Friday, March 13, 2009

The Worm Has Turned...


I pulled my workboots out of the garage and cleaned them and dried them and then waxed them up to waterproof them for climbing in the snow. Workboots are not really hiking boots- the steel toe makes them heavy- but they work good for climbing Mt. Shasta because "Avalanche Gulch" is an enormous scree pile full of sharp nasty rocks that like to roll over and nip at your ankles when you hike up and down it.

Imagine hiking up a six thousand foot pile of rocks...

I planted a Santa Rosa Plum tree in memory of my sister, and then went looking for a pear tree that would do well around here. Before I confounded myself trying to pick a pear type I liked, I ran across a tree that had four different pear branches grafted onto the same almond tree root stock.

Cool. Psychedelic pear trees...

There are quite a lot more fishermen (and women) down at the lake these days. I walk by them with my dogs and entertain myself with fish stories of my own.

"Hi. Watcha fishing for?"

"Trout"

"Cool. Some guy who was here right before you caught three really nice bass."

"Bass?"

"Yeah. 3 pounders. Right where you're standing. Right before you got here."

"Bass?"

"Big ones. Have a nice day..."

--OR--

"Hi. Catch anything?"

"Just got here."

"Oh yeah. You're not that guy. There was a guy here right before you got here. He pulled in the biggest trout I've ever seen come out of this lake. A wall fish. He was already shoutin' about having it mounted and hung over his fireplace..."

"Right here?"

"Just before you got here. Have a nice day..."

I don't know why I do it. But the look on these people's faces makes me keep on doing it...



I have a new exercise routine. I get on the Cybex recumbent bike in the mornings and ride for an hour. Mum needs someone to help her get in and out of the tub and cook her up breakfast, so I mount and dismount the bike while doing these things, watching the DOW go down most days while the news plays in the background. I'm thinking my metabolism needs to get cranking earlier in the day, and this will get the chubby out of the sytem faster. I still either walk or ride every afternoon and do a core routine most days. I really should be losing the chubby faster than I am, but at least I'm feeling fit enough to be planning a Shasta climb for the early summer...

Spring is sneaking up on us. And I'm getting ready.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that spring is on the way. I can't wait to put time into working in the yard and walking by the lake. But I think I'll leave the fishing people alone!

meno said...

A new sport is born, Fisherman baiting!

I like it.

Jeannie said...

I can hear my Dad playing the fishermen like that...

I'm jealous that you are so diligent with the exercise. And I know it's my own fault.

Cheesy said...

The laces are to match your purple pants I take it?
As for the fishermen...
I've said it before... BRAT! lol

kario said...

Asian pear trees do quite nicely in your climate and the flowers are gorgeous. The fruit is expensive and delicious, too!