August 10

Left Raton and got to Vermejo Park Ranch around 8:30. The closer we got the more beautiful. Checked in and of course had breakfast. We were staying in Casa Minor right next to the Lodge so it was great, a big big room with a great view. Got our gear to go fishing and had Chuck Pompeo for a guide. He was 77 yrs old and has been working at Vermejo for 42 years. He had some great stories, some we heard more than once. We went to Bartlett Lake and started fishing. We saw some bear come up to the shore while we were out on the lake, they were fishing too. Caught some in the morning, had our picnic lunch, and went back out.  We ended up catching 8 each, it was close but we ended up in a tie, so we got our limit and called it a day around 5. Sam the guitar player from Trinidad, Co set up on the veranda and starting entertaining us. Chris got to sing Mama Tried and Silver Wings with him. It was great. We danced and had a great time.

Then we went in to eat, stuffed ourselves on sea bass and bison. Opened our last bottle of wine from the Alexander Valley in California. By the time we went to bed we had had it. But tomorrow we'll go back out and try our luck without Chuck and see how we do. Vermejo is, like my Dad said, the most beautiful place in the world.