Farewell Tour

**ksbioteacher** · 04-29-2012, 07:08 PM

In 45 years of buying cars and trucks I've never had a vehicle that I just couldn't part with when the time came. In fact, almost without exception each vehicle I've owned has grown tiresome with repairs and idiosyncrasies that created more of an urgent need to simply get rid of it and get a new car or truck. The exception is my current truck--a 2006 Toyota Tacoma.

I consider myself fortunate to have had at least one vehicle that I've truly grown fond of the longer I've owned it. There are so many memories tied to this truck that I really don't want to even consider a new one but practicality and prudence dictates that I do. This truck has 190,000 miles and while there is no sign of it slowing down my own confidence in the truck is waning--at least for the long distant trips I take that often include some off-road travel. For peace of mind, and so Carol is still comfortable with my solo trips, I have to get a lower mileage truck or change my lifestyle--which I don't really want to do.

This truck has taken me hiking in New Hampshire, (with the lady that convinced me to get a new truck)

fishing in Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri,

Kansas,

New Mexico and of course, the high country of Colorado.

So, with the new truck about to be delivered, I decided on a quick farewell tour to camp on one of the Missouri Blue Ribbon streams and make one last memory. I left late Friday afternoon, with a bit of melancholy but still with an appetite. Decided to provision at a KC icon on the way.

Crispy Ribs were the special for the night--my first challenge for the weekend.

That is not a plate, by the way, that's a platter. Wasn't sure I was going to get around all these ribs but I managed.

Arrived after dark at my campsite, full and content. Got the backend set up and spent my last night sleeping in this truck. I woke the next morning to a thick fog and a very cool air temperature.

With the fog and cold, I delayed my fishing and took time to tie up some flies. After about 3 new leeches, my hands got cold so I decided to head into town for breakfast and to wait for things to warm up a bit.. (I know should have cooked breakfast there.) A fire would have been nice but I admit to laziness.

Like a couple of weeks ago, I started down here and worked my way upstream. Again I had the stream to myself with no other fisher folks seen until about 2:00 in the afternoon. For the first half of the day I concentrated on fishing leeches but later in the day my catch rate went up when I switched to a PT nymph.

Same fish--different view.

Packed up after encountering a couple of fisher folks mid-afternoon and headed home.

Great day and great memories.