On Patriotism

We celebrated our nation’s independence recently and it got me thinking about patriotism. Patriotism is a word that means different things to different people, so I want to make it clear this is just my interpretation. And since all good definitions are both inclusive and exclusive, I will begin with what I believe patriotism is not. Patriotism is not breast Continue Reading

Mom

I write this from the deck of a lovely Colorado mountain home. I am gazing at a rustic wooden foot bridge a few yards away. The bridge spans a gin-clear creek filled with native brown and the occasional rainbow and brook trout. The noisy little creek spills down the mountain Continue Reading

Dad

The following eulogy for my father was delivered at his funeral in May, 2003. What can I say about Dad that someone hasn’t screamed at the top of their lungs at some point? He certainly inspired passion. Mick Rupp was many things, but above all he was an original. There was nothing derivative Continue Reading

On Fly Fishing

Growing up in Western Kansas, virtually every family vacation was to the Rocky Mountains, especially Colorado. Shortly after returning from WW-II, my father discovered a remote little valley in the mountains near Gunnison. Through this valley ran a crystal-clear creek loaded with rainbow, brown and the occasional brook trout. It Continue Reading