Today was a hot day, 95 degrees, and the humidity was high in the open but low in the creek areas.  It was refreshing to say the least.  I hit route N towards Blue Springs Ranch as far as I could go but the road was washed out and I could not make it to the public parking where the creek meets the Meramec.  Besides, there were a lot of people along the road swimming and splashing in the creek.  I went to the southern most public parking just south of Blue Springs Road and NO ONE was there.  Great parking place and I was the only one.  I when upstream about 100 meters with no fish in site and no bites.  I turned south and fished the next half mile or so.  I caught three fingerlings.  One was most definitely a rainbow trout, the other two were something I had never seen before.  It looked almost like a catfish, it had skin and a round mouth.  I am sure they were not sucker fish, some kind of catfish?  I caught the trout on a green scud with orange duck flanks for a tail that I tied, I was proud even if it was a fingerling.  Anyway, I won't be back for a while until I found out more about the area.

Peace.

So I sent an email to Whiting Farms asking how they treated and harvested their chickens.  Here is the email I sent and the one they responded with.

Love your products.  Lately I have been wondering about your harvesting practices.  How do you harvest your poultry and how do you dispose of the meat?  I ask because I am wanting to buy products that utilize the entire animal and not parts of the animal with the rest going to waste.  Any information you have would be fantastic.
Thank you and sincerely,
--
Roman Clarkson

They're response

Dear Roman – thanks for your email.  You ask some very good questions.  Because we must protect the feathers, we harvest with gas which is quick and more humane than most methods.  As for the meat, remember most of our birds are 45+ weeks old when they are harvested, (what is sold for food are 6 to 8 weeks old) therefore they are too old and tough for food, plus most are roosters which would be tough as leather so we compost the remains.  Dr Whiting is one of the most environmentally conscious people I have met.  The soil in this part of CO is very poor  for farming so he uses the compost for a small tree farm and for acreage that is cultivated. Also, the USDA will not allow the use of this meat for pet food.   We do everything possible to be responsible.  Feathers are actually a great resource for nitrogen which is needed in this area. I use manure and feathers for my home compose unit.  This is probably more than you wanted to know but be assured that not only is Dr Whiting a genetic genius, he is a very responsible citizen.   Thanks again for your interest in Whiting Farms.
Best wishes,
BJ Lester
Sales and Marketing Manager
Whiting Farms Inc.
bjlester@whitingfarms.com

Does this settle my mind?  I think the only other question I would have is are the chickens caged for life or free range?  I know I feel better about choosing Whiting Farm products.  I know now that I need to be more conservative with my materials.  Just because I buy a saddle doesn't mean I can just waste whatever I want.

I took my son fly fishing this Friday.  We did not catch any but had a great time.  I caught a couple of insects on film though.  I have been doing some research into the entomology of the Meramac but have not found a lot of information.  If you come across this and know some links please pass them on.  I need to check out the other insect on the right because I need to tie that as well.

Peace

It was hard to sleep. At most I only got a couple of hours of sleep in at a time and even then it was light sleeping. I was waiting for the alarm with anticipation and sleep was irrelevant. At that point, sleep was almost a chore and a barrier to my destination.  What made that evening's sleep unusual was that I was completely prepared to wake up running out the door. I had already packed everything I needed and laid out my clothes ready to wear. I went so far as to put all of my gear in the trunk of the car.  To expedite my morning preparation I had laid out my clothes so I could slip into them. By slip I mean I already had my utility knife on my belt that was threaded through the loops of my pants, placed the wallet in the pocket, and stuffed by socks in my boots. A zip, button and buckle and I am equipped to leave. I even slept in the shirt I was going to wear the next day.

There were two alarms set on my alarm clock. The first alarm was for me and the second for my wife so she could wake the children for school. Before I even laid down I knew that first alarm could not come too soon.  When the alarm played the classical music station I rose out of bed.  I remember thinking that the act of waking to classical music on mornings like this seem to make the transition from listless sleep to full motion more enjoyable.  It just sounded right waking up to some amazing musical genius to start my day with them encouraging me to learn my own genius. I of course proceeded to my clothes and with military precision I dressed, brushed my teeth and hair.

I then moved about the house in stealth not to disturb anyone else from their sleep. I waited until I was outside to put my boots on to insure my quiet get away. This small time in the house, the time between ready to go and out the door is my time.  It's where I began my transition between the world of home and work and my world of nature.  Here I let the haze of sleeplessness work in my mind and keep me from getting distracted from the things in plain site.  That haze let me walk out of the house without wondering about the house seeing all the things that need to be done.  Wondering things like if the dishwasher was started the night before or checking the trash to see if it needs to be taken outside.  That sweet haze kept me focused on the task at hand;  get to the river, get to the river, get to the river, over and over.

Out the front door at 5:36am.  As with every predawn trip I observed the world at peace. I was still a few minutes away from leaving my house to pick up my partner and friend so we could begin our trip.  I took that time to watch and listen to birds begin their wake up rituals in search of morning insects. I watched squirrels forage around without fear of cars in search of new fallen nuts. I already knew the nocturnal creatures had already gone to their dens, leaving only the smallest traces of debris that they had discarded in their nightly trash can raids.

It is in this moment that I remembered the reason for all my trips. I need to see nature acting upon itself and upon me.