The Last Cast

I thought that sounded better than "The Last Day of Fishing." A little more romantic...And hopefully less ominous. Like you are just "finishing a fishing trip" and NOT a "I'll never fish again!" 

But that is what today was.   The last day of fishing for October.   Possibly the year!   And I'm happy I managed to wake myself up early, brave the cold and wind, and get the new kayak wet at least one more time before the snow flies.  And!   I managed to catch 10 bluegills in the process!   A success!

I think this may be the last "good" day we have this week.  It is supposed to rain the next several days (according to the weather channel...) And I figured cold is better than "cold and wet" if I was going out one last time for the year.  And it even was not as cold as I feared!  A solid 45-50 degrees!

 I did think that the fishing had slowed down a bit.  I got up early and wanted to get at least two hours out on the water.   I think I might have been able to last an hour and a half.   And managed to catch 10 decent fish.  I could not get the fishing finder up and running, so I had to really hunt for the fish this time. 

But the greatest challenge was the wind!   Even with the small pond being sheltered all around by trees,   I still had to fight and wrestle with the wind blowing me all around!  Most of the time, I was trying to find some still water so I would not drift so fast.   And even then,  the tranquility did not last long. 

I really did not want to get up this morning.   But I also know what once I get out on the last, I am genuinely happy that I made the effort.  And sometimes you get to  see some really great scenery that anyone else would  miss.   (including you!   If you stayed in bed.) 

The sun rising over the water and the falling leaves were breathtaking.  

And now that Autumn is in full swing here in Kenosha,   I get a great shot of color and beauty on the way to and from the pond.  After spending 12 years in Iowa,   Seeing this much color is a sight to behold. 

I finally finished cleaning the fish and packing them up in the freezer.  And even though it is getting late,  I wanted to spend a few last moments writing down the experience.   It is not everyday that I get to go fishing.   And with this being my last day for the month... Possibly the season!   I wanted to jot down some thoughts while they were fresh in my mind.   

And while I still had the motivation to write...  Because it is getting late.    And I am trying to make every second count.

A Weekend With Cheryl.

 Cheryl came to Kenosha this weekend!   And.... unlike last weekend,   it was filled with more activity!   Which it funny... Because it did not seem like we did much.   But after going through the few pics that I took,  I realized we actually did more than I normally do on a weekend.    

So let's get started. 

I had to work Saturday night,  so Cheryl had to let herself into the house and wait for me.   During that time... The "Ghost Cat" welcomed her and made her feel at home.  

Oh!  I apparently have a cat.  I  have been told her name is "Moo Moo."  But I see her so infrequently, (And by infrequently, I mean twice over the last 2 months!)  I have decided to call her "Shadow."   On account of her black fur and avoidance of the light.  And she only comes out when Cheryl is visiting....   Witchcraft!   

Anyway,   I got home later than expected, but still managed to get up early for Cheryl's morning run.   I did not run with her this time,  since I am still trying to solve my sore foot issue.    But it was ok...  since I could ride around in the warm car and take her pic along the shoreline.   (Did I mention it was cold?  32 degrees!) Well, cold weather is fine for runners.   But not so much for those who have to stand around.  I should know.   I was a spectator for a 10 years while Cheryl raced across the three states.  

Getting up in the morning did allow me to capture some really great  sunrise shots over the beach.   They had predicted rain for the weekend, but it looked like the sun would come out and warm the day.    

But that all changed when we went to the Farmer's market.   This was the last weekend for the outdoor market in Kenosha,   and We managed to score some soap and cheese from our favorite vendors.  The few vendors who braved the cold were soon confronted with a light drizzle of rain.   I'm not sure how long they put up with those conditions, but it certainly made our visit brief.  

Soon after,  Dave called and needed a ride from the mechanic.   The Dodge sprung a leak in the brake line and he found stopping rather difficult with no brake fluid in the system.   (Um...  Kind of lucky things did not spin out of control!)   We stopped by and picked him up with the Silver Eagle Subaru and drove him home...  Where he was able to show off his cottage dwellings and entertain a bit.   We exchanged stories and enjoyed a beverage before heading off to the Trunk or Treat event happening at New Life. 

I happened to have a bunch of Halloween candy from the Haribo and wanted to share the joy.   Not to mention there was no way I was going to eat all of that candy myself.  (Even if I was thinking about trying!)   I met up with a few of the Shoreland Faculty and we were able to briefly catch up.   Ultimately I gave the box of goodies to the Hinzs  since Mrs. Hinz had mentioned that she enjoyed the Gummies last time I gave some away.   Also,  any that would be left over could me used as collateral when trying to bribe children into behaving....    Hey!  I did it with Donuts and cookies while at Shoreland! And sometimes it sort of worked!

So then... Off to the Pumpkin patch!   

Cheryl had mentioned that she wanted to get some pics of the "Jones" with some colorful, Autumn pumpkins.  Last time she was here, we visited the Apple Orchard, so this time I wanted to show her the Pumpkin Patch.   Slightly smaller, but similarly busy...  We dragged "The Jones" around and took his picture where ever we found color.   (Which was everywhere!)   

Luckily, we avoided the touristy events that called for an admission fee. And since the rain continues, we decided to head to someplace where it was a little more sheltered and warm.  

I don't know what it is about Tennudas, but Cheryl loves the place.   Probably because of the fancy cookies that they offer.   It is true that sometimes they have some very good treats and offerings....  But I find it a little claustrophobic or my taste.  She purchased her cookies while I stayed outside and enjoyed the fresh air....  and Space. 

By now, we were getting hungry.   And we noted the Kenosha Brewery that was fairly close to the house.   So we headed there next for a brewsky and a VERY Large pretzel!   The beer was good and we never finished the pretzel (Quitters!  I know, I know....)  But the place was warm and dry and I was ale to fold a couple dollar bill tips for the waiter.  

We checked out the Museum! 

Funny,  After racing the Turkey Trot and the Kenosha Marathon,  you would think that we had been inside the Museum before... But  we had not!   So we took this opportunity to check it out for real.   And there was no entrance fee!   We could walk through free of charge!  A great way to spend a couple hours looking at nature stuff. 

Cheryl also took this opportunity to pose the Jones with some of the displays.  

I forgot to mention that Haribo had advertised a  "Scarry Prarrie" 5K run yesterday.   You would think I would have been excited about such a thing... and I was!   The only problem was that it was at night. ( 5 PM.) and there was a threat of working on Saturday.  ( Second Shift!)  And I would have had to register at the last second.   

In addition,  I have the sore foot issue,   Cheryl had already run in the morning,  and it was... Raining and Cold!    As much as I enjoy being miserable,  that seemed like a few too many reasons in the "You should not do this one" camp.  So we drove by and cheered the people who were crazy enough to run that race.  And I got to show off the Rec Plex beer garden and fishing lake.   

By then, it was getting dark.   And we were feeling the drain of being on the go all day.   So we headed back home and curled up with a movie.    We watched the Documentary: "I Like Me." about John Candy.   A Great man who has been dead nearly 30 years now!   An entire generation has grown up possibly never seeing one of his movies, or even knowing who he was.  

I'm sure everyone has their favorites, but I believe "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" was his best picture.  It is one of the movies where I  remember laughing  so hard and could not stop. And every time I remember that scene. ( there were actually so many...but one in particular)  I still smile and laugh.  

He died way too young.    A Combination of bad habits, high stress, and a genetic defect with his heart.  (His heart was just too big!)  But he left a legacy that had touched a lot of people... Myself included.   It was a great way to end the day. 

And now it is over.   Ah, how quickly time flies by when you are with someone who's company you truly enjoy.   It was like catching up with an old friend.   Which is a cliche, I know.   But there is something wonderful about being able to be yourself with someone who gets you and understands the little quirks that others miss or that may annoy people.  It is also kind of cool to have someone who knows your thoughts and can share the same experiences.  A unique trait...

So now I have to catch up on things... like laundry.   And possibly a little shopping for the upcoming week.  I plan on relaxing for the rest of the day and see if I can make every second count.  

Also... Has anyone seen Jones? 

 

The New Kayak!

 After going out several times fishing in the Challenger inflatable Kayak,  I discovered a few of the "Limitations" that a small ( Focus on the small....) Inflatable kayak has.   And having had it for over a year, I felt I had enough information and experience with the "inflatable Kayak" realm to make an informed decision for an upgrade. 

I at least knew what I wanted and what I wanted to improve upon.   Since I was using my kayak mostly for small fishing ventures, I figured I would focus on that.  Walmart has a number of decent looking kayaks that were dedicated to fishing.  And they were inexpensive!  (Usually under $300!) 

But a hard shell Kayak was not what a really wanted.   Ok,  Technically I "wanted" it... But I did not like the burden of transportation... Meaning: I did not want to carry it on a trailer or the top of my Subie.  And looking at car top carriers that would give me a comfortable level of confidence, I noticed that would usually more than DOUBLE the price of the kayak....  So, No thanks!

I looked at folding kayaks.    Being an Origami guy,  you would think that the novelty of a folding Kayak would be a perfect fit for me.   It could be folded to the size that would easily fit in my car and would be expanded in a few minutes with minimal equipment!   But alas, there were things ( including price) that seemed to have additional limitations.   And I really did not like the looks of it that much...

So, I decided to go with another inflatable kayak.   A bit larger this time.  With a higher weight limit and more air chambers.  And I was not about to pay thousands of dollars for it!

The Intex Excursion 2 Fit the bill!  A kayak designed with fishing in mind.   It has two pole holders, a rack for portable mounts, and a Cell phone holder!  ( Not that I would use that... but maybe for a fish finder....)   I got the delivery on Monday and headed  to the water Tuesday morning!

Overall!  A success!   The pole holders were in an unusual location,  but at least I had them!   The kayak is designed with two passengers in mind, but I wanted the higher weight and durability of the pro one.   And when I found out that you can set up the two man kayak with a single seat, I was sold!  Best of all!  I would get in and out of the kayak without getting wet and muddy!

The only down side that had to be addressed was the seats. 

All of the revues pretty much said the same thing..  The seats are rather uncomfortable. And I know the kayak was affordable... But it did not feel "cheap"....  except for the inflatable seats.  

Now, I understand that there is possibly NO scenario where an inflatable cushion is comfortable.  You are basically sitting on a balloon.  And balloons are not known to be the best for support.   So your back and butt will hurt after a while.  But I also read that people purchased special kayak seats and replaced the inflatable ones with them.   So I looked into upgrading the seats.   Preferably with a decent back rest. 

And that is when God stepped in and provided the Perfect replacement.   A fold-able beach chair! 

I invited Dave out on Thursday for a test run of the new chair design.  I also wanted to test out my pocket sized Fish Finder!  In about an hour,  we landed a dozen fish and had a ball.   Dave used the Challenger and said he actually found it more comfortable than the Hard Kayaks he usually sits in. Unfortunately, he also found it to be nearly impossible to exit solo.   It helps to have a buddy pull you onto dry land if you don't want to get muddy.  

But best of all,  it folds up and fits inside the car! 

There are lots more features, but I do not want to turn this into an unpaid sales pitch.   Let's just say I am pleased with the purchase and look forward to making additional modifications and taking it out on some more adventures.  

I cleaned the fish last night and Dave and I enjoyed a few of them for lunch today.   Fish and Chips Friday!  A wonderful Wisconsin tradition that I have grown very fond of. 

 So maybe I can convince Dave into getting one and joining me on these little adventures.    After finally  saying goodbye to his big boat... Perhaps a smaller, simpler method of flotation would be a welcome change.  Then again,   he is a busy man and may not experience the same freedoms or space limitations that I do.  So,  that choice will be one  that may require a little more thought.  

And finally,  the finished Origami Dragon.   ( I was going to use the folding kayak as a segue. but it is late and all of my clever prose are fading....)   I did not like the head very much.   And as a result, I gave it away to a coworker who mentioned she would be thrilled if I had a dragon.  I used Wire to give this one support, but the wire was a little too heavy for my taste.   I could not hide it effectively.   So...  Best o get rid of it before I throw it away.   

And besides.  I can always fold another one. 

Tomorrow is a Warehouse event at the Haribo.   Associates and one guest or family member can pull up in a car and fill your trunk with Candy!   How cool is that?    

I originally thought Dave would be interested, but one of the Temps from Haribo wanted to go.  ( Temps are not associates..so they do not qualify.   Unless an associate brings them along as a "friend". )  So  together we shall fill our trunks with Gummy bears and twin snakes.   Maybe even smurfs! I don't really know what to expect.  It could be a couple boxes or a Full Pallet!  Or any number of combinations in-between.   We shall see how things go.  And if they are blogworthy,   I will hopefully have something to write about tomorrow. 

As for now,  I week flew by and I am ready for the weekend. I'm not sure what I will be able to accomplish this weekend , but I will do my best to make every second count.