Showing posts with label Montana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Montana. Show all posts

Monday, March 29, 2021

A River Runs Through It

Here is the ending of Norman Maclean's masterpiece, A River Runs Through It, the best story ever told from the perspective of an elder brother.  If you want to understand what all of this means, go read the book:

Now nearly all those I loved and did not understand when I was young are dead, but I still reach out to them.

Of course, now I am too old to be much of a fisherman, and now of course I usually fish the big waters alone, although some friends think I shouldn't.  Like many fly fishermen in western Montana, where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening.  Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and river runs through it.  The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.  On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops.  Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Tour de France Wrap-Up

If you'll remember we had the first ever Canadian win a grand tour at the Giro d'Italia earlier in the year, and now we have the first ever Briton win the Tour de France, Bradley Wiggins. He was the favorite coming in and looked like the best rider from day one. His only real competition came from his lieutenant Christopher Froome also of Great Britain. Of course Froome was acting as lieutenant and so never attacked Wiggins or tried to get the victory, he seemed content to do his part and take overall second.

This also turned out to be a good Tour for the United States as Tejay van Garderen showed his potential by winning the white jersey, best young rider competition. Like Froome he was acting as a lieutenant, but for last year's winner Cadel Evans. Van Garderen could have potentially finished higher up than fifth had he been allowed to race for best position, but either way he gets a big prize and is now the next great hope for the United States to get a grand tour win.

Final general classification
1Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling87:34:47
2Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling0:03:21
3Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale0:06:19
4Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team0:10:15
5Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team0:11:04
6Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan0:15:41
7Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team0:15:49
8Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar0:16:26
9Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team0:16:33
10Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat0:17:17