Well, it's been a lot longer than I recalled since my last post...

 Howdy there, dear reader(s). I hope all is well with you.

We are doing well in the Pandemic, but have been busy and thankfully working. I hope that all is well from some of the dear friends I made when I was blogging in earnest, that are still around. 

I got stuff on my mind, just like you do. Washington DC on January 6th, 2021 is a day that will go down in infamy. What a tremendous blow to our democracy. 

As far as covid goes, now that we have a new President and Vice President coming in deck in less than "A Scaramucci", which is an alternate for of time measurement, lets hope we see this vaccine distribution and acquisition improve so that we can do something about this morphing virus that continues to kill record numbers daily.

I remember when foolish me, in my younger days this past summer, was astonished when we surpassed the total of U.S. Soldiers killed in Vietnam. We've broken too many death records to recall at this point, so do one thing for your old friend El Fishing Musician, and, uh well, the rest of humanity:

WEAR A MASK AND GET THE VACCINE!

THE LOSS OF A HOUSTON LIVE MUSIC INSTITUTION

I read in the Houston Chronicle yesterday about the sale and impending closing, with a final NYE show, of a venerable, if not THE surviving live Houston music venue with great sorrow for the loss of such a cool venue but with happiness as well for it's owner Sara Fitzgerald, and I can understand the writer's description of Sara that after 42 years of operating this venue, Sara feels both "sentimental and not."

I can understand that well. Operating a night club is no easy thing. Music trends change, the generations of crowds that have lined up around the block to get in there have changed and our society has drastically changed over the lifetime of Fitz's, which is how regulars referred to it as.

This generational split over the years became nowhere more evident when an occasion arose in the early 2000's where on the same night and at the same time and with a sparse if not older crowd, I was watching a favorite Austin blues/funk band of mine, Papa Mali a/k/a Malcolm Wellbourne (sp?) And the Instigators, was playing the downstairs room and a "modern" screamo type series of bands was playing the absolutely packed main room upstairs that my then 14 year old daughter and her friends her watching. We "carpooled" to the gig. As I recall, they were *thrilled* to have me there at the same venue with them and thrilled beyond beyond that an act I liked was playing there the night they needed just a ride. Beyond. 

I've met the owner Sara numerous times, mostly in the mid to late 80's and early 90's, but was never close to her, although she was the kind of person that I would've liked to have known better. Funny, sarcastic, hospitable, and at the same time, an overwhelmingly decent human being who gave lots of folks who achieved fame and fortune their beginnings.

And she was ultra cool to a lot of local bands who didn't make it, or at least were not regional favorites capable of packing the second floor.

Through my playing drums for lots of acts that appeared at these places, I also knew the booker for the Fitzgerald's, and her contemporary over at the long gone but equally legendary jazz-folk-blues-rock club Rockefeller's. Like Sara, my bandmates were bigger buddies with these ladies than I was, but I knew them well enough where I could get in shows SRO for free since I was a gigging poor musician and law student.

If I recall, she owned the home behind and adjacent to it, and there was an elevated, second story walkway leading from the band backstage areas to her home. It's been a long time since I was walking backstage at Fitz's in a carefree manner like the late 80's and early 90's, but I was always welcome in those areas by Sara and the other musicians who might be hanging at someone else's gigs.

So I wish her luck, and I'm glad I got to play upstairs a couple of times in 1988, as well as many, many gigs downstairs at her place.
I spent a lot of time there listening, as well, but there was nothing like the big stage she had with pro lighting and sound, each of my drums with microphones and everything going through a house mixer (which made excellent cassette tapes, gratis, just for the asking by the band I played upstairs with).   That guy in 1988 was a great mixer and soundboard man. 

Like everyone else, I have a lot of stories from Fitz's, but one from my single, young twenties days, many years ago that I can't forget involved a date with a University of Houston classmate of mine, we'll call her "Nancy Penny". Nancy and I likely ate somewhere and then went to Fitz's. I could tell Nancy was the type of suburban Houston not experienced to the then relatively safe Heights area where Fitz is located. It wasn't gritty at all, as many parts of Montrose, across Buffalo Bayou, were. Nonetheless, she advised me upon arrival that the area was sketchy and she was not pleased with the venue.

Said venue, of course, had been chosen by her, by virtue of the regional/college radio star Joe King Carrasco whom she wanted to see. So that is why we were there.

Joe King, of course, was playing upstairs and we timed it just right to get there after the opening act and in time for Joe King, the main act. Slam dancing was a *thing* at the time with Joe's fans, with a mosh pit in front of the stage with some 50-60 people slamming around.

I stood cautiously back, way back, behind one of the large post that was a support beam for the roof and partial floor (I think) that ringed the main seating and dancing area. My memory fails.

But what I do recall is keeping myself out of harms way by being behind this 2'x2' beam protecting me from random, drunken slammers flung from the herd.

And I continually cautioned Nancy to do the same, but she chose repeatedly to approach the most pit, until finally getting knocked solidly on her arse by some spaced out spud flung from the herd with great velocity.

And then she began to cry. Not an "I'm embarrassed" cry, or "my butt hurts" type of cry, but that special wailing and struggling for breath as they cry that tells you *this date is over and I wanna go home right now*.

And yet we didn't. In between Fitz's and a place called the Comedy Workshop, I talked her into having a drink at the Comedy Workshop and seeing whatever stand-ups they had going on that night.

Ah, but that's another long and convoluted story, and to cut to the chase, poor Nancy found herself the innocent and unnecessary target and indeed, attack, of a drunken but later famous and now deceased comic and we left there in worst shape then we did from Fitz's. With firm resolve on her part to end the date immediately and to say as few words as possible (i.e. none) during the car ride to her home.   

THE RETURN OF THE ROBAR GLOCK 19 PROJECT

I'll just briefly post here, but after having it back for about a month now, I am VERY IMPRESSED with the grip work done by Robar.

The grip is now unlike any other polymer framed gun I've ever held. 

I've got medium sized hands, but I always felt I was holding a rounded off 2x4 with my first Glock, a Gen2 M21. 

Until I started shooting. And then grip feel became irrelevant. 

The Models 19/23 are not as boxy feeling, although the 4th and 5th Gen interchangeable grip options are irrelevant to me, as I choose the smallest size anyway. 

So with the Robar, the grip of a Glock feels like it should from the factory, at least as an option. A reduced grip Glock. 

My Robar M19 has a great feel to it. It's substantially smaller all the way around, and is really lots more comfortable to shoot than any other M19 I've ever shot. 

To review, I had the following grip work done on a NIB 5 year old Glock Gen3 M19:

1. Total frame reduction;
2. Removal of finger grooves;
3. Double trigger guard undercut;
4. 360 degree stippling except thumb area;
5. Frame flats stippled.

They do fantastic work. They mention on their site that the reduction is even more dramatic and apparent on the large frame Glock pistols, such as .45 ACP and 10mm.

Which, of course, pics my curiousity...

I also had an Apex trigger installed, and some Glock night sights.
Since the time I sent the Robar Glock off for the work, I bought and learned to use (successful the first time), with the $40 cheap blue universal sight tool I bought, and have learned how to replace Glock triggers myself.

The gun feels great in my hand. Even LEO friends who favor S&W M&P or Sigs because of their grip or action agreed it was the best feeling Glock they'd felt.

I've put about 200 rounds through it, and although I discussed adding a bunch of internal Zev Technologies parts to the frame and slide, I think I like it the way it is.

I will, however, be adding the Tango Down Larry Vickers extended slide release and magazine release, as I've already done to every Glock I own, except for the Zev Spartan, which has it's own extended mag and slide release. Which are excellent also.

I already use the excellent Tango Down Larry Vickers magazine base plates that feature staggered and flared sides for easy mag extraction. The only Glock 19 they don't work with is the Zev Spartan, as it has an attached flared magazine well that doesn't accommodate the flared Vickers mag base plates.

I very much like the Apex trigger replacement kit I bought with the aluminum trigger and safety. Much smoother than the stock trigger and a major improvement. I won't say it's better than the Zev Technologies trigger on my Zev Gen4 M19 Spartan, but I like it just as much.

Overall Rating of Robar: Five Stars. Grade A work. Great feel. Fits my hand perfectly, and is truly the perfection Glock advertises, but Robar delivers. Great customer service. Great communication as to receipt and completion of the work. Great telephone and email communication when placing the order.

I'll have to delay my Robar Browning Hi-Power projct until later next year, but it's a mandatory to-do for me. In fact, the delay is that based on the quality of their Glock work, I think I'll have them do finish work and internal coatings, and perhaps even splurge for some backstrap checkering.

But first, a great candidate for another, much cheaper project came along, and thus my next project is underway. Read about it in my next post.

KIMBER K6 GRIP LENGTH FAIL, BUT ONE THAT COULD BE EASILY FIXED BY KIMBER

The Kimber K6 six shot .357 Magnum revolver is a magnificent revolver, and highly impressive for Kimbers foray into revolvers.

I've always had good luck with my Kimbers, except the short kept Solo, which only liked Silvertips and did not like anything but FMJs with the too large extended magazine. Great idea though. Just needs some more engineering.

At the other end of the grip complaint spectrum is the Kimber K6. It's wooden grips are too small, leaving my little finger groping around for a handhold.

Like the Glock Gen 5 problem mentioned in the previous post, I'm sure that Hogue or Pachmayr or some wood grip makers will rectify this problem with a slightly longer grip, and I'm talking right at an inch or slightly less. Not too much at all.

The plastic Kimber grips seem even shorter to me, and although there are several aftermarket wood grip makers making grips for this gun already, they're all the same size as the stock grips.

I have heard that certain S&W J frame round butt Pachmayr grips might sort of fit the K6, but from the pics I saw on a forum it looked like there was a gap at the top of the grip. 

We've been very busy lately but soon, I'll find that pair of J frame Pachmayrs I have around here and see how the fit is.

So heads up Kimber! You're making an excellent revolver. Very heavy duty at a light weight. How about a set of grips that gives me some little finger purchase so I can shoot some hotter loads?

GLOCK GENERATION 5 M19 AND M17 FRONT GRIP FIX

I know, I know, I'm just a flurry of activity here after years of just posting every now and again. 

This post concerns an excellent firearm with an inexplicable feature. When Glock decided to do away with the finger grooves, which fortunately fit my hand but I would rather not have them, I was overjoyed. As soon as they hit the nearest GT Distributor, I was there.

Glock is the only firearms company I know that gives LEO prices to prosecutors as well. I got on the waiting list for one with the Ameriglo night sights and bam, less than $470 (before tax) I've got new discount Glock Gen 5 M19 in hand.

When I got home, the first thing I noticed was the not popular half moon shaped groove on the front end of the grip at the bottom. It's sorta roughly finished and my first order of business was turning the edges of the half moon cut out a little softer and better angled.

Obviously, it's a feature designed to aid magazine extraction. Frankly, in any Glock, even my Zev Spartan M19 with the added magazine well, I've never had a problem with mag extraction. I don't need a cutout on the front of my magazine. It's uncomfortable on my little finger of my right hand and even though smoothed out, it doesn't feel good and it's a bit irritating when shooting.

I like the Glock Gen 5 way more than the Gen 4. I have sold the two Gen 4 Glocks I had because I did not like the Gen 4 trigger feel at all, especially as the trigger put my index finger to sleep while shooting it. On both those Gen 4 guns, the trigger surface and safety were roughly finished.

I've never had my finger put to sleep shooting any gun before or since. 

I knew it would be a matter of time before Pearce Grip or the excellent Larry Vickers made a Glock magazine baseplate that would have an insert and solve this problem. And sure enough, Pearce Grip came out with this very solution, a Glock magazine base plate with a half moon size piece in the front to fill this hole. BAM! Problem solved for $10 bucks a mag. 

Obviously, you can only use mags that are so outfitted with the Gen 5, but the Gen 5 can still take any Glock mag.  Most importantly, it solves the problem and makes the grip really comfortable, like the finger groove-less Gen 5 Model 19X.

You just have be be careful if you have multiple Glocks that you don't take the Gen 5 with the Pearce base plate for use with almost every other Glock in existence.

See, that's the strange thing. Glock wisely omitted this cutout feature on the Glock 19X, as well as on the Gen 5 Model 26, but they have it on the Gen 5 Models 19 and 17.

I do like the design of the Vickers base plates for Glocks. They are flared and serrated on the sides, where one would naturally grab a magazine to remove it if it didn't pop out on it's own. Mr. Larry Vickers is a renowned designer and manufacturer and shooter and so many other things, I hope to see him adopt this same solution with a Gen 5 model of his Vickers Glock baseplate for those of us stuck with this Gen 5 M19/17 issue. 

Going back a moment, the trigger pull is, to me, greatly improved over the Gen 3 trigger I've become accustomed to. I'm glad they fixed what was wrong with the Gen 4 triggers (to me, anyway) and again, except for this at times painful groove on the front strap of the grip, Glock hit a home run with this gun.

THE GLOCK 19 GEN 3 ROBAR PROJECT PART 2

As I discuss below, after the Robar Model 19 gets back from Robar, it's next stop after a little shooting with the trigger being installed will be Zev Technologies. 

As I discuss below, I daily carry a Zev Spartan Model 19 and it is one of the finest firearms and shooting irons I've carried for self defense over the past 30+ years in law enforcement. It takes the Glock to a new level. 

So since Zev will install all their parts that you buy, my reduced grip Glock will go to Zev, perhaps where I can get it back as a Christmas present.

At Zev, I plan to have all Zev internal parts installed, along with their dimpled match barrel. I'll keep my stock Glock slide on the gun, since I don't plan on running an RMR on this gun. I love the Zev slides, but that's a big expense and will keep the Zev part of the project far cheaper. 

After I recover financially from all the Zev work discussed above on the Model 19 Robar project, the second Robar project I want to do will be a bit more expensive, but still reasonable, but is also something I've wanted to do for quite a while.

I've got a nice 1989 Browning Hi Power that I'd like to do a few mods on. I don't have several thousand bucks to get full stippling of the fore and back grip and a light jewelers stipple on the top of the gun. Or a carry job removing all the sharp edges.

I plan just to get some trigger work and hammer replacement done. Perhaps a coating on the internals of one of Robar's durable finishes, as thats a service they offer, and of course replacement of other internal parts like springs, firing pin, etc with some high end products.

The IWB holsters I use are leather and do a great job of preventing contact of the gun with my torso/belt line. So I'm not concerned about a carry job or any of the plethora of other fine features this gun has that don't directly concern the trigger mechanism.

My gun that I'm sending in runs a set of Pachmayer grips that feature both a rubber front grip strap and a rear grip strap rubber covering as well. It's a nice feeling grip. I'm a big Pachmayer fan and have been for 37 years now, so it's no surprise I favor these grips on the Hi Power.

What I do want Robar is:

1. A magazine safety disconnect job;
2. Install/tune the  Cylinder and Slide trigger assembly/job;
3. Have the Cylinder and Slide round hammer installed;
4. Install night sights (I'm not sure of what kind yet but I'll have them install some modern night sights);
5. Install a left side only safety;
6. Replace all internals springs, guide rod, firing pin, etc parts
and have them coated in one of Robar's durable finishes.

Then I'd like all the external pieces gold plated by Robar, i.e. :
-Trigger
-Hammer
-Slide Release
-Safety
-Mag release button.

Just 'cause. I'd like to end up with the "non-external work" version of the Hi Power featured in this article. 

I don't see on the Robar website that they doing blueing, and particularly the type of DEEP rich blueing for which some BHP's are famous for, and although my gun features sort of a flat gray finish of some unknown type, I want it deep blued after the trigger work.

So I need to find a place to send it to for a deluxe blue job. Then that would be that.

The third project I'm contemplating with Robar is a similar grip reduction job like the one being done now but with a Gen 3 Model 21 SF. I don't know if the SF would make for a smaller grip than the regular 21 via the Robar reduction process and finger groove removal, but I've got one so that's whats going to go. Again, I'll go with light texturing, or may ask them to leave it reduced but untextured for the next step in the process.

The 21 will leave Robar and then go to Zev Technologies.

My carry gun for the last year has been the Zev Tech Spartan model Model 19. About the only thing left Glock about it is the frame. The Zev trigger is fabulous, and really just a perfect trigger for a striker fired gun. The only thing my Zev Spartan lacks is the reduced grip, as Zev does remove finger grooves.

I particularly like Zev's grip stippling, so I'd like to have this Model 21 Robar project stippled at Zev after reduction at Robar. Zev will install FOR FREE all parts you buy, and in the future Model 21 Robar project, as well as my current Model 19 Robar project, I'll be using the stock Glock slide.

I don't plan on putting RMRs on these guns, as they will be purely carry and are being downsized to accentuate their concealment quotient as well as be more comfortable in the hand. Thus, I'll use a stock Glock slide.

I DO like the Zev barrels, and I plan to ultimately get both the Model 19 and the Model 21 to Zev for a barrel, internal parts and their trigger. Springs, stainless steel guide rod and all those other parts that Zev makes.

THE ROBAR GLOCK 19 GEN3 PROJECT HAS LAUNCHED

Recently, a friend of mine who owns a gun shop and who is quite the machinist, artist, mechanic and all around good guy, Iraq/Afghan Special Forces type fellow, showed me a Glock he had done a frame reduction on.

After hours of whining on my part for him to sell it to me, as it was a work of art, he agreed to do one for me, but advised that it would "take some time", meaning, quite a while. I intend to take him one of my G19 Gen3s as I have several. 

The Gen3 G19 is one of my carry favorite guns, and until the G19 Gen 5 came along, it was the stock Glock that had the best trigger for me. With exceptions where I wander back to my roots of various calibered Colt 1911s, Browning Hi-Power or the occasional revolver carry, its my G19 that is with me every day.

I didn't like the Gen4 triggers at all on the 19, the 34 or the 41 that I have. I traded both the 19 and the 34 and put an Apex Trigger on the 41. Big improvement. 

I really think the Gen 5 trigger is a huge improvement over the Gen4 and even the Gen3, but I've moved to installing Zev triggers on all of my Glocks save for a few kept stock. 

And onto the Robar project. After seeing my friends G19, which had a grip reduction (rear hollow space) and a finger groove elimination, resulting in a FAR THINNER grip on the G19, much closer to a Commander with fat grips than a regular G19. His had a lot of other custom frame features, such as double undercut trigger guard, grooves on the side of the grip to aid mag extraction (I didn't care for this) and a very cool area on the front right and left side of the front vertical part of the trigger guard, a slightly scalloped area where I normally rest my finger when it's not on the trigger.

I did some research on the internets and then ran into an LEO buddy I work with who had just had his G34 done at Robar. The grip reduction and finger groove elimination were well done, and the aggressive texture he chose was nice.

I myself went with the light texturing on my order. I sent a NIB G19 Gen3 OD frame/Tennifer Slide to Robar to have the grip reduction and finger groove removal and texturing, including the frame flats, double undercut trigger guard and having some night sights and a new trigger installed. 

I'll keep you posted on the update. They got the gun last week and I'm looking at several months til I get it back, although they are known for beating their estimated work time significantly.

I can't emphasize what a different feeling gun the Glock 19 is with the hollow of the rear of the grip removed. Not only does it make the gun smaller in an area that aids concealment, it's far more comfortable to shoot a gun that fits your hand well. It fits my hand well, anyway.

Robar mentions that the grip reduction is far more noticeable on the large frame Glocks, but I found it dang noticeable on the 19. I'm pretty sure I'm going to like the work Robar does, since I've already seen it and felt it, but the next gun I send will be a Gen 3 G21 SF to see how significant that reduction is. What I'm wondering is whether the SF would make a smaller grip than a regular Gen 3 G21.

Glock should be doing this themselves, along with the flat front grip of the Gen 5.  To me, the hollow space has always been a mystery, and I've long thought that a much better grip could be had by eliminating it. Soon, I'll find out.

GOD BLESS TRANQUILITY AND HER LOYAL SECRET SERVICE AGENTS

I was moved beyond belief when I read various articles in this mornings papers about how many former Secret Service Agents who had served Mrs. Barbara Bush, the former FLOTUS of our great land.

In a time of bad news after bad news, and even in the sorrow of the passing of an American Icon like Mrs. Bush, it's the kind of story that made my day and nothing can take away that kind of feeling of pride and joy in the acts of some Secret Service Agents showed just how far their loyalty goes.

One former agent penned an article for CNN about his personal experiences with Mrs. Bush. You can read some other articles about the agents coming out to protect her here, and especially here, where you can see numerous photos of agents protecting her.

The articles I've read don't reflect whether there were any of the current Bush family protective unit with her body, but I suspect they might have been busy with President Bush and all of the travel involved in this funeral for him. 

It's so touching, in these times, to see the camaraderie and esprit de corps of these fine agents as they come, likely from other parts of the USA, to do their final duty for their principal. No telling what kind of personal things were going on in their own life, but likely some had some important milestones or issues going on in their life, yet they hear the bugle call to duty and here they are.

As an American, a Texan and a former Houstonian, I salute these agents for their loyalty and respect.

Merry Christmas to all, Happy Holidays to all, and most of all, pray for world peace!

So I wish you a Merry Christmas, hoping all is well with you and yours. I've received many comments lately in other threads and promise to write more at some point in the future. As an active parent AND grandparent, as well as husband, employee, friend and other duties, I've been remiss in blogging for the past several years. To paraphrase the late, great George Harrison, such is life.

To all others of other beliefs, Happy Holidays!

My wish for world peace is what I'd like for Christmas.

CHARLES BRADLEY...REST IN PEACE, SIR, WE HARDLY KNEW YE...

I am absolutely ashamed to say that, until his death yesterday, I had never heard of the great talent that visited this earth for the past 68 years, not getting his music "out there" until 2011, when he was 62 years old.

I'll be up front with you. Mr. Bradley moves my soul when he sings. Go here while reading this tribute and listen to AIN'T IT A SIN while you're reading this humble prose.  We'll start with that one. I know it's gonna make you forget all about this blog post you're reading.

I'll wait until you cue it up. There. Got the volume right? Have you ever heard anything like this voice in your life, other than perhaps the likes of the late Robert Johnson, the late Louis Armstrong and other great blues talents that long ago left our realm.

These great blues singers, they had one thing in common apparently, from the video interviews with Mr. Bradley on YouTube and the articles I've read online about him. They  had a real bad upbringing and perhaps, a troubled continuing life. Indeed, if there is a modern face of a soulful blues singer, it was Mr. Bradley.

That is not the defining fact of a man. The good Lord above gave Mr. Bradley an ability to sing that forged Mr. Bradley's unique sound that fell somewhere in between Al Green and the late James Brown.

I hate that I'm writing the phrase "the late" so many times already.

As the lead singer of an late 1980's original Houston blues band  that I played drums for, Joyce Bradshear once intro'd a song at a gig by stating, and I'm paraphrasing here..."That it's funny how something so sad can make you so happy. People listen to the blues when they're down, when they're troubled about something, and the whole grieving process of the song just somehow make you in your situation feel better about your blues". That quote doesn't do her justice.

About now you should be ready for another gem of Mr. Bradley, and this one was a real surprise. Although I'm in my fifties, and spent the mid 60's until now just obsessed with lots of different kinds of music, I'm not the biggest Black Sabbath fan. Yes, there are a few songs like Paranoid and Iron Man that I like somewhat, but it was really the songs like Crazy Train from Ozzy's solo career that were more accessible musically to me.

So I discover yesterday that one of Mr. Bradley's cover tunes was called Changes and was done originally in 1972 to an awful and dreary musically composed tune by BLACK SABBATH. Mr. Bradley takes CHANGES and makes it a totally new song.

Mr. Bradley has 3 albums that he released in this short period of being a professional bluesman. I'll give Mr. Bradley the honor of mentioning his loyalty to his excellent band. He kept the same band over the last 7 years, and that's something a lot of rising star singers and guitarists often don't do. 

They get more famous, more experienced musicians to play with them. I'd actually be surprised if his management and label had not at some point had a run made at them by any number of experienced musicians, wanting to start a band with Mr. Bradley singing. Old guys, guys that have been playing the blues for a living for as long as Mr. Bradley's band has been alive.

If that didn't happen, with regional stars or former semi-major blues musicians looking for that next great gig while he was alive, it certainly would've happened soon as his immense talent was being heard daily by so many others.


Mr. Bradley's story reminds me of my good friend CAROLYN WONDERLAND a  blues siren and songstress herself and of her persistence in the music business in Austin.

 A talented blues guitarist as well as trumpeter, I've been watching and waiting for the rest of the world to notice her intense talent since she was 15 and busing tables at the Monday Night Blues Jam at the now defunct Dan Electro's blues bar in Houston, Texas. 

That would be exactly 29 or 30 years ago. As the drummer for the house band on many of those nights for the last several years of my law school days, Carolyn would get up and sit in on a tune with the band. You knew one day she'd be noticed and be famous.

If memory serves, after one of her regular appearances at the Harley festival in Stugis, she was hired by and did a tour playing guitar with none other than Bob Dylan.

For a taste of Carolyn's music that you'll come back to at Christmastime, go to BLUE LIGHTS, song written by the man who taught me how to blues drum beginning in 1984, when I was first in one of his bands, the legendary Kenneth Blanchet, or "Little Screaming Kenny" as he's known. 

Screamin' thought my drumming was too busy., "too cymbally", he said. And he was right, it was. Way too busy. 

He complimented my rock sensibilities, and then handed me a stack of old blues albums and told me to take them home and tape them and bring them back and listen A LOT to them to learn how to play blues drums. Screaming taught me that less is more, many times musically speaking.

But that's the fellow who wrote Blue Lights, and I sure would have liked to have heard Mr. Bradley belt out that number.

You can find several albums of tunes out there from Mr. Bradley. Rest in Peace, sir. I will continue to listen to your legacy.

R.I.P. HARRY DEAN STANTON-YOUR MUSIC TOUCHED THE DIVINE

I stole part of the above title from a comment on a great Harry Dean performance of the classic Jim Reeves song "He'll Have to Go"  at his 80th birthday party.The audio is not so great on it.

But the audio is pretty dang good on a wide variety of other Harry Dean Stanton Band tunes available on youtube. My favorite is this version of LOVE POTION #9. Looks like some Hollywood studio pros backing him, especially the trumpet player. I'd love to know who he is, as his playing sounds very familiar. In any event, the trumpet solo starting at about 1:35 is just absolutely awesome.

That day that always comes for all of us arrived for Harry Dean Stanton. Living to 91 is a damn great thing, particularly when you remained active in your art until it was your time to go.

I wrote some eight years ago about Harry Dean and my great admiration for him HERE and told some of my stories about chasing him all over Hollywood. To keep up with Harry's gigs in those pre-internet days, friends would send me the gig pages from the Los Angeles Chronicle and I subscribed to a magazine called Music Connection for a number of years, which covered the music scene in general in LA.

Ah, Harry Dean, you brought so many of us so much pleasure with your acting and your  singing and your art. 

Although I am a musician, I'm not an actor, yet the fact that Harry Dean's acting career really didn't take off big time until he was 58 years old, after decades of character actor roles, gives me hope that I'll shoot off into the stratosphere SOON on my future ventures, since I'm nearing that age.

Harry Dean kept a low profile personal life. Off the top  of my head, I recall that at some point after moving to LA, he and Jack Nicholson roomed together for several years, in a remote house in one of the beautiful canyons and hills overlooking Hollywood. You can't tell me those guys didn't have some fun in that house!

He served our country in the U.S. Navy as a cook and was in the Battle of Okinawa. Do you think that experience was what drove Harry to acting? Even as a cook, men you've gotten to know disappeared and died. You saw the disfigured. Maybe that was what led him to leave his studies in Kentucky and head to Pasadena to study acting, as did other of his day that were WWII and Korean War vets.

Harry was 7 years older than my late mom and dad. He took a chance. A big chance. While my parents successfully pursued the American Dream, guys like Harry were still doing character parts.

When El Fisho Jr. was much younger, in elementary school, like his dad he developed an interest in U.S. military history. We watched Kelley's Heroes many many many many times, an extremely safe movie nowadays and hardly violent at all. Heavy on dialog. It captivated me as a child when it was on T.V. 

I made a point to indicate who Harry Dean was and tell him of some of my fascination with his acting and his music. Over the years, he's seen several movies and shows with Harry Dean, but he's not the fan I am. My wife is a big fan, but again, apart from a few good friends spread throughout The Great State of Texas and a few other places, there are few I've met that share my fascination with Harry Dean.

It is said Harry's passing was peaceful. I've been in that same hospital that he passed in many times for various medical testing.

I'll always remember seeing him play music. As great as his acting abilities, he always touched a subtle nerve in the music he played. Go to YouTube and do a search on his name. I've provided a few links about, and Love Potion #9 remains a big favorite. I'll get it going on the phone bluetoothing to the car stereo driving down the road and hitting repeat a few times. I really need to find out who that trumpet player was as I'd like to hear some more of his stuff.

I'll write some more soon about Harry Dean. He made the world a better place. He made me laugh and feel different feelings and his music levitated me to a joy that certain bands do. He has charisma in his musical delivery.

I'll close with one of my favorite clips from the movie Repo Man,
where Harry Dean is schooling his protege Emilio Estavez on the CODE OF THE REPO MAN It's so hard to believe this clip was from a movie that released 33 years ago. Man, it just seems like yesterday we rented that on VHS and cracked up. It was one of those outstanding movies of that time, along with Paris, Texas and Taxi Driver and so many great masterpieces.

Here's THE CODE from the CODE OF THE REPO MAN:

An ordinary person spends his life avoiding tense situations. A repo man spends his life getting into tense situations.

Bud: [doing speed with Otto] Never broke into a car, never hotwired a car. Never broke into a truck. 'I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof, nor through inaction let the personal contents thereof come to harm' It's what I call the Repo Code, kid!
 Don't forget it--etch it in your brain. Not many people got a code to live by anymore.

To some, Repo Man might not be on the level of more dramatic movies. There is all kinds of stuff going on in Repo man, with Emilio stuck in a highly dysfunctional family and  as a former punk rocker, just looking for his place in life.

I hope your spirit is happy and free, Harry Dean.

A REAL COLT DREAM THAT REALLY IS COMING TRUE!

YES MY FRIENDS, like the election of President-elect Donald J. Trump just two short months ago, EVERYTHING is coming up roses! 

As an aside, thank goodness for Kellyanne Conway. I'm glad she's staying on. Her statements over the past few days over the Meryl lecture and the pre-speech attempt to incriminate President-Elect Trump over what has of this writing shown to be a mess of baseless allegations and things that didn't happen, paid for by first the Republicans then then Democrats.

As for Kellyanne, I hope they find great schools for their kids but I also really hope her genius Supreme Court practice attorney of some renown is appointed Solicitor General. Heck, I've read his resume online, he's way qualified in Supreme Court Practice, if I read correctly, for almost 20 years now, and the perfect age, to be a Supreme. Why not? The man is highly qualified.

Most lawyers never get to practice before the Supreme Court. My late Father argued a landmark case before the Court over 40 years ago, and was awestruck by the experience, even being a big city lawyer used to jury trial and appellate arguments.

Mr. Conway, again this is from memory, has been practicing repeatedly before the Supremes since the late 90's, and likely in many other courts as well. But I get the idea SCOTUS is his specialty.

Also, I don't know what Kellyanne's role with the new POTUS will entail, but I sure hate to see her not be the public face in media representing him. At least in times of crisis, I'd prefer to see her repping Trump in tough situations and issues, with all due respect to his recently appointed, one resigned and appointed  PR crew and spokespersons.

But Hillary's defeat is not the only dream that's come true. I, and others I know,  recently had another dream come true...Colt is back in the Double Action revolver business. 

So to shift gears entirely, let's talk about a new Colt revolver. DA. Double Action.

Although for others in the gun industry who read about new products this is not likely real breaking news, but from the linked article about the NEW COLT COBRA PISTOL you can read that it's a fairly recent development. 

I sent Zach at the blog on the right side of your screen that link and he was impressed like me. Also like me, I think he harbors hopes of development of other DA revolvers if this introduction is successful.

Yahoo. We need Colt back in the double action revolver business. 

And Colt, if some web surfing employee or bot is on the web and comes across this, I've got a great business plan suggestion for you.
It's really simple and something you already do.

In addition to getting the Cobra out for sale  for sale in the VErY near future, and to you need to INCREASE production of ALL of your single action revolvers. Immediately if not sooner. 

AND  as I write this, my shooting heart goes pitter patter like so many other satisfied Colt revolver shooters with the that Colt is HOPEFULLY developing some other great DA revolvers (HINT to COLT: BUILD SOME MORE PYTHON, DIAMONDBACK, LAWMAN and perhaps a .357 Detective Special!) That's all speculation and wishing on my part folks. Not anything I've heard. Just what I'd like to see.

As I said above, let's get those production facilities going 24/7 on the Single Action Colt revolvers. Both the Peacemaker and the New Frontier. 

Since your business issues, I've seen lots of very nice new Colt 1911's from entry level to Gold Cup at my local dealers. There has been a paucity, however, of .38 Super Guns other than the full size all steel Government model. Which, by the way, is a fantastic gun.

But getting back to increasing production for the single actions. Lots of folks I know spend, every few months, some bucks on a long distance or a black rifle in the SA Colt price range, or on high end 1911's from many brands that cost far more than the SA Colt revolvers. Lots of these guys, like me, would buy one on the spot, but I'm just not getting the chance.

Colt, you will sell every one you can make, as you already undoubtedly do since I have not seen a new Peacemaker for sale in at least 7 years in a gun store, let alone ever seeing a New Frontier for sale ever. Or for that matter, I've never seen a New Frontier other than on media and in print.  

Frankly, it's rare to see any Colt revolver be it single or double action, new or used on sale at any gun shop, but the single action Colts are a hard to find bunch for any kind of semi-reasonable prices (within the realm of what is actually reasonable for a Colt nowadays, not some skewed idea of what the price should be).

So yeah, it'd be great if I could snag a nice Peacemaker in ..44 Special or 45 Colt or even .357 or even something with harder to find and more expensive ammo like the .44-40 at MSRP or even a little less or a little more. But I'd prefer the first two over the latter.

Mostly, I'd just like to see A SINGLE new Colt Single Action.

In my gun shop travels, in terms of interesting guns that are not the same fare most gun shops have, I occasionally see Interterms era Walthers and Lugers, Browning Hi-Powers, various 1960's-1980's S&W revolvers, a stray H&K P7 or (rarely) a P9S. Even Mauser pistols! But rarely Colt revolvers.

I can almost count the number of Colt double action revolvers on two hands that I've seen in the last decade for sale. Of course, I bought several of them. But here's a list, with the most recent (and highly overpriced) siting listed last, to-wit:

All guns in excellent condition and Blued except where noted.

1. Anaconda 4" Nickel or Stainless?
2. Python 8"
3. Python 8" with extra 3" (California Special) Barrel, NIB
4. Three  Detective Specials, 3rd Generation, near 100%
5. Python 6"
6. Colt Cobra, 2nd Generation, near 100%
7. Colt Python, 2.5" barrel
8. Colt Python, 2.5" barrel, 85% finish
9. Colt .357 Magnum, 4" pre-model name, 85%
10. Colt Lawman, nickel, 2.5" barrel

So out of the hundreds of Lugers, HK's and other unusual guns I occasionally see in stores, I see about 1 Colt double action revolver a year.

Yes, I know there are stores, like a shop I'll not name in Houston that carries a lot of high end and hard to find firearms, where at some times there are a lot of recent single action Colts for sale. Some extremely fancy and highly expensive. But you will pay a premium price for a used gun there, and again, although I like to troll their website, I have not seen any new single action Colts for sale there in some years, although it's possible I've missed them as I don't troll it often.

And yes, I know Gunbroker and similar sites have Colts for sale, but I like to feel the gun if possible. My friend Zach found me a fantastic .223/20 gauge Savage Model 24 at a store near his house that had a nice webpage, and I bought it sight unseen and it's just a fabulous gun in excellent condition at a cheap price for that gun. Even came with a very nice scope that's dead on accurate. But before I spend larger dollars on a gun, I'd like to feel the action. It's all about the action in a revolver.

How about it, Colt?

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

YES, it's been awhile. I see they've reconfigured the dashboard for this blog, and we'll
see how much of a challenge that is.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all!

A HANDGUN THIS OUTDOORSMAN IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT! THE PEDERSOLI "ITHICA" DOUBLE BARREL .45 COLT - .410

This year at the Shot Show, a company I like, Pedersoli, who make lots of western type firearms and reproductions and some cool guns like a .20 gauge black powder double barreled sawed off shotgun (legal without federal license because it's black powder muzzle loader).

I don't own any of their guns, but I've shot a few over the years and have no objection to owning one. So it was with much delight when I read they were introducing a Double Barrel pistol chambered in .45 Colt that will later this year be chambered also for the .410 shotshell.

See the TFB review here with a picture of it. Obviously, a .45 Colt that chambers .410 is nothing new. Going back over 35+ years to the Thompson Contenders likewise chambered, single shot guns, well that's what my dad and I carried at our country places as snake guns.

At the time, we both often remarked, as did many of our friends who thought the TC's in 45/410 were a great idea, how we wished it was a double barreled gun with a follow up shot capability.

Then came along, apart from some very large and heavy .410 revolvers the name of which escapes me, the Taurus Judge and the S&W Governor. For the life of me, I can't understand why the same shell in the far lighter and smaller Governor has less felt recoil to me than the several times heavier TC. Oh well, I sure do like the Governor. It's a great handgun for a fisherman as snakes tend to hang out in fishy areas. Having a few backup shots in .45 long Colt for any hogs behind some snake shot is not a bad feature of the Judge or the Governor.

Nonetheless, I like these guns. I don't care at all at first glance for the grip style and angle. I'd rather have some sort of TV like grip
I could put a Pachmayr signature grip on, or perhaps even a grip that resembles that of a sawed off Remington 870/1000 wood grip.

I have found that shooting near 90 degree handgun grips in small shotguns (AOL's or SBS's) is not so comfortable. Even shooting magnum shells in a 18" barrel pistol grip gun I don't find so comfortable. I always preferred sawing off a wood grip off a full sized shotgun shot for that angle that it possesses.

As an aside, while I'm talking about guns I like, a few years ago at a gun show I encountered a legal sawed off Remington 1100, with the wood stock sawed off and an extended magazine. I think he wanted $350 for it. I'd like to build my own such Remington.

But I'm looking forward to this double barreled .45/.410.

REMEMBERING ORVILLE STRICKLAND, HOUSTON DRUMMER

I've been extremely remiss in not remembering my dear friend and noted Houston drummer, the late Orville Strickland. He passed from brain cancer in Houston twenty years ago last January or so. It was early in the year and I'll google later and correct the date if I can find it.

One of Orville's relatives posted some very nice comments HERE on a post about legendary drummer Roy Brooks where I referenced Orville. Since receiving those comments recently, I began remembering some of my times with Orville, and thought I would share them for his family and many friends who might sometime stumble upon this.

I want to do some fact checking and find out some particulars about who he played with over the years. I know he did an album with a band called "The Cheaters" or "Cheaters" and have seen a copy of it years ago.

I'll post more later when I get everything I'd like to say about Orville. I'd love to have some photos of him.

HEY RUGER, WHERE IS THAT 7.62 X 54R PRECISION RIFLE WITH A 26" BARREL?

I was really hoping to see Ruger step up to the plate and make a gun in this caliber. I've read where others have requested Ruger build a gun in this caliber for various popular bolt actions like the American series.

The 7.62 x 54r is a great round, and of course it's a very cheap round. It's also an accurate long range round, one befitting the 26" or 28" barrel one would find on a post-Mosin-Nagant Russian sniper rifle in that caliber. I like the PSL rifles, and kick myself for not buying one for about 8 bills a few years ago.

Still, I really don't need a semi-auto in that caliber, I'd like a nice bolt action. And I think the Ruger Precision is a mighty nice candidate for a gun in this caliber with a long barrel.

I really like the Mosins I have, a long one and a M44 carbine. They are what they are. I like the M44 with iron sights for close range hog hunting. 

But I'd really love a MODERN rifle in this caliber and although Savage, Mossberg, Browning, Remington or any other large rifle makers take notice of this, there is a huge market out there for a reasonably priced bolt action in this caliber.

Heck, I'd like to see a Browning BAR in this caliber as well. Or an FN rifle either semi or bolt.

But Ruger would be my first choice. Make it rugged. Make it strong. My Ruger guns have lasted and lasted and lasted.  A nice Ruger Precision with a long barrel in this caliber would be a great thing to see under the tree this Christmas!

Happy New Year!... and how about that Rick Perry?

Yes I'm a Texan and a big Rick Perry fan.  My dear friend and often written about fellow on this blog named Billy Ray is not. 

Rick just got exonerated and you can find the story elsewhere via google news. I'm very happy for former Governor Perry. He's not my bro or anything, but I got to work in his campaigns for many years and got to spend a bit of time talking to him. He always remembered my name, and that of my wife. 

The night I got to spend about 4 hours sitting next to him at a dinner, about a decade ago, he was introduced and took my name tag off for a photo. We talked about his drumming with ZZ Top and Delbert McClinton at President Bush's then recent inauguration. A friend of mine who was there and who is also a good drummer said Governor Rick did a great job on the skins that night, doing several numbers with each band.

After talking for several hours, mostly about drums and drummers, he gave a speech and in the course of the evening probably greeted a thousand people as it was a large affair. At the end of the night, he remembered my name, and I had no name tag on and my date that night, a friend whose husband was ill, had not mentioned my name.

I was highly impressed he would recall my name with all the people he saw that night, after about 4 hours of hearing it once.

I saw him several years later during a legislative session at the Capital. Again, he greeted me by name. That's a great memory, and pundits attack his memory. 

I feel fairly sure, although I am a relative nobody politically speaking and I'm not a big contributor to anyone, that Governor Perry would recall my name were he to run into me at the Apple store or a gas station.

Most of my friends, other than Billy Ray, are very happy for the Governor. Rick, we feel your vindication!

Merry Christmas from El Fisho!

I just want to wish a very Merry Christmas to those who visit this blog on occasion and to those great friends like Zach and Ed that I've made writing this blog. I actually have some time on my hands this merry night, and have a few new stories to tell.

Happy Holidays, Kwanzaa and all other varieties of Christian and Interfaith celebration!

AH, IT'S FINALLY COOL ENOUGH TO RESUME POSTING HER IN TEXAS, TEMPERATURE WISE.

I took the summer off the blog, quite unintentionally. I meant to sit down and do some writing many times, but never even got as far as pulling up the page.

I took the title from a 1983/4-ish answering machine message my former roommate and friend Roberto and his then wife had on their machine when they were living in San Diego in a nice condo with NO AIR CONDITIONING during a record heat wave.  Of course, being from Houston, he ran out and obtained the largest window unit he could find, and in violation of deed restrictions and  such, installed it in the bedroom window.

"Hi. We're hiding in the shadows in the bedroom during the day during this heat wave. We'll be happy to return your call when the sun goes down and it's safe but yet still unconfortably hot to go into the living room where the phone is. So please leave a message."

It wasn't the record hot/draught summer we had a few years ago that was so totally unbearable with over 100 consecutive days of 100 degree + temps and no rain (if I recall correctly, something like that), but there were many day this summer that it was mis-er-a-ble outside.

Frankly, we've just been busy. Nothing horrid this summer, although for sure it was a horrid year for a death in the family, the loss of my dear mother, and that's cast a shadow over lots that's been going on. We are grandparents now, and that of course requires a certain amount of effort. We still have one at home, El Fisho Jr., who is an extremely talented and active kid with no behavior or teenage issues at all. None. No drama at all.

One of my dear friends became a famous Judge last year of a very important court, and I'm so proud of him. Good fortune has shined on us as a family this year, despite some minor (in the scheme of things) medical stuff that as per usual with us and a highly athletic kid. We had WAY LESS medical stuff this year than in the previous two years, so again we've been blessed.

So I've got another post to write at least tonight, but wanted to say Hey. HEY!

TWO ADVENTURERS LIVING DECADES APART BUT LEADING EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

I put two adventurers but really there were three main characters in the two stories, plus lots of
other adventures with the story of the Amazon Jungle explorers some 55 years ago.

You can read here about the extraordinary but deadly adventure that Richard Mason took with a fellow named Kit Lambert who later managed the wonderful rock band The Who, apparently in their early rise to fame as Mr. Lambert died at a young age.

The Mason adventure took place decades ago, long before the next adventurer I'll talk about was born. Yet, although one was venturing through unknown jungle territory, the other ventures alone through open oceans and seas and does so not as a trust fund kid but as a regular person really living a dream.

I like reading some of the stories in the Daily Mail, although I'd complain they've gone a bit more sensational over the past several years, which to many Daily Mail readers is apparently no new thing. Even the subscription newspapers, the few left of some repute yet almost with an entirely liberal bent, do cover more of the hard news, but I like to read a variety of news sources in order to get a balanced idea of what's going on in the world.

I like a good human interest story. There is so much war and death and destruction and absolute inhumanity of all kinds that is violating millions around the world that it's nice to hear the story of someone who escaped the 9 to 5 and has actually discovered a fantastic way of life.

 A young 34 year old woman named Liz Clark has been sailing solo on a Catalina 40 for much of the last 10 years, surfing in lots of exotic locales and just generally leading an enviable life for those of us who have enjoyed sailing and like beaches and fishing and the feeling of floating with the wind on a gorgeous day on the ocean or water.

Ms. Clark has some advantages. The story goes that after graduating from college and bar waitress working she meets a retired professor who gives her a Catalina 40 with the promise she'll document her travels, and he gifts this to her because he never got to live his dream of doing that and wanted someone to that shared that dream to actually do it in that boat.

What a great man. Apparently she's been at it off and on, doing about 25,000 miles since 2005. She takes time off, and apparently on one trip home to California a few years ago she broke her neck surfing, after already sailing thousands of miles around the world solo with no similar injuries. And apparently she got right back on that horse, so to speak, and has been back world traveling via her boat and surfing like nobody's business all over the globe.

So I don't say, what a strong woman, no, I say what a strong person. Man or woman, I don't care who you are, that's an impressive accomplishment SOLO for that many years. Dangerous. Scary. Mother Nature can be very nasty, and trust me on this, a 40 sailboat is but a mere speck on the water thousands of miles from land in any direction. Ballsy, at the very least.

Feel free to google her. There's several articles from other mags and on the Patagonia website, one of her sponsors. She has all the facebook and instagram and other pages but I didn't look at them. She does have a great blog I want to look at some time.

And the kind of guy I am, and how I earned the moniker I use here on this blog, namely El Fishing Musician a/k/a El Fishing Musicano, being an inveterate fisherman.

One of the pics in the article linked above shows her with a huge fish she caught. 

I see she's all into surfing and more power to her but I'm into fishing as much as she is into surfing and I could just imagine the fun of fishing for all kinds of fish, both saltwater with the added bonus of some jungle freshwater fish at some of the places visited.

Me and Wife and the family, not perhaps crusing the ocean blue as Ms. Clark does, would love as a bucket list item to do some of the more protected area cruising in island chains or along certain coastlines. 

Can you imagine spending a few months in wonderful waters with all kinds of other worldly scenery and pristine beaches, particularly in some of the parts of Asia with scenery from James Bond or other movies or in the Fiji chain or around Tahiti or even the legendary fishing in the Christmas Islands? 

Yes, yes I can that. An emphatic yes. And the wife is such a beach fanatic and would love living on a decent sized boat ( as long as she is in charge of all below deck matters, decorations, fixtures, ovens, fridge, arrangements, etc. 

You've got to give it to someone like Clark. She's young enough, were she inclined to start a family in a few years, she and her family could come back and find employment and live that workaday life we all do.

But you'd almost hope they'd live as they are doing. Maybe having some ports of call during infancy, but nothing says the trip around the world has to be a race around the world. Without checking Wiki or the web, I'm sure there are lots of women or at least some who have sailed solo around the world in a certain record amount of days. Perhaps it's record frequently broken. I don't follow such things.

But I like Ms. Clark's approach. General Destination and see what happens. I'm pretty sure had I been lucky enough to be her that I might have found a place I might have wanted to hang for awhile by now. Maybe even if it were more of a home base from which to continue her worldly trek. But man, some of the places she's been and shown look so ideal to live such a wonderful life on.

I once had a friend like Ms. Clark named Kathy. She passed on some 17 years ago, from breast cancer. I know she had fought it once before I met her. Kathy was about the age of Ms. Clark now.

Kathy too had acquired a Catalina sailboat, hers a 27 footer, identical to the one I spent my youth learning to sail in. 

Kathy's  dream was to do the same the Ms. Carter is doing now, but Kathy was using the 27 footer that she had bought cheaply as a trainer in the Gulf of Mexico before she invested in a larger boat. Her plans were for a 50 foot boat as I recall and she was doing shopping around for one when I was spending time with her.

I met her in my twenties and she had already been in a fight with breast cancer of some sort. She really didn't want to talk about it much, and was fortunate to have an extremely high paying job where she was stashing away incredible amounts of money in her plan for world travel and buying a much larger boat.

Unfortunately, she never got to make that trip. The monster returned and claimed her life. So I know Kathy would be envious that Ms. Carter is living that dream, which is obviously a dream that more than one person shares.

Anyway, Ms. Carter does some pretty hardcore maintenance work on her craft and obviously has been doing well in the McGyver department when need be. You can imagine the perils of open sea travel and breakage or equipment issues occur. Not only must you find a way to remedy the issues, but sometimes you may be doing repairs in rough seas whilst trying to pilot the boat in a safe fashion.

I suspect there are plenty of long days and sleepless nights during bad weather and such, but I bet they are damn worth it when those good days on the water come together.