10.28.26 We made it home, finally....

(Not our house)

     Well at 712 am we were on our way. After a long month of being on the road we were heading back home. Theresa likened it to the movie, Trains, Planes, and Automobiles. While the night before I was thinking of leaving before 5 am I reconsidered thinking getting a solid nights sleep would serve us better for the ride. 

     Our first stop was to hit my brother's house and pick up Luke who was less then enthusiastic when he saw us. We didn't know if he wanted to stay in New Jersey or just hated us for living him as we traveled around. Eventually we got him going and after a THC dog gummy he was ready for a chill ride south. 

     Siri laid out the best route and she said we would be rolling into Bluffton, South Carolina at 730 pm. By leaving when we did we pretty much beat the Baltimore and Washington, DC traffic, but there was other traffic to be found. 

     We did have a slow down and then bumper to bumper traffic for almost an hour in somewhere Virginia which really set us back and our arrival back home. Add in a few spots and 730 become 10 o'clock. 

     At some point south of Fayetteville with my ass cheeks burning and my eyes fuzzy I looked over and saw something that woke me up in a hurry. At one point I thought it was me looking at me. 

     It was a Jones Brothers Cape Fishermen that was on it's way to Florida now doubt after being picked up in Morehead City, North Carolina. Like my boat it hit the road without power on board. Whoever has this set-up I am envious, a new GMC Denali, a new JB, and a new trailer. Congrats on that bud.

     One highlight of going hame and coming back is hitting Buc-ee's. If you've never been then make sure you find one one day and make the stop. It's like WaWa meets Target on steroids. Best part is since they are so busy and move so much stuff it's relatively affordable and all fresh. And then I saw the sandwich board outside. Could this be an employment opportunity?

Who would thought a GM job there would pay between $225-$300 thousand a year, and there's a plus sign next that 300. I guess they make money and they spend money on goods help. Maybe I could get a part-time hustle as the mascot who roams the store taking pictures with the customers. 

     The last leg, like the last three hours, were a dog but we finally got home. I quickly emptied the bags from the truck and got my fishing stuff ready for today. I'll let myself sleep in and if I get the 

juices flowing I'll go and check out the King Tide somewhere near home. I know things are starting to get good back home with the Fall Run and I wish I could have been there over the next 30-days as I know it's just a matter of time before things go off. You might even see a Blitz-O-Ween somewhere along the Jersey Shore on Saturday. 

     I miss the birds, the bait, the bass, and the blitzes. For now I'll settle on looking for tails and swirls on the flats of the Lowcountry. 

10.27.26 Hittin' the road after passing the test....

     The day is finally here. After a grueling month of travel and sleeping around we're headed back to South Carolina. And this trip home could keep us in the warm south for most of the winter, even until spring. 

     But before we could leave I had to take, and pass, a nuclear stress test (NST). Most people dislike going to their providers for screenings and check-ups but I welcome them both. It's not that I'm looking for a diagnosis, I just thinking catching shit early, and treating it, is better than walking around a half-a heartbeat away from meeting the Grim Reaper. Or having something slow growing or swimming around in your blood that doesn't below there.  

     My family, mostly my parents, have a plethora of medical diagnosis that surely have been passed down into their kids DNA. Like me, they're pretty good on keeping up with appointments and being compliant. One thing my Mom always says is, "We always pass out tests", even while something wonky is going on inside. 

     So after a wonky EKG a few weeks back my cardiologist sent me for a nuclear stress test (NST) to make sure my ticker is still ticking, with the right electrical currents trace,ing though my heart to make it beat correctly, in the right order, and with the right force. 

          So without giving a blow by blow a NST is pretty simple. You get a baseline scan, they give you some radioisotope, then you get up on the treadmill and get your heart to it's target heart rate, 

they juice you up again, and then you get scanned for a final time. The entire time I was speed walking on the treadmill I was hooked up to a continuous running ECG while the guys stood there watching my man-boobs travel around my upper body. It was a little embarrassing, and I did ask them what the ladies did, shirtless or not. They get different treatment than the boys. 

     After the three hour test we were off to getting back to my parents house for the final packing while we waited for the call from the cardiologist with the report. Around 5 pm the phone rang and after she introduced herself she said those welcoming words, "Everything looks good". No old heart attack, no current heart attack, and "Low risk" for one in the near future. 

      I'm not preaching, and I'm no picture of health or fitness nut, but make sure you go and get yourself checked out and get those screenings done. Get your vitals, labs, heart, prostate, and even your head checked out. If not for something you're experiencing now but to catch something early, or even better, to have a baseline to compare to when things come, and they will come. 

     As far as heart health, keep those cholesterol numbers in check, get that blood pressure lowered by either being healthy or compliant with the meds, and exercise regularly. Getting your heart rate up, even by just walking, is a good way to keep the blood flowing and getting that sludge moving round your body in a good way before it settles in your heart or brain, which then might be too late. 

     I hope the next post, or one very soon, will be about fishing. I'm leaving New Jersey just as the fall run is kicking off here in New Jersey. The full moon is starting to wane which is a very good 

thing. The table is getting set for a possible Blitz-O-Ween on the beach in just four days. Saturday, the 31st, is looking perfect, you'll have a little overcast, wind from the north at 9, but you will have company, and lots of it. Break out the binoculars and get out early. I'll be back to walking in the mud looking for tailers as you guys are looking for bait and bass on the beach. 

10.26.26 Boy, I really enjoyed that...

     Theresa and I got to Denver International Airport way early which left us in a relaxed and stress free mood. Part of that was due to the fact that we came in under weight with our checked 

bag. Those bags have to come in under 50 pounds. On our departure from Newark it weighed 65 pounds, so we had to redistribute some things to make weight, like wrestlers do in high school. 

    Denver's airport is one of the smoothest operations I've ever seen. From the bag drop to security to the waiting areas at the gate it was all new and efficiently run. And if you haven't traveled in years I can tell you some of these airports are now built like the malls of yesteryear. And there's some real nice places to grab a beer and bite, although we chose McDonald's to meet our caloric needs.

As we walked towards the gate I saw a shoe shining station and looked down on my Timberlands, or Timbs for short, and how they could use some professional treatment. I tried to figure out how old they are and I estimated maybe 25 years. It's not like I would be going out and buying 

a new pair any time soon so why not spend some money on a spa treatment for the pair at the terminal. Now the question was, how much? I want over and asked Juan and he said, "You pay what you want". which really confused me.

     So basically they are independent contractors and rent the chairs from the airport. They aren't allowed to set prices so it's up to the customer, which kinda left me feeling uncomfortable. It's like when you're at a yard sale and you see something you like, without a price tag, and the seller says, "what do you think it's worth?". And most times, I just out it down. So I talked with Theresa and we came up with $10 bucks as a fair price. 

     As I sat Juan explained the multiple processes he was going through as he "shined" my shoes. This wasn't just taking some polish and spit-shining them up. This was a deep clean meets multiple layers of stuff, which at one pint, he busted out a torch and melted the polish into it. 

He also said he had regular customers, mostly business type, who travel regularly every week for work. He knows them, and their shoes, by name. He said the average "donation" was $15-20, and with each of the 25 minutes that I sat there the "donation" I was going to give went up. In the end I went for $25, and I'm on the cheap side with most things. But I appreciated his expertise, his effort, and the fact it was pay what you want. 

     When we finally made our way back to Row 40 of the 45 seat plane I sat down and figured I'd be settling in of a nap. But on this new plane they have wi-fi service from Starlink which allows access to live TV, which, allows the ticket holder to watch live NFL games. 

     I was able to watch the Steelers vs Saints game that was held over in France and then most of the 49'ers vs Falcons game. As we approached Newark the screens went dim and the Captain's voice gave instructions to the flight crew. It was then that I looked down and just smiled feeling happy that I dropped that $25 on the shoes. If I waited another 25 years to do it again I'll be 83 and these shoes would be 50 years old. Maybe I won't wait so long next time. 

10.25.26 Let's gooooo.....

 

    How's that for following the rules? 50 pounds on the dot. Car rental returned without a hitch. (FYI - I wouldn't buy that truck even if I could). And our flights on time with good weather back to Newark. Countdown to home T-minus four days.

10.24.26 Three down, none to go...

 

     Yesterday was the last of the weddings. And this one was real good. Set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains the ceremony was set under a canopy of trees in their full fall colors. The only thing that killed me, and this was on the venue, was why didn't they have the two centered with the stone aisle? As I stood there I tried to figure it out but couldn't find a reason. You know I love symmetry in my photos. But the night was great, even though we stayed up way past out bedtime. If you told me I'd be at the afterparty and at a McDonalds drive-through at 130 am I wouldn't have believed you.

     This is the first wedding I can say I traveled far for. I know my daughter Juliet flys around the country, and the world, for bachelorette parties and weddings, but his was my first. It's nice to see the younger generations tightly knit friend groups stay connected and make these long treks to celebrate special days like yesterday. I'm glad we came out there to help celebrate, but to also check out Colorado, which I may never had done. 

     Before the wedding we hit the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver which is a large wildlife preserve set on a chemical weapons manufacturing site. It was established after WWII and stayed in operation before it was decommissioned after the Vietnam War. It was then cleaned up and turned over to the animals. 

     The 11-mile self-guided tour takes you through the preserve where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. We got to see some small herds of bison and about 1,000 prairie dogs. It was neat to hear how they communicated to each other, with a series of high-pitched warning sounds, as we slowly approached them trying to get a picture. 

     There's no doubt Colorado, at least the tiny sliver that we saw, is beautiful to see and must be to live in. While I enjoyed my visit I  don't think it's for me. While I'm not a mountain man, I do like some terrain, but the long expanses of flat prairies aren't my thing either. Somehow in my head I need to exist somewhere near the ocean, or on the edge of where land meets the water. And I know that water would have a strong taste of salt in it. 

     The people out here are probably just like anywhere else. Out there they're a little left, or a lot left, like kinda hippie-chick meets granola eaters meets fitness folks, but they're not like Deadheads, they're a little more well to do and entitled. This place is a fortune and I don't know how and where these people make their money. Out here, I guess like anywhere else, the prices for rents and real estate are astronomical.

     Above is a house and property that sits next to the Airbnb that we are renting. There was a For Sale sign in front so I went over to take a look. Besides the tiny house and leaning shed I did notice that it was on a nice chunk of land for a residential neighborhood. Then I flipped the card over. 

     Yep, that's $2.4 million dollars. You're basically buying the land as the structures are teardown. It's about an acre of land and they have already drawn up concept plans on how to improve the property. It reminds me of the Jersey Shore Rumson and Deal deals, where million dollar homes are bought and torn down to build a multi-million dollar home. I can see that happening here, or yet another collection of "grey boxes" constructed, where many people are squeezed into tiny spaces, like townhomes. I'm telling you, the million dollar homes you see being built in those grey square boxes from Maine to Florida to now Colorado will be the projects in years to come. History repeats itself. Trust me.

     And then for me there's the elevation issue. I had a hard time with it and it worsened over our stay. Before I got here I already had shot sinuses, sarcoidosis, and lung nodules that challenges my oxygen exchange and retention situation. The air up here is thin, dry, and doesn't hold oxygen like my body is used to. 

     I finally had to break down and get some nasal spray, Vicks, and some cough drops to help me get through the days. In addition to that I just feel run down and almost pre-flu like. Today I'll be spending my day on the couch before getting enough strength to pack for tomorrows flight out of here and back to New Jersey. 

     But we definitely had fun out here and even over the past just about thirty days away from home. Hopefully by Wednesday night we're pulling into Sun City and re-settling into our new life down in South Carolina. I can't wait get back to asking the old bitties to slide over so I can join them in the hot tub. 

10.23.26 Look who came for a visit...

     The Airbnb we rented is in the basement of a ranch style house. There's a pretty ground-level view when you stand at the kitchen and yesterday we had the wildlife pay us a visit. And out here there's a lot of wildlife. 

     We spent most of the day yesterday on our backs but when the chance to see another herd of elk, ok that's what I thought they were, I had to jump up and grab my iPhone for some pics. My second thought, after I relayed they weren't elk, is that they were just deer, like we have back In New Jersey and South Carolina. But when a got a good rear view I saw it was different, and what piqued my curiosity was were the tails. 

     The tails of these deer were short, thin, rope like, and white to brown in color with a black tip. Their tails are different from the long and bushy and bright white tails of their cousins the white-tailed deer, which I am more familiar with. 

     The deer that came to visit are in fact mule deer. They are related to the white-tailed deer as they are like a hybrid deer. The white-tailed deer came first, then the black-tailed deer came, then they mixed it up and that's where mule deer came from. White-tailed deer are found mostly in North America east of the Rockies while mule deer are found primarily in western and central North America. In some states they co-exist, and can even mate from time to time. 

     One of the mail differences between mule and white-tailed deer tails is what they use those tails for. White-tailed deer use those long and white tails for "flagging" when they are startled. It's basically a visual alarm to ward off predators or to alert other deer in the herd. Mule deer don't do that, swinging that nub from side to side any scaring anyone. 

     In fly tying, especially when tying up streamers or large saltwater patterns "northern" bucktail is what need. No one knew bucktail better then Bob Popovic's and his Bucktail Deceiver, Hollow and Beast Fleyes had tyers lined up at the entrance to the fly tying and fishing shows to get the first shot at the bins full of natural and dyed tails. 

     For those in the know there are good tails and there are, say, bad tails. Actually, well yes there are just bad, but each tail is unique and can be used for different sizes and types of flies tyers are going to spin up. Some of the hairs are long, some are short, some crinkled, some straight, other's thick while other's thin. 

     Finding bucktail these days isn't easy. The shows were always the go-to place to buy them because the only way to buy a good tail is to have it in hand and run your fingers through it. But small suppliers have dwindled out and the big companies, like Hareline and Fulling Mill, I don't want to pick on them, are pimping out garbage. A premiere tail these days can set you back $35-50.

     The prices will be higher for tails that have been dyed with finding good black tails is like finding the Holy Grail. Black and purple bucktail are great for tying up dark flies for use in low light conditions or when moving water is off color. 

     So it's safe to say that white-tailed deer tails are good for bigger and swimmy flies. But what about those mule deer tails. I didn't see much about mule deer tails but I know the mule deer belly hair is good for spinning or for natural light to dark tan hairs which can used for freshwater patterns.

     And then lastly there's the elk hair. I'm not a freshwater fly tyer but I am a freshwater fly buyer, always have been. But the Elk Hair Caddis, a famous fly founded by Al Troth in the 1950's, has been a must have for anyone fishing near waters where caddis are prevalent. 

     It's a very simple fly that uses the elk hair because it is thick, hollow, and buoyant. If you've ever ran a EHC down a riffle you know its one of the best flies to keep up on top. And caddis love riffly water, as do feeding trout, like rainbows. 

     If I had enough guts I would have snuck up on that elk the other day and grabbed a tuft of hair and shared it with Leif who still ties freshwater flies. But the truth is I know I would have been gored and become the poster child for why to leave the wild animals alone. Besides, I don't want to do anything out here that would delay us getting back to South Carolina. So far, so good. 

     And yesterday actor Tom Skerrit passed away. He played some big roles in some of the most popular movies ever produced. But I'll always remember Skeritt when he played Reverend John 

Maclean in "A River Runs Through It". Want to age yourself, that movie came out in 1992. I remember seeing it for the first of 1,000 times at the brand new Lowe's Freehold Metroplex, that was 34 years ago. 

     Remember when going to a movie was a thing? A place to take a date? Sadly, most people get their entertainment from steaming services these days and prefer to plop themselves on the couch. Movies, like good diners, are things I am glad I got experience in my life. 

Skerritt passed away at age 93, and that's a good run. Thanks Tom for making great movies better. RIP

10.22.26 When in Rome...

 

     When in Boulder you do Boulder things. Since we are less than an hour from the Rocky Mountain National Park Theresa wanted to see it so see it we did. The roads from Boulder to the entrance to the park took us through some cute foothills type towns which were a mix of lodging, restaurants, outfitters, and souvenir shops. The largest, and closest town was Estes Park, and it was worth the stop.

     We first stopped at Lake Estes, a 185-acre reservoir in the center of town. What caught my eye was how the low the water level was. A quick check on the website showed it was at 7,481 feet, which is at 76.2% capacity. It's a body of water known for its brown and rainbow trout and tiger muskies. We found some people fishing and I stopped to see how it was going.

     At first I thought they were just spin fishing but a closer look enlightened me to what spin fishermen up here do when they don't want to, or can't reach, the fish with a fly rod. They use what they call is a water bubble with a fly hung off it as the bait. 

     Basically it's a bobber half filled with water that they strip and retrieve across the water's surface. The tailing fly I guess rises and sinks with that action. During my time there I did see rises across the surface of the bathtub that had been formed by the low water. The bugs were tiny, maybe some top of baetis or, as she called them above, blue olive winged. 

     Later in the day after we climbed the summit of some mountain I stopped and grabbed this pic of some guys giving it a go in some very skinny water. That water above is the Big Thompson River which doesn't look too big these days. The Thompson begins high in the Rocky Mountain National Park and ends at Lake Estes where it's dammed up by the Olympus Dam. 

     But back to the morning. So after we said our good byes to the lady anglers we went to turn around before getting onto the main road into town. It was there that I saw what I thought was a replica from the Hartford Insurance Company elk erected next to the footpath behind the town's firehouse. But no, this thing was breathing.

     I got out to see if I could get a good picture with my iPhone but I had to settle for one from a safe distance, which came out low quality. When I get back home and after I figure out the new-to-me truck thing I'm putting a new camera on my Christmas list. I miss not having a quality point and shoot camera that shoots RAW with an optical zoom. 

     The Canon Powershot series cameras were always my favorite but these days a new G7 X Mark III off the shelf will set you back about $1,000. But, they take stupid good photos and I wouldn't have to put myself in harms way to get them. It would be great to catch those tailing redfish back in the Lowcountry, if I could even find one. But back to our adventure.

     Now we may not have seemed like some of the hard core folks we saw at the outpost right outside the parks' gate but we were there and ready to do it.  

     While others opted to purchase more serious hiking replenishments, like above, we ordered a turkey and swiss on rye, a Diet Coke, a Hershey's bar with almonds (dark chocolate because it's healthier), and a box of little cheese sandwich crackers which we dined on as we drove up the mountain range. 

     We did stop and take some nice photos on the way up and back down. For those that are in the know the sun hits these peaks and valleys at different times during the day and several people were out on a mission to catch such and such mountain during the morning or afternoon. 

     So basically the Rocky Mountain National Park is a place for the tourist, the casual walker, and the hard core hikers and mountain climbers. At the entrance, where we paid the $30 fee, they gave us a map and explained what the park had to offer after getting the vibe of what we wanted to see, and how hard we wanted to work to see it. Well, we explained, we were here for a wedding and left our hard core mountain climbing stuff back home, as evidenced by the Timbs on my feet. 

     The end of our upward climb, well drive, took us to the Tundra Communities Trail which sits at 11,743 feet above sea level. So remember, the Lowcountry is 20 feet above, New Jersey about 250 feet, Boulder 5,300 feet, and the mountains Theresa's taking pictures of sit at over 14,000 feet. 

     Longs Peak is the highest "fourteener" which is the highest of the parks 14'ers, or peaks over 14,000 feet. The climb takes about 10-15 hours to complete and rises about 5,200 feet from where you start. Again, if I didn't just have my wedding Timberlands on, and we grabbed some Liquid IV, we may have given it a shot. But truthfully, at the height where we stopped, just the walk from the parking area to where Theresa stood was enough for us.

     A quick check on the old pulse oximeter when we got back to the truck showed why I was a tad winded. O2 sats in the 80's gets you intubated back closer to sea level. And what's funny is my heart rate, which is always on the slow side, barely broke 100. You would think it would be tacking away trying to get whatever oxygen I had in my blood around my body with some urgency. 

     At one of the pull offs someone had built a snowman so we stopped for a quick pic. This might be the last snow we see for 2026 and maybe even for 2027. I have to say I'm good taking off a year or two from the cold and the snow. And while we're saying we're planting our feet down south for 

winter we're already getting tempted by the invitations to visit over the holidays that happen during the winter months. But visiting cold is far different than living in the cold. 

     The trip down was as easy as the trip up. Um, we were driving. There were spectacular views as we made our way down a few thousand feet to check out some other areas of the park. At one point there were a bunch of cars pulled over so we joined them to see what was going on. 

     Well there were a few moose off in the distance feeding but the above picture was the best we could get. Yet another reason why I need a new camera. So in the end I came short of seeing a grand slam, or three different kinds of Rocky Mountain National Park animals. We saw the Rocky Mountain elk and moose, but couldn't find any Bighorn sheep or American black bears.

     We called it a mid-afternoon day and on our way through Estes Park the elk were out on the golf course that borders the reservoir. They are a common sight in town, sometimes even along Elkhound Avenue, aka Main Street, I'm told. I made my way as close as I could to get a good 

picture, although he's heading away from me, before some local lady screamed "Get away from them". Trust me, I was like 150 feet away. 

     We made it back down the mountains just in time for a late afternoon nap. Last night started the wedding get togethers before the big night on Friday. We didn't want to go empty handed so I left Theresa and went out on a mission. I wanted to get something good from one of the better known bakeries in Boulder. I had Googled it for some help and Boulder Baked came up a few different ways.

     I went in and it looked like more of a baked goods and coffee house then a bakery that I was used to back in Newark or Trenton. I looked around before asking if they had any cakes for sale. She answered yes, and then said, "They're $69.95 each". I was shocked but I asked for more thinking for that price they must be a sheet or wedding cake. "No, they're 9 inch cakes, that feed 12-15 people", she explained. I'm thinking I could put a good dent into a nine-inch cake by myself, maybe that's why people around here are so fit and trim. 

     So, for me, Boulder, is a great place to visit. If you're not a student or employed by the college, it's a great base camp place for the outdoorsy kind of people. During my drive, which was timed around the busy and heavy rush hour traffic, I saw similarities to what's going on around everywhere I've traveled in the last few months, including our new home in South Carolina. Too many people, too much traffic, too many "grey boxes", like overdevelopment, and way too expensive. And that's from Florida, to the Adirondacks, to New Jersey, and the Lowcountry. And most of those places seem to be full of transplants which change the face and culture of the people who once called those places home. It's hard to find locals anymore.

     During my drive around the NoBo, or the North of Broadway neighborhood, in search of a pie and a bottle of wine, I found the hub of the down and out at Broadway Street and Front Range Drive. It's here between the hours of 5-7 pm people can go and attempt to get a one night stay at the homeless shelter before getting hooked up with social services. 

     Boulder, like other cities or populated areas,  is a mix of the haves and have nots. It wasn't uncommon for me to see Moms pushing strollers or young yuppie types taking a run or a bike ride amongst people loitering or pushing shopping carts in and around the newly developed neighborhoods. Before we arrived the NY Post published an article on October 18th titled, "Picturesque college town in the Rockies is one of America's most dangerous: study". The University of Colorado, Boulder, came in a close second to the most dangerous college town in the United States, which is LSU in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2024, The University of Colorado, Boulder, reported one in five female students were sexually assaulted. That put it second amongst colleges in America, with 96 rapes reported in 2024. 

 

     And while all the things I talked above happen and exist anywhere, even amongst the beauty, back home I read about yet another major accident that happened near our new home. The bubble of Sun City sits along Okatie Highway (170), Fording Road (278), and Argent Boulevard. These roads are extremely busy during the morning and evening rush hour commutes, with a lot of traffic finding it's way to lesser traveled roadways leading to Savannah, Hilton Head, and Old Town Bluffton. And we're talking traffic outside of the busy tourist seasons. 

     Well yesterday after there was another fatal accident not far from home that shut down traffic for 5-7 hours depending on where you were or were heading. These days, no matter where you are, traffic, and bad drivers seem to be everywhere. It tells me the infastructure can't keep up with the over development that is occurring everywhere. These days people don't want, or can't afford, single family homes on their own lots so they get sucked in to the new and shiny grey boxes of condos, townhouses, and or apartments. 

     People are stacked on top of each other falling for the chance to have a new all-white kitchen with stainless steel appliances and LVP floors. Add to that a community building with a pool and a gym with a low HOA and they're all in. But they all drive. They, if it's not a 55 and over, have kids, that need schools and recreational facilities. Most people have to work, and work isn't always close to home. And they all have to shop, mostly at the same time. And for fun they'd like to hit the beach, or like out here, the mountains. The roads can't handle it all, even if you widen them, they eventually will come down to one lane, somewhere. And if there's an accident on a two-lane road, forget it, it backs up for miles, even into other states. 

     It seems like no where is safe from us humans anymore. We're all moving away and invading other people's, and animals, turf, and the places were moving from are being backfilled with people leaving their places. It's no wonder that even in a place like Estes Park, at 7,500 feet 

above sea level, herds of elk walk the back nine like someone came and took over their neighborhood. There's no where to escape to anymore. Not from people, not from animals, not from traffic, not from the expense, and not from technology. Somebody better get to changing things pretty quickly or we're gonna ruin this place for generations to come, if we haven't done so already.