Third World Country ?

HOW'S DA ECONOMY ?

Do You Notice ?

watch inflation grow

THE GIANT EXPORT MACHINE

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.. While the economic model in the United States concentrates on hoarding patents and developing products in a 2 - 3 year cycle, the eastern model is open source and, copy and, improve products in a weekly or monthly cycle.
.. As we whine and litigate rather than compete, both India and China are poised to boast economies larger than the United States in the next 10 years (LINK-1.)
.. As the United States continues it's current policy of disengagement from the world, the rest of the world is engaging in new trade alliances and rapid growth in contemporary technology and service sectors.

Lockheed F-16's made in India

.. If you are young enough, you will live to see the United States become a second tier country in the world economic picture.
.. With no change in our trajectory of false pride our children and grandchildren could see us become a third world country.
..With Lockheed moving to India we begin to see the sort of global engagement that the private sector is aware of (LINK-2.) We need to think globally and act internationally.
.. Soon "made in China" and "made in India" will become prestige labels and, "made in America" will fall to the level of "hecho en Mexico."
.. The rest of the world does not cotton to the idea that point of origin is determinate of quality for all products. Time was that electronics and photographic products were best made in America. The world bought from us because of quality. Those days are gone.

WHY BUY THESE ?

.. We saw and poo-poohed the automobile revolution until it was too late.
.. We now poo-poo open source and rapid turnaround of product lines not made in our pedestrian mode of innovation.
.. Tradition is grossly overrated - just ask Hardy of Alnwick. Why have they introduced a new brand and, new reels made abroad? How have their $800 dollar reels been doing? Hell, the old ones sell for even more to collectors. Such a deal.
.. Perhaps it is socially and psychologically comforting to prop up coal mining and déclassé automotive production.
.. Perhaps it is best for our national psyche to demean those of other nations and ethnicities. Perhaps it is perfectly fine to import workers from abroad rather than educate for technological and industrial change.
.. Perhaps - or - perhaps not. We will see in a couple of decades. Have some offspring if you don't worry about their future. Have many of them - we will need folks to repair our crumbling infrastructure and, our rotting factories. Hell, the Chrysler building is for sale - by foreign owners - they know.

WHY BUY THESE ?

.. There are exceptionally good bits and pieces of tackle being manufactured in Asia.
.. Hell's bells that's where our commercial flies come from.  The market is not big enough for a marketing push - yet. But some new fishers are are more than satisfied with their imported  offerings.
.. Will there be a larger thrust into the wader market? Boots market? Rod market? Vest market? More than now?

POST WAR EXCELLENCE

.. The quality is excellent, the price is right and, the barroom prestige is low.
.. As long as American fly fishers succumb to peer pressure that extols obsolescence and ignores excellence we shall continue to have the provincial attitude that will bring about our third world status {LINK-3.}
.. Of course there will always be the committed traditionalist that demands that their camera be made in Germany - even with an American Name.  Some even demand German cameras made in Germany with hand ground lenses and bodies assembled by elves.

GOT TRADITION ?

.. And of course, fly fishers and camera geeks will not be able swing our perspective on world trade and our diminished economic status.
.. They will, probably, continue to exhibit our national mentality that ignores the modern international/intercontinental world and our place in it.
.. Are we the world's policeman? Are we leaders in the international sphere of human rights? Do we cooperate with other nations in combating international terror and imperialist aggression?
.. Do we engage in multi national conversations about long term effects of industrial, agricultural, social, and national actions in the environmental sphere?
.. OR, do we use Leica IIIF cameras, Hardy Perfect reels, and drive Lincoln Continentals or Navigator SUV's. We can guess. Teach your grandchildren to say "Number Three." it's O.K.  Why be Number One anyway?

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WHY BUY THIS ?

.. It's been almost blindingly bright. The sun really is electric when the overcast evaporates.
.. Makes it tough for the visitors with fancy cameras.
.. Folks that rely on their cell phones do better than the "real Photographers."
.. Ah, more technological lag. Look at the leap that Sony made with mirrorless cameras that both Canon and Nikon poo-poohed.
.. Now they are here. SIGH!!!

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.. Fishing is in the offing at Notellum Backwater. We've made the commitment and shall drag these bones there. We'll take a heavy bamboo rod with a 70 year old reel. To heck with being first - the Chinese can win.

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WALLPAPER:  ELECTRIC PAN ROASTED CHUCK

Got Some . . . Need Some

ABOUT 7" FELL

Minus 1" Overnight

week of warm ahead

COMING ATTRACTIONS

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.. Well, it continues. A couple of days ago it looked like winter. Had to shovel some snow.
.. We keep getting teased with some snow and then it goes away, (sublimation and melting.) Our visitors are quite enthused by our gentle weather. Our neighbors are beginning to worry about the fish come Summer.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

.. The weather services are reporting a shrinking snowpack. Even the snow water content is showing negative numbers on a day to day basis.
.. Our only saving grace is the cool evenings. With the below zero evenings it takes a good bit of time to warm up during the day.
.. Peak temperatures are in the early afternoon and, since the sun is low in the sky oblique rays have a hard time doing their job on our dark masses.

MAPS

.. We'll keep you advised.

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THE WHITE MIDGE

.. For now the bright afternoons are sucking the midges up to the surface. Snow flies abound Between The Lakes.
.. It is a mixed blessing for sure - good fishing now and worries about the coming Summer.
.. The overcast usually breaks up nicely in the afternoon and allows the neighbors to get their park and town chores done before fishing.
.. The visitors are very appreciative of our community efforts to take up the slack during the government shutdown.
.. We're up early again, (age related - don'tchaknow.) Must put on some coffee to fortify the toilet angels and trash trolls.

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WALLPAPER:   CARAMELIZED PEARS AND WAFFLES

Yellowstone Park Status

EVERYBODY HELPS

Gov. Employees Suffer

bite out of profits

ENTER HERE

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.. Our neighbors are pitching in and helping with the dirty work during the government shutdown of Yellowstone National Park.
.. Concessionaires have delegated employees to clean restrooms, gather and empty trash, groom trails, give information and conduct tours.

LOCAL BUSINESSES PITCH IN

.. Our local business community has risen to the challenge of continued operations and expanded services.  It's an additional burden for them. It is winter after all.
.. Everyone is currently manning telephones and assisting visitors in the myriad ways that they expect from a winter trip to wonderland.
.. A fund has been established by private citizens and local businesses to cover the discontinued government services . It costs the tour companies and motels and restaurants and other  concerns between $300 and $500 each, every day.

RESOURCES

YNP Webpage > https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
NPR 1 > https://www.npr.org/2019/01/04/681995105/private-companies-are-paying-to-keep-roads-groomed-bathrooms-cleaned-in-yellowst
NBC Montana > https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/tourists-still-visiting-yellowstone-national-park-amid-govt-shutdown
KPAX Missoula > https://kpax.com/news/montana-outdoors/2019/01/02/guide-yellowstone-np-staying-clean-amid-government-shutdown/
Yellowstone Insider > https://yellowstoneinsider.com/2019/01/01/businesses-pick-up-slack-in-yellowstone-shutdown/

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.. Yes, even the neighbors are helping with traffic, snowmobile rider assistance, sidewalks, streets, trash receptacles, and other stuff.

STREETS FOR SLEDS AND CARS

.. We know that folks save money, (sometimes for years,) to visit us in the winter. It would be a real crime - a travesty - to be shut out of the park because of a bit of governmental intransigence.
.. Even fishing is taking a back seat to helping visitors in this time of trial and tribulation. We're proud of our neighbors and appreciate their sacrifice of time and money.

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WALLPAPER:  COMING HOME

Running Away

THE MADISON

High And Fast

look out st. louis

WALLPAPER:  DOWN THE DRAIN

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.. The Madison River discharge is at about 111%. This is considerably higher and faster than normal for this time of year.
.. This is good for the level of water in Hebgen Reservoir - for now.  It makes the utility happy. It also means that Ennis won't flood in this winter - so far.

YELLOWSTONE WINTER GRUB

.. It also suggests that there may be too little water come Spring and Summer when the fish need it.
.. Our continuing mild start to winter and, the low snowfall sends the low level snow pack down the drain.
.. This is not a clarion call about disaster - not yet. How silly it may seem to the lowland population that we, (most of us,) are rooting for more snow and more cold weather. We will see what the future holds.
.. You can keep up to date with the interactive map of rivers in Montana and the rest of the United States HERE.

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WALLPAPER:  BREADED ALASKAN POLLOCK

Tepid

A WEEK'S WORTH

What's Up ?

winter's slow start

WALLPAPER:  WET SPOTS

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.. Even the sledheads are concerned. Yes Lilibeth, there is snow on the ground.
.. Yes Rodney, there is some powder up high, (along with avalanches: avalanche map here.)
.. For sure, Gastone, the alps are getting our snow and Big Sky is making their own.

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JUST LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS

.. We marvel at the variety of weather that winter has thrown at us so far this year. We've had a genuine deep freeze and a few days of heavy melting. Roof slides seem frequent so far and, even some spitting rain has dripped in the warm afternoons.

WINTER MIDGE

.. Now we're faced with some persistent warm numbers and wet snow for the coming week;  of course the neighbors are bemoaning the overcast and lack of midges below Hebgen Dam.
.. We are pleased to see the snow in the forecast. We need it. But, the wet snow combined with the warm weather, (into the 40's,) only means that most of the low and mid level deposits will accelerate their melt.
.. It's not too early to look at the snotel pages. Right now the snow water equivalency is not too good.
.. As part of a generalized northwestern dry spell we are in the -30% to -75% of the 1981 to 2010 normal,  ['SNO LINK HERE.]
.. As winter moves along it's merry way we'll keep you informed. Looks to be a roller coaster few months. Hopefully there is a net gain in snow water equivalent for the fish during the summer.

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.. The neighbors are gearing up for the West Yellowstone ukulele celebration. it will be a week later this year. Mark your calendar for February 8-11 and come enjoy the revelry.
.. Some of our neighborhood guitar players have taken to the ukulele for messing around in the snow. No sense dragging a $4,000 wood box around in the snow when a $40 dollar plastic ukulele will do.

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WALLPAPER:  "WE SHOULD"  BREAKFAST

Plunging

NWS REPORT

It's Us

tough on snow

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.. Damn; it did get cold last night.

First Day

NOW & FOREVER

Luck, Love, Coins

we're snug -- you?

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.. For this year, resolutions are out and commitments are in. Pick your own and stick to it. Commitments require a bit more action than resolutions. Have at it.

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.. Hoppin' John, corn bread, spiked coffee, and hair of the dog all being enjoyed imbibed served and appreciated. 'Twas too late last night and too early this morning. How usual.
.. Bright sky, cold temps, snow by Sunday if we're lucky.

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.. See y'all soon.

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WALLPAPER:  HOPPIN' JOHN