The Gearboat Awards

I put on some old rags and went to a banquet over the weekend. My radio pal Dave Nelson and I read off some announcements for the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce awards banquet. I’m still wearing the rental tuxedo two days later. I may never give it back. People talk to you differently when you’re gussied up. I’ve been offered equity loans I haven’t applied for and all sorts of perks. Hot tip: invest in a tuxedo and just walk around town in it.

Look at that sky writing in the photo above. I’ve never seen such precise sans serif contrails. Must be the handiwork of Joe Spence.

This business of bestowing awards for best this and that was so entertaining I’m going to start the first annual Gearboat Chronicles Awards. right now. Here’s the first category.

Best Winding Waters Facebook post in the last week goes to WWRE guide Silje Christofferson.

You win, Silje, with the nod to Todd Kruger. King of the Beergoatmen Gearboatmen.

In related news, Silje’s younger brother Nikolai was recognized at the Wallowa County Chamber banquet for his involvement with a youth entrepreneur program. The name of his business was listed as: Man of Steel Recycling. The joke I had on deck was: “Don’t try recycling kryptonite. He wont’ take it.”

Sadly, I didn’t have the microphone during that exchange, and also Nikolai changed the name to Something-Something Steel-Something-Else Recycling. Which totally ruined the joke.

Work with me, Nikolai, work with me here.

Best What The? Award goes to Cameron Scott. Fly fishing phenom. Steelhead necromancer and last person you want to talk to at the end of a fishless day. I stopped by Cam’s new house (it’s nice) and spied a strange device leaning against the wall, not hidden or anything.

Well, well, well. What have we here. A spinning rod? This is like finding a Darth Vader action figure in Luke Skywalker’s toy chest before Luke grows . . . up . . . to . . . anyway – Cam has a spinning rod. He wins a free Blue Fox spinner I found hanging in a branch last week.

Best Cartoon Technology Used on a Gearboat Chronicle: Sara Zimmerman.

Sara is a way-back friend of mine and has many talents. Too many, probably. Should probably give a few back, Sara. She’s a cartoonist, web designer, entrepreneur, fine artist, pioneer in  the women’s surf shop industry, mom to a darling girl, Cali (which probably should have started this list . . . let’s start over).

Sara is many things. Foremost a great mom. Check out her Unearthed Comics here, and see below how she put a little talk bubble thing in a photo of Ali I borrowed recently. I liked it.

Worst Use of Cartoon Talk Bubble Things – Me.

Not long after, I was supposed to send a photo of myself wishing happy birthday to my Aunt Donna, who’s got a big party coming up. I thought, well this is the perfect occasion for one of Sara’s cartoon bubbles. But, no. It turns out that is hard to do and beyond my computing grasp. Instead, I did it old school. Mira –

Almost the same, if I could photoshop my hand out.

Best New Business Card – Jay Butts

(Click to enlarge. The bottom line is the real paydirt here.)

Best Morgan Jenkins Sighting – Somewhere in Montana

And, finally, to close out this week’s award ceremony, I give you the Best Frost Display –  which was everywhere in Wallowa County the other day.