a fine craft outdoors.

"Working on perfecting a fine craft outdoors, while listening to music."

If there were ever a phrase to describe my pastime choices, this would be it. 

Throughout the years, this has applied to several activities...some "perfected" much more so than others. 

Skateboarding has been on my mind lately. I miss it. 

An enormous impact on a handful of my formidable years, skateboarding still holds a very special place in my mind and heart. It started well before me and my crew could drive.  Just us, our boards, and wherever urethane wheels took us. Punk rock was the top listening choice, with the Ramones leading the way. Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Descendents, and a plethora of others highlighted our mix tapes. 

Just the absolute freedom to do whatever the fuck we wanted to do...to feed off of each other's creativity and skill..to fail and fall and get back on deck. The camaraderie and growing up through those weird years helped solidify not only the identity of who we were, it helped shape who we are today. 

The tricks were secondary. We really weren't all that good, but give us a drainage ditch under the highway, a rickety launch ramp we built with stolen lumber, or a small flight of stairs at the Jehovah's Witness Church or in the Sears parking garage, and we would disappear from home for hours.  The crew and I are still close friends.  We are still "Team Dikhed".  And we are still fucking rad. 

Rock climbing was a sporadic, but major source of freedom after skateboarding started dying down. 

What started as an awkward transitional period when the crew and I were 15ish, eventually turned into carabiners, ropes, and gri-gri's. Around the same time that we started skating, we also still went into the woods and explored.  And by explored, I mean swinging on vines across creeks, sliding down steep, rocky embankments just to do it, and caking our arms and faces in mud to provide camouflage from absolutely nobody. We grew up in the woods, and we grew up with Rambo, Commando, Predator, and various ninjas. So our jaunts into the woods morphed into a much more technical and challenging pastime. that carried into my thirties. 

We started out with repelling. We would back our dumb asses off of any cliff with no regard for our well-being, uber-confident in our equipment and knots, just bounding and kicking off until we hit flat ground. Repelling quickly turned into top-roping and bouldering. That's about as techy as we got, but it was more than enough to keep us happy. 

Once again, I was never that good.  But trying to figure out a bouldering problem with a couple friends while listening to reggae was my idea of a super solid afternoon. 

I have always fished. It's my numeral uno favorito.  And this one, I'm pretty good at. Can't say that about too many things.

I started out at 3yrs old, conventional fishing.  Meaning not fly fishing, basically. But a few years after falling in love with getting them on a spinning rod, I started fly fishing and became pretty good. I still do both methods, and am hopefully better than average at both of them, but fly fishing is my go-to. 

Again, as with all of my pursuits, there is a problem to figure out. Where the fish are...what the fish are eating...how to get them to eat what I'm casting.  It's a challenge that takes years of practice to become decent at. It builds patience, thankfully. It is an absolute art, with rod building, fly tying, casting technique, mending, and presentation. I've taught all aspects of fly fishing for years, as well as guided on a variety of famous waters.  I'm lucky. 

Granted, I do not listen to music while fishing. I like the silence. But before and after fishing there are so many tunes listened to. It used to be classic jazz on the way to the lake. Gypsy jazz while sipping pre-river coffee. and post-river scotch. Campfire music ensues, meaning that there are typically some good classic country or non-bro versions of the genre, ala Sturgill, Turnpike, Childers, or Crockett. Depending on your company and proximity of your neighbors, Sabbath and AC/DC have been known to make campfire appearances on playlists. Be warned. 

Barbecuing is a very physical activity.  Don't let anyone tell you differently. Well, I suppose if you are a weekend warrior that dials up the pellet smoker and gets hammered on Miller Lite while the brisket is cooking, then no. But to cook for a couple hundred hungry folks can take its toll on you. But I'm not judging. 

If barbecuing traditionally and rustically, it would mean to start with acquiring a good amount of wood for your fires. That would entail either loading and unloading a literal truckload of split wood (which, if already split, is a very nice bonus), or cutting down a tree. I do both. The former makes far more sense logistically and adds ease appeal, but is expensive.  The latter is more gratifying, more affordable, but a ton more work. So we'll call it a draw.

Once you have said split wood, you can now prepare your fire. Prepping the meat with trimming and a marinade and/or rub of your making is essential, as is fire maintenance. If using multiple smokers, you will get your steps in for the day. Spritzing, basting, maintaining, splitting, glazing...so many "ings".  

As important as the final product is, the process is even more so, and the correct music played is essential in that process. It provides a mood and an attitude. It makes sure that you don't get overwhelmed, that you are taking the necessary beverage breaks, and reminds you that you are doing the Lord's work. It's a ridiculously gratifying thing...the whole thing. I've said it many times, I like to eat BBQ., and the payoff is very important to me, especially when feeding others. But the process is what is king. Immersing myself into a self-proclaimed primitive and earthy lifestyle of minimalism and basics. Taking a moment to nod to myself in approval, proud that I chose to take the time., and satisfied with my process. The music reminds me of all of this. And the mix tape is extravagant. Even after the cook, when the festivities begin for everyone else, the music continues. 

I'm happy that my hobbies revolve around art and outside.  Problem solving, creativity, stoicness. Although I never became all that good at skating and climbing, the camaraderie was second to none. Fly fishing and barbecuing, I'm better at, but I'll never perfect them. It's impossible. 

But I'll keep on "Working to perfect a fine craft outdoors, while listening to music." Not a bad way to live.