So here it is, the fishing report...as promised. Have to say, one of the best days of fishing of my life. However, all day long it rained, rained, rained. I was out last night trying to charge my boat batteries in the rain---trying to keep the electrical cord covered and not short out the battery charger in the boat, etc. Until 3 p.m. today I thought my fishing trip was trashed, rain, rain, rain. My fishing buddy and I were ready to call it a rain check. However, about 3:30 p.m. the clouds parted, the rain stopped, and I went to the gas station and filled up the boat with gas and picked up my buddy Dan and headed to the Lake. I don't think we were on the Lake 10 minutes when we started getting hits. After 13 pike plus along the weedline we stopped keeping count, we had so much pike blood and tackle scattered about the boat it was hard to keep up with it. We had double hook ups together---then there was the one where I hooked a pike, landed it, thru the line back in and hooked another on the cast---it was incredible. Then, Dan hooked into a BIG PIKE and fought it for a couple minutes until his rod SNAPPED into THEEE sections, no lie. Then Dan pulled everything in and holding the rod in sections managed to land that fish!!!! It was hilarious, line and rod sections floating in the Lake and he still managed to put it all together and land that fish!!!
The sun came out and warmed us to delight. The boat started on the FIRST turn of the key, the boat and trailer and truck and boat launch all cooperated to form a symphony of joy. Maybe I should have purchased a lottery ticket today, I have been so lucky. However, even becoming a multi-millionaire would not have purchased the day I had. A good friend, more fish than I can count, a beautiful clear sky, the wind laid down, and I became one with the fish and the sky and the sea, it just doesn't get any better than that!!! Tight Lines, Happy Fishing My Friend!!!
Jeff
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Northern Exposure
Everyone has a favorite T.V. show. Michael and I, my brother, grew up watching and playing and always looking forward to watching SKY KING, one of the best T.V. shows of all time. Well, we only had four channels to chose from, but even today I like watching SKY KING, I have every episode if you want to come over and watch. It was about a rancher who flew a plane over his land, managing it, fighting off rustlers and evil, he was our hero. Mr. Kirby Grant, who played SKY KING, is still one of my heroes. In any case, in recent days, my favorite t.v. show is NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Well recent is relative, I think that my love of Norhern Exposure started in the 1990”s, but the year doesn’t matter much. In any case, I have every episode of that too, and watch it every now and then. However, my whole perspective on it has changed now that I am exposed to the ACTUAL Northern Exposure, the exposure to the Northern Woods.
In the t.v. show Norhtern Exposure, When Dr. Joel Fleischman first came to Alaska he was definitely a fish out of water, a New York City Boy placed into a small town where fishing and logging and dealing with cold and snow and winter were the life of everyday. This was not at all like catching the subway and going to the Met. Yes, here he was, thrust into the wilds of Alaska, a fish out of water. In the first episodes I saw I Identified with him. Afterall, I first moved up to Northern Michigan from the big city of Detroit. I was used to going to Tiger Stadium and Cobo Hall and seeing concerts and taking music lessons and generally being a big city boy. Then, here I was, cast into the wind of the Northern Michigan Winters and going from a junior high school of 600 (7th, 8th and 9th grades) to a High School in Pellston of 180. Yeah, that’s four classes, 9, 10, 11 and 12th grade about 180 at its peak. I think it’s much less than that now.
Yes, of course, I spent my summer vacations in Northern Michigan as a young boy, I stayed with my grandparents at the Lake. However, come August, I headed back to the Big City, I didn’t LIVE there, at the Lake. However, we moved up when I was in High School and LIVED there, but all I could think about then was getting out, and going to live in a Big City somewhere. Well, I did that, but the Big City caused me to seek to undo my wrongs and get back to the country of Northern Michigan. Yeah, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
So now, I’ve finally come back and I definitely live here in everyway, I work here, fish here, have friends here, my family is here. This is now home. Now, tonight, as I watch the t.v. show Northern Exposure, I find I can’t identify with Dr. Fleischman anymore, he’s like a fish out of water to me. I now identify with the folks who have been in that little town all their lives, wondering about this stranger who came from some big city and can’t understand how great life is here. I’m quite perplexed that he can’t find happiness in the forests and along the streams and in knowing everybody in town. This is life for me, everybody knows me, everybody knows what I have done and what I am about to do. In fact, today I was in a grocery store in Newberry some 27 miles from where I live and I saw a man from our little town of Naubinway. He asked me how I was and I said “great” and I was looking forward to going fishing tomorrow. He said yeah, he heard, he knew I was going fishing with a mutual friend tomorrow and the mutual friend was equally excited about it, in fact, the whole town knew about the fact that me, “Doc”, was finally going to go do some fishing. They were all talking about it and approved of the fact that I was going fishing with one of the areas best fishermen. They are happy that he and I are becoming friends, and equally happy that I could find sometime to go fishing. Now, think about that. How many people care and hope about whether or not you can get out and go fishing? Well, here, there are a few hundred people who really want me to go fishing tomorrow and want me to catch fish. They want me to be happy and have some time to do such things as go fishing. You know, I don’t think Dr. Fleischmen ever had that, maybe even Kirby Grant didn’t have such love and admiration. I am overwhelmed by it, humbled by it, and wonderfully pleased to be exposed to the Northern Woods way of life. I am very exposed, I can’t drive down my road without somebody knowing about it, I am “Northern Exposed”, and so happy about it beyond belief. I cannot express how great it is to be HOME.
God Bless,
Jeff.
In the t.v. show Norhtern Exposure, When Dr. Joel Fleischman first came to Alaska he was definitely a fish out of water, a New York City Boy placed into a small town where fishing and logging and dealing with cold and snow and winter were the life of everyday. This was not at all like catching the subway and going to the Met. Yes, here he was, thrust into the wilds of Alaska, a fish out of water. In the first episodes I saw I Identified with him. Afterall, I first moved up to Northern Michigan from the big city of Detroit. I was used to going to Tiger Stadium and Cobo Hall and seeing concerts and taking music lessons and generally being a big city boy. Then, here I was, cast into the wind of the Northern Michigan Winters and going from a junior high school of 600 (7th, 8th and 9th grades) to a High School in Pellston of 180. Yeah, that’s four classes, 9, 10, 11 and 12th grade about 180 at its peak. I think it’s much less than that now.
Yes, of course, I spent my summer vacations in Northern Michigan as a young boy, I stayed with my grandparents at the Lake. However, come August, I headed back to the Big City, I didn’t LIVE there, at the Lake. However, we moved up when I was in High School and LIVED there, but all I could think about then was getting out, and going to live in a Big City somewhere. Well, I did that, but the Big City caused me to seek to undo my wrongs and get back to the country of Northern Michigan. Yeah, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
So now, I’ve finally come back and I definitely live here in everyway, I work here, fish here, have friends here, my family is here. This is now home. Now, tonight, as I watch the t.v. show Northern Exposure, I find I can’t identify with Dr. Fleischman anymore, he’s like a fish out of water to me. I now identify with the folks who have been in that little town all their lives, wondering about this stranger who came from some big city and can’t understand how great life is here. I’m quite perplexed that he can’t find happiness in the forests and along the streams and in knowing everybody in town. This is life for me, everybody knows me, everybody knows what I have done and what I am about to do. In fact, today I was in a grocery store in Newberry some 27 miles from where I live and I saw a man from our little town of Naubinway. He asked me how I was and I said “great” and I was looking forward to going fishing tomorrow. He said yeah, he heard, he knew I was going fishing with a mutual friend tomorrow and the mutual friend was equally excited about it, in fact, the whole town knew about the fact that me, “Doc”, was finally going to go do some fishing. They were all talking about it and approved of the fact that I was going fishing with one of the areas best fishermen. They are happy that he and I are becoming friends, and equally happy that I could find sometime to go fishing. Now, think about that. How many people care and hope about whether or not you can get out and go fishing? Well, here, there are a few hundred people who really want me to go fishing tomorrow and want me to catch fish. They want me to be happy and have some time to do such things as go fishing. You know, I don’t think Dr. Fleischmen ever had that, maybe even Kirby Grant didn’t have such love and admiration. I am overwhelmed by it, humbled by it, and wonderfully pleased to be exposed to the Northern Woods way of life. I am very exposed, I can’t drive down my road without somebody knowing about it, I am “Northern Exposed”, and so happy about it beyond belief. I cannot express how great it is to be HOME.
God Bless,
Jeff.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Depression
My friend Eddy, who is the best friend ever made for anyone, told me I was depressed. I was slogging thru my days, feeling like I was doing a good job at my job but doing a terrible job of living my life. He said he didn’t understand it, considering I am married to the world’s most beautiful woman, have incredibly talented, smart kids, etc. Then, he figured it out, I was too far from home. He told me I needed to move back to my Michigan home and be with the freshwater sea and the hawks, eagles, seagulls and brook trout and hike thru the woods and cross-country ski and simply be me again. So, I took his advice and moved back to this winter-water-wonderland in the World’s most Spectacular Peninsula, the U.P.
I had actually talked to a psychiatrist colleague after the encounter with Eddy and he agreed, I was depressed. However, he didn’t get it either, I was living in a wonderful town in Ohio, married to the world’s most beautiful woman, have incredibly talented, smart kids, etc., how could I possibly be depressed? Sadly, I was. Now, don’t misunderstand my feelings about Findlay, Ohio, it is a great town, a family town, a wonderful place to be, if, well, you are from Ohio. But for a Michigan boy used to skipping school to go trout fishing with his Dad (yeah, he sanctioned it)---fishing on a May night until 10 p.m. when the “midnight sun” finally sets---hoofing it thru the swamp pulling along an aluminum canoe to find that magnanimous brook trout pond loaded with very ignorant fish that have never been fished at---well, Ohio sort of falls short of the glory.
Enter May, 2009, the World’s Most Best Friend Eddy says to me, and this is a paraphrase, not a direct quote, (because he is very precise and exacting sometimes and I cannot do him justice)---but, he said that it has “been great” to not see you depressed since April, 2008. I said “what do you mean?” He said that every time he called me on the phone in the past years my voice reflected being depressed, and just down, down, down. However, since I moved back to Michigan, he said, he hasn’t detected a hint of that old depression thing. Wow, that really hit me, and I started thinking about my life here in the U.P. I go to bed every night with my arms aching from the strain of re-modeling, hunting, shooting, fishing---moving timber and “stuff” from one garage to another and back again for the re-model and I realized I am no longer depressed. In fact, I couldn’t remember what that felt like, it was like a foreign country, really, it was weird, I couldn’t conjure up those sad emotions, hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember what that felt like, to be depressed. For now, I am so happy seeing the sun almost everyday over Lake Michigan. If the clouds come in, don’t worry, the southern wind will blow them away in a few minutes. Really, it is sunny over 300 days a year at my house---my weather station will attest to that. That’s the beauty of a “southern exposure”.
So, almost an entire year has passed since I felt those pangs of depression. I thought I was past that terrible abyss forever, until tonight. Yes, I have been free of depression for about a year until tonight. You see, my friend Eddy was up here visiting and hanging out with me for two weeks. Today, he had to go home, after-all, he has a wife and a life and a garage and a truck and some sort of southern exposure too. He was up here fishing with me, creating and building and laughing with me until the wee hours. We built bonfires on the beach, we built closets and attic rooms and he hung drywall and mudded and sanded until he worked himself into a pulp. I was long “mush” and tired before he was. However, when my arms gave out, he pushed me, encouraged me to go on, despite a body long unresponsive to motrin. The poor guy couldn’t even raise his arm above his navel after he was here with us, giving his life and soul and incredible strength to us. You have to understand, this friend, this man, has incredible strength beyond belief. I am not just talking about a long reach and physical strength, I am talking strength of character and perseverance and loyalty and “semper-fi” beyond belief.
You know, Eddy is not exactly a Christian, not a church-going guy, but he believes in love. He said to me yesterday, “my religion is my friends”, as I told him he was crazy to come up here and spend so much time helping out my ailing home and family. I was teary-eyed and just overwhelmed with his sacrifice. However, he could find joy in that, in fact, he could have fun in a freakin’ thunder storm and a hurricane. When the volcano blows, our Eddy would be putting up shutters and wiring a generator and keeping the anxious calmed with his sun-bursting presence---he is, the definition of friendship. He is a man’s man and easy in his skin and willing to go to the ends of the earth and to the cuts and ends of a 2 x 4 in an attic room full of crappy cellulose insulation for you. In short, he would give his life for you if you reach that inner circle of his friendship. Of all the friends I have had in my life, even Bible-Reading Christian friends and Pastors that sought to befriend me, they all fall far short of the glory of my friendship with Eddy---they always had too much to do when I needed them, but not Ed. Nope, not Ed.
Tonight I am reminded of those awful feelings of depression. Although I saw the Eagle fly, the sun shine over Lake Michigan and the seagulls chirping in my sleepy seaside, fishing village of wonderful people and joy, I am depressed. Yes, I feel those awful emotions again, yuck, sadness, despair, depression, yuck, where is God??? Where is joy??? My friend Eddy has departed, that is why I have these depressed feelings again. He has gone back to his own Love and his own Life and I am INCREDIBLY HAPPY for him at that. However, tonight is the first time in an entire year, that I feel those awful thoughts and pangs of depression, because our “Uncle Eddy” has gone back home. He, as always, left his sleeping place a better place. He, comes in to fill the void, he never takes anything, he has so much to give it is stifling. I only wish I had half the energy and love that is within him.
As I said above, I have had many “Christian” friends over the years, wonderful, incredible people, but they, like me, have too much selfishness within them---it’s so easy to say, “I can’t help you tonight because I have something I have to do”…. But, not Eddy, he always has that “something to do”, oh yeah, he always has “something to do” to help you, and be your friend, and support you and lift you up and care for you---he, in his profane way, exemplifies the Love of our very own God---he, sacrifices, restores, loves, brings you up near and over the mountain top because he loves you. I only wish everybody could have an Eddy like I do!!!! And then, the World would be a much better place!!!! Thank you Eddy, my friend, my brother, the definition of friendship and Godliness to his fellow man on this Earth!!!
I had actually talked to a psychiatrist colleague after the encounter with Eddy and he agreed, I was depressed. However, he didn’t get it either, I was living in a wonderful town in Ohio, married to the world’s most beautiful woman, have incredibly talented, smart kids, etc., how could I possibly be depressed? Sadly, I was. Now, don’t misunderstand my feelings about Findlay, Ohio, it is a great town, a family town, a wonderful place to be, if, well, you are from Ohio. But for a Michigan boy used to skipping school to go trout fishing with his Dad (yeah, he sanctioned it)---fishing on a May night until 10 p.m. when the “midnight sun” finally sets---hoofing it thru the swamp pulling along an aluminum canoe to find that magnanimous brook trout pond loaded with very ignorant fish that have never been fished at---well, Ohio sort of falls short of the glory.
Enter May, 2009, the World’s Most Best Friend Eddy says to me, and this is a paraphrase, not a direct quote, (because he is very precise and exacting sometimes and I cannot do him justice)---but, he said that it has “been great” to not see you depressed since April, 2008. I said “what do you mean?” He said that every time he called me on the phone in the past years my voice reflected being depressed, and just down, down, down. However, since I moved back to Michigan, he said, he hasn’t detected a hint of that old depression thing. Wow, that really hit me, and I started thinking about my life here in the U.P. I go to bed every night with my arms aching from the strain of re-modeling, hunting, shooting, fishing---moving timber and “stuff” from one garage to another and back again for the re-model and I realized I am no longer depressed. In fact, I couldn’t remember what that felt like, it was like a foreign country, really, it was weird, I couldn’t conjure up those sad emotions, hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember what that felt like, to be depressed. For now, I am so happy seeing the sun almost everyday over Lake Michigan. If the clouds come in, don’t worry, the southern wind will blow them away in a few minutes. Really, it is sunny over 300 days a year at my house---my weather station will attest to that. That’s the beauty of a “southern exposure”.
So, almost an entire year has passed since I felt those pangs of depression. I thought I was past that terrible abyss forever, until tonight. Yes, I have been free of depression for about a year until tonight. You see, my friend Eddy was up here visiting and hanging out with me for two weeks. Today, he had to go home, after-all, he has a wife and a life and a garage and a truck and some sort of southern exposure too. He was up here fishing with me, creating and building and laughing with me until the wee hours. We built bonfires on the beach, we built closets and attic rooms and he hung drywall and mudded and sanded until he worked himself into a pulp. I was long “mush” and tired before he was. However, when my arms gave out, he pushed me, encouraged me to go on, despite a body long unresponsive to motrin. The poor guy couldn’t even raise his arm above his navel after he was here with us, giving his life and soul and incredible strength to us. You have to understand, this friend, this man, has incredible strength beyond belief. I am not just talking about a long reach and physical strength, I am talking strength of character and perseverance and loyalty and “semper-fi” beyond belief.
You know, Eddy is not exactly a Christian, not a church-going guy, but he believes in love. He said to me yesterday, “my religion is my friends”, as I told him he was crazy to come up here and spend so much time helping out my ailing home and family. I was teary-eyed and just overwhelmed with his sacrifice. However, he could find joy in that, in fact, he could have fun in a freakin’ thunder storm and a hurricane. When the volcano blows, our Eddy would be putting up shutters and wiring a generator and keeping the anxious calmed with his sun-bursting presence---he is, the definition of friendship. He is a man’s man and easy in his skin and willing to go to the ends of the earth and to the cuts and ends of a 2 x 4 in an attic room full of crappy cellulose insulation for you. In short, he would give his life for you if you reach that inner circle of his friendship. Of all the friends I have had in my life, even Bible-Reading Christian friends and Pastors that sought to befriend me, they all fall far short of the glory of my friendship with Eddy---they always had too much to do when I needed them, but not Ed. Nope, not Ed.
Tonight I am reminded of those awful feelings of depression. Although I saw the Eagle fly, the sun shine over Lake Michigan and the seagulls chirping in my sleepy seaside, fishing village of wonderful people and joy, I am depressed. Yes, I feel those awful emotions again, yuck, sadness, despair, depression, yuck, where is God??? Where is joy??? My friend Eddy has departed, that is why I have these depressed feelings again. He has gone back to his own Love and his own Life and I am INCREDIBLY HAPPY for him at that. However, tonight is the first time in an entire year, that I feel those awful thoughts and pangs of depression, because our “Uncle Eddy” has gone back home. He, as always, left his sleeping place a better place. He, comes in to fill the void, he never takes anything, he has so much to give it is stifling. I only wish I had half the energy and love that is within him.
As I said above, I have had many “Christian” friends over the years, wonderful, incredible people, but they, like me, have too much selfishness within them---it’s so easy to say, “I can’t help you tonight because I have something I have to do”…. But, not Eddy, he always has that “something to do”, oh yeah, he always has “something to do” to help you, and be your friend, and support you and lift you up and care for you---he, in his profane way, exemplifies the Love of our very own God---he, sacrifices, restores, loves, brings you up near and over the mountain top because he loves you. I only wish everybody could have an Eddy like I do!!!! And then, the World would be a much better place!!!! Thank you Eddy, my friend, my brother, the definition of friendship and Godliness to his fellow man on this Earth!!!
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