Meat was not too happy with me last week. He was even less happy with the newspaper on Saturday.
He didn't hesitate to let me know about it, either.
"You've written about the Russell Fork at the beginning of every October for more years than I can remember. It's the only thing you write I actually look forward to reading."
"Gee, thanks," I said.
Tater interjected, "He doesn't mean that."
But Meat had a point. I couldn't come up with a single word about a subject I've written thousands of words about. Not for my column, not for the ANE's annual whitewater tab.
"What's the use Meat, I've talked about whitewater and adventure tourism until my face turned blue. If city hall isn't on board, nothing is going to happen."
"So you've just given up." Meat glared at me. Before I could get a word out he went into a NC-17 rated diatribe about those Pikeville people sticking their nose in our business.
Tater tried to interject again, "He doesn't mean...".
"O yes I do, don't be telling me what I mean and don't mean."
"But Meat, honey, you said yourself everything that editorial said was right on."
"Yeah, but I don't have to like it."
This year's first weekend of release season brought one of the lightest turnouts in memory. The Pool Hole river access, generally packed with campers during release weekends was barely half full.
This is not the general trend in whitewater tourism. Well promoted attractions have seen increased traffic over the last few years. Unfortunately, we haven't been well promoted since about 2011.
Of course, traffic in town seemed extra light because we've gotten used to the Cloudsplitter crowds from the last 3 years. We let an international United States Track and Field event slip out of our fingers because no one in city hall was willing to fight for it.
That's a lot of lost money for the few businesses in town who are trying to make it. It's especially frustrating, because the Gold Ring Diner and Time Out Pizza have been offering live music on weekends. Add Artists Collaborative Theatre to the mix and you've got several great options for the visitors in town with money to spend.
But the town has to want the visitors.
After years of representing outdoor tourism for Elkhorn, I know there's a market and an enthusiastic audience for what we have to sell. I still get the phone calls, I still get the e-mails, I still am approached by people in the outdoor industries.
They want to know what we're doing. These days the answer is nothing. There's a point where answering the question "why?" hurts.
Outdoor professionals and enthusiasts never hesitate to tell me what we should be doing...even though I'm not an official anything. Those are don't want to hear it.
I'm having a t-shirt made that says, "Why yes, I DO know what we oughta do."
I hope the citizens of my hometown will figure that out too.