Freestyle

Aspen is the setting for my top-secret comedy series. I have always considered Flying Dog Ale a character in the story. Known for their irreverent labels and legendary ties to Aspen, the locals embraced their hometown brew, just as my characters had.
www.flyingdogales.com

Nearby Woody Creek, a fringe mountain town famous for the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and communal consciousness, is also home to the founder of Flying Dog Ale and Stranahan Whiskey, George Stranahan.

www.georgestranahan.com

Funny how the universe works. On my September visit to Aspen, I was reluctant to set an appointment with Mr. Stranahan. knowing that my business plan was still a rough draft, and the scripts had not been polished.
Instead I was enjoying the fall colors, stretching by the fire looking up at Snowmass Mountain and having my morning coffee, I flipped through the Denver Post and found a 2-page article on George.

Feverishly I read the article, discovering www.flyingdogarts.com featuring a collection of Photographs by George Stranahan, art by Ralph Steadman, Earl Biss pen & ink sketches, Russell Chatham among others.

Convinced it was a sign from the universe, the dog jumps in the back of the Subaru and we take the scenic ride to Woody Creek.

Not knowing what in the hell I was going to say to George when I met him but I was on my way just the same. After all, the website says come on up any time, open to the public. If nothing else I could take in some fine art, with the hopes of introducing myself to Mr. Stranahan.

A few miles up the dirt road overlooking the glittering golden Roaring Fork valley, I pull into a humble ranch and knock on the barn door. “Hello?”
A young man in the loft calls out “Come on in… are you here to see George?”
“Well, yes I am.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
I choke “Well, no, uh, uh I don’t”
“Well, he’ll either be back in ten minutes or 4 hours, I’m not sure, but you are welcome to hang out - - there’s a lot more of his photos in the art files over there”.

As I flipped through the images, I looked into the soul of the man who captured the Nepalese people, the sixties generation and the beauty of nature, I felt an intelligent man, a compassionate man and a creative man who was inspired by the authenticity of life.

Could this be a fellow rebel of Hunters’, the Physicist with a Gonzo spirit?

I doubt it. He seemed so gentle from his photographs. Gentle but raw, real, textured, capturing life. I was lost in the intense spaces, places and faces seen through George’s lens.

George walks into the studio and I freeze with fear, my inner voice shouts, “What am I doing here? RUN!”

The minute he extended his hand, the fear melts in his grip. Like every respectable mountain man, he was wearing jeans, boots and a tucked flannel shirt on this fine fall day. His gray hair tousled, his face weathered from the intense mountain sun.

We talked for hours, we shared information, ideas, opinions and thoughts about Aspen, media, comedy, society, war, ecology, business, WEB 2.0, beer, marketing, entertainment, science. It was a FIVE STAR enjoyable afternoon.

Lesson learned:
Sometimes you just have to be a FLYING DOG,
LEAP without the net
worry about it later.

Buy the ticket take the Ride

Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
http://owlfarmblog.com/
http://www.flyingdogales.com/gonzo-hunter.asp

September 2007

Bells

by George Stranahan

Comments Widget