Perpetual Ruminations

Thursday

Wow, the last three days went by so fast. I haven't worked since Monday, and really enjoyed the last three days immensely.  I didn't do much, and it really felt good. It's been a long time since I took time to do little or nothing but relax and enjoy life. Now, my time off is almost up for this week, but it will be a short stretch and then another two days off next week, three the week after. I don't know how long it will last, and if things pan out the way I would like, I may very soon be enjoying three days off every week over the summer.

Of course, there is a payoff; I will have to work some long days on the other four days I do work. That's alright, though, I don't mind the long stretches during double coverage at all. In fact, since I will be working with Rhonda part of each day, it should be enjoyable; it was last summer, and then it was without any time off at all.  I will get more hours per week and have more time off per week, all at the same time. Of course, that's if all works according to the plan, and it's only through the summer. Next fall things would switch back to the current schedule or something similar. Again, it depends on the other guards, and how things may change with them.

But, that's someplace down the road, not where we are today. Today I'm off for the third day in a row, but Rhonda is working this afternoon, whereas the last two days we had off together. So, since I am home alone, well, not alone, I have two wonderful friends here with me, our Golden Retriever Hyko, and our Labradinger, Hannah. Anyway, since Rhonda is not here, I thought today would be a good day to try and get some time in at WDC. I wanted to get this entry done first, however, and since I am writing in 750 Words and then transferring the entry into my journal, I started in here and will soon be over there.

I have just a today and tomorrow left to write in here to make it the full month, even though I started back up in here before the first. Two days... It's hard to believe it's almost the first of March; especially considering the weather. the old saying references March coming in as a lion or a lamb, but this year it's quite different. March is coming in like a polar bear! Sure, here in eastern South Dakota it's not uncommon to have some cold weather in February and even a bit into March. But, we have only seen a few days that were not frigid this month, and it's forecast to keep on right through the weekend. This long of a stretch of cold is very uncommon for this late in the year. Hell, this much cold is uncommon for our average winter. At least we have not gotten a ton of snow with it, since the winds have seldom been below fifteen miles an hour and have often been over twenty-five. Of course, March is the month we usually get the most snow, so we are not out of the woods yet.

Hopefully this will be our last stretch of arctic cold, and we can start seeing some warmer days again. It's been a long winter with few days fit to do anything outside. In fact, the other day it was in the lower teens but not windy, and I was referring to it as a nice day. Compared to what we have been getting, it was very nice out, but compared to our normal weather, it was pretty cold. That makes this seem like a very long winter, and since we had no time off to enjoy last spring, summer, or fall, it's been a very long time since we've had a day we could just spend outside enjoying ourselves.  That's what I'm looking forward to, a nice day, temperatures above zero, no wind or at least just a light breeze, and being able to sit out on the patio and enjoy a fire for an evening, with a little wine or perhaps a mixed drink. Later, when it warms a bit more, I'm thinking I want to spend a great many nights out camping, even if it's just a campground close to home here.

Of course, that's a ways off yet, and there are things I would enjoy right now, like getting the fish house out on the ice and spending an afternoon with Rhonda fishing. It would be great to catch some fish, but just to get out and enjoy some fresh air with her is always the bast part. We could take the dogs, too, if the weather is warm enough. Now, it's just too cold for them to be out for long at all, and to have them out on the ice would freeze their feet in no time. Of course, I have gotten out a few times with my brother, and even caught some fish.

It's fun, but it's not the same. He is more like my dad was; if the fish aren't biting steady, he's not really enjoying himself. Also, he is so set on doing things the same as everyone else. To go out and fish someplace where no one else is fishing is out of the question. Nope, he watches to see where everyone else is set up, what the local fishing report says is a good place to fish, and of course, what other's are saying is a good place to go. Me, I'm the type who would rather go someplace no one else is fishing and have the lake to myself. Maybe I'll catch fish, maybe no; either way, I have a good time. I don't put much faith in what the local report says is good, I haven't seen them hit it right once yet. My brother says they are a week behind by the time it's posted, but I think it's a lot of propaganda to generate income from people going out fishing.

After all, it's based on reports from people who are fishing, and if you know where they are biting, why would you make it public? I mean, seriously, if you find a real hot spot to catch fish, would you post that information publicly so that the next day there will be fifty or more people trying to fish in that same spot? It's the same with people; there are few I would put much credit into what they say is a good spot to fish. Sure, there are some, and when they tell me, I soon find out it's right on. But the rest, the ones I really don't know, they send a person to the wrong lake, using the wrong bait. They don't want you and your friends taking their spot. As for going where everyone else is fishing, maybe. That's all I'll give it is a maybe. Too many times we have tried fishing where everyone else is fishing and come up with nothing.

Sometimes it's a matter of being right in their spot. Like the other day when we went out, we had one little spot that was doing great, another was doing good. All around us was simply dead. We had the right spot over some cover or something and the fish were there, no place else. the next time we went, we set up in the same place and I fished in the same spot and caught a few, missed a few, and had a few bites that didn't do more than tug the bobber once. My brother was right next to me, and only had a couple light bites. It was just one small spot that was active. There were quite a few people out there fishing, but few if any, left with any fish.

I'm sure some just seen a lot of people out on the ice, so they assume the fishing is good. Then,m they set up and someone else drives out and sees even more people on the ice, so the fishing is great. Soon, there's a ton of people out there, and no one is catching anything except a couple who happen to have hit the right spot. Next time they go out, they will go to another lake and look for a few people who are out there. Then they go out, and soon enough everyone is out there, thinking the fishing must be good or there wouldn't be so many people out fishing.

I actually used this to keep my fishing spot a few times in Minnesota. We would go out to a small lake and fish for sunfish, crappies, and bass. I knew a few good spots on the lake, and soon enough we would have a few fish on the stringer. As soon as we had caught a few, someone would pull up in another boat and ask us how we were doing. "Oh, we got a couple little ones, but nothing big." I would then add, "We were just thinking of moving, they have to be in here someplace."

Then we would move a bit, but stay in sight of them. They would be just getting things set up and we would make sure they heard us with something like, "That's better, something we can put on the stringer."

Then, we would lift the stringer a bit, make a good show of putting a fish on it, and back over the side. Of course, there was no fish, and it was on the side they could not see. A few minutes later and another person in our boat would do the same thing. By now, the other people would be slowly moving over closer to us as they watched and did a few quick casts. Once they were close enough, we would go through the motions again and make sure they seen our stringer of fish. Then we would call it a day and head in, clean our catch, and feel pretty sure our hot spot would be ready for us to go back out to. Soon enough the boat that had crowded us out would be at the landing, packing up and heading out. Once they were gone, we would go back out and catch some more fish, or we would head home ourselves, saving the good spot for another day.

Now, I learned that by fishing with other people and I'm sure it's the same here as it was there. No fisherman with a lick of common sense is going to give up his or her's hot fishing spot to anyone except a select few they really trust. After all, someone is bound to see a fish caught and the secret will be out soon enough.