Fishing

 I have always loved fishing. 

Even if you dont catch anything there is the enjoyment of being out on nature and away from the pressures of everyday life.

I had been feeling kinda flustered and under some pressure because I had a bunch of physical work that needed to be done but I was behind since my hands had not fully recovered from surgery on my thumbs. Running a chainsaw isn't on the list of approved activities during recovery and I had a 100 year olf fir tree that was dead and needed to be turned into firewood.

It was a beautiful morning forecast for the next day, so I loaded my little rowboat in the back of my old  pickup truck and drafter my daughter to be  my fishing partner, and set the alarm clock for 6:00.

This is the only time I set my alarm clock since I retired. To go fishing.

It was still dark when we hit the road, stimulated by a couple of cups of coffee.

As we came areund the corner and exited the Hiway, the sun was just peeking out from behind a light spread of clouds. A light whisp of fog was lying over the top of the lake, drifting along at the whim of a light breeze, the sunlight reflected off of the water gave the lake a slight orange cast. I stopped the truck and just sat there for a moment just drinking it all in.

With the optimism of fishermen all over the earth, I unloaded the boat and we transferred out gear into the boat. Rowing was my chosen occupation. I like the low impact exercise of rowing. Quietly dipping the oars and rotating them in aa slow and steady pace inserted me into the peace and  quiet of the scene.

My daughter put on a worm and dropped it overside, I had not even baited op, but there was a trout so eager to be caught that he impaled himself on the hook before we had gotten twenty feet from the dock.

I dropped my line over the side and went to help her boat the fish. Before I could get to her, I, too had a fish on. She had a 10" trout and I had a 8" perch. I then rowed to the south side of the lake to our usual spot. we caught and released loads of perch, keeping only the ones we figured were worth cleaning.

We were down to our last few worms ans Lisa was attending to a line snarl. her worm was dangling over the side a couple of inches over the water when we heard  splash. we were startled and glanced over where he worm hung and a widening ripple of water showed where a fish had come out of the water to try to get the bait.

we were startled when the fish turned back for a second pass. He hit the bait a second time and it flew out of his mouth. Lis grabbed her pole and tries to coax him around for another attempt. Once she hd the polee in her hand, the fish was nowhere to be seen. after she got frustrated trying to attract hi, I sggested she fix her line, which still had a tangle.

She set her pole down, exactly like it was before.

The fish came back and hit the bait for the third time. This time he hooked himself.

We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

We were out bait and I figured we had probably used up all f out luck any way, so we put away out gear and started back.

Final score 4 nice trout 25 good sized perch an incredible sunrise. Fish that actually caught themselves. A memory that will remain with me forever.

Little House

 I can't pass up a good deal.

So I bought a little house, I know it is a thing lately, but I do like the idea of a small portable living space. All of the RV type of things I have ever owned just didn't really fit my desires

We had some people buy the land next door with the intention of "homesteading" but they had no idea what they were getting into. They got ripped off by the company that cleared the land they had no idea that there was a two year backlog in new house construction. 

They bought a trailer to live in and bought a little house bare shed 15 X 30, and had it delivered. Then they finished it out. Divided the interior into a bedroom, bathroom living room and kitchen. Ran all the electrical wiring and plumbing, Sheetrocked the interior, and put some cheap plywood down for flooring. they put in a refrigerator and stove, tub sinks shower.  put in a countertop in the kitchen. Painted everything. 

Then their plans fell apart and they are going to move, so they offered up the little house for sale. They had invested over $40,000 in it, I offered them $37,500 for it and they accepted my offer.

Lets just say that getting it moved turned out to be more of an adventure than I counted on. After much sweat and cursing and frustration and a bunch more money, it now sits on my property. Not where I wanted it. but it is here.. It still needs a bunch of work, so we have been working on getting it hooked up to water and electricity.

There is no moisture barrier for the floor. so we have to pull up the flooring and add that and then put in some good flooring. They did a terrible job of doing the countertop, so that all needs to be taken out and done over, but none of those things is expensive, just time consuming.

I think that when all is said and done we will have about $45,000 into it all done. I have checked areund anf similar units, fully furnished run 60 t0 70 grand.

Should turn a nice profit.