10.21.26 Touched down in Boulder, Colorado...

     Here we go again, laying our head in yet another strange bed. We're now sitting up high in Boulder, Colorado for the just- about the last leg of a very busy travel October, and 2026. I can share the sentiment we both have, "We just want to go home", and stay there. 

     We had an uneventful travel to, get through, get on, and flying experience which is always good for the nerves and the blood pressure. The only thing that got my heart rate and left ventricle stressed was checking in our checked bag, which, of course came in slightly over weight.

     And by slightly I mean it weighed 65 pounds, fifteen over. We weighed it at my parents house and it made weight at 48 pounds and then Theresa thought she could "just add a few more things"....

     As we approached Denver Airport I could see the vast expense of land around the area. Many times, with airports and stadiums, they are named for the closest and largest city they are near, but are really in some podunk town. Example, we had Trenton-Mercer Airport in our backyard but it was really entirely in Ewing, New Jersey. 

     If you look at Denver International Airport and it's location to Denver city it's a little confusing. Well in 1988 Denver annexed it's borders by "taking over", if you will, the land that was Adams County to incorporate the airport inside the city limits. So Denver became bigger and in 1995 the new airport was in operation. To note, DIA is 23 miles from downtown Denver.  

     Destination weddings, or travel in general, takes time and planning, unless you just got it like that and the expense doesn't matter. Flights, checked bags or not, picking your seat (Theresa and I sat 20 rows apart), lodging, and car rental all call for internet sleuthing to get the most value for your money. It can be frustrating, and eye opening. For some it's not worth the time and effort, but for me the thought of not getting the best deal irks me to no end. Why pay more for the same thing?

     So when it came to the car rental I searched through the discount sites, the car rental places them selves, Costco, Sam's Club, AAA, and AARP. Well AARP had the best offer, but it came with a thing. That thing would be you'd roll the dice on a mystery car. You get what you get and you don't get upset. It's listed as "Special, Special".

     After we landed, got our luggage, and took the shuttle to car rental row, we stood there and talked with the lady who explained "Special, Special" in greater detail. Basically, the car rental places have cars, a lot of them. Some are more popular than others, which means they won't always have a said model available, while others are just sitting there. So, for a discount, renters, like us, roll in, and then roll out with what they give you the keys for. The lady said she's seen young couples drive off with a 12 passenger van, because that was the "Special, Special" of the day. That sounds very NFL play call like, and we're in Denver.

     So the vehicle of the day, was "a pickup". Now you know me and my pursuit for a new pickup, it's never-ending, and never will be. While new is always nice, but not always better, the costs of new are exhorbitant these days. Like $60,000 plus for a new one off the lot, or a $500 a month lease payment. No thank you.

     And you know my go-to dream pick up. A white Chevy Silverado, 4x4 of course, for towing those boats around one day. Now I don't know if it was the truck Gods or someone wanting to rub it in my face but when we got to space D19 there she was. 

     A white 2026 Chevy Silverado 4x4 with almost no miles on it. Crew cab. Short bed. Pretty much a basic version, which is what I want. It drove on the highway like a luxury car, around town, well, it's not an around the town, like downtown Boulder, kinda vehicle. But it's really nice and will be fun for the next few days. At least we didn't get the Ford Ecoline 12 seater, although that may have helped out with the wedding.

     

     Boulder is a 100% college town, like more of a college town than I have ever seen. We walked around and came up with a Princeton/New Brunswick (Rutgers)/Cape May vibe. Boulder is one of the most liberal and progressive cities in all of Colorado but we didn't see that or feel weirded out. Remember, we moved to South Carolina, which is a very conservative state, and we don't see or get weirded out down there either. To be honest, we saw more political and social agenda shit when we lived in New Jersey. Now, a young lady did approach us asking us if we would like to support closing ICE detention camps, which we politely declined. 

     By chance we hit a place called The Sink for lunch in the heart of the college area. Oh, that picture above is from the Pearl Street Mall, similar to the Washington Street Mall in Cape May. The road is closed for a few blocks and it's pedestrian only. But The Sink is on 13th Street and by luck Tuesday was 50% off pizza, so that's what I did, while Theresa had a local beef burger. 

     We've eaten so much pizza in the last month I feel like Dave Portnoy from his "One bite everybody knows the rules" pizza reviews. That pizza above, off the charts. That crust is hollow inside, and crispy, and on top is honey, goat cheese, apple, and arugula. While I enjoyed the 50% off, it goes for $27.50 regular, a little pricey I think for starving college kids. But as we looked around this place is pretty bougie, although we did see our share of down and outers on the side streets and on the outskirts of town.

     And then there's the whole "Mile high" thing. No, not having sex on the plane, but the altitude where these Colorado cities sit. New Jersey sits at average about 240 feet above sea level, Boulder, 5,450 feet. That means the air is thinner due to the lower atmospheric pressure. So with each breath you get about 20% less oxygen molecules then you would at sea level, like in New Jersey, again 240 feet, and now for us, Bluffton, the Lowcountry, which is 20 feet above sea level.

     Now I know my lung health isn't the best and I was waiting to see if I would be affected by the altitude of where we were. We went through the day and as soon as we checked into the Airbnb I hit the couch for a nap. I was beat. Even after I woke up and we headed out I wasn't short of breath, but was feeling off, like an early flu feeling, and tired. 

     Normally on a pulse oximeter I sit at 95-96% at a heart rate around 60. Not that it's alarming but I was holding onto a little less oxygen and my heart was ticking a tad higher to compensate for it. They say it takes 24-48 hours for your body to adjust so that'll put me in prime lung shape for the dance floor at the wedding on Friday night. 

     Today we'll hit somewhere and maybe even test the lungs on a hike after we drive to the top of some mountain. There's a few fly shops in Boulder and I'll swing by and take a look. I started my day at 5 am at Dunkin' Donuts getting Theresa and I some coffee. Last night I Googled "Best bagels in Boulder" and the top place that popped up is just at the end of the block where we are staying. Fleishmen's Bagel and Delicatessen brings the, "authentic flavors of New York to the 

discerning palates of Colorado" with their  New York style bagels. The only big difference between a New York bagel joint and this one here in Colorado, it opens at 9am. By 9am most of the bagel places I know have already sold out their first round of bagels and the next batches are coming out of the oven. Maybe they're late risers here in Boulder, or the lower oxygen levels affect the dough, or the staff, at first light.  

10.20.26 Felt good to finally hit a Jersey Shore beach....

     It was a day before we headed to Colorado. My parents had left for a trip to North Carolina, Theresa wanted to have a down day, so that left me to do what I wanted. And of course that would be to hit the beach. The question would be where?

     From home base in Manalapan I figured I could go one of three ways. Down 33 to Asbury. Down 537 to Long Branch. Or snake through Monmouth County to get to The Hook. Sandy Hook always is one of my favorite early fall spots, especially when it's big fish first. So after the 45 

minute drive I was pulling into Lot C. It was about mid-flood tide and the water looked good but there wasn't much for bird life in close or out far. Usually when the action builds it either starts out aways or up the beach. Today there was neither. But it's early, or just before, the fall run. 

     I decided that I was going to pick one spot and just fish it. No jumping around without wetting a line. When it's early in the fall blind casting can be productive and even though that kills me I went with it. And if you look at the photo below then you know the excitement that builds in your gut as you approach the first steps. And then as you get to the top you're either thrilled with what you see, or you're disappointed. Today I was just happy to be there. 

     When I got down to the sand there wasn't much showing. There was about 2 hours left until high with a NE wind from 10-15 mph and a pretty good swell that had the waves breaking at the bar creating nice white water. I was happy when I looked south the birds were up and they stayed up the whole time I was there. 

     The birds were working the water where the waves broke on the bar, mostly dipping and diving down into the troughs of the breaking waves. I couldn't see what bait they were on but the birds were a mix of gulls and cormorants. I did see one explosion out beyond them and that could have been a dolphin or a bluefin, or a very large bass. If you click on either photo you can see just how many birds were in the mix. 

     I walked back and forth keeping the birds in front of me blind casting as I went. There was a pretty good right to left sweep so most of casts went south in order to retrieve them back in a straight line in front of me, otherwise the wave action would have had my fly and line behind me to my left. I stayed upright for about two hours before just grabbing a seat and taking in the nice wether and smell of the ocean. Even when the tide went slack the birds, and whatever fish were underneath them, none I suppose, ever came in. So I called it a day.

     My stomach was starting to growl and I wasn't sure what I was going to put in it. McDonald's, no thanks. Bagel Talk- no late. Brennan's- not that hungry. What about The Windmill? Perfect. As I drove south on Ocean Avenue I got a glimpse of the new additions to the concrete jungle that is the new Jersey Shore.

     Development, well over development, is like AI these days, you can't fight it. But it's a shame that these are clouding the views, the smells, and the winds, that are a part of the experience of driving around the Jersey Shore. And as far as accessibility for "normal" folk? Forget it, these are for the rich and famous.

     The Windmill looked the same as it ever has which is comforting in its own right. Inside I was helped by the day staff, which isn't really different than the night staff. Let me say, well I hate to say it, the last half a dozen or so times I've been at The Windmill, regardless of the location, the staff appears to be coming off a bender, are under the influence, or on their way back from being down and out. Not all of them, but enough of them. Today was no different. A quick urine test would have confirmed my suspicions. I say that all without judgment, but the whole scene is a little slimy.

     I ordered a well done dog with mustard, kraut, and relish. Now I remember the dogs always being bigger than the bun but this seemed way out of proportion. And the way the server lined it up on the bun called for additional training. And worst yet was the price, $6.66, forget it. With us getting on a plane tomorrow I didn't want bad ju-ju following me, so I added the $3 soda. 

     I swallowed it before I got to the Red Church and pulled into a few familiar haunts. Each one of them was the same snapshot of the day, a beautiful scene along the Jersey Shore, that's it. But it was nice to stop and reminisce about good times, and fish, I had at each of them. 

     When I went on Facebook there were enough posts from the local tackle shops up and down Monmouth and Ocean County to confirm the big fish are here, and yes, even on the beach. Matt Rooney confirmed that to me the other day and Dwayne Tracy Sr. did it yesterday morning, spot unknown. 

     This morning we're boarding our flight to Colorado and I'm looking forward to seeing our friends who are already out there. But truth be told, I'm tired of being on the run. We feel like we're in the Witness Protection Program and waiting for our permanent new home assignment. Hopefully after the nuclear stress test on Monday we'll be free and clear to leave at 0-dark thirty on Tuesday the 27th. 

It's time to get out and fish, reports or not. 

10.18.26 Job well done...

      Congrats to Matt Rooney, a Jersey guy who's a great tyer, fly fishermen, and all around nice guy. I don't say that just because he caught a tank of striped bass from the beach the other day, I say it because it was caught on October 17th. Yep, October 17th. So what's the big deal about that date? Because October 17th means everything. What it means is that Matt probably wanted to fish, and did. It's early in the fall run and most of the huge bass, because that's really all they are left, are being caught on the boats, mostly with baits like bunker or eels.

     Yes, there are oil slicks of bunker, mostly adult, running parallel to the Jersey Shore from Sandy Hook to Island Beach State Park but they, and their smaller cousins, and the bass haven't met up in the shallow waters yet. So the fact that Matt just wanted to fish, and did, without any reports or social media videos says a lot, at least to me. He fished for the reasons most of us fish, and landing fish isn't always the most important reason. 

     And of course Matt caught it on a fly, which is always better yet. That's a good sized bass to attempt to land on the beach, especially with the wave action, which can push a large bass up onto the beach, and then pull it into the trough, where it can easily get unbuttoned. 

     Rooney has made a nice name for himself with his fly tying and has done especially well with Bob Popovic's patterns like the Beast and Hollow Fleyes. If you live in or near New Jersey you can catch Matt at Tight Lines Fly Fishing in Parsippany where he gives fly tying demos or a presentation on fly fishing for striped bass in New Jersey. Nicely done Matt!

10.17.26 Congrats to Dick Dennis...

     Congrats to my friend and New Jersey saltwater fly rodder Dick Dennis on getting an honorary lifetime membership from the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders. Captain Dick is one of the OG's in and around New Jersey. I first met Dick at The Fly Hatch back in the 1990's and I've had some great times with him at The Fly Fishing Show and on those fabled trips up to the Vineyard.

     Above is us at the rental we had on Lobsterville Road back in 1997. I remember that year as it's the year I had truck trouble and had to leave a day early, but it was a year we actually caught some fish. You can see that, HERE.

     Dick's is an ASWF original member and started way back with Bobby in the early days when the meetings were held in the attic. Dick also served as President of the club either back in the late 1980's or 1990's. It's good to see him still making the meetings and passing on his knowledge and expertise to the younger members. Where we be without all these old guys. 

10.17.26 Looks like we'll be packing up in the rain....

     In 24 hours we hope to be on our way north for the almost final leg of the 30-day New Jersey/Colorado wedding tour. In 10 days, on October 27th, we should be on our way headed south on 95 for South Carolina. But a lot has to happen before then. I'm sitting here oncing over the travel planes to Boulder, Colorado, which includes airport parking, flights, rental car, and AirBNB accommodations. 

     Yesterday we closed down the remaining storage unit we had in Cape May so that's not only good for the wallet but for the mental health as well. It was just a bunch of odds and ends including the third raw seat for the Suburban, which will spend the winter here in New Jersey. 

     And the reason it's staying is because Theresa and I hit a yard sale in Jackson when we were dropping Luke off when we hit wedding number one a few weeks back. Of course I found a table saw and an electric lawn mower that I had to have....so that's going south on this trip. 

     In the storage unit was a pair of animated Christmas figures that have been in my family for as long as I can remember. They're older than my kid sister and she turns 40 next week. 

     When we were getting ready for the move by selling, donating, and dumpster-tossing these two were non-negotiable, they were making the trip south. Why? Are they something I couldn't pick up at Hobby Lobby down there? Do they have some kind of special action never to be replicated over the last four decades? Nope. They'll just family memories and somehow their presence is burned into my brain for every Christmas I can remember. I just wish they got picked up and headed south in the moving truck in July. 

     And for those of you that may need a little motivation to declutter and downsize I pass this little gem onto you. For some following our journey since January has given you at least the opportunity to question what your own future may have in store. At least maybe you've opened up a bin or have started to go through the garage and see what you really need to hold onto or not. In March I dropped a post, HERE. which kind of tells it like it is. 

     So when I recently saw the book, Nobody wants Your Sh*t, written by Jessie Condo, I looked into ordering it. When you go to Amazon it's there, as well as several other's dealing with the process

of freeing yourself from the bondage of bins, boxes, and full basements and attics. Even getting rid of the storage unit yesterday was weight-lifting, until I looked into the back of the Suburban. And while I'm 58, my friend group extends from say ages 30- 80. To the younger ones I say this is still a good read and any help or advice you may get from a book like this now can help you out later, trust me. 

     So yesterday was our last fun day in Cape May. It was beautiful, and late in the afternoon almost hot, as it was the calm before the storm. As I write this it's ben pouring throughout the night. We hit the storage unit, a few yard sales, the Lucky Bones Happy Hour, and then walked the mall and sat in the rocking chairs at Congress Hall. Several times a year we go back and forth with what we should do with our place in Cape May. And then it only takes a few minutes of being there to realize this is something we should never give up. I have heard people say that their grandparents or even parents, "Used to have a place", but then it got sold for whatever reason. And once it's gone not very often it's gone forever. So we're ready to wrap it up for 2026 and will look forward to coming back in late April or early May. God willing. 

10.16.24 Lucking out with the weather and if he only fished....

     Man I'm really lucking out with the weather. I got the roof done during a nice few days and got called for Dad duty yesterday moving my son into his first apartment. It was a perfect day to do it, today would have been a disaster in the rain. And looking at the weather the next few days it doesn't look like the weekend would have been any better. I'm glad I was up here to help him out, I would have hated to have missed it.

     His new place is a winter rental in Manasquan. It's set up for what it's intended for, a place a few blocks from the beach that can sleep as many people as you could get into it. Each room has multiple beds, or bunk beds, and they had to broken down and stored so they could bring their own furniture in. 

     Again I have o tip my hat to the Suburban who just keeps delivering and helping me out. When we get back to South Carolina I'm going to give her the treatment, like a spa day, because she deserves it. We broke for lunch and hit a new place in Farmingdale called Lucky's, where Sean's girlfriend works. I'm disappointed I didn't grab a picture of them together while we were there. 

     On my way back to Manasquan I stopped and saw this guy. While I wished we could have fished together while I was up here just a quick visit would have to do. Leif's a guy I used to 

see and fish with several times a week in both the spring and then the fall. That happened less when I moved out west, and will occur even less moving down to Bluffton. We had a lot of good times in Jersey, in the Catskills, and on the Vineyard. You don't know all the things you'll miss until you miss them. 

      And as far as Manasquan? Well Sean's just a few blocks from the ocean and Dog Beach. God, if he only fished. It reminded me of when I got my winter rental on Phillips Avenue in September 2014. I was right there. I was living alone. And then two weeks in Theresa showed up. And the rest was history. 

      For Sean, he would be sitting pretty for the fall run. The Manasquan River is a gem in the fall and out front, on either side of the inlet, on the beach sides, can be great when the bait and bass migration begins. After he was all set Erin and I stopped at the inlet I made sure we got someone to take a picture of us. 

     I said with me moving away you just never know when that last picture you'll have of us will be. While it's sad it's true. We're heading back to South Carolina before the end of the month and won't be back until late April or May. Hopefully Sean's lease will still be in effect so I'll have a place to crash and catch the action in and around the Manasquan River. It looks like I won't be catching a striped bass in the fall of 2026, and I have a feeling it's going be a good one.

10.15.26 Five shingles short...

     Well there you have it. Just about 98% done. In the end I'm five shingles short for the roof cap. We started the day at Lowe's getting six bundles of shingles, a 20-pound box of nails, and blades for the razor. In the end I'm glad I did it but day almost killed me. I died, time wise, around the vents on the roof. Bur compared to what it was when I first got up here I'd say I did pretty good. 

     I was hoping to get some help from the co-owner and she gave it a valiant try several times to get up on the roof. She had the first few rungs of the ladder down no problem but the thought of transitioning off of it to the roof, well that wasn't going to happen. While I could have used the extra hands up there it was okay, at least she tried. I appreciated her effort. 

     While it felt good to finish, well almost, a project like this at times it was kinda sad. This type of thing reminded me of the old firehouse days where we would get together, usually on the days off between our night tours, and help each other out with stuff like this. Projects like these would get banged out in no time. It's also the kind of Dad and son/daughter project where knowledge gets handed down, plus there's the fun of working together. But this one I had to do solo. 

     I didn't take into consideration how many shingles I would burn covering the ridge cap. So in the end I'm about five short but I found a local roofer who has a yard full of extra material. I called him and he said go pick out what you need. So that will be Friday's project, to end this project.

     Today it's off to Manasquan to help my som move into his new apartment. I can say I'm banged up from the last two days. I really can appreciate the boys, and girls, who do roofing for a living. I can tell you this, I'm starting a fund for the roof re-do down in Sun City. There's no way I'm doing that, no matter how much it costs.