Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

Thanks, Alabama Bill. Some of the most beautiful country on earth is in Alabama.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Good Morning Smoky. I see you took my advice in writing on chit chat. Keeps those that are only interested in one thing from complaining. Anyway how did you change from Florida to Wyoming? Looks as though the same career was kept but going from rescue to selling furniture was a complete makeover.

For myself I went from construction to electronics and thought that was a big change, yours was really a difference. I like your out look on dues and meetings. That ties one down.

In your rescue years was that all environments or did you specialize in a certain area? Like I mentioned in another post I find your career interesting and look forward to your post.

Raw Dawg Ron Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

One busy guy there Smokeypig. Gotta get more fishn in. I need to pickup a fly rod and figure out some trout streams. I guess you do not miss Orlando, one busy place to be? St. Pete. just as bad now a days.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

Try an orange stimulator. They work great and you can fish them wet ir dry.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Nice playground.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

one of my perks😃

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

The 1 ?

Another is your dream plane ride.

What are some more?

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

8 other lakes within a half hour and I'd even settle for a bus with a companion like that.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

And then WE wake up.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

All too true.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Sometimes I just feel trapped.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

There are worse things my friend.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Indeed

Smokypig Loc: Cheyenne, wyoming

I grew up before the days of the Tragic Kingdom...er…Ricky Rat...no, that isn't right either. When central Florida became tourist heaven, the land I grew up in vanished. By the way, in those days St. Pete was essentially a retirement heaven and known as the home of the newly wed and nearly dead.

I decided on Wyoming for two reasons. First, Cheyenne is roughly the same size as Orlando before the boom. Second, Wyoming is probably the most free place on earth. Love it. I traded long, crappy summers for long, crappy winters. In central Florida, we had Michigan, New York and Ohio moving in and getting busy trying to change things so they would be like the place they couldn't stand being in. We shoulda told them to go home. Here, it is Colorado and California. Here, we do tell them to go home. A lot of them do.

I spent nearly a Biblical generation studying fire and investigative techniques. The day came when I was just plain tired of it. I had a good career and am proud of it, but have never missed it. I went looking for something different to do and ended up trying retail. I was good at it, but never liked it. Generally speakinng, furniture is fairly priced. The more you pay, the better the quality.

Search and rescue was always a volunteer thing. Down south, in those days it was usually the fire department that did it. Here it is evolving and there are some really sharp, dedicated people involved. I was never involved to the point of leadership, but that guy who could and would pound the ground or follow the stream, looking for tracks, etc. I had a dog named Sweeney and he was a good tracker. We never accomplished any great thing with it, we just plugged in and covered territory. It is a worthy way to invest your time.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

I would imagine that is east slope Colorado. The other side of the mountain is much more amenable to humans. My hat is off to you smokypig. By the way if you're interested there are some great beaver ponds in the mountains west of Laramie. Not too far away and a lot of fun. Mostly brook trout but a few nice cuts as well.