Sometimes all of the time I feel like we live in a bubble here at Oyster Bamboo. Really…if you have taken a class, picked up your bamboo fly rod or even visited for more than a few minutes…this becomes evident.
sub·cul·ture
ˈsəbˌkəlCHər/
noun
noun: subculture; plural noun: subcultures; noun: sub-culture; plural noun: sub-cultures
a cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.
This chaos that took shape against all odds meticulously maintained and well thought out life
has enabled us to have our own language of sorts.
If there was such a thing as a bamboo fly rod maker’s cliche’, we would probably be it.
Our days are filled with bamboo fly rods (of course), all things fly fishing, strong coffee, cold beer, steaks, cigars, shotguns, wild stories (most of which are wildly exaggerated…hey, I said we are a cliche’!) and scotch on occasion.
However, I thought I would share some of our favs around the Oyster shop…
Oyster Bamboo’s 10 favorite things that have almost nothing to do with fish
1. Bacon from the Blue Ridge Grocery.
In addition to owning Harvest on Main, our very good friends started this remarkable grocery a few doors down from the shop with the lure of bacon, hand crafted OJ and meals that allow us to never have to go home and eat…why would we!?!?!
2. GAME OF THRONES
Winter is coming…
3. Our dogs…okay all dogs.
I regularly chase strangers and their dogs down Main Street. Sorry in advance.
4. CrossFit
After a way-too-long sabbatical from taking care of ourselves physically, we walked across the street into Crossfit 30513. It’s been a year and a half and we can honestly say that this has been one of the biggest game changers in our lives. 5-4-3-2-1
5. Garden and Gun Magazine
When Oyster Bamboo was asked to be in the premiere issue years ago (almost two years before the first issue went to print in 2007), we had no idea how phenomenal of a publication Garden and Gun was destined to become from day one. This magazine has set the new standard for print media.
6. Motorcycles (this one is Bill’s fav)…and only a dual sport…
(image disappeared…so did the moto)
Bill loves this thing. I hate it. I am so happy for him.
7. Apalachicola
Okay, so it’s a little fishy…
8. The Blue Ridge Brewery
Perfect…the ideal hang in town. The type of public house you only read about…
9. Shakira – you read that correctly…
In the showroom we play the usual suspects…Tom Waits, Avett Brothers and White Stripes (okay…not so usual for bamboo fly rod makers). However, I had the speakers in the workshop separately wired free from public scrutiny. So, on any given day…you can catch Bill and/or Riley dancing to Shakira and like music. What can I say…the boys love them some Shakira.
10. Our Imaginations
Our children remind us every day that we are only limited by our imaginations.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Oyster's original blog was on the oldie but goodie platform, Blogger, in 2009, before moving to WordPress. You may find a copy of this post on “The Bamboo Fly Rod Maker’s Widow” blog HERE. I have tried to preserve the integrity—or lack thereof—of each “Widow” post, especially to reflect the resources—or lack thereof—available at the time, as time and technology continue to freak me out evolve.