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     I know this picture doesn't exactly look like the essence of tranquility, and I guess it's not. As you can see there is a little breeze blowing out of the Northwest I believe. However, the grey skies and rows of mist hovering over the mountains are a pleasant reprieve from the scalding hot weather we've been having. For what seemed like days on end we've had hot sunny weather. I know, I know, when it's cold and snowing and blowing, I'm complaining about that, so you would think that when the weather heated up and the sun came out I'd be tickled pink. It's more like sunburned red. If we could just experience a happy medium, you know, a few days of cloudy weather, maybe a day or so of refreshing rain and then two or three days of sunshine with temps up to about seventy degrees or so. When I 'm fishing I would prefer a high overcast sky or clouds with a misty rain so that I don't get drenched when I go out to the cockpit to pull a fish or two. What we've had lately though was sunny weather with temps in the mid eighties. Frankly, it's just too hot. I don't like to take my shirt off because I don't care for the sunburn that I 'll inevitably get, so I end up sweltering. It was even too hot to sleep the other night. I felt like I was back in Ohio on a summer evening. The sun and extreme heat always brings out the horseflies. If you've ever been bitten by one, you know that they don't just take a dainty little nibble out of your flesh, they take a mouth full that leaves a welt that you could plant a flag on. Those sapsuckers! I hate them intensely. When I'm out fishing on hot sunny days we have an ongoing battle with each other. If I'm out on the deck they are constantly flying around harassing me, waiting for a moment when my back is turned so they can take a chunk out of me. It's really hard for me to concentrate on my fishing, I'm so busy watching for those devious monsters. I arm myself with the wash down hose and blast the little suckers right out of the air like they were enemy aircraft. I take great delight in   looking at their saturated bodies as I wash them over the side of the boat. If they could talk they might beg for mercy, but I can assure you, there would be none. If your'e gonna come after me, be prepared to pay the price.When I'm inside the cabin they come flying in like they own the place. Almost always they make the fatal mistake of landing on one of the windows that faces forward. It is with the greatest of pleasure that I take off my hat and pummel them repeatedly until they fall dead or wounded onto the floor. They other day I think I must have killed at least fifty. They just keep on coming like Ghengis Khan and the Mongol hordes. I did get a reprieve while out fishing on Monday. The National Weather Service came on channel 16 and said there was a high wind warning due to thunder and lightning storms passing through the area. The wind could be blowing sixty and those stupid horseflies would grit their teeth and fly onward. However, they hate the clouds and rain. Thank God I live in a rainforest!

Comments

  1. Just past Crist pt I'd say,..Gedney Channel? Ben

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  2. Good blog dad, Can't wait till I can go out fishing with you. Horse flys better watch it

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  3. They are vicious. Once saw a jogger running down the road with a whole cloud actually chasing him! 90% deets didn't help him any. If sounds weird, but the only thing that keeps them off my face is a wide brim hat.
    Perhaps a beekeeper's outfit? :)

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  4. Hi Ben- yes, that's it exactly. Shortly after I took that picture the clouds evaporated and the sun came back out. At least it wasn't as hot as before. They keep saying it's going to rain, but it doesn't- the liars!

    Hi Camille- I hope that there are some fish around then- otherwise we'll have to spend our days swatting horseflies for entertainment.

    I always wear a baseball cap, but I also use it for swatting the horseflies. I was thinking I should invent an electric suit, then when they land on me, they'd get shocked to death. The problem is, I'm surrounded by water, and it would be my luck I would forget that I had the suit on start spraying down the boat, and I would get shocked to death.

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  5. I'm sorry I have a sick sense of humor, I'm sure I get it from you dad. But I can just see you wearing the electic suit and some smart sea lion decides to pay you back for all your negative comments and sprays you will water! :)

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  6. A more likely scenario would be me stepping out of the house with it during a rain storm. However, I have to ask, why do I always get the blame or credit for the way you kids are? You're all adults now, so it's gonna fall on you- good or bad. Besides,my humor isn't sick, it's just out of the ordinary.

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  7. I'd be more worried of falling off the boat into the drink with that suit on. This story was good dad.

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  8. Hey Brian-
    I guess that would always be a possibility. Getting wet- however it would happen- with an electrified suit on would be a disaster. I still wish I had some way to do those horse flies in. Maybe if I just covered myself in flypaper and stripped it and all the dead bugs off at the end of every day...

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  9. Kim and I put the double kayak in and paddled from our place to the harbor, chased all the way by those biting devils. I swear we both voiced the intent to jump in the water to escape them, but we ended up paddling like hell to get back home and run indoors. And I seldom cuss in print.

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  10. I know the feeling of wanting relief from these evil creatures. I can't see any reason for them to be on earth- they're a curse on man and beast alike

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