Happy Monday Birthday Thomas McGuane
Good Monday Morning to you all! To say the world is frazzled just doesn’t do the frenetic pace justice these days … but today is Thomas McGuane’s birthday, and at the ripe young age of 78-years, I do hold out hope that I will find myself alive and well at his age.
For those unacquainted with McGuane, he is very nearly the antithesis of diarist John Gierach in his writing style. [ppw id=”183910827″ description=”Reading and Writing” price=”.25″]
Yeah, I read both, but I guess I am old enough to have my preferences — and crazy enough to express them in a public forum. Heck, PC’s done nothing for me, that much is certain.
If you are seeing holes in the timeframe of posts, fly outings and such; that is because we just finished our largest and most successful ever “Leslie’s Backyard Holiday Art Show” last Saturday (no fly guys showed up with the secret password by the way), and today begins a short run “Pop-Up Shop” in Downtown Denton, Texas. Throw that together with a 32-hour-three-day work weekend for yours truly, and now you’re getting it? … the big picture.
Texas turned downright cold last week and the folks along the coast were freaked by the snow show from Corpus Christi, all the way up to Houston, Texas. I am still shaking my head because we had no snow here in North Texas – simply amazing. AND we are in a full-on burn ban here in Denton County, and yes, a full on drought once again. I, for one, am very happy for the salt to have a winter cold snap. THAT IS normal, and I believe the fish need NORMAL.
I’ll say it once again: The only place that does not get drought? Saltwater. They can suffer in other ways from the lack of freshwater intake, but there’s always water on the salt. Are you getting the picture of the future yet?
I had enough time to talk with people I trust about the state of the Art State over the weekend, and specifically how the internet has changed flavors so clearly this year. Folks have gone from the ease (sickness) of Facebook (and its fake news), to even shorter formats – Instagram. Now, you know I never miss the opportunity to drop my year of membership to social media, but I am pretty much moved on past Instagram as a venue – especially since it has been corrupted this year by the “likers” who don’t look at actual images, but try and entice a “like-for-like” response from other “Instagrammers.” Instagram is corrupted, and therefore pretty much an illegitimate format. I only “like” things I look at, and that hurts my standings of course.
No, we’re headed into long form in 2018 – the Loooooong Form. From the continuing challenges of YouTube, and over to a new-again interest in Podcasting that I am taking on as the ultimate challenge: painting a story in the mind’s eye, but keeping it technically easy and easy access and easy listening. Those are huge challenges, by the way. AND we will move into live broadcasting in 2018, simulcasting actually, any fixed reporting from the Fly Bar as well as any other opportunity that lends itself to the Periscope or Snapchat world (once again out in front of the fly fishing powers that be).
Have a great week, and feel free to call me if you are interested in truly unique gift shopping here in Denton, Texas! I will be working at the Pop-Up Shop several hours on weekdays, so come on by. Our hours are such that you can get off work in DFW, and come up here for shopping and a meal out in Downtown Denton, Texas. This shop will close just after Christmas, and the hours will get shorter right at Christmas, so make your plans and call me if you need more information!
[/ppw]
Category: Body-Mind-Soul, Book Reviews, Complimentary Reading, Culture on the Skids, Eating and Drinking, Life Observed, Paid Reading Content
