Back in August of this year, we (meaning my wife, son, and of course me) decided to go on a weekend camping trip at a local lake and campground named Sugar Bottom. We paid our requisite fees and choose our site with care. At this particular site there are around 10 sites that are set aside just for tent campers. We checked out all of the locations (nobody else was there) and decided to set up shop at the closest site. It was actually a nice site with trees for shade, it was quiet, a fire pit was available, as well as a picnic table.
After the 20 or so trips from the car to the campsite, we were finally ready to set up the tent. It should have dawned on us, that as soon as we were taking the tent out of its wrapping, the itty bitty flying critters that love blood began to make their appearance, that it would be an interesting weekend. As we began to set up the poles, in between slaps to the neck,face,arms, and so forth, one of the poles bent at an inconvenient angle. The pole was designed to be a 45 degree angle, it was now a 60 degree angle. After a few choice descriptions of an anatomically impossible series of acts, we got the pole more or less straightened. When we got the poles situated, we set up the tent. It was at this point we encountered a gut wrenching sound, RIP, our hearts sank as we both saw the 13-15 cm tear in the bottom anchor pole slot.
Being an avid fisherman, I decided to repair the tent. Needless to say, it is not very easy to stitch a tent with a # 7 mustad hook and 7 lb. test mono filament line. It wasn't pretty but it was holding. With this minor miracle being completed, we finished organizing the campsite and decided to go do some fishing. I had my typical result from this little excursion. I caught a sunburn and about 3,000 bug bites, with a resultant itch that would but itch powder to shame. My wife on the other hand caught a nice catfish that weighed in at about 2-3 lbs. Even my son caught a few blue gills and a crayfish. I managed to drown a few worms. Oh well, at least I was out doors.
We returned to the camp site and I proceeded to start the fire. I quickly discovered that matches are a good thing to pack for camping, not to mention wood. As I then proceeded to stalk about the campground attempting to make the trees lose their bark with my barking of, in the immortal words of Mr. Spock, colorful metaphors. My wife during this tirade, had quickly and quietly got the car keys and made a trip to the store and returned with wood, matches, and self starting charcoal. She even had the foresight to return with a frosty drink for me. Let me tell you, Mountain Dew has solved many a crisis. Anyway, as I was guzzling my Dew, she had the fire lit. I then prepared the catfish for us, and hot dogs for my son, as well as some chili. As the food was cooking I had set out the chairs to enjoy the rest of the evening, more mosquito bombardiers not withstanding, and began the vigil. At last the food was ready, and we had our meal.
It was after we had retired for the night, after putting out the fire, that the real ordeal began. It was about 11:30 pm when we heard the first rumblings of trouble. It was a distant rolling sound accompanied by a bright flash, that caught our attention. I exited the tent and looked southwest and saw a fantastic light show forming. Problem was that it was headed in our direction. If you live in Iowa, you know how fast these things can develop. So about an hour later, we were laying in our tent listening to the thunderous cannons and constant rat-a-tat-tat of the rain that I made a discovery. My stitch job from that afternoon was coming apart at the seams. I watched in fascination as the gap became a crevasse and our tent became a swimming pool. At least we were on a slight slope and this allowed for easier bailing of the tent.
When we got up the next morning, we proceeded to make the best of the day. We got out of our sleeping bags, towled off, and exited the tent. I am glad the entire camping area was deserted, because i had forgotten to apply my clothing. I was there in the bright morning in all my half frozen glory. If there any neighbors they would have gotten a better view of nature than they would want. Geesh I needed some coffee at that moment. After re-exiting the tent I surveyed the scene. At least it wasn't a total wreck. just ankle deep mud. Gee, all I had packed were sandals, so the squishing between my toes was an interesting sensation to say the least. I looked around and saw the soaking wet wood, charcoal, and matches. No coffee for me this morning. It was then I remembered we had packed the propane camping grill, just in case of emergency. My coffee needs were a definite emergency.
After my coffee was brewed and the first few sips savored the rest of the family joined me. I proceeded to make a shipwreck for us. For those of you unfamiliar with this email me, and I will give you the destructions...I mean instructions to make this treat. Anyway this was accomplished with no issues what soever. I should have known. I had decided I needed a shower desperately, so I loaded my ditty bag and headed off to the showers. All the while, I am leaving a trail of mud to guide my path home. As I arrived at my destination, I was greeted with a sign posted by the rangers that the men's showers were out of order. At this point I think I started to laugh. I did see an elderly couple walking towards me, turn around, and go the other direction with as much haste as they could muster. When I was able to breath again, I began the trek back, it was at this point I saw that the women's showers were not closed. I was tempted though to use it, till I saw the ranger exit it. So I returned to camp.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. Next time we are renting a cabin.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Surf fishing in California
A friend asked me to describe surf fishing so here we go.
.
Surf fishing in the state of California.
What is surf fishing? Simply put, surf fishing is a method of fishing often used by people that live near the coast of any ocean. There are many techniques one may use, in order to enjoy this form of fishing. One possible reason why this method is popular is that it affords the fisherman the opportunity to partake in fishing for species of fish that may not be found in other areas, such as kelp beds, or deep water.
Surf fishing is literally just what it says. It is a style of fishing in which your bait is cast into the surf or just beyond the surf. Why this is important is to first understand how and why fish exist in particular areas. Within the surf line, the wave action stirs the sea floor. By such action, this provides fish with a plentiful food source. In sandy areas, the most common form of food would be clams and sand crabs. Both cru stations are highly nutritious and have a high fat content in which fish utilize for cold water protection. Some areas though are of a rocky terrain. Again, the wave action stirs the smaller sea life, which in return attracts the larger pelagic species. These food sources may include snails, urchins, small crabs, and often shrimp.
Let us now explore some of the species available utilizing this technique. This will be broken down into two sub-categories 1) sandy terrain and 2) rocky terrain. When considering the sandy bottom of the shoreline, bear in mind that there is no structure in which fish species may use for shelter. There are many species that can be caught from the shoreline depending on the baits chosen and the technique used. Species include but are not limited to barred surf perch, sand bass, shark, rays, halibut, flounder, and often species like barracuda. All of these species consume the same types of foods, these include clams, sand crabs, algae, and other small fish. Rocky terrains will offer many of the same species, but , also numerous other species will be found. These include, but are not limited to barred surf perch, opal eye perch, shiner perch, mackerel, smelts, sharks, sand bass, rock bass, cabazon, lingcod, and others.
Equipment needs will vary some depending on the areas chosen. Generally speaking though, equipment will be the same or similar, as well as the baits or lures used. Let us first briefly look at rods and reels. Rods need to be of a sufficient length in order to create a “whipping” action on the rod. This action allows the fisherman to generate more power to get the weight and baited hook further out. Typically surf rods are 9 to 15 feet in length, again choose equipment based of the area to be fished. Reels for surf rods are of the spin cast style, this means that the is a metal bar around the spool of line that guides the line onto the spool. When casting, this bar is flipped up, after the fisherman holds the line against the rod with his/her finger. This type of reel is preferred because of the ease of casting, as well as the reeling power provided by the design. On a sandy beach, the fisherman will also need what is called a sand spike. This is a v-shaped piece of metal, typically about 3-4 feet in length, made of aluminum with a sharp point to drive into the sand. About 1 foot up from this point is a triangular shaped piece of metal that helps prevent the spike from falling over with surf action or fish strikes. Along one side on this spike is also a cup to place the rod end into and a v-shape notch at the top of the spike to hold the rod.
Weights are needed in order to get your bait into the surf line, these need to be of a sufficient weight to perform this task. Most weights commonly used are in the 4-8 oz range. There are two types of weights used for sandy surf fishing 1) an anchor weight or 2) a pyramid weight. The anchor weight is literally just as the name implies. It is a weight designed to dig into the sandy bottom to minimize movement. It is of a triangular shape with two protrusions on both sides of the bottom of the weight. The pyramid weight, again is what the name implies. It is a four sided weight that forms into a point. This is used if you want your weight to sink into the sand to keep it stationary. When surf fishing in a rocky terrain, these two types of weights would not be practical. Instead, most people use what is known as a tear drop. The tear drop is a cylindrical shape that tapers slightly at either end. This design allows for the weight to more easily glide through any kelp or rocky crevices that the weight may get caught upon. Often a round ball style will be used.
Lines used in surf fishing come in two types, monofilament and Dacron. Both have their pros and cons. Dacron line is a very tough strong line that is resistant to most environments. It will not fray easily, nor will it have much stretch. This kind of line is ideal when fishing from shore along a rocky terrain. While monofilament, or mono, is more suited to sandy fishing. It has more stretch which is important when reeling a fish through the surf. Mono does fray easily if used in rocky areas though and will break quickly if frayed. Dacron will degrade quickly if not rinsed thoroughly with fresh water after your fishing trip. Mono should be rinsed as well in order to minimize line degradation. As far as weight line goes, this means the amount of weight the line will hold, the most common found is around the 25 pound test range. It may not sound like a lot, but when in the water it can easily withstand 4-5 times its class. For example, you are fishing in the surf in a sandy area, there is a fish on the line that weighs 35 pounds, since 25 pound test can accommodate 4-5 times its class, a fish that is a hundred pounds is no problem.
Hooks come in many styles, sizes, and even colors. It is important to match the size hook to the species being sought. This should be a no brainer, but using hooks that are the size of the fish being sought will yield no results, and the opposite is also true, you do not want a hook so small you will not be able to bait the hook. When choosing a hook it is also very important to get hooks that are designed and made for use in salt water. Fresh water hooks will work, but will rust and corrode very quickly.
Finally we come to baits. Baits can be just about anything, but again try to match it to species being sought after. Smaller baits such as sand crabs and sand fleas are optimal for perch, but if sand bass is the species of choice, then a live bait such as a small shiner perch or jack smelt would be a better option. If, in the rocky shore line live baits and whole squid would be the most effective baits. Artificials are often used more in the rocky shore area, examples include diamond jigs, .scampii jigs, large crank baits, and grubs. This work well when fishing from a sheer rock face, in which the grubs and jigs can be bounced along the wall face.
In summation, no matter the type of surf fishing you choose in California, it is important to research the area in which you will be fishing. One great, but often overlooked, resource is the Dept. of Fish and Game. These officers can provide a great deal of information as to the species in the area, numbers of species, best baits, general size ranges, and well as areas that are illegal to fish. Go to your local beach and talk with the fishermen, you will learn a great deal about techniques and baits that work best in that area. Finally, be sure you have a fishing license, because surf fishing in California requires a license
.
Surf fishing in the state of California.
What is surf fishing? Simply put, surf fishing is a method of fishing often used by people that live near the coast of any ocean. There are many techniques one may use, in order to enjoy this form of fishing. One possible reason why this method is popular is that it affords the fisherman the opportunity to partake in fishing for species of fish that may not be found in other areas, such as kelp beds, or deep water.
Surf fishing is literally just what it says. It is a style of fishing in which your bait is cast into the surf or just beyond the surf. Why this is important is to first understand how and why fish exist in particular areas. Within the surf line, the wave action stirs the sea floor. By such action, this provides fish with a plentiful food source. In sandy areas, the most common form of food would be clams and sand crabs. Both cru stations are highly nutritious and have a high fat content in which fish utilize for cold water protection. Some areas though are of a rocky terrain. Again, the wave action stirs the smaller sea life, which in return attracts the larger pelagic species. These food sources may include snails, urchins, small crabs, and often shrimp.
Let us now explore some of the species available utilizing this technique. This will be broken down into two sub-categories 1) sandy terrain and 2) rocky terrain. When considering the sandy bottom of the shoreline, bear in mind that there is no structure in which fish species may use for shelter. There are many species that can be caught from the shoreline depending on the baits chosen and the technique used. Species include but are not limited to barred surf perch, sand bass, shark, rays, halibut, flounder, and often species like barracuda. All of these species consume the same types of foods, these include clams, sand crabs, algae, and other small fish. Rocky terrains will offer many of the same species, but , also numerous other species will be found. These include, but are not limited to barred surf perch, opal eye perch, shiner perch, mackerel, smelts, sharks, sand bass, rock bass, cabazon, lingcod, and others.
Equipment needs will vary some depending on the areas chosen. Generally speaking though, equipment will be the same or similar, as well as the baits or lures used. Let us first briefly look at rods and reels. Rods need to be of a sufficient length in order to create a “whipping” action on the rod. This action allows the fisherman to generate more power to get the weight and baited hook further out. Typically surf rods are 9 to 15 feet in length, again choose equipment based of the area to be fished. Reels for surf rods are of the spin cast style, this means that the is a metal bar around the spool of line that guides the line onto the spool. When casting, this bar is flipped up, after the fisherman holds the line against the rod with his/her finger. This type of reel is preferred because of the ease of casting, as well as the reeling power provided by the design. On a sandy beach, the fisherman will also need what is called a sand spike. This is a v-shaped piece of metal, typically about 3-4 feet in length, made of aluminum with a sharp point to drive into the sand. About 1 foot up from this point is a triangular shaped piece of metal that helps prevent the spike from falling over with surf action or fish strikes. Along one side on this spike is also a cup to place the rod end into and a v-shape notch at the top of the spike to hold the rod.
Weights are needed in order to get your bait into the surf line, these need to be of a sufficient weight to perform this task. Most weights commonly used are in the 4-8 oz range. There are two types of weights used for sandy surf fishing 1) an anchor weight or 2) a pyramid weight. The anchor weight is literally just as the name implies. It is a weight designed to dig into the sandy bottom to minimize movement. It is of a triangular shape with two protrusions on both sides of the bottom of the weight. The pyramid weight, again is what the name implies. It is a four sided weight that forms into a point. This is used if you want your weight to sink into the sand to keep it stationary. When surf fishing in a rocky terrain, these two types of weights would not be practical. Instead, most people use what is known as a tear drop. The tear drop is a cylindrical shape that tapers slightly at either end. This design allows for the weight to more easily glide through any kelp or rocky crevices that the weight may get caught upon. Often a round ball style will be used.
Lines used in surf fishing come in two types, monofilament and Dacron. Both have their pros and cons. Dacron line is a very tough strong line that is resistant to most environments. It will not fray easily, nor will it have much stretch. This kind of line is ideal when fishing from shore along a rocky terrain. While monofilament, or mono, is more suited to sandy fishing. It has more stretch which is important when reeling a fish through the surf. Mono does fray easily if used in rocky areas though and will break quickly if frayed. Dacron will degrade quickly if not rinsed thoroughly with fresh water after your fishing trip. Mono should be rinsed as well in order to minimize line degradation. As far as weight line goes, this means the amount of weight the line will hold, the most common found is around the 25 pound test range. It may not sound like a lot, but when in the water it can easily withstand 4-5 times its class. For example, you are fishing in the surf in a sandy area, there is a fish on the line that weighs 35 pounds, since 25 pound test can accommodate 4-5 times its class, a fish that is a hundred pounds is no problem.
Hooks come in many styles, sizes, and even colors. It is important to match the size hook to the species being sought. This should be a no brainer, but using hooks that are the size of the fish being sought will yield no results, and the opposite is also true, you do not want a hook so small you will not be able to bait the hook. When choosing a hook it is also very important to get hooks that are designed and made for use in salt water. Fresh water hooks will work, but will rust and corrode very quickly.
Finally we come to baits. Baits can be just about anything, but again try to match it to species being sought after. Smaller baits such as sand crabs and sand fleas are optimal for perch, but if sand bass is the species of choice, then a live bait such as a small shiner perch or jack smelt would be a better option. If, in the rocky shore line live baits and whole squid would be the most effective baits. Artificials are often used more in the rocky shore area, examples include diamond jigs, .scampii jigs, large crank baits, and grubs. This work well when fishing from a sheer rock face, in which the grubs and jigs can be bounced along the wall face.
In summation, no matter the type of surf fishing you choose in California, it is important to research the area in which you will be fishing. One great, but often overlooked, resource is the Dept. of Fish and Game. These officers can provide a great deal of information as to the species in the area, numbers of species, best baits, general size ranges, and well as areas that are illegal to fish. Go to your local beach and talk with the fishermen, you will learn a great deal about techniques and baits that work best in that area. Finally, be sure you have a fishing license, because surf fishing in California requires a license
a quaff swims like a trash can
Well another day another inane blog entry. I am adding this blog to sponzai blogging service. So in order to receive blog requests I need to add a weird saying into my blog. If you have read my other blog http://iowasuxthoughts.blogspot.com/ then you know how I do this. I break the sentence down into its constituant parts and them sum yp with a short story.
A quaff--hmmmm as literaly defined it means to sip or guzzle.
swims--well this is an obvious one duh
like a trash can--ok a trash can can mean a few different things depending on how the word is uses
So lets put it together
One day a guzzler was swimming in the sea. Although the guzzler was adept at may things, the guzzler swam like a trash can. The guzzler promptly sank to the bottom.
Gee I would think the guzzler would not have attempted this mainly due to the requirment of arms and legs. Since the requested sentence from sponzai didnt specify, I must assume the guzzler was something other than a fish. I mean I am a guzzler. I guzzle coffee,milk,water,mountain dew, and so forth. But it could mean the guzzler was a vehicle, kinda like my olds cutlass...geesh what a gas guzzler.
A quaff--hmmmm as literaly defined it means to sip or guzzle.
swims--well this is an obvious one duh
like a trash can--ok a trash can can mean a few different things depending on how the word is uses
So lets put it together
One day a guzzler was swimming in the sea. Although the guzzler was adept at may things, the guzzler swam like a trash can. The guzzler promptly sank to the bottom.
Gee I would think the guzzler would not have attempted this mainly due to the requirment of arms and legs. Since the requested sentence from sponzai didnt specify, I must assume the guzzler was something other than a fish. I mean I am a guzzler. I guzzle coffee,milk,water,mountain dew, and so forth. But it could mean the guzzler was a vehicle, kinda like my olds cutlass...geesh what a gas guzzler.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Winter blahs
Well here we are again. Snow is on the ground, its as quiet out as a church, a crispness in the air, and frozen lakes. It just all makes me want to curl up and hybernate. Since I am generally much more relaxed outdoors this is a very tough time for me. Yes I know there is plenty to do, skiing, ice skating and so forth, but I wanna fish.
Why not go ice fishing you ask. Ok it is a reasonable question, and one worth examining. Like any other form of fishing, ice fishing first and foremost require this mythological stuff called money. I think money is what you are supposed to have after the tax man takes his 99.999999999999 % so they can give themselves a raise after freezing my wages, ( oops I digress ). Back on track here. Ice fishing does require a bit of capital to stay safe. By safe I mean avoiding frostbite and hypothermia.
First, you must have shelter, a two person tent would work well if you cut the bottom out, it would help keep the wind off. but first you have to buy the tent which is normally between $35.00 to about $70.00. You will also generally need some sort of small heating device. I have seen folks with 20,000 btu heaters attached to a 20 # propane tank. I dont know about you but it seems to me that when you have an enclosed area and a heating device sitting on top of an ice sheet, this is not the best of ideas.
Second, you need the gear. Most noteably a coat so thick and heavy you kind of resemble the incredible bulk, gloves so thick you cant bend a finger enough to scratch you nose, of course wool socks with electric heaters oh and boots so bog and heavy a mythological dwarf would feel at home in them. Then there is the fishing gear. I went and looked at some ice rods and reels and let me tell you they are cute. It is hard to imagine catching a minnow let alone large walleye and bass. Not really sure what I could or use for bait, like my catfish adventure the worms freeze fast.
Third, good insurance after I spend the next week in ICU chattering my teeth out of my head. Oh and by the way Chris left no structural damage to my couch, but did wipe me out of coffee.
Well, off to sleepy land.
Toodles
Why not go ice fishing you ask. Ok it is a reasonable question, and one worth examining. Like any other form of fishing, ice fishing first and foremost require this mythological stuff called money. I think money is what you are supposed to have after the tax man takes his 99.999999999999 % so they can give themselves a raise after freezing my wages, ( oops I digress ). Back on track here. Ice fishing does require a bit of capital to stay safe. By safe I mean avoiding frostbite and hypothermia.
First, you must have shelter, a two person tent would work well if you cut the bottom out, it would help keep the wind off. but first you have to buy the tent which is normally between $35.00 to about $70.00. You will also generally need some sort of small heating device. I have seen folks with 20,000 btu heaters attached to a 20 # propane tank. I dont know about you but it seems to me that when you have an enclosed area and a heating device sitting on top of an ice sheet, this is not the best of ideas.
Second, you need the gear. Most noteably a coat so thick and heavy you kind of resemble the incredible bulk, gloves so thick you cant bend a finger enough to scratch you nose, of course wool socks with electric heaters oh and boots so bog and heavy a mythological dwarf would feel at home in them. Then there is the fishing gear. I went and looked at some ice rods and reels and let me tell you they are cute. It is hard to imagine catching a minnow let alone large walleye and bass. Not really sure what I could or use for bait, like my catfish adventure the worms freeze fast.
Third, good insurance after I spend the next week in ICU chattering my teeth out of my head. Oh and by the way Chris left no structural damage to my couch, but did wipe me out of coffee.
Well, off to sleepy land.
Toodles
Monday, December 6, 2010
Another inane sentence requirment
The straight library knocks the analogue.. Ok so I am adding a second blog to payperpost. I understand why they want bloggers to do this, but the sentence they want us to use is fun. Like I did at my other blog http://iowasuxthoughts.blogspot.com/ I will break it down for you.
The straight library-ok this can mean a few things, but I will narrow it down to a couple. First is that I was not aware that libraries were gay nor even bi, and second, I have never seen a straight library, ever one I have ever been in has areas that jut out, hallways, multiple levels, and so on, so a straight library is a misnomer.
Knocks the analogue-so I am guessing that in this portion of the sentence a singular definition might mean that a knocking action is occuring in relation to another action.
Lets put it together-( A short story ) One day as I was walking down the street, I came across a library that was knocking on opportunities door, opportunity was known to be gay, but the straight library declined the analogy of a twisted depository.
Hey thats the way the sentence structure works.
The straight library-ok this can mean a few things, but I will narrow it down to a couple. First is that I was not aware that libraries were gay nor even bi, and second, I have never seen a straight library, ever one I have ever been in has areas that jut out, hallways, multiple levels, and so on, so a straight library is a misnomer.
Knocks the analogue-so I am guessing that in this portion of the sentence a singular definition might mean that a knocking action is occuring in relation to another action.
Lets put it together-( A short story ) One day as I was walking down the street, I came across a library that was knocking on opportunities door, opportunity was known to be gay, but the straight library declined the analogy of a twisted depository.
Hey thats the way the sentence structure works.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
a paid review
Hey folks,
Just so you know this is a paid review of an online gambling site.
Ok when I first decided to review http://www.onlinecasinoedition.com/ I was a tad leary, I wont deny it. But after reviewing the site I came away with a few favorable impressions. At first the site did look a little jumbled, until I took into account my operating system ( it's older than I am ) when i rechecked it using a different browser IE 7 it was much nicer.
The layout was simplistic and navigation friendly. On the home page there are multiple catagories that include games, rules, odds, and so forth. On the left side were the game descriptions as well as other specific information regarding specific games. At the top were links to various countries inclusing the United States and the UK. I did not check all of the links, but the few I did check were working with no malware or other suspicious warning from my anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.
The other thing that I was pleased to see is that they ( http://www.onlinecasinoedition.com/ ) made no guarentees of winning hence the terms gambling and casino which in and of itself is a connotation of gambling. Although I do no personally partake in online gambling, I might consider this site as other casino sites I have seen make grandios promises. Anyway If online gambling is your bag, it may be worth your time tov check it out foryourself.
Just so you know this is a paid review of an online gambling site.
Ok when I first decided to review http://www.onlinecasinoedition.com/ I was a tad leary, I wont deny it. But after reviewing the site I came away with a few favorable impressions. At first the site did look a little jumbled, until I took into account my operating system ( it's older than I am ) when i rechecked it using a different browser IE 7 it was much nicer.
The layout was simplistic and navigation friendly. On the home page there are multiple catagories that include games, rules, odds, and so forth. On the left side were the game descriptions as well as other specific information regarding specific games. At the top were links to various countries inclusing the United States and the UK. I did not check all of the links, but the few I did check were working with no malware or other suspicious warning from my anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.
The other thing that I was pleased to see is that they ( http://www.onlinecasinoedition.com/ ) made no guarentees of winning hence the terms gambling and casino which in and of itself is a connotation of gambling. Although I do no personally partake in online gambling, I might consider this site as other casino sites I have seen make grandios promises. Anyway If online gambling is your bag, it may be worth your time tov check it out foryourself.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Gotta love winter fishing
Just got home not to long ago from an overnight catfish trip. Gee that was fun...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?...Sitting on the bank of the river wearing what amounts to the entire wool content of Ireland and Scotland trying not to shiver my teeth out of my head.
The trip started well enough. My buddy Chris and I on the spur of the moment decided " Hey lets do an overnight catfishing trip " The look in our wives' faces should have warned us. But being what we are, we were clueless. Anyway we packed up the parkas, poles, takle boxes, bait, and what amounted to about 2 gallons of coffee. We loaded Chris' truck and headed out.
When we arrived at the location, we were excited no other people around. As soon as we exited the nice warm truck we knew why the area was deserted. Temp was a balmy 22 degrees ( two hours later it was 18 ). So we set up anyway the chairs were laid out, poles baited and cast ( worms freeze fast ) coffee warming our numb fingers, as we started the vigile.
After about an hour we were chatting ( out teeth were anyway ) " Ssoo wwhhaatt ddoo yyoouu tthhiinnkk,, sshhoouulldd wwee ppaacckk iitt uupp aanndd ggoo hhoommee??. " We decided to what another hour, we should have gone home as soon as we got there. When we finially got it through our frostbitten brains this was a bad idea, we went to pack it up. My reel was frozen, so I was not able to bring in the line, at least the heat from a mag light thawed it enough to bring it in. Chris was having no better luck, his reel didn't freeze but the line did to a very thin sheet of ice that formed on the water. I'm not gonna repeat the colorful expletitives we were using. Anyway, we did manage to catch one fish. It was a monster of a cat, it measured out to a little over four inches, even though Chris snagged it through the tail does this count as a catch?
When we finally got home ( we were gone three hours ) my wife was at the door with that smug look wives get with a smirk that would have thawed our reels in a second ( note to self take wife fishing on cold nites ), but she was kind enough to have blankets and more coffee ready for us. We decided to just have Chris crash and thaw out here. I'm afraid i'll have to look at the couch when he gets up to check for structural damage as he is shivering so bad. I am headed off to bed here very shortly, I can feel my toes again.
The trip started well enough. My buddy Chris and I on the spur of the moment decided " Hey lets do an overnight catfishing trip " The look in our wives' faces should have warned us. But being what we are, we were clueless. Anyway we packed up the parkas, poles, takle boxes, bait, and what amounted to about 2 gallons of coffee. We loaded Chris' truck and headed out.
When we arrived at the location, we were excited no other people around. As soon as we exited the nice warm truck we knew why the area was deserted. Temp was a balmy 22 degrees ( two hours later it was 18 ). So we set up anyway the chairs were laid out, poles baited and cast ( worms freeze fast ) coffee warming our numb fingers, as we started the vigile.
After about an hour we were chatting ( out teeth were anyway ) " Ssoo wwhhaatt ddoo yyoouu tthhiinnkk,, sshhoouulldd wwee ppaacckk iitt uupp aanndd ggoo hhoommee??. " We decided to what another hour, we should have gone home as soon as we got there. When we finially got it through our frostbitten brains this was a bad idea, we went to pack it up. My reel was frozen, so I was not able to bring in the line, at least the heat from a mag light thawed it enough to bring it in. Chris was having no better luck, his reel didn't freeze but the line did to a very thin sheet of ice that formed on the water. I'm not gonna repeat the colorful expletitives we were using. Anyway, we did manage to catch one fish. It was a monster of a cat, it measured out to a little over four inches, even though Chris snagged it through the tail does this count as a catch?
When we finally got home ( we were gone three hours ) my wife was at the door with that smug look wives get with a smirk that would have thawed our reels in a second ( note to self take wife fishing on cold nites ), but she was kind enough to have blankets and more coffee ready for us. We decided to just have Chris crash and thaw out here. I'm afraid i'll have to look at the couch when he gets up to check for structural damage as he is shivering so bad. I am headed off to bed here very shortly, I can feel my toes again.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Vetrerans Day
What is Veterans Day. Veterans days means many things to many people. For some it is a day in which we pay homage to our military heros, to others it is a day to take off of work and party, for others still, they really are not sure why we must pay homage to veterans at all.
Websters dictionary defines Veterans Day as follows"
---November 11, a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the end of World Wars I and II and in honor of veterans of the armed services.
This is correct BUT it means so much more and many levels. First let us examine exactly what is a veteran.
n, ve-truhn] 
Show IPA
—Related forms
Websters dictionary defines Veterans Day as follows"
---November 11, a legal holiday in the U.S. in commemoration of the end of World Wars I and II and in honor of veterans of the armed services.
This is correct BUT it means so much more and many levels. First let us examine exactly what is a veteran.
vet·er·an
[vet-er-uhn, ve-truhn] Show IPA –noun
1.
a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like: a veteran of the police force; a veteran of many sports competitions.
2.
a person who has served in a military force, esp. one who has fought in a war: a Vietnam veteran.
–adjective
3.
(of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare: veteran troops.
4.
experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period: a veteran member of Congress.
5.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of veterans.
Origin:
1495–1505; < L veterānus mature, experienced, equiv. to veter- (s. of vetus) old + -ānus -an
1495–1505; < L veterānus mature, experienced, equiv. to veter- (s. of vetus) old + -ānus -an
—Related forms
non·vet·er·an, noun
Source websters dictionary...
Again, this is a correct definition but lets examine this more closely. A veteran is a man or woman who makes the conscious and deliberate decision to serve in the military services. So what causes a person to make this serious and life altering decision?. This is a question that only each respective veteran can answer. The reasons are many and varied. But first and foremost it is a personal decision and one which I personally will not violate. People all across the world have celebrations for their respective veterans. Ideologies set aside the one thing that binds ALL past, present, and future service men and women is very simply that they chose to serve their respective nations.
These brave men and women do not seek accolades or parades, they do not seek fame for their duty, rather they serve their countries for the love of their countries, nothing more, nothing less. Every single serviceman ( and women ) I have spoken too see their fellow commrades as heros, but they do not see themselves as heros, with deep humility they see all service men as men and women as defenders of the faith. Defending the faith means that they fight to preserve their respective countries ideology, religion, government, and most importantly the citizens of their country.
The bravery in is inherant in all service persons in humbling. Every single service persons biggest hope is that they will never have to fight, and biggest fear is that they will. It is not the fear for themselves, but rather the fear and horror of taking another human life, yet understanding that in order to preserve their way of life it is unfortunately necessary. These brave souls willfully and knowingly enlist with these thoughts in mind. Keep in mind where we as a world would be without our veterans. I will not discuss this here, but rather it is a homework assignment for you to ponder.
Have you ever alked through the mall and overheard people criticizing service persons?, saying things like" All soldiers are war lovers, baby killers, rapists, " and so forth, dont deny it you have or you yourself has at some point. consider why you have that right to criticize the soldiers. It is directly because of our soldiers that you have that right. Our first president George Washington stated " Freedom is not free, blood must be spilt in order to gain it, and must be spilt in order to keep it " This is the horror of all military personel, the understanding that we as a free nation had to spill blood to gain our freedom, and must constasntly be ready to spill blood to keep it, for there are many nations of the world and religions that abhore the doctrine of our country.
One retired Colonel I spoke with describes with a tear in his eye the love and respect he has for all persons in the armed servies. " It is the cook, without whom we could not be nourished, it is the mechanic, without whom we could not move, it is the armorer, without whom we could not fight, it is the officers, without whom we could not have leadership, but it all boils down to this. It is Americans first and foremost who are the cooks, the mechanics, the armorers, and the officers. Every job in the armed servies is critical to every other job in the armed services. We all have or have had duties assigned we do not like or wish, but in the greater need of America we do what we must. ".
Our service men and women are the pinicle of self sacrifice. Lets honor those that serve rather than honor ourselves.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
RV camping
RV's- It hard to imagine that some people actually think of RV's as roughing it. Some of these things are bigger and nicer than my house. They have a couch, TV, microwave, refrigerator, showers, beds. I have even seen some with a jaquzzi and sauna. If these things are roughing it, I cant even or want to consider what there house must be like. Are we talking about the Taj Majal?
Anyway, Rv's are seriously a great way to travel and explore nature. They offer fantasic views of the countryside and or camping area. They have heaters and a/c, so for those cold or hot days, why not camp in style and comfort. These are also great if you have young children, with a microwave you have a fast popcorn snack when they are tugging at your aprons or trousers " i'm hungry. "
The one downside is that they are very $$$$$$$...I dont know about you but I actually have to work for a living. I have seen models ranging from around $ 50,000 to over $ 500,000. On my salary, I may get that paid off in or around the year 9999999999999999999. This is not to say that you can not find one more affordable, you'll just have to look around. Often look in your local classifieds and there are some good deals in there. BUT, also keep inmind some additional expenses such as fuel, propane, insurance, generator fuel, waste removal and cleaning, RV site costs, hook up costs ( although hook up costs are very affordable typically about $11.00 to $20.00 a night ).
OK, thats about it for now.
Toodles
Anyway, Rv's are seriously a great way to travel and explore nature. They offer fantasic views of the countryside and or camping area. They have heaters and a/c, so for those cold or hot days, why not camp in style and comfort. These are also great if you have young children, with a microwave you have a fast popcorn snack when they are tugging at your aprons or trousers " i'm hungry. "
The one downside is that they are very $$$$$$$...I dont know about you but I actually have to work for a living. I have seen models ranging from around $ 50,000 to over $ 500,000. On my salary, I may get that paid off in or around the year 9999999999999999999. This is not to say that you can not find one more affordable, you'll just have to look around. Often look in your local classifieds and there are some good deals in there. BUT, also keep inmind some additional expenses such as fuel, propane, insurance, generator fuel, waste removal and cleaning, RV site costs, hook up costs ( although hook up costs are very affordable typically about $11.00 to $20.00 a night ).
OK, thats about it for now.
Toodles
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Well, after a fast outhouse run I am back. Last time i was here we were looking at camping styles, specifically tents. Tents come in every size and color imaginable, I have seen itty bitty 1 person tents in which the main part of the body in covered, but either the head or the toes stickout at either end. This is not ideal for the average sized human. If you want your head and/or toes open for the mosquitoe air force to practice their dive bomb runs, thats your buisness, personally, I would rather have to sit and listen to liberace or something rather that have my face and toes look like a sudden outbreak of rocky mountain spotted hickies or something.
Back to tents, besides the before mention tent, they can also range up to size tht would literally house a couple of platoons, but for most people this is a tad impractical. If your car is like mine, there is barely enough room for the driver. Most tents though tend to be in the 3-10 person range. Some are a single wide room while others are multiroomed. These multi room tents are great for families, boys on one side, girls on the other, and all your other stuff in the middle. Just do not forget to leave a clear path through you stuff otherwise a trip to the emergency room at 3 am is in order. Not to mention the long liteny of four letter colorful expletitives will be heard through out the campground.
I had better leave it at this for awhile as i lost my train of thought.
Toodles
Back to tents, besides the before mention tent, they can also range up to size tht would literally house a couple of platoons, but for most people this is a tad impractical. If your car is like mine, there is barely enough room for the driver. Most tents though tend to be in the 3-10 person range. Some are a single wide room while others are multiroomed. These multi room tents are great for families, boys on one side, girls on the other, and all your other stuff in the middle. Just do not forget to leave a clear path through you stuff otherwise a trip to the emergency room at 3 am is in order. Not to mention the long liteny of four letter colorful expletitives will be heard through out the campground.
I had better leave it at this for awhile as i lost my train of thought.
Toodles
My first entry
Well this is my first venture into the world of blogging. I am hoping it will be educational as well as entertaining. On this blog I will examine various camping and fishing styles and techniques ( my own warped opinions of course ). It is not nor is it intended to be an expert anything, just my own ramblings. I will start with camping if for no other reason than its alphabetical.
Camping in a form of entertainment and recreation that conjures many views and ideas. Some being that some campers are the rugged outdoors type, while others see campers and nut jobs, others still see it as a relaxing way to enjoy ones family and nature. As for myself? There are times i've gone camping and thought to myself " I must be nuts " and other times I was so relaxed I snoozed the entire time gaining a profound appreciation for sunburn prevention advice. Anyway, you must first ask yourself what style of camping do you see yourself doing. lets break it down a tad shall we?
1. TENT-Do you salivate at the thought of sleeping on rock and sticks?, Does the idea of playing dart dodge with mosquitoes give you goose bumps? Do you sign in ecstasy ( ya I know I cant spell ) of sitting in front of a campfire in 120 degree weather during the day and sleeping under a blanket in 20 degrees below zeroat night?, all in the same day...Then tent camping is right up your alley
We will end here for now as I drank way too much coffee today and need to run (with crossed legs), to the nearest outhouse, fortuneately its only about 10 feet from here, so I shall return to my tirade soon
Toodles
Camping in a form of entertainment and recreation that conjures many views and ideas. Some being that some campers are the rugged outdoors type, while others see campers and nut jobs, others still see it as a relaxing way to enjoy ones family and nature. As for myself? There are times i've gone camping and thought to myself " I must be nuts " and other times I was so relaxed I snoozed the entire time gaining a profound appreciation for sunburn prevention advice. Anyway, you must first ask yourself what style of camping do you see yourself doing. lets break it down a tad shall we?
1. TENT-Do you salivate at the thought of sleeping on rock and sticks?, Does the idea of playing dart dodge with mosquitoes give you goose bumps? Do you sign in ecstasy ( ya I know I cant spell ) of sitting in front of a campfire in 120 degree weather during the day and sleeping under a blanket in 20 degrees below zeroat night?, all in the same day...Then tent camping is right up your alley
We will end here for now as I drank way too much coffee today and need to run (with crossed legs), to the nearest outhouse, fortuneately its only about 10 feet from here, so I shall return to my tirade soon
Toodles
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