Fishing instead of mowing the lawn

My lawn needed mowing, still does. The weather lady on channel 12 gave me a day of sunshine, so perfect and fine! But hey, there's always some chore to take your time if you let it. And if I left that grass a growin' one more day and went fishin' instead, inner harmony would grow by leaps and bounds to the Nth degree.

I think the vitamin D of sunshine is absorbed so much better on a river than pushing a mower. Allergies... mowing stuffs up my head. Noses run in my family.

So I met friend Dave for a morning of canoeing, fly fishing, absorbing vitamin D and exchanging bull. Fly fishing I just took up again after forty years and this was my first canoeing in forty years, too. Canoeing 101 it was. Managed to dump us only once! Unstable guy in many ways, it was a balancing act that was fortunately tuned on a shallow river.

A beautiful river, it was shined on by a beautiful day. Bass were the targets and we got a few. Couple nice size, too! We'd drift and stop, wade and cast, dressed as fisherman do in chest waders, fishing vests and always wearing the smile a good day of friends and fishing brings.

Wore me out I must say! Lawn mowing would have done the same. But at days end, with canoe and stuff loaded up to go home, we sat at river's edge and had a cold one, reflecting on what a darn fine day it had been.

You know, it's getting into summer and lawns need to be a bit longer anyway, to keep from burning up. And a good day of fishing can keep a guy from burning out. A win-win situation!

Old Farts Dating

Not an easy thing, trying to date at the age of 53. Especially when you've been out of the game for 20+ years. You'd think there'd be 53 year old women out there waiting for 53 year old stud-muffins like me. Maybe not a stud-muffin, more like a three day old donut that's been sittin' on the counter, crusty but available and looking for a bite.

Looking for a bite, tried trolling for a while. Now just still fishin', enjoying some quiet time, but still hoping for a nibble.

It's the 'Uncle Orville' syndrome. Unc never married and when we asked him why he'd just say "I only get married on weekends!" Orville's 'getting married' to him just meant the honeymoon. He did get to honeymoon quite a bit. Dashing South Dakota farmer that he was, he had no problem finding a weekend match.

Maybe I need some bib overalls with a sign that reads 'One night stand'. Would I like more than one night? Yes, if that unlikely match exists. For my remaining 50 years, provided I live till 103, I'd certainly need a gal with an enormous sense of humor, one that lends itself to her choice of music. If we could cook together while Prairie Home Companion plays from the under-the-counter kitchen radio, that would work good, too.

She might be out there, kinda like that star in the sky I never noticed before.

I'm ready for Iron Ore Betty!

Dad is happy for son Jim and Prom date Laura

Pretty neat. Grand march is an hour away and the kids we've been watching all their lives will be all spiffy and beaming. Dance is in the gym and they have an all night party after wards with oodles of good prizes. Jim expects to be back about 5am and has asked to be woken at 9am. Can't miss our Sunday morning bowling!

Pretty good kids!

Fishin', Mother's Day and Prom.

All the same weekend this year, Fishin' Opener, Mother's Day and Prom. Still waitin' for my prom date.

A perfect date would be the gal who longs for a lake with a walleye chop and at day's end would slow dance in the cabin. And how about that porch time? God sure makes crickets sing pretty out there at night. A 50 degree night is just the right crisp. Turns up the wattage on the stars. Even the skeeters are just laying back. Most anyway.

A perfect date. I'd cook breakfast for her! Eggs over-easy so you can break the yoke with your toast and smother the edges. Out on the dock, the morning fog still has the lake tucked in, not even the slightest ripple on the surface. Coffee in the thermos and sandwiches. That'll be good about the middle of morning.

It's a still fishin', bobber watching day. Just on the edge of the reeds. Somethings awake neath there and seems hungry... gotcha!

We release this one. Already had a keeper in the boat. Everybody should have a keeper.

Good luck fishin'!

My Priners

Can't put a price on a Priner. Kinda like a Sears Craftsman tool; guaranteed for life. If you're a John Prine fan, singing it in the car, hummin' along in the kitchen, sharin' that Priner attitude with valued friends who get along better than this is hard to imagine being legal. Break the darn law.

Priner attitude?

Everything,
Is a mole hill,
Nothing more.

But we have,
A mountain,
Of good friends.

The harvest of smiles,
Is bountiful.

Beer Booty

This came from one of them cabin tales last week.

Beer Booty

The story goes,
From long ago,
My eighth grade buds,
And me,
Stole some beer,
From the neighbor’s shed,
Went camping,
Just us three.

The booty was,
Four cases Schmidt,
The cans were steel,
Back then.
What wasn’t drank,
Around the fire,
We hid,
To drink again.

Most went,
In the river,
A six pack,
There and here,
And in the spring,
Of a secret cave,
We’d always have,
Cold beer!

Tucked away,
On a summer day,
After chores,
So hot and stinkin’,
We always had,
A cold one,
Down by the stream,
For drinkin’.

Reach down and find,
A six pack,
Roll one ‘cross your brow,
Wonder what the poor are doin’,
We’re pretty rich right now.

Now it’s quite,
A few years later,
But some Schmidt,
Still ain’t been found.
And somewhere,
There’s a six pack,
That needs to be drank down.
In the river,
It will sparkle,
When the sunshine,
Hits it so,
Reach down and grab,
A cold one,
Life is good,
Ya know!

Rumbling Mad!

Rumbling mad I say!!!

Music Choice, the provider of music channels for Charter Cable, has removed from it's lineup both Bluegrass and Americana! Hey you duufs! This is real music, not some churned out crap done with the same old studio musicians by the same old producers with the same old sound! This is art and expression, heartfelt, heartland, home-spun, feel good stuff!

Well Charter Cable, I can remove you from MY lineup, too! Ever hear of streaming (rhymes with steaming like me right now)? Maybe that's why Charter Cable is filing Chapter 11! Serves you right soaking the customer for tons of worthless channels that you say adds value!

Charter Cable, I always thought this was your theme song (to the tune 'My name is McNamara, I'm the leader of the band...):

I am the cable company,
The only one in town,
I got you by the gonads,
Coz there's no one else around!
It doesn't matter,
What you want,
There's nothing you can do,
Coz I am Charter Cable,
And it sure sucks being you!

**Not so fast Charter Cable. No matter what the decision, we always have at least two choices!