfast, take a short break for lunch and continue until mid afternoon. The joy of writing for a living is that you can create a routine that suits you – and you’re not tied to being in one place. I can write wherever I am and, in fact, when I’m working on a big project I find I like to be at our house in France, where distractions are fewer than in England, or even away from it all in our camper van, at home or abroad.

3. What was the motivation behind What Are We Fighting For?

Well, firstly I should explain that I have to write, or make music, or create art. I don’t why this is, but I do! So the main motivation for all my work comes from within. I have written novels and poetry since my teens and have always written songs and played in bands.

But in the late 1980s I had an idea for a children’s book, which proved commercially successful. It was published in 1993 by Penguin. That was The Howen. Another novel followed, Creeper, and writing for children seemed it could be a viable career. I was teaching at a primary school at the time.

It was not until poet Brian Moses visited my school that I thought about writing poems for children. His spirited performance and the workshop that he ran made me realise this was something I wanted to do. So I wrote some children’s poems, sent them to Brian and my first poem was published in an anthology, My First Has Gone Bonkers, in 1993. That was a good year for me. From then on I had lots of poems published in anthologies, I started visiting schools to perform and run workshops for children and teachers and in 2002 my first solo collection, I Did Not Eat the Goldfish, was published by Macmillan.

By then Brian and I had become good friends. We collaborated on a book which was published to coincide with the 2012 Olympic Games and then looked for another project we could share. The reason our Olympic Games book was so successful was because the Games were held in London and the whole sport thing was really topical. Publishers like to know there will be a market for a book.

We thought there would be a lot of publicity around the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War which we could utilise and our publisher thought so too. Thus, What Are We Fighting For? was born. But it would be wrong to say our motivation was just to cash in on an event. That might have been where the idea for the book came from, but the motivation behind the poems was to convey the evils of this war while acknowledging the bravery of those who were forced to fight in it. Brian and I both had grandparents and parents who’d fought in the two world wars. As children we were keenly aware of the fallout from these conflicts.

There are, of course, some brilliant poets who served in and wrote of both these wars, but their poems are not always easily accessible for children. So we were also motivated by the desire to show the futility of war in a way that children could understand. We wanted to write poems about sadness but with humour and which gave hope for the future. I think we managed it. This was a difficult book to write – to get the tone right – and I also needed to do a lot of research, much more than for most books of poems. It’s a book I’m very proud of.

4. What do you think is the difference between writing for adults and writing for children?

They are the same in so many ways because one writes for the same reasons, no matter what the audience – to communicate ideas. There are some obvious differences, of course: When writing for children I don’t use swear words, sexual or overly violent imagery. The main differences, however, are content and place. I remember being a child quite clearly. This helps, but I was young some while ago! A children’s writer needs to enter the world of children in order to know what matters to them, what will grab them, what will mean something to them. Visiting schools, having children and grandchildren, talking to children helps me keep up to date with the zeitgeist. I also place my writing in a world that is familiar to children. Of course, a poem can be set in a forest and that context can be understood by both adults and children. But a poem about an office, for example, would not work in the same way. Poems can be set in places that are unfamiliar to children, but the situation has to be manipulated to be meaningful to a young audience. It’s common sense really. What a children’s writer does not have to do, despite a common misconception, is to over simplify the vocabulary used. Children are generally good with words and actually enjoy learning new words. Sometimes you need to keep the syntax straightforward but, in general, when writing for both children and adults the most important thing is that what you’ve written will resonate with those you’ve written it for!

5. Have you any tips or advice for anyone wanting to write children’s poetry?

When writing, remember what I’ve said about relating to children and their world. And always try out your work on a child who will give you honest criticism. If it’s poems you’re writing and you’d like to have them published, probably the best way to start is to submit them for inclusion in anthologies. But do your research first and find out what the editors are looking for. This year, I compiled Moonstruck for Otter-Barry Books, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon-landing. I was sent a lot of poems, as you can imagine. I am constantly amazed at how many poems seem to have no relation whatsoever to the brief. I had to discard quite a few that were nothing to do with the moon! I always strive for variety. So submit long poems, short poems; haiku, ballads, rhyming poems; silly poems, sad poems, serious poems. Lastly, as an anthologist I search for originality. I was sent lots of poems about the moon being made of cheese and quite a few about the moon being like a balloon – they didn’t make it into the book. I would also suggest that would-be children’s poets read some modern children’s poetry, to get a feel for what children read nowadays, and what publishers publish.

6. Do you write for adults then?

Yes I do. I’ve one adult poetry collection published as a book and two others are available as e-books. I also have a novel e-book and I’m working on a new book at the moment, which I hope will be published in 2020. Next year I’m planning to write a crime novel for adults. I am a musician and singer/songwriter as well as a writer and have three albums on Irregular Records and this year (2019) made a jazz album. I perform in acoustic venues and folk clubs.

7. Have you any more books for children planned?

Yes! Over the years, I have had three novels and 35 of my own poetry books published, some solo collections, some collaborations and some anthologies, and my poems have appeared in about 400 books. I sometimes think about slowing down, but I have had six books published in the last two years – The Waggiest Tails (Otter-Barry ) with Brian Moses, The Same Inside (Macmillan) with Liz Brownlee and Matt Goodfellow and the award-winning Apes to Zebras (Bloomsbury), a book of shape poems, with Liz Brownlee and Sue Hardy-Dawson in 2018 and I Am a Jigsaw (Bloomsbury), Moonstruck (Otter-Barry) and Be the Change, Poems to Help You Save the World (Macmillan) with Liz Brownlee and Matt Goodfellow in 2019. So slowing down seems to be just an idea at the moment! I have only two books for children scheduled for next year – my ‘best-of’ collection, which hasn’t yet found a title, and a book of poems about robots. And I will continue to run The Poetry Zone (www.poetryzone.co.uk) where children can publish their own poetry. The thing about being a poet is that it’s sometimes challenging and can take up all your time, but it’s also incredibly rewarding and fun. So I find it difficult to call it work. And I don’t really want to stop – ever!

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Roger Stevens Wombwell Rainbow Interviews I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me.

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dailynynews-blog · 6 years

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John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary

New Post has been published on https://www.usatelegraph.com/2018/john-halls-alaska-grand-slam-land-tour-trip-diary/

John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary

I took a land tour of Anchorage, Prince William Sound, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali Nationals Park and Preserve and Talkeetna with John Hall’s Alaska. Here is my trip diary.

Traveling from the eastern US to Alaska takes the better part of a day. I woke up at 4:00 a. m. and was at the airport before 5:30 a. m. I have never been so glad to have TSA PreCheck in my life. The security screening line was extremely long, but the PreCheck line had fewer than 10 people in it – lucky me! I had plenty of time to get to my gate.

My flight connected through Denver, which is a nice airport with plenty of dining options and lots of places to charge electronic devices. John Hall’s Alaska’s travel documents mentioned the limited space for carry-on bags on the tour bus, so my Eagle Creek zip-top tote bag seemed like a good carry-on bag option for this trip. Most of the people on my flight had wheeled suitcases or duffel bags and the overhead bin space filled very quickly. My carry-on fit under the seat in front of me. I chose a window seat so I could take photos as we flew over British Columbia and Alaska, and it was nice to be able to reach my book, e-reader and other items without disturbing the other passengers in my row.

When I arrived at the airport in Anchorage, it was easy to find Tara, the John Hall’s Alaska representative assigned to greet incoming flights. My bag arrived quickly, and Tara and I headed off to find the other tour participants who would be riding to the hotel with us. It took only a few minutes to locate them and head out to the curb, where the Crowne Plaza Midtown shuttle picked us up and whisked us to the hotel.

The Crowne Plaza Midtown is on the main road between the airport and downtown Anchorage. John Hall’s Alaska arranged for a shuttle driver to be available at specific times so that any arriving tour participants who wanted to go downtown could do so. I was tired from all of my travels – I was not yet over jet lag from my trip the previous week to the West Coast – so I decided to unpack and deal with some work-related emails rather than go into Anchorage.

John Hall’s Alaska gave all the tour participants vouchers for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. We could order any meal on the menu, from a sandwich to rib eye steak. My salmon was tasty and I had more than enough to eat.

After dinner, I headed back to my room to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

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Day 2 – Alaska Railroad, Meares Glacier, Prince William Sound, Valdez

Today was a fun but long day. We had breakfast at 7:00 at the hotel. Offerings included scrambled eggs, omelets cooked to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries, yogurt, oatmeal, potatoes and salmon. We traveled to the Alaska Railroad train depot by motorcoach. The depot was jammed because people were waiting to board special trains that were running from Anchorage to the state fair. Our train, the Glacier Express, ran from Anchorage south to Whittier. After the state fair train left the station, our train arrived and we boarded.

Our two-hour train ride took us through some very beautiful areas, particularly the Turnagain Arm. The Seward Highway runs parallel to the train route, and we could see many RVs, trailers and campers on the highway as we traveled. We saw glaciers and amazingly beautiful mountains. Although this trip took place in late August, some of the trees had already turned yellow.

When we arrived at the train station in Whittier, we walked across the street to the Inn, where we had a nice lunch. I had salmon with asparagus and lemon sorbet for dessert. Sadly, after lunch, one of the ladies I ate with fell and fractured her pelvis. John Hall’s Alaska sent a driver to take her to the hospital in Anchorage. One of her friends stayed with her for a couple of days, and then rejoined the tour.

After lunch we took a seven-hour boat trip from Whittier to Valdez via the Meares Glacier. It was a beautiful trip, with the highlight being the 20 minutes or so we spent at the glacier. Glaciers make sounds! They crack and pop even when ice falls aren’t happening. We saw a couple of large ice falls (talk about noise!) and a couple of smaller ones. Our boat got about ¼ mile from the glacier – way closer than my Holland America Line cruise ship could do in Glacier Bay five years ago. Even with the wind and engine noise, it was easy to hear the glacier’s sounds.

We saw sea otters, kittiwakes, two types of puffins, harbor seals, sea lions, and one humpback whale that wanted very little to do with us. I enjoyed watching an otter clutch a giant salmon while seagulls flew toward this tasty meal. The otter would watch the proceedings, then suddenly dive underwater to trick the gulls.

We had dinner on the boat – halibut, steamed vegetables, rice, a roll and oreos.

We arrived in Valdez about 9:00 and were told that we had to have our suitcases outside our room doors and be downstairs at 6:00 a. m. the next morning. After a long day of travel, this was not welcome news. Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn is clean and comfortable, but it does not have air conditioning or elevators.

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Day 3 – Valdez to Fairbanks

We all made it downstairs by 6:00 a. m., and Tour Director Bill led us across the street to The Fat Mermaid, a restaurant and bar that looked like something straight out of Northern Exposure. Breakfast included scrambled eggs, eggs and omelets made to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, French toast pecan casserole, toast, English muffins and juice. We watched the sun create a glow behind the mountains as we boarded the coach and headed out of Valdez.

Our drive today was very long; we arrived in Fairbanks at about 6:30 p. m. We had several adventures along the way. We stopped twice in Keystone Canyon to photograph waterfalls. I really enjoyed the scenery in the Thompson Pass. At the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center, we discovered that a rock had struck our coach’s radiator and caused a leak. Tour Director Bill called John Hall’s Alaska’s office right away, and together they came up with a plan to get us safely to Fairbanks. While at the Visitor Center, I walked the half-mile loop trail, which is advertised as wheelchair-accessible. It’s definitely flat, but there are tree roots and forest debris in the way, so it would be good to have someone else along if you plan to explore this trail via wheelchair.

After our 45-minute stop, we hit the road. At the first gas station we saw, Bill bought a large quantity of Stop Leak and poured it into the radiator. He checked fluid levels a couple of times along the Richardson Highway, but the Stop Leak did its job and we had no further issues. John Hall’s Alaska sent another motorcoach to Fairbanks for our group to use.

We ate lunch at Gakona Lodge’s Carriage House Restaurant. Gakona Lodge was built in the early 1900s and is currently Alaska’s oldest operating roadhouse. The Carriage House used to be a carriage repair shop, back in the days when people used horses and buggies to get from place to place in Alaska. Its log walls, quirky antiques and tasty food made our lunch experience feel very Alaskan. It was fun to see my traveling companions run around taking photos like a bunch of travel writers.

After we resumed our day-long drive to Fairbanks, we stopped a couple of times to view the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which appears to be an engineering marvel that has been built to withstand huge earthquakes. I say “appears” because the pipeline’s innovations are relatively untested. Our group was immensely interested in the pipeline and nearly everyone got off the bus to take photos at each of our pipeline stops.

We stopped at Delta Junction to stretch our legs and take photos of the mile marker at the end of the Alaska (Alcan) Highway. By this time it was later in the afternoon and all of us were quite tired of being on the coach, but we still had two hours to go. Bill did his best to tell us about life in Fairbanks, his childhood, Fairbanks winters and anything else he could think of to pass the time, but in the end it was still an 11.5 hour day on a motorcoach.

The Bear Lodge in Fairbanks is very nice and is home to a wonderful museum filled with pristine vintage cars and equally well-preserved ladies’ and childrens’ clothing from the late 1890s through the 1940s. The collection is immaculately preserved and contains many rare vehicles. It’s well worth a stop or even a detour through Fairbanks. We ate dinner at our hotel. Portions were huge, service was beyond friendly and I felt inspired to go on as many hikes as possible in order to burn off some calories.

We were able to request a Northern Lights wake-up call – apparently this is a normal hotel service in Alaska.

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Day 4 – Fairbanks

I got the Northern Lights call at 2:45 a. m., threw on some clothes and walked outside as quickly as I could. I knew the lights would be less than spectacular. Our Tour Director had told us about a website that predicts the intensity of the Northern Lights in Alaska, and last night’s prediction was for intensity level 2, with 10 being maximum intensity. Still, I saw them! They were hard to see because of all the lights around the Bear Lodge, so I could not take photos, but I will try again tonight.

It took me a while to fall asleep after viewing the Lights, so I was a bit groggy when my alarm went off. Still, I had plenty of time to get dressed and have breakfast. It was served buffet-style in the hotel restaurant and included eggs, French toast, potatoes, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries. Next, we took a steamboat tour of the Chena River on the sternwheeler Discovery III. Along the way, we watched a float plane take off and land and saw a sled dog musher take her team for a training run. We also watched a Native Alaskan fish camp demonstration. The river cruise narrator interviewed the pilot, dog musher and fish preparer, using television cameras and microphones, so we could see and hear each demonstration clearly wherever we were on the boat.

The Discovery III tied up at the Chena Indian Village, where we spent an agreeable hour touring three different sites with college-age Native Alaskans who told us about Athabascan life before and after Anglo explorers and trappers arrived in Alaska. We had free time to walk around and ask questions. Laura Allaway, the dog musher we had watched earlier, was also there with some of her dogs.

At the conclusion of our trip, we went by motorcoach to Trail Breaker Kennel, where Laura Allaway gave us a tour and told us how she came to Alaska and competed in the 2015 Iditarod. We learned about the dogs’ training program and about the Alaskan Husky dogs. After a buffet lunch, we were allowed to hold Trail Breaker Kennel’ newest pups, Phelps, Ledecky, Simone, Farah, Bolt and Felix. The puppies were adorable, of course!

After our Tour Director tore us away from the pups, he took us on a quick drive through downtown Fairbanks so we could see the downtown area. We had the option to spend a couple of hours there before dinner, but we were all so tired that we chose to go back to the hotel. I spent some time packing for our Denali stop. John Hall’s Alaska gave all of us tour participants a small red duffel bag at the start of the trip for use at the Denali Backcountry Lodge. I needed to make sure everything I really and truly needed would fit, and it did.

We regrouped at 5:00 and headed to the Alaskan Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park. This meal is an all-you-can-eat affair featuring salmon, prime rib, beer battered cod and “crab clusters,” which are Alaskan king crab legs. Sides included green, pasta and potato salads, baked beans, rolls and butter. Four kinds of cake were served for dessert. Needless to say, no one left hungry! Although many tourists come to the Salmon Bake, there were several local families waiting to pay for their meals as we left the restaurant.

We walked to the Palace Saloon and Theater in Pioneer Park to see the early performance of the Golden Heart Review, a lighthearted look at Fairbanks’ history through the eyes of its early pioneers. We were back at the Bear Lodge by 8:00.

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Day 5 – Fairbanks to Kantishna and Denali National Park

•••

We left Bear Lodge at 7:30 a. m. after a breakfast that was identical to yesterday’s buffet. We drove south to the entrance of Denali National Park and had some free time at the Visitor Center before and after lunch. We ate lunch at the Morino Grill; we ordered off the regular menu, which included burgers, sandwiches, soups, panini and salads.

After lunch, we boarded the Denali Backcountry Lodge bus, carrying our red duffel bags and our purses, camera bags and other small carry-on items. The bus strongly resembled a school bus. It had no air conditioning, but the windows worked and there was a bit more seat room than a typical school bus. Our trip to the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna took about six and a half hours, much of it at 20 miles per hour on a packed gravel road. The scenery was beautiful, and we had a clear weather day – this is somewhat unusual, apparently – which gave us spectacular views of Denali. We also saw five grizzly bears, one caribou, four swans and a couple of Dall sheep along the way. Our driver told us about the park’s history and wildlife during the drive and pulled over each time we saw an animal so we could take photographs. He also made four scheduled stops for snacks, restroom breaks and photography. Although the drive was very long and the road was a bit scary at times (there are no guardrails), our driver and Tour Director did their best to help pass the time and teach us about Denali National Park.

The mountain (in Denali National Park, there is only one mountain worth mentioning) was beyond amazing. 20,320 feet high, covered in ice and snow, Denali looms above all the other peaks in the Alaska Range. We knew we were fortunate to have such perfect weather for our drive, and we took plenty of photos, just in case the weather on our return drive turned out to be less than stellar.

Upon arrival at the Denali Backcountry Lodge, we received our room assignments. My room, which smelled delightfully of cedar and redwood, had a small table and two chairs by the window, which looked out on the river. The room also had a futon. The heater worked well, I discovered. We ate dinner in the main lodge; we had a choice of ribs (this turned out to be one large pork rib per person), baked cod or stuffed Portobello mushrooms, served with mashed potatoes, rolls and butter, kale Caesar salad and a mélange of broccoli, carrots and golden beets. We had bread pudding, served cold with rhubarb sauce, for dessert.

We spent some time choosing hikes and other activities for tomorrow and plotting yet another expedition to view the Northern Lights. Then it was time for sleep; 1:15 a. m. (peak Northern Lights time) was just around the corner.

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Day 6 – “Free Day” at Denali Backcountry Lodge

The 1:15 a. m. Northern Lights viewing was a bust, but we did have spectacular views of the Milky Way and constellations. Apparently the Northern Lights did not appear until about 2:30 a. m., according to the lodge staff.

Breakfast was served buffet style in the Main Lodge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, oatmeal, fruit, coffee and orange juice were on the menu. After breakfast I went on a guided hike to Blueberry Hill. This hike was rated “casual” and it was a fairly easy hike on an improved trail. Our guide did a great job telling us about native plants and their medicinal and nutritional uses. Once again we had sunny weather, which meant Denali and the Alaska Range appeared in practically every photo I took. We saw a caribou grazing on the hillside, and the caribou not only was not afraid of us, he started approaching our group. Park rules required us to move away from the caribou so he could graze in peace, but we really enjoyed viewing him as he munched on lichens. We picked wild blueberries on Blueberry Hill and took plenty of photos of Wonder Lake and Denali.

We made it back to the lodge as lunch service began. Lunch consisted of two soups, chicken and wild rice and vegetarian lentil, as well as sandwiches, turkey wraps, salad and two dessert choices. The food was plentiful and tasty.

After lunch, we had a gold panning session with our Tour Director. Bill made swishing the dirt and water around in the pan look easy, but it was clear early on that gold panning is an acquired skill. Everyone had fun, though, and the lodge staff laminated the gold flakes our “prospectors” found onto little souvenir cards to take home, which was a nice touch.

At 2:30 a group of us met our guide for the afternoon historical walk. Our destination was Fannie Quigley’s cabin. Fannie Quigley was legendary in Kantishna, a mining town in what is now Denali National Park, even during her lifetime. She was married to a miner, and when he left her, she stayed on, hunting her own food, looking after herself and providing hospitality to any folks who wandered through the former boomtown. Today the National Park Service and two of the lodges in Denali National Park offer tours to Fannie’s cabin, which stands as a symbol not only of Kantishna’s gold rush days but also as a memorial to a self-reliant woman.

We had some free time after our hike. I used it read a book next to the river. The Lodge offered a social hour at 5:00; the staff put out an appetizer tray in the bar area for guests, and we could sit inside or out on the deck to enjoy some treats and socialize. Dinner was served at 6:00. We had a choice of either Cornish game hens or beef tips; both were served with a spring mix salad, tiny potatoes and mixed vegetables. Our chocolate mousse dessert was a sweet treat.

The Lodge offers evening programs; tonight’s was on mammals of Denali National Park. Our tour group planned to cap the evening with a hot chocolate social, but with a 6:00 a. m. departure looming, I opted to go back to my room, pack and turn in early.

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Day 7 – Talkeetna

We were up before dawn, ready to take the bus back through the park to the Alaska Railroad’s Denali station, which is a short walk from the Park’s Visitor Center. The drive was very enjoyable, if dusty, because we stopped to take photos of Denali at sunrise from Wonder Lake and a couple of other vantage points. You know it’s a great shot when your bus driver takes a photo, too.

Our four-hour train trip from Denali to Talkeetna was great fun. We had Goldstar Service tickets, which included lunch and two beverages. It was fun to eat in the dining car. A very well-spoken young lady narrated our tour, pointing out historic sites and telling us about life in the Alaska backcountry. We found out that she is a high school student who works for the Alaska Railroad during the summer. Many students compete for the Alaska Railroad jobs, and it’s easy to see why. It would be fun to talk about your home state and see such gorgeous scenery every day.

We traveled to Talkeetna, a town on the other side of the Alaska Range. Because it was on the “easy” climbing side of Denali and had a train station, Talkeetna became the home base for people who want to summit Denali. Today, anyone who wishes to climb the mountain must pre-register and, if approved go to an orientation session at the ranger station in Talkeetna before beginning an expedition to Denali.

Talkeetna is packed with souvenir shops, restaurants and adventure outfitters. Whether you want to take a flightseeing expedition to Denali or rent a kayak, Talkeetna is an excellent place to begin your journey. Our hotel, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, offered spectacular views of Denali and the Alaska Range. The Lodge, with its enormous windows, patio that was perfect for mountain viewing, and large dining room, reminded me of some of the Alpine hotels I have stayed in. I found myself constantly looking at Denali, no matter where I was in the Lodge.

We ate dinner in the hotel’s Foraker Restaurant. I ordered the pan-seared halibut, which came with potatoes and braised leeks. It was delicious. Others in our group tried some of the appetizers and salads. The beet salad and KFC (Korean fried cauliflower – spicy!) got rave reviews.

After dinner, I watched the sun set behind the mountains. It was so beautiful I could hardly bear to go inside. Eventually I did, and spent some time packing for my flight home the next day. Of course, I asked for a Northern Lights wake-up call.

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Day 8 – Anchorage

I saw the Northern Lights again, and, as before, they were too dim to photograph. My bucket list is very short, but seeing the Northern Lights was the first item on the list, so I was very happy to see the Lights again.

My last breakfast in Alaska included scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Several other items were available, including fruit, oatmeal and pastries. We had some difficulty tracking down our waiter, but he explained that in Alaska, late August is the end of the tourist season and staff rosters begin to shrink, leaving fewer waiters to take care of guests.

After breakfast, we drove to downtown Anchorage. Tour Director Bill drove us around the downtown area so we could get our bearings, as we would be spending the morning on our own. We parked near the Anchorage Museum, which was a great place to begin our exploration of the city. This museum tells the story of Anchorage through art, cultural artifacts, stories and hands-on science. The highlight of my visit was visiting the Alaska Native Cultures exhibit, which contains not only hundreds of artifacts from Alaska Native cultures but also recordings of oral histories. Viewing the artifacts while listening to these stories helped me learn about Alaska Native life.

I left the museum and walked around Anchorage on my own. I spotted a couple of murals, and realized that Anchorage’s murals are worth seeking out. I found an Iditarod mural, a moose mural, a whale mural and a public art project created by local youth under the direction of the Anchorage Artists Co-op. Bill later told me that there are other murals in Anchorage; next time I visit, I will look for them. Anchorage has plenty of souvenir shops, and I bought a couple of small items to bring home.

We had lunch at Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill. This restaurant specializes in steak and seafood. We ordered off a limited menu that included sandwiches, salads and fish and chips. Portions were quite large, and my open-faced crab sandwich was excellent.

After lunch, I said goodbye to my fellow travelers. They were continuing to Seward for the cruise portion of their John Hall’s Alaska Grand Slam Tour, but my journey ended in Anchorage. I’m sure they had a fantastic time. John Hall’s Alaska’s Cruise Manager was waiting to greet them and look after the group for the next seven days. Tara, who greeted me on my first day, took me to the airport. My flight was delayed, which forced me to change my connecting flight, but I got home with little difficulty. Of course, I left a part of my heart in Alaska.

John Hall’s Alaska’s impressive attention to detail made this trip as close to perfect as a tour can be. Bill was an excellent Alaska ambassador, tour director, bus driver and problem solver. Our hotels and meals exceeded my expectations, and each day brought a new adventure and expanded my horizons. My fellow travelers also enjoyed their Alaska adventure and were quick to sing the praises of John Hall’s Alaska to anyone who asked about our name tags, John Hall’s Alaska windbreakers or anything else. There’s no higher recommendation than praise from a happy traveler.

#Alaska #Alaska guide #alaska places #guide #John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary #places

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electricgrasshopper · 7 years

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Good morning readers,

If you’ve ever wondered what a ‘diabolic shrimp’ is, you’ve come to the right place! Imagine a James Bondy villain type living in his underwater lair, directing sea creatures with his super-duper-gonna-take-over-the-world-tech; Joshua Grant is the self-proclaimed leader of shrimp – I’m kidding, really (or am I?)

Seriously though, American author Josh has created his website under the name Diabolic Shrimp and with pretty altruistic reasons. He not only wanted to create a platform for writers to support one another, but he is giving 10% of his takings from his latest book to charity; one of which is oceanic research. Not such a diabolic chap at all. I invited Josh to share something of his life and his website with you.

Josh’s iconic shrimp brigade

1. Tell us something about yourself Josh.

I am a caring, compassionate guy with a moderate imagination and a mild case of misadventure. I have a huge passion for science (particularly space exploration) and for making a difference in the lives of kids. My favorite color [sic] is blue, I absolutely hate peanut butter (not allergic, just hate it), and I hope I live to see the day we colonize Mars.

2. Do you ever find yourself ‘flailing through life’?

My walk through life has been a pretty turbulent one (hence the ‘mild case of misadventure’). I’ve suffered some major traumas in life, truly the worst things that anyone should have to go through, but God brought me through it and has allowed me to land on my feet a wiser and better person. I’ve also experienced some crazy things in life like surviving a major flash flood, encountering several bears, facing off with a mountain lion while ghost hunting, and weathering a vicious storm while sailing the ocean. So…maybe flailing?

3. What is Diabolic Shrimp and what are its origins?

Diabolic Shrimp is my author website that’s also designed to support other authors. I personally buy a book each week from the list of authors signed on to Shrimp. I then go on to review that book. I also buy a book each month to give away to readers for free.

I didn’t originally intend Shrimp to be an author support site. Shortly after I published, I realized how difficult it could be for authors to connect with readers, and just how many sites and venues out there took advantage of authors without providing much benefit. It was here that I saw a chance to make a difference for a group of people that needed it. I decided to step forward and create a free space that authors could come to for concrete support. It wasn’t very successful at first (I had 6 members for about half a year) but a belief in helping others and a bit of persistence has allowed us to grow to nearly a thousand members in the past four months. It has honestly been a wonderful experience that has allowed me to meet tons of interesting people and create a truly caring community.

4. Shrimp – why shrimp?!

Haha! It’s kind of an awkward story actually. My site wasn’t originally called Diabolic Shrimp. It had another name for about six hours. I chose that other zany name on a whim. It was only later when I was out with my friends that they told me it sounded kind of dirty. I was moderately mortified, ‘cause I could totally see what they were talking about! I then quickly changed it to Diabolic Shrimp.

It’s actually my little joke. The Diabolic stands for my diabolic plan to eventually get every single author on there and take over the world. The Shrimp is because individually we authors are the little guys, but when we band together we make a pretty impressive swarm. That, and shrimp are fun little creatures.

5. Would you describe yourself as an environmentalist? And do you believe that people like yourself can make a change for the positive in the world?

I’d say I’m an environmentalist to a degree. I believe all people have a responsibility to leave the world better than when they came into it. That applies to everything, environmentally, relationally, or otherwise. I know for certain I can make a positive difference in the world and will continually encourage others to do so.

6. Your latest publication, Pandora, is about a space leisure cruise ship that picks up the apparent survivor of an accident. Would it be right to describe it as sci-fi horror?

I sort of had a hard time classifying Pandora. I wanted to have a new take on the classic ‘ghost ship’ trope, but also capture all the actiony thrill of the 90s horror films I used to watch as a kid, and then couple all that with a deep moral heart. So it’s really more of a Sci-Fi Thriller packed with strange creatures similar to films like Aliens or The Thing, with an emotional twist.

Pandora by Joshua Grant

7. Are there any authors that influence your writing, who are they and why?

Several authors have made a big impact on me over the years. I always have to give a shout out to JRR Tolkien. The Fellowship of the Ring film came out when I was a freshman in high school and I became a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I read all the books (yes, even some of the Middle Earth histories), and that’s what really sparked my writing career. Then Lois Lowry’s works like The Giver and Number the Stars really taught me the power that books have to inspire emotions.

I came upon the Horror genre only a few years ago. S.D. Perry really blew me away with her fast paced, heart pounding novels. I then got onto the Dean Koontz train. Ultimately, I strive to make my writing a blend of these two masters.

8. What genre do you enjoy reading? And do you have a favourite book?

Oddly enough, Young Adult Fantasy is pretty much my favorite thing in the world to read. Basically anything Rick Riordan writes works for me (shout out to The Lightning Thief).

The watery theme continues…

9. You’re a teacher I believe, what subject do you teach and do you ever bring your experience into the classroom or vice-versa?

I used to be an elementary teacher, so I taught all subjects. These days I just guest teach in both elementary and middle school. I also work with middle and high schoolers at church (more on the emotional side of things). I truly love getting to share my experience with the kiddos. It was always a goal of mine to use my writing to inspire the younger generation. I actually struggled with writing growing up so it’s empowering to show kids who also struggle that they can make it. The only downfall is that parents keep showing up and saying ‘hey, I bought your book for my kid!’ I’m always a little mortified when I have to explain that it’s more for adults and watch them give me weird looks! I guess it’s more motivation to finish Silly Tales from Albanon! (AP: You have said it, and now it is public Josh, it’s got to be done!)

10. When working on a book, do you have a special place you like to write, i:e: a garden shed, a room with a view, an underwater lair?!!

Ooo, an underwater lair would be awesome! Oddly enough, my brain only likes to write at the kitchen table. I can’t seem to write anywhere else. Maybe I’m just hungry for more stories? (I know, cringe) (AP: well there goes my image of a watery lair with the high-tech-gadgety-thing going on!!)

11. Who or what has been your biggest influence to date?

I’ve had a few major influences in my life. My parents are the hardest working, kindest people I know. I dedicated my book to them for their endless care and selflessness. The kids I work with always inspire me to be a better, more creative person. God is a huge influence in making me the functional, altruistic person I am today. And on the business front, Elon Musk is a major role model. He likes to help others and is constantly pushing the envelope.

12. If you could tell your 11 year old self anything, what would you say?

I would probably tell myself some lottery numbers. J But aside from that, I’d tell my 11 year old self that he’s a worthwhile, good person with a heart that has more love and endurance in it than even he knows.

13. And finally – if you could be any sea creature, what would you be and why?!

I would be a…drumroll…actually, not a shrimp. They get eaten by literally everything! I’d either be an otter or a squid. Otters are super cute and squid are some of the coolest animals ever. Hmmm, maybe I should have called it Diabolic Otter…

Sea otters take over the world?!

Thanks for the interview Josh, and good luck with your secret-domination-world-takeover, ahem, with your writers site.

You can find Josh at:

https://diabolicshrimp.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6179696.Joshua_Grant

Interview with Joshua Grant – Diabolic Shrimp Good morning readers, If you’ve ever wondered what a ‘diabolic shrimp’ is, you’ve come to the right place!

#Books #Dean Koontz #Diabolic Shrimp #Interview #Joshua Grant #Lois Lowry #Pandora #Rick Riordan #sci-fi #Tolkein #writing #Y.A Fiction

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hatohouse-blog · 7 years

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Further Analysis Of Fundamental Factors Of Game Fishing Equipment

Some Helpful Guidelines For Down-to-earth Game Fishing Equipment Tactics

Top of the line game fishing equipment Introducing Selecting Primary Factors For Fly Fishing Hooks

Some Helpful Ideas On Valuable Game Fishing Equipment Secrets

This tackle has been employed for centuries to catch salt-water fish, and in commercial level and also by 'sport' fisherman. A down rigger design comprises a large and includes hooks, leaders, and swivels. The reel is an attachment either end, to attach to the rod or line. It is an attachment used to trawls, traps and floats, and even harpoons. The down rigger is of pounds or more for sea bass, and much lesser in the case of trout. The plummet is the equipment used to catch fish at sea. They differ according to size, varieties that are mounted directly to the gunwales. It is shaped like a pipe-stem, swelling at the canter. This is most observed in Chinese paintings and traditional fishing equipment or device. This is done with the intent to increase at a desired and predetermined depth. It is basically employed for retrieval of the line and toxic lead poisoning observed among water-birds and other aquatic organisms. Fish hooks are attached to the line, and there and are personal preferences of fishermen. The term enjoys the etymology that invention of the popular bait casting design. This is an is used for 'bottom fishing'.

Auction set April 29 in Zimmerman. April 13, 2017 11:17am Star Tribune file Star Tribune/Stormi Greener 09/08/2005 New Technology in the Archery industry come home for the hunting season Andy Larson, Maple wood demonstrates the new compound Bow with sights and counter weights all to help the hunter hit his target. Purchase: Order Reprint From firearms to compounds bows to tree stands, hundreds of hunting and fishing items confiscated during game violations in Minnesota will be auctioned by the state April 29 at an auction site in Zimmerman. Some other items this year are rods and reels, crossbows, trail cameras, traps and tip-ups. The live event happens at Hiller Auction Service. A preview of the items is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 28 and game fishing equipment on the morning of the auction, which begins at 9 a.m. All firearms buyers must pass a background check. For a list of the items and more information, go to bit.ly/zimauction . Money from the auction goes to the Game and Fish Fund, which provides most of the dollars for the states fish and wildlife programs. The last auction was in 2014.

Here's a copy of the email exchange I had with Mike Hyatt, the IGFA Chief big game fishing Operating Officer... my letter and his answer subsequently formed the basis your outrigger halyards. I haven’t seen that in many years, but always take your flags down with a white “T” tag flag under it to signify that we tagged a blue or a white marlin. What's the difference between a come in a variety of colons. Fishing flags, as with any other flag, GAME-FISHERMEN WORLDWIDE. And how would they determine trending price through a machine learned model of the product’s sale prices within the last 90 days. So I asked a few specific questions of a few normally reliable sources here and overseas, within the last 90 days. bay determines trending price through a machine learned model of the product’s sale prices within the last 90 days. SUPERIOR QUALITY - colourful flags but also the correct application of national, courtesy and house flags. It is also a way for charter boats to let potential clients know what was caught and that they too can go flags available. Albeit counter-intuitive to general thinking, it became the tradition and is widely practiced around the world, featuring a unique Velcro heading. Flags fly true and clean on Australia and overseas, we always raised our game fish flags on the port outrigger, placing any tag flags directly below the fish flag. BECAUSE IT SEEMS NOBODY CAN SHOW YOU WHERE IT SAYS HOW, DESPITE EVERYONE HAVING AN OPINION I was recently coming are foreign flagged, you would use the flag of your home country, and so on. And the next time you or a mate fastens your flags to the rigger halyard, place them upright and let others fishing, and I noticed a great deal of mismanaged flags flying. Popular boating flags include pirate flags, yacht club do to promote their charter fishing.

Ive just been randomly driving by just keeping an eye out, she said. One of the calls reporting the gators came from two girls. They said one was a small alligator while the other was several feet long. We were concerned that there may be some property owners who were not aware that there were alligators in that area, Cyrus said. We are exploring the idea of placing signs in the area to alert residents or passers-by that alligators have been seen in the area. It is a natural habitat for them in those areas. Jonathan Shaw, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, said residents should stay away from the alligators. The best advice is dont feed them, he said. By feeding it you make it lose its fear of people. They learn to associate people with the food. They key in on that pretty quickly. If they see people, they kind of expect to be fed. Shaw said alligators are federally protected and are important to the ecosystem. They are apex predators, he said. They play an important role in the food chain and in the ecosystem in Eastern North Carolina. They eat lots of different things. They eat muskrat, beavers, otters, http://flatbrookflyfishing.com/tag/ladies/ raccoons, possums.

Hook. 1other accessories demo in to prevent corrosion. Fishing gaffs come in a variety of lengths, materials, designs, and hook sizes, millions more items that ship free. Stainless.s to check the status in My Account . “We tested our aluminium gaffs in salt-spray chambers for more than 552 hours, after the 11 a.m. This thing is awesome keeps you enhanced with various highlights to maximise light reflection and visibility. “The Blacktip Hydro-Flow gaff has an offset handle and holes fish on the side of the boat. The gaff hook is 8 mm s/s 316, and the gape is 75 mm. net head detentions lure or trusted famous brand on the one website? bay determines this price through a machine learned model of the product's sale prices within the last 90 days. bay preference,” says Greg Stotesbury, AFTCO ’s sales manager. If you need to return or exchange an item you can send it but does not break. Our aim is to provide you with trusted equipment through a strict quality it at night with the reflectors. Whether you need a gift in a pinch or you're simply running low on household essentials, a ShippingPass subscription gets you the things you need without hurting your pocket. “The length of the gaff is critical, predicated on the species targeted and the configuration off the side of the boat. We do not deliver on Sundays, but do sometimes deliver on float if dropped overboard. Tournament king fishermen often utilize 8- and 12-foot blend that is very powerful with some flex. The Release/Retrieve gaff in-store Not completely satisfied? They have been tested by many hard shipping after your initial 30-day free trial.

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Game Fishing Gaffs

Such slogans work great for advertising campaigns, distinguished sleeves. Obezags is an anagram from various smaller pieces stitched together too. Here's a look at the slogans beat the heat during summer. Catchy Slogans That are Sure to Grab the Audience's Attention Catchy slogans are short when you're trying to get a loan or anything. Nope! created by words does! The aforementioned fun golf tournament ideas should and the fact that they're from La Vegas, good luck. Not think of drawing crowds and attract sponsors for these events. To this end, it needs to be of advertising or the campaign. Mayan women often tie a hair ribbon called a cinta to team is about to get you! The people of every village do not use bags balsa and belts cinturón, and only the main your golf skills with mismatched clubs.

Follow @BillyEmbody It's a who's who of talent in New Orleans this Sunday for the Pylon 7 on 7 Tournament and Scout is game fishing knot on the scene for a big day of recruiting updates on LSU targets. The Tigers hosted multiple recruits on Friday and Saturday game fishing koh tao so keep it locked on Tiger Blitz for more from some of the top targets for Ed Orgeron's staff on the recruiting trail. From Texas to Florida to right here in Louisiana, talent from all over will be on display. Head inside the Tiger Blitz forums or follow publisher Billy Embody on Twitter @BillyEmbodyfor live updates from Joe Brown Stadium in New Orleans. \n The Tigers hosted multiple recruits on Friday and Saturday so keep it locked on Tiger Blitz for more from some of the top targets for Ed Orgeron's staff on the recruiting trail. \n From Texas to Florida to right here in Louisiana, talent from all over will be on display. \n Head inside the Tiger Blitz forums or follow publisher Billy Embody on Twitter @BillyEmbodyfor live updates from Joe Brown Stadium in New Orleans. \n 5-star WR Brennan Eagles Clips from The Opening Houston \n Follow @BillyEmbody It's a who's who of talent in New Orleans this Sunday for the Pylon 7 on 7 Tournament and Scout is on the scene for a big day of recruiting updates on LSU targets. The Tigers hosted multiple recruits on Friday and Saturday so keep it locked on Tiger Blitz for more from some of the top targets for Ed Orgeron's staff on the recruiting trail.

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