To the Weekend Warriors.. Finally Back Home.

I finally put this long week behind me! By the end of it of course I am sitting here exasperated and begging for relief. After venting to Candace about my woes we both came to the conclusion we needed a weekend away in the hills. We just yearned for some fresh cool air, close friends and big fish to really help clear our minds. So without further hesitation we headed out Friday afternoon bound for Dahlonega, Georgia.

I am one of the fortunate ones to be raised in this small town in North, Georgia. It is an incredible outlet for music, writing, art and culture of all sorts. Most of my close friends still live there so I try to get back as often as I can. But of course that never seems often enough.

We arrived at the Chestatee Garden Tavern to find my best friend Matthew playing an all original acoustic guitar set, and as usual I had my guitar handy and tuned. We were able to entertain the great folks that came out until the wee hours of the morning. All the while we got to enjoy the crisp mountain air while consuming copious amounts of our favorite adult beverages with our close friends.

As I woke up Saturday morning, I’m still not sure at what point I quit dreaming and the day began but none the less, the next thing I knew, I’m standing in a cold river catching monster rainbow trout. We spent the day fishing and eating campfire cuisine. I love getting a chance to go back up North and enjoy spending time with great friends. The photo up above is the big fish I was able to land for the day. It gave me a tremendous fight with several of my favorite gut wrenching,”oh I’m going to lose it!” moments.

The photo below is of my good friend Andrew and his enormous rainbow.

Sunday we actually timed our drive through the state nicely so we were not caught up by traffic or speeding to tickets.

I encourage you to get out there on the weekends. See the country and enjoy the fruits of the area around you. The weekend warrior lives on, I will continue to float my kayak and I hope you do similar and or the same.

Cheers
BenG

Will post in a day or so with some Gulf Coast fishing reports and pictures.

Flowers for Valentines Day/ Waiting for Spring.

From our recent trip across the Western Carribean, the flowers were absolutely phenomenal. With beautiful colors in every direction we often found ourselves saying “we could find a way to move and live here.” But needles to say I am back in Florida, back to the grind of daily life fueled by caffeine.
The storms all across the US have brought out the best in some of my favorite followings.

I am adding a few more stills full of the flora and fauna of the South West. As always all of the pictures here and on the Wide Angle Life blog are personal originals, all taken by me. Thanks for enjoying.

BenG

Wide Angle Pine

I enjoy a unique perspective of the world we live in. Even a simple pine tree in the right eye can be an imaginative wonder.

Speckled trout in Appalachicola FL

Beyond the foreground

It’s the images like this that I flip through when a rainy day has me moving slowly. Look through the foreground to the dance of the waves beyond. It’s going to keep raining on over the next few days so I’m sure we will get in the kitchen and make something delicious as well as keep you entertained with stills from my wide angle life.

Leave Only the Lightest of Footprints, Take Nothing but Photographs.

The only evidence of my kayak launching on the forgotten coast. If you are not sure what i mean by the forgotten coast, I encourage you to research, and hopefully experience it. I enjoy this place as my ocean paradise where you are one of only few at any given time to be out here. Incredible fishing and great memories.

Its easy like Sunday morning

Its chilly outside here in North Florida this morning! As I am always told, “it never really gets cold in Florida” and I agree but it does get cool enough for you to remember what the more Northern cold feels like.

I have heard from friends that in my home town in North Georgia they are seeing some of the first snow flurries of the year and it hurts my heart to not be there, drinking coffees and sharing stories around the warm fireplace with them. But next weekend we will hopefully see a replay and Candace and I will get to enjoy it too!

With a very long week of work and one birthday behind me I am looking forward to the next couple months. Although I do expect someone will turn the chaos knob all the way up to eleven! We are in fact finally relocating into a much nicer house, with much needed extra square-footage! The new place will finally give my some space to spread out my various and continuous projects on my urban “farm.”

Squeezing projects and growing space and creative working room at our house currently, has been a challenge from the beginning. This has inclined me to become a self declared container garden extraordinaire, I enjoy not only the recyclable purposes of gardening in containers but the functionality and durability as well.

One of my favorites, and a great way to begin putting some green in your house is to grow green onions in a pitcher or glass of water. All you need to have is about 1/2 inch of water the bottom of a jar. After cutting the scallions you need to use with your dinner, throw the left-over “root ends” of your green onions and put them in a sunny window. Cut them as you need and change the water out every week or so.

This weekend also gave me an opportunity to get out on the water and do some fishing. I have a tremendous passion for catching Red Drum in the Gulf of Mexico and I invited my brother Scott to tag along with. While im at home getting our rods and reels prepared for the fish they are about to encounter, Scott is of course scheming on what he really wants to get in to this evening.

He shows back up at home freshly armed with what looks like the devil’s pitchfork but maybe a half size version. He asked if I have ever been flounder gigging. After both admitting we were getting into something brand new, the excitement was on!

We got to the water at about 4:30pm with a rising tide. In the boat we headed down the coast in search of some heavy fighting fish until it got good and dark. From spot to spot we bounced hitting dock sides and bank shores until we finally picked up a keeper trout in about a foot of water right in the grass on the bank. With no red fish to be spoken for and the sun fading in the distance we turned on the spot lights and headlamps and poled around an area right outside the Lanark Village boat club. We poled around the spots for a couple of hours before finally giving in as defeated beginners with a vow to return. I love being out on the ocean no matter the outcome of the trip. The serenity and vastness keeps me grounded as a human and I cant describe a better stress reliever than a good paddle into a beautiful sunset.

From the roots up; A little about me.

Never having a clear image or direction has truly become in its self a direction in which I live.

A being of freedom is what some see in me however, others share the opinion that i am misguided and losing ground on what my future could/may have been. I am not in the slightest way oblivious or naive to the fact that organization and planning are great keys to success I have just come to terms with, and enjoy a lifestyle that involves more trial and error as well as following your dreams and feelings. When asked my plans for my future I am the one who often replies ” I’m gonna make ends meet” or ” I’m just gonna keep on keep-in on” I don’t care to be anything I am not I just want to love the life I live.

I don’t fit into the cookie cutter mold. I beat to my own drum and will continue to write my story everyday as it unfolds.

In the real world I am a chef. I enjoy every facet of what I do. My creativity is challenged everyday and i continue to hone my people skills through frightening and always hilarious customer service issues.(many of which I will share)

I am an advocate of, and very passionate about farm to table fare and sustenance living. My near future plans include buying a farm where I will be able to produce and sell nutritious veggies and meats as well as educate and inspire local restaurants and schools to cook with these products instead of many of the alternatives used today.

I write often and will always. Enjoy following the journey. I hope to give you some ideas, recipes, laughs and photographs as you get a glimpse of my wide angle life.

One of my favorites and a southerners pride. The low country boil! This picture was taken at about 11:30pm after a very long day of kayak fishing with friends while camping at St. Andrews St. Park.

Shrimp and sausage goodness!!