The image is of a large Stanley brand steel insulated vacuum bottle travel mug. It's quite nice. It holds more than a a large cup of coffee -- maybe 18 oz ? -- and has a positive control button for releasing access to the liquids within. Quite nice. Passes the "bear test" here tonight.
Will be a fixture in the new "trout car."
I'm replacing the existing trout car because it isn't suitable for any but the most civilized of access points. It can handle gravel, but not sand.
I kid the Senator about his Subaru as a lesbian-mobile. He has two of the things. Yes, they are driven here in Ann Arbor by a number of lesbians. Yes I'm friends with several. No, they aren't amused by my antics most of the time, either.
Subarus are however infinitely practical and quite nice vehicles. The inside always seems well proportioned to me though I am a little short of statue. I'm not sure how they fit larger anglers.
The Senator's wagons have great ground clearance hold a ton of gear. I think we went fishing in his with wader bags and all when there was an entire bed frame in the back once.
I've a buddy who is a serial WRZ STI guy -- which is Subaru's fast little compact. It's a monster and plenty quick. I looked at one for a long time some years ago but went with a specially prepared Infiniti G35 with the ATI twin-turbo set-up. I like to go fast and be comfortable. The WRX was almost rally-ready straight out of the box.
It hurt to crawl behind the wheel.
I never had the G35 off pavement. She was a doll. Black-on-black and loved to eat Pirelli's. Never quite could make the continuous 100+ mph commute. Ninety plus many times but could never make the continuous 100+ club. I had a twenty mile drive that was two rights, a stretch for twenty-two miles, a left and a right. I did many mornings horn and lights all the way. I bought a fast car for a reason.
Can't do that here in Michigan. They drive slow on this side of the state. I mean sloooooooow. Stupid and slow, too. Oblivious, maybe? West side? My type of drivers. Stay right if you don't have the horses.
I grew up where we'd drive six hours each way to play high school football and when Nixon put the speed limit at 55 mph, it was ignored west of Russell. Nobody is going to take eight hours to drive to Denver. That's just crazy.
I know exactly how fast a 500 cu. in. 1974 Eldorado can go if you give it all the reigns it wants. Vonda was a tremendous machine for the day. ( 1965 Miss Arizona, Miss America - Vonda Kay Van Dyke ... family friend and thus, car named for her. Miss Kansas won in '66 and we didn't know her). Snow eater, too. Went to South Bend in January of '78 when the ditches were full of trucks and Notre Dame closed for the first time. Yea. First time ever.
I'm going with something in the rally league this time. More the Paris-Dakar rally. Heavy beast. Factory ready.
It's sad they limit the route of the rally now due to "political unrest." I'm an FAL guy but I'm getting old. I'm not sure I can sling an FAL out the window and drive at the same time. FN FNC? No problem. That's why your elbow bends. Convenient for the driver.
Anyway, the Senator drives a very rugged Subaru.
Kev drives a Grand Cherokee with every available option. If we poured drinks in our vehicles -- which I have done but which I no longer do -- then his would be the cocktail car. Bloody thing is a goat on trail and rides nicely, too. I always feel I'm missing a martini when I'm in the back. We need more martini's in the back. Should come as a factory option.
Of course, you know what Bogart said on his death bed: "I should have never switched from scotch to martinis." There's that. A man who would know.
Big Bear has a new go-anywhere-pull-anything pickup. It's one of the new Ford trucks. I haven't been in it yet. I've been in one similar (guy who works for me) and I remembered the "presidential" series of continentals when I was in it. Wow. "Work truck" is pretty nice these days. Nothing wrong with that!
Mobes has a pair of Land Rover Discovery specials. One was Kev's from way-back-when (Niles) and one is an out-right acquisition. I'm jealous of both. Troll Hunter? You've seen Mobes' Land Rover, then.
My mechanic won't work on Land Rovers so easier to get a new brand of vehicle than a new mechanic I trust. I had a '76 110 once that came with parts manuals! Yea. Not the greatest idea I ever had even back then. I had distributor problems with mine. Made it about five months. Traded it to a fellow for '52 International 5-Q that had been an ambulance for the army. I could work on that beast. Diesel. Wasn't allowed to park it at my folks house. Parked it down the street.
So, enough about trout cars -- except I need to order one. I have to do that this week. Takes a bit to do the build-to-order business and these aren't run off the line without a confirmed order. Happens.
We've snow here but only in the smallest sense. Lou the foxhound follows in the little field coat my daughter bought him. When you daughter buys your best friend a coat, yes, you put it on him and take a picture. No, he doesn't especially like it. He likes Erin though. Follows her around when she's here.
She probably smells better than I do. Smell is important to a short foxhound. He's snoring next to me now.
I might need another one of these.
Prost.
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