A Foggy Day For Fishing.

First time using the Challenger this year!

 Remember in my last post how I compared flying a kite to fishing?   Well,  Today Dave and I went fishing at the Private Pond, and had a successful day!   21 fish in total!   Two Crappie, One Largemouth, and 19 sizable Bluegills.  All in about three hours of fishing.  Not a bad day at all!   (My dad would have been happy..) 

We cleaned them up and ate half of them tonight.   A fast turnover!   And everything is better when it is fresh. (Or:  "Fresh" trumps EVERYTHING in the field of cooking.)  I was able to use my trusty fillet knife that I had recently honed  to a razor blade sharpness.   And since Dave cleaned the salmon all by himself last time, I volunteered to clean these guys.   I don't know why,  but there is something nostalgic and satisfying with getting slimy over a mess of Bluegills.  I used to get scolded by everyone when I was first learning how to clean them.   Even in later years,  Dad would tell me I was "wasting too much meat!"   ( On a fish the size of a potato chip!)  

But I didn't see anyone else volunteering.   (So keep the yap snapped!) And eventually,  I just got in a groove to clean fish alone.   It is a messy job and no one wants to do,   so leave me alone and you can cook em and clean up after.  

Ok,  That was my rant.  Mostly against my family.... (Who said nostalgia always brings up "pleasant" memories?)  But today I had fun!  Catching,  cleaning, and eating them.   It reminds me why I used to LIVE  AND BREATHE  all things fish back in the day. (I'm sure Dad had something to do with that, as well....) And I hope to put forth a little more effort this summer when it comes to fishing.  Even if I don't end up bringing any Home to clean. 

I also went to the Lake Shore a couple days ago to see if I could get my kites in the air again.   

I did!   Not only that, but I also started a trend!   I could see several other folks bringing kites to the large field for flying.   One family bought one from Walmart and had it set up backwards!    It is a fairly easy mistake, (I think I even did it when I was first starting out.) and within minutes, they were flying high and surfing the air currents.  It was a wonderful day. 

I even had the opportunity to sit on the breakwall along the shore.   Hearing the waves crash is always  therapeutic for me.  Like listening to rain fall..  or a thunderstorm in the distance. 

As for the mushrooms...  Mothers day has come and gone!  And no morels!  ( That is usually the peak time for them at this latitude.  Now I may still find one my chance... possibly.   I even located a couple of lone elm trees!  But no Morels.... So Boo on you!   Reclusive Fungi!  I keep pestering my brother in Michigan to search the YARD!  Where Black morels would pop up right along the wood line.  The only reason we did not get them year after year was because we had to drive two hours to get there... And usually only had a weekend to spend searching for them!   

But I am encouraged by the Aspen Oyster mushrooms that are just beginning to pin the last couple of days.    I don't want to pick them just yet, as the days have been cold and a couple warmer days will allow them to expand.   At least I managed to find a few of those in my known spot.  And I hope I have something worth showing when I do finally harvest them.  

And finally,  My most recent project.   A Paper Dragon... head.    Like a trophy you see on a hunter's lodge wall.  I mean,  Why not?   I used to play D&D and Everquest.    Hunting Dragons was part of the experience.   And for all of those years, I had nothing to show for my conquests...  Except the rolling eyes of those who never played.    Well,   Now I will have bragging rights!  And something to show for it..   Even if I am the only one who ever sees it.  Like many of my creations,  most are never seen or appreciated by the public.  But that is ok...   I enjoy the process.  

And lastly,   there is a fog bank rolling into the area.  I went to the lake shore to snap some pics, because I found it pretty cool.    I think we are supposed to get some storms tonight.   I know we could use the rain.   And I'm hoping the mist will stimulate the mushrooms to have a boom overnight.   We shall see. 

 Well,  today's agenda got trumped by the fishing trip.   And I'm not complaining.   Fishing should always take precedence because the fish don't wait!  And when opportunities present themselves,  you have to drop everything and take em!  Because everything has its time to run.   Smelt,  Salmon,  Perch;  And even Bluegills on the beds. Get them when the getting is good,   because moments like these are fleeting!   And every second counts.