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All the other stuff — 8 Comments
20
Jan 11

Special Day

Today is a special day… it is my daughter’s birthday.  I thought this was worthy of a little reflection.

She’s 4 today… one of the tallest 4 year olds you are likely to meet. She has a fascination with crocs and alligators and has informed me that she is no longer interested in being a ballerina, but instead, she’d like to do science with dangerous creatures.  She’d like to be a herpetologist… and let me head you off at the pass there, that means someone who studies reptiles and amphibians.

I approve.

She also will no longer wear pants.  Dresses only.  I accept this, although it makes it tough in colder weather.

She still wants to fish with me and asks me to take her fishing often, although being in San Jose, that is not an easy request to fill.  I hope that she stays interested in fishing (and in me) although I know there will be an age (or decade) where that probably won’t be the case.

She has her own rod… a 2 weight and she’s played fish on it already.

I have a hopeful vision of her that goes like this.  Fast forward 20 years.  In casual conversation she mentions that she is going to go to the Bahamas to go fishing with her dad. Someone asks her how long she’s been fishing and she says “I don’t know, as long as I can remember… it is just something I’ve always done.”

At the aquarium in SF, watching the rays, sharks, pompano and one solitary baby tarpon

Happy Birthday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVam-fshUgw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

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All the other stuff — 2 Comments
23
Aug 10

A little Tahoe time

As happens to most of us, I recently had  a birthday.  In general, I have one of these things a year and I try to find myself on a river when it comes about.

This year I went with a couple of friends (John and Phil) up to do some exploring around Tahoe.  Most of my trout fishing has taken place a couple hundred miles North of here and I really have not poked around Tahoe too much.  I do so little exploring in my trout fishing these days, this was a welcome change of pace.

Brookie Central

Beautiful Blue Lakes Creek

We stuck to little creeks in part to help get my friend Phil into fish since he is a relative new-comer to fly fishing.  It worked.  Phil caught a few fish, including fish unassisted.   If you like Drum n Bass, you might dig Phil’s work in Bachelors of Science.

Phil landing a trout, solo

John doesn’t do anything interesting.  In fact, he kind of smells.  He’s old and maybe even a little bit “special.”  I’d add that somehow I think he out-pegged me in the catching department by about 2.  Out-catching a guy on his birthday… I’d call him a bastard except I’ve met his parents.  So, I’ll call him “bastard-ish.”

Look at him, all smug...

A bonefish is a special  species that has captured my imagination.  Rainbow trout are my “home” fish, if there is such a thing. However, I think that there be no more beautiful creature than a small brook trout.

Brookie

Good times were had.  More than a couple beers were drunk. Another one in the books.

I should add that we got absolutely soaked… the skies opened and let loose with buckets and buckets of rain and a little hail.  I think this is the first time that I’ve experienced rain on my birthday.  We tried not to let the rain get in the way, but the lack of rain jackets (or waders… I mean, it’s AUGUST) really did not end up in the “Plus” column.  Still… good times… good times.

Waiting in traffic to get to the toll plaza at the entrance of the Bay Bridge we saw a very, very odd thing.

WTF?

That's a dog... with a helmet... on a motorcycle.

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