Mike’s Real Estate Show

Ready to go get your Xmas Tree? How about cutting your own, taking the whole family out into our gorgeous countryside and make it a day? Find below a terrific link which will take you to Self Cut Xmas Tree locations in Marin and Sonoma Counties! Have fun!
And remember Kelly’s rule about picking a Xmas Tree–Guys, it doesn’t matter if it is the most gorgeous Xmas tree ever grown, if it’s the first one
you see at the farm–don’t fight it–move on as you know she thinks there is one even BETTTER out there in Xmas Tree Land!!

http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/CAxmasmarin.php

Hello fellow Fly Fishermen/women!
  My fly fishing started with my brother Shannon. A flyer (excuse the pun) was delivered to him annoucing the liquidation of an estate containing the fly equipment of the late, great actor, William Conrad (TV series star of “Cannon” plus the voice of the radio, Mashal Dillon!) who was often seen on the old, “American Sportsman” series on ABC throwing a line at bored trout in these great western US states. Turns out the Estate was selling a “Walton Powell” rod, believed to be a 4 or 5 wt (I later found out old Walton believed a day on the stream without a 5 wt was a wasted day!) which was selling for the then amazing price of $125.00. The rod doesn’t say “Powell” but is inscribed “Walton Powel” with no wt number. My brother, who had been tying flies for 5 years before ever picking up a rod, told me it was a steal. I said sure, why not and bought it.
  It sat forlorn in a corner of my office for a year. My brother called and asked if I had ever used the rod? I told him I didn’t even kow what to do with it! Tie a line on the end and put some cork on the end with a hook? “Give me your American Express card number!”. 2 weeks later and some $750.00+, I get all these packages with odd looking tools, powders,gels,bugs! Plus four types of line (countem’ -4!!) and this reel which resembled a winch. I had this “tippett” dispenser (whatever that stuff was) and it was supposed to have 5 lines installed on it. I called him up and started ranting that there were only three on the dispenser. He quietly said, “Put on your glasses.” I put on my “readers” and lo and behold two more appeared. I remarked, “what are you supposed to do with line you can’t even see with a pair of 50+ year old eyes!” I could hear a pause on the end of the line, “You tie that “noseeum” line to your leader which in turn gets tied onto your line which in turn get tied onto the backing which you wrap around the ‘winch’!”.
  Then he proceeded to tell me such a story about throwing the “line” without any weight on it with one of the “bugs” I got in a litle tin can. I told this all to a local bait/lure fishing buddy of mine. I also told him what my brother wears when he fishes–forest green stetson, orvis wading jacket, custom waders and boots, chest pack plus his own Sage custom built rod. My buddy looked at me and shook his head and muttered, “I bet he’s real purty in the water!”To the left my brother Shannon (near boat) and me coming off the upper “Rogue River” in Oregon!
  My brother and I have since fished many a trout stream together and caught some gorgeous steelies on the Rogue River in Oregon. We have an amazing guide named Steve Bonner who guides all through this southern Oregon area. We’re heading closer to home in December as the “Trinity” River beckson with steelies slurping up the eggs of the spawning Salmon. We fish 6 to 7 wt rods but with #5 tippitts. Up on the Rogue we used “ott”. Size 16 flys are used so you’re trying to turn the head of a 7 to 10 pound steel jawed fish which wants to head down stream at mach. Sounds like fun huh! Love to hear your stories also!

Unlucky Week 13…Well not really.  Happy Thanksgiving To All…
 
 
Lets get right into the picks
 
LAST WEEK:   10-    6     62.5%
SEASON         102- 74     58.0% Read the rest of this entry »

Six Sonoma County teams left,  Two of them No. 1 seeds who see their first action and Two other No. 7 seeds on the road at No. 2’s.

Before going forward a quickie look back at last week.. Read the rest of this entry »

Got A Thursday Game Right!!!!!!!!!!!!!…Niner-Cowboy Week…
 
1-0 for the first time after Thursday….Thank you to the NFL for giving out such an easy pick… Read the rest of this entry »

New conforming loan limits starting in 2009–PLUS Great rates still!! What a super time to buy a home in Sonoma County!                                       
   We now know what the new conforming loan limit will be for Sonoma county for 2009 . . . .its $520,950, up from $419,000.

FHA min. down goes from 3% to 3.5% in 2009. Latest news has CITI Group  selling “parts of itself” to survive as a company. Indexes the lowest I have seen in my 30 yrs in the business! FHA rates bumped back up again today.  I’m nervous on rates! Read the rest of this entry »

This is Part One Of A Two Parter as We Pick The Thursday Night Game

LAST WEEK:  9-  6  60.0% (and took the tie as a loss)
SEASON       92-67  57.9%

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
Cincinnati (1-8-1) at Pittsburgh (7-3)….0-2 picking the NFL Network Thursday Night Games.  But the Bengals have as many ties as they do wins.  No brainer right?
PICK:  PITTSBURGH

We begin the second season.  Nine teams from Sonoma County, counting Ukiah which we will do here since they play most of their games against Sonoma County Teams.  Here’s an overview of what’s in store for PLAYOFFS 2008. Read the rest of this entry »