Muddler Minnow

Therefore I am...

This probably should have been my first post. My friends and family know why I chose the name Muddler as my nom de guerre. This then is to the lost soul who strays onto this page and doesn’t know me from Adam.

I enjoy fishing; especially fly fishing for trout. For that reason I thought it would be fun to choose the name of a trout fly pattern as my on-line identity. I considered several: Royal Coachman…too English, Pale Evening Dun…too…pale, Jock Scott…too Scottish, Black Ghost…too ethnic, Undertaker…too depressing, Green Butt…out of the question. Muddler? Ah, a possibility.

This fly imitates those little forage fish that stay close to the bottom of a stream. They’re a rather dull mottled brown for camouflage (the fly is tied using deer hair and turkey quill as its main components). All in all quite an ugly creation, but effective…the trout love them. If dressed with floatant, they can even be used as a passable hopper imitation.

As a verb, the word also means to befuddle.

I like it…therefore, I am Muddler.

Just Another Easter in Paradise

I spoke to Kim briefly this evening to wish her a good trip to Florida. She is going to meet Andi (and Liv) there this weekend to help Michael sort out some of the things that have to be, well, sorted out at Michael and Linda's "Winter Home" before it's sold. Michael had gone down earlier with a friend to clean up the property...they hadn't been down there since last Fall's hurricanes.

While talking to Kim, she reminded me that my house will again be a gathering place for Easter. Andi and her family will be in town, Kim of course, Michael, and I hope Toni (my "other" daughter) and Cory, her son. I hope Toni doesn't mind the title, it's bestowed with the best of intentions. I look forward to these get togethers each year, and should probably show it more.

I told Kim that I didn't know when Easter will be this year. Neither did she. Small wonder! Easter is traditionally observed on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or next after March 21. This is not to be confused with Easter Monday, which is the Monday after Easter and observed as a holiday in some countries and North Carolina. I'm not kidding...look it up. It's a wonder when people "get together" for Easter that they show up on the same day...the same month for that matter! You can scramble around looking for you Farmer's Almanac, but I'll tell you that this year Easter is on March 27th. It will be cold and nasty regardless of what the seers say about March going out like a lamb...balderdash!

Where are those Easters of my youth when the sun always shined and a warm breeze stirred the daffodils in the garden. Poe knew from whence he spoke...Nevermore.

Elli, 2004

Sic Gloria Piscatoria

Don emailed me yesterday and concluded his message with, "Sic Gloria Piscatoria". I pondered two things upon reading that phrase: 1) Why wouldn't Don end his message with "Tight Lines" like every other fisherman I know and 2) What the Hell does that mean.

My initial assumption was that it meant "Gloria's fish wasn't well", then on second thought it occurred to me that it might be some vague sexual reference to Gloria Esteban. As luck would have it Don sent me a second message with the following translation:

"Actually I believe it is something like, ' Thus glorious fishing' or possibly something else like 'Thus fishing in glory' or..........it may not mean anything at all. I just made it up to sound intelligent in hopes that you would put it on your blog site."

I Saw That

The reason I'm writing and showing the picture that follows is to prove to Kim and Andi that their dear old dad actually got off his fat late February butt and did something...infinitesimal as it may be. The space shown below used to house the freezer. In order to remove the freezer there was some slight of hand involving a shoe horn and some Vaseline, however I won't bore you with those details.

I will admit that the most difficult part of the project was returning a new circular saw to its carrying case. The label said "made in China"; this isn't surprising because the technique necessary to store the saw requires the imagination of a Chinese finger puzzle and the dexterity of a Chinese fire drill. I managed, and everything is cleaned up.

Speaking of cleaning up, Larry is forever fretting over the dust he creates in his workshop at his house. I have a solution for him. Do as I did, and cut all your material in the kitchen. The thought of cooking and consuming food in that environment provides the incentive to vacuum all your waste up immediately.

Hopefully Spring will rear its lovely head sooner rather than later, and I won't be forced to be creative again any time soon. The entire project was far too taxing; which reminds me that April 15th will be here before we know it.....but that's a different entry.

Hobby Bench

From Don....always good for a story

An Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgun in one hand pulling a male buffalo with the other and says to the waiter, "Want coffee." The waiter says, "Sure chief, coming right up." He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee. After drinking the coffee down in one gulp, the Indian turns and blasts the buffalo with the shotgun, then just walks out.

The next morning the man returns. He has his shotgun in one hand pulling another male buffalo with the other. He walks up to the counter and says to the waiter, "Want coffee." The waiter says, "Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What the heck was all that about, anyway?"

The Indian smiles and proudly says, "Training for upper management position. Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day.

Ponder This

Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?

Tip the Chip?

A while ago, Larry and I were talking about tipping. Not how much to tip, or who to tip; but the concept of tipping. Larry doesn’t like it. He believes that a restaurateur, for example, should pay their employees a sufficient wage, so that the patron shouldn’t have to supplement their income with a tip. I understand this; however, we all know that the guy who owns the restaurant will not reduce his profit to pay his employees more money; he will charge more. In the end we will be spending the same amount and be deprived of our ability to demonstrate our gratitude (thus gratuity?) for a job well done…or not.

While I usually tip 20% for services rendered, I like the idea of being able to tip less for that person with a chip on his shoulder.

How Depressing

I was hoping to avoid long entries in these posts, however I happened across what I thought to be an interesting site. Following is a quote from the site and its URL if your interested.

"The genesis of the Great Depression lay in the inflationary monetary policies of the U.S. government in the 1920s. It was prolonged and exacerbated by a litany of political missteps: trade-crushing tariffs, incentive-sapping taxes, mind-numbing controls on production and competition, senseless destruction of crops and cattle, and coercive labor laws, to recount just a few. It was not the free market that produced twelve years of agony; rather, it was political bungling on a scale as grand as there ever was."

http://www.fee.org/vnews.php?nid=4095

Beefeater and Tonic...It's What's For Supper

Earlier this evening I was chatting with a woman from England. Just to keep things “light”, I said, “So, how’s Charles and Camilla?”. Big mistake. If things were a bit tense regarding England’s view of the United States, that question may have pushed the limeys over the edge, and it might behoove us all to seek shelter lest we suffer the wrath of an irate British populace.

I mention this because the fact is; I don’t get it. From what I can tell, the Monarch de jour, rides around in a horse drawn carriage, waves to the “little” people of her (his) Kingdom with the back of her hand, and spends the rest of her time worrying about what people may think about the propriety of various members of the Royal Family.

Who, pray tell, cares if Charles was married to a babe some years back, or that the babe left him because of his dalliances with Camilla (although that was a very weird picture, you must admit), or that Charles may or may not have been caught with his pants down (at least Camilla is of the female persuasion….I think), or that a prince wears a swastika to a halloween party, or that the afore mentioned babe took up with an Arab gazillionaire, or…..well you get the idea. The Family just doesn’t matter any more. So, keep a stiff upper lip, get over it and while your at it, have a Beefeater and Tonic on me.

Cereal City

Saugatuck is like granola. Take away the fruits and nuts and all that's left are the flakes.

~Paraphrased from a remark made about San Francisco~

Who Said.....

...social security can furnish only a base upon which each one of our citizens may build his individual security through his own individual efforts.

http://ssa.gov/history/

....and the worst of times.

I went to dinner at Don and Dort’s last night. Chicken Parmesan, zucchini, and homemade bread were the fare: delicious. Where Dort found fresh peaches for desert in the middle of February is a mystery. Joe was there (Pam was in Florida helping her dad after some surgery he had), and Ned and Toni were there as well. All friends I’ve known since college or soon after moving to Michigan.

After dinner, over coffee and drinks, the conversation drifted to the state of the Union. Joe had left and Dort and Toni had gone to check something on the computer. Alas, I found myself alone with two staunch liberals (well, at least a bit to the left of center).

Without getting into the gory details of the discussion, the thrust of their comments centered on the notion that we live in the worst of times. Under the leadership of our august president, they contend, things will only get worse. For example, Don is convinced that if Bush has his way with social security, he will lose the benefits he’s due and his children will fare even worse. Ned is convinced that it is the corruption brought about by the rich and powerful that will bring the country to its knees. To compound this travesty, Bush is a liar and in the pocket of big business. Add to this mix the war in Iraq, and we’re clearly on the brink of Armageddon.

I know I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but it seems to me Americans have remarkably short memories. Every generation has faced its own demons, running the gambit of wars, finances, corruption, health care and social reform. Most generations faced issues far more ominous and treacherous than many we face today. Although it isn’t my intention to minimize the tenuous position in which the United States finds itself in the world community, in the long haul, we have not only survived, but the nation as a whole has prospered.

So, maybe our forefathers who faced the corruption of Teapot Dome, the machinery of Boss Tweed, the unfair treatment of workers in the sweatshops of the 19th century or those forced to trade in the company stores of the early 20th century would look enviously at the prosecution of the corrupt CEO’s of our time. Perhaps those that survived the crash of ’29, and lived through the decade that followed would welcome some of the proposals set forth today attempting to help the economy or reform the Social Security System (even Roosevelt’s administration believed that social security was not a long term solution, and would need revision). Possibly even those that fought in the divisive American Revolution, the Civil War, both World Wars, the Korean War, Vietnam and lets not forget the cold war (and all the conflicts in between where Americans lost their lives and loved ones) would find a war that could conceivably bring democracy to a tyrannized people, a noble endeavor.

In the end, as fun as it may be to pretend otherwise, I suppose I’m a “glass half full” kind of guy. For those that find the glass half empty, rest assured the country will survive (it turns out our founding fathers were quite bright), and if you’re dissatisfied with our direction, the election is less than four years away. Who knows, we may all look back at these as being ......the best of times.

Incidentally, I think Oswald was the only shooter in Dallas that day, and it really was a weather balloon in Roswell.

Motto

Just because we're a borough doesn't mean we're all jackasses.

~Moto suggested for Kenilworth, NJ, by Hazel Murphy~

Thanks I needed that!

Notice the date of this entry. The picture below reminds me that, "Yes Virginia", there is a summer in South Haven. I need to be reminded of that during February and March of each year. Last February it was so bad I bought a Jeep in anticipation of taking its top off during the balmy days that lay ahead. I'm pretty sure that's why last summer was so cold.

South Haven's South Beach, July, 2004

How Old?

It takes about ten years to get used to how old you are.

~unknown~

What's The Matter With Kids Today

Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.

~Socrates (470-399 B.C.)~

The French

In Marseilles they make half the toilet soap we consume in America, but the Marseillaise only have a vague theoretical idea of its use, which they have obtained from books of travel.

~Mark Twain~

Old Age and Dogs

Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to.

~Joe Gores~

Landi....3 months

W.

I like George W. I know, in some circles that isn’t a very popular position, but it’s true.

Over the years W. has been accused of being an intellectual lightweight, and a jackbooted thug trying to get even with Iraq for the sins he perceived were committed against his father.

His foreign policies have been characterized as ill conceived and poorly thought out. His domestic (particularly economic) policies are said by some to be hogwash and doomed to failure.

Is George a stupid man? Setting aside the fact that he graduated from one of the most prestigious schools in the country, I contend that no man attains the office of the President of the United States of America if he is inept. While it’s true that the man can’t correctly pronounce the word “nuclear”, it’s just as true that men like John Kerry must believe that there is an “r” in the word “wash”. It’s just not important enough to matter. (Although, I personally wish both would take the time to learn the correct pronunciations of the words).

Is the President getting even with Sadam for transgressions against his father (including an assassination plot)? I don’t think so. I do think that the dictator of Iraq was pulling the chain of the U.N. by not adhering to the conditions they set forth at the end of the Gulf War. The U.N. is so ineffectual (or corrupt), that Sadam misjudged the likelihood of any reprisals for his brinksmanship. Evidently he didn’t count on the resolve of W. As for the WMD; I’ll comment on that another time. For now suffice it to say, the World believed Iraq had these weapons, not just the president.

Regarding his economic policies; I believe his tax cut helped the average citizen, and aided the economy of the United States as a whole. Unemployment is moving down. Slowly to be sure, but at a little over 5% it's the lowest it’s been since 2001. Our GNP is stable and in the fast changing climate of the global economy, that’s no small task. These two indicators alone reflect a basically sound economy. There are problems, but an economy can be compared to a super tanker. From the time the bridge orders "full speed ahead", or "hard to starboard", there's a considerable passage of time before the result of the order is perceived.

At this moment, George’s biggest drive is for reform of the Social Security System. The intricacies of this issue are far too complex for me to understand. However, it makes sense that the 70 year old program was conceived during and for a different era in American history. S.S. has been described as a political “hot potato”. At least our president has the courage to raise the question and propose a revision.

Why do I like George W.? I believe he is essentially an honest man, and that’s more than we can hope for from the wonderful world of politics. Is he a great president? Only the passage of time will determine that; I have a gut feeling that history books will speak well of him.

As a last thought; I believe most Americans think basically as I do. That’s why W. won the last election. Furthermore, I believe his opponents still don’t get it.

In the beginning...

In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.

~Mark Twain~

Ice Fishing and Fish decoys

Fish decoys, in their present form and use, probably originated among the Native American of Alaska, Canada, and the Great Lakes region. The oldest examples in existence today were fashioned from stone, bones, antlers, and shells. We can assume that some of the earliest fish decoys were also carved from wood but did not withstand the test of time, as did those made from harder material.*

Winter spearfishing with the use of a decoy has long been a method of sport fishing. It was practiced in most of the Midwestern states, New York, and New England well into the twentieth century, and it still thrives today -- with some restrictions -- in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.*

Decoys are used to lure pike, muskys, and sturgeon. While sturgeon decoys are large, and attract the fish probably from curiosity, pike and musky decoys are smaller, and attract these predators because they resemble natural prey. When the fish approaches the decoy, a spear is dropped through a hole in the ice and the impaled target is retrieved through the hole.

I don't ice fish and I don't agree with the philosophy of spearfishing. I believe it has a negative impact on the pike and musky populations, and therefore diminishes the quality of fishing with rod and reel. After all, there can be no catch and release when fishing with a spear.

I do, however, respect spearfishing as a time honored tradition in this country and hope that fish decoy carving remains as a form of American folk art.

The photos below show some examples I've carved from bass wood (Linden). Each is lead filled for balance in the water, and each sports copper fins which can be bent to fine tune the swimming action of the decoy. All tail fins are carved. Each decoy is painted with artist's oils and the eyes are either copper or plastic.

Remember these are working decoys and not exact representations, so don't view them with too critical an eye.

*Carving Fish Decoys A Traditional American Folk Art by James T. Cottle

Rainbow Trout 

Brook Trout 

Bluegill 

Steelhead Trout 

sucker 

Perch 

Family Loss

On Monday at 1:34 in the afternoon, Michigan time, my daughters' mother passed away. That may seem like an odd way to identify Linda Parker, but she and I were no longer married. In fact, she had been married to her husband Michael for nearly 30 years.

Allow me to share a bit of recent history. Kim, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer late in the Winter of 2004. By Spring she had a Lumpectomy and soon after began chemo and finally radiation therapy. I can't describe how positive and upbeat she remained during this difficult period. She was supported by her family throughout this ordeal --particularly by her mother. It was during this time that Linda, too, discovered a lump on her breast, and sought treatment of her own. In early January, 2005, she and Michael visited the MD Anderson Hospital in Texas and was told that the cancer had metastasize and that she would likely die within 3 months...she lived less than a month. Kim is now a cancer survivor, and all who know her are truly thankful for that.

Andrea (my youngest daughter), Kim and Michael have been on the front line in this very personal battle, and I love them all for their strength and courage supporting one another during this most difficult time in their lives.

Kim will participate in the Mother's Day Y-Me race in Chicago on May 8, 2005. I would encourage everyone to visit this website and support the efforts of all of the teams: Y-Me.

Miss Manners

It's okay to laugh in the bedroom so long as you don't point.

~Will Durst~