Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Too Funny not to share.........

When I saw this billboard, it took a second (I know, I am slow) to hit me but then I laughed so hard I almost laid an egg. The fact that there's a moose on the billboard didn't bother me, the lonely moose hardly gets consideration anywhere......even though he is one of the most majestic creatures of the American West. Few things scare him, almost nothing could.

I was thinking if there had been a cutthroat on that sign instead......wouldn't we all have been in an uproar? Or maybe a brown, or maybe a rainbow, or shall I dare say it......a native brookie?

Isn't it interesting how putting a trout on that board, or for that matter any fish we're passionate about, would be a lot different to us because we love them?

It makes me think about a backcountry trip about 15 yrs ago I did with a customer into the Shining Rock Wilderness. It was his invite, him taking me camping and fishing. And it was a great experience. I'll name no names so as to protect everyone. But we hiked in what must have been five or six miles. He was already there, had set up camp, and was ready to feed us when we got there. His wife had met me at the trailhead, as she had also driven up after gettting off work early. When we arrived, we could smell the aroma of something great.......After enjoying about 90%of it, it was brought to my attention that this was brook trout, natives, the kind we rave about......I can't tell you the mountain of guilt and shame that came over me as I thought...."Oh, no, folks at home find out I have eaten a native brookie I am in some deep stuff."
In any case, it was a big deal at the time, but I still think about it.....it must have had some effect --I mean to still be writing about it to this day, even now. My defense was, and there was truth in it, that I had no idea that he had caught trout and that they were native brookies until I almost swallowed all of one. Isn't it funny how we readily let someone else have it and so quickly let ourselves off the hook. As I swallowed the last bite I think I must have been planning my statement of defense.

I must say though, that it was pretty tasty, I imagine a lot like what spotted owls and bald eagles taste like. And no, I haven't eaten those..................

1 comment:

Andy Idema said...

That's a great post. Funny sign.