That's Not Cool

I was back in the State of New York last week and took a drive up to the Croton near Somers. On my way I passed by the empty site of the fly shop in Cross River. Sadly gone and done! Small shops disappearing. But the biggest shocker was the news from Orvis, closing half their retail stores. Victims of those beautiful  tariffs. LL Bean prices are resembling those of Ralph Lauren and Gucci. The world economy is based on trade and the premise of someone overseas will be paying them is crazy. you and I are paying them. So don't throw out those old shirts. 

The Year of Losses

In my world this year is the year of losses, more friends have passed away and each and everyone of them left a hole in my soul. I will eventually fill that space with new adventures, make new friends, new experiences and as my grandchildren grow they will fill that space.

Death seems to come in waves. As a child I would meet a great aunt, uncle, cousin twice removed only to be taken to their wake. As a young adult, both my grandmothers passed within a year of each other. They were followed by a great uncle who was the man who introduced me to the love of the outdoors; fishing, archery, how to use a firearm and row a small boat. along with an sundry of skills like feeding the ducks and chickens, egg gathering and picking the best corn from a field. My aunt (his wife passed a few years later), could turn most wild game into a palatable meal. In my middle age I buried both parents and watched their siblings, pass as well as their wives. Death took a holiday till this year.

I don't fear death and I understand the cycle of life. Experience life and enjoy it now!

The Art of Writing an Essay

An exercise in writing 

Occasionally this blog contains some interesting and informative prose. The rest of the time it's just my brain leaking out my thoughts on the screen or paper. Awhile ago, okay  ten years ago, I took a three day course in formal report writing, the classroom work was three days the take home assignments were another story.

Each assignment pre and post report was read and graded with some interesting if not cruel analysis. Not to relive the horror, I did pass the course both the test and the final report. My grade was well into the 90's. They did have a prerequisite, that you're literate in English. A couple of things I did learn was : you cannot proofread your own writing, get a dictionary and do not trust spell and grammar check on the computer and never change the tense you started with. The last item was to use a font that is easily readable and a size that's not gigantic (just to make more pages). Keep your work on point, in an order of occurrence, no slang or tech talk. Write it for the audience. Be concise and to the point. Do not include conclusions or assumptions until the end.  

So what's the point? Writing is a lost art, I've read enough emails, texts and articles to see that. Putting words down on paper in a coherent manner is a skill. Like all skills, no practice and it will be gone. That's why I write this blog.

Now proof read that 22 changes needed

Occasionally, this blog contains some interesting and informative prose. The rest of the time, it's just my brain leaking out my thoughts on the screen or paper. A while ago, okay,  ten years ago, I took a three-day course in formal report writing. The classroom work was three days, and the take-home assignments were another story.

Each assignment, pre- and post-report, was read and graded with some interesting, if not cruel, analysis. Not to relive the horror, I did pass the course, both the test and the final report. My grade was well into the 90s. They did have a prerequisite: that you're literate in English. A couple of things I did learn were : you cannot proofread your own writing, get a dictionary, and do not trust spell and grammar check on the computer. Never change the tense you started with. The last item was to use a font that is easily readable and a size that's not gigantic (just to make more pages). Keep your work on point, in an order of occurrence, no slang or tech talk. Write it for the audience. Be concise and to the point. Do not include conclusions or assumptions until the end.  

So what's the point? Writing is a lost art. I've read enough emails, texts, and articles to see that. Putting words down on paper in a coherent manner is a skill. Like all skills, no practice, and it will be gone. That's why I write this blog.

Now Re-write

Occasionally, this blog features some intriguing and informative prose. The rest of the time, it’s simply my thoughts spilling out onto the screen or paper. A decade ago, I enrolled in a three-day course on formal report writing. The classroom work was straightforward, but the take-home assignments were a different story.

Each assignment, both before and after the report, was meticulously read and graded with some intriguing, if not harsh, analysis. I won’t dwell on the horror, but I managed to pass the course, both the test and the final report, with a grade well into the 90s. However, there was a prerequisite: you had to be literate in English.

One thing I learned from the course was that you can’t proofread your own writing. You need a dictionary, and you shouldn’t trust spell and grammar check on your computer. Another important lesson was to never change the tense you started with. Lastly, you should use a font that’s easily readable and a size that’s not gigantic (just to make more pages).

Keep your work focused, in the order of occurrence, and avoid using slang or technical jargon. Write for your audience, be concise, and to the point. Don’t include conclusions or assumptions until the end.

So, what’s the point? Writing is a lost art. I’ve read enough emails, texts, and articles to see that. Putting words down on paper in a coherent manner is a skill that requires practice. If you don’t practice, it will be lost. That’s why I write this blog.

Tight Lines

The Summer of My Discontent

Funny how life keeps throwing curve balls. Not that I am complaining, but this year I've lost a number of friends and associates. Some close, some distant, some I haven't talked to in years. Those popped up and suddenly silently passed. 

I've spent more time keeping doctor appointments than enjoying what I have. Don't read this the wrong way, I get up early to see the sunrise, watch the fish rise in the pond behind, my home (NO FISHING ALLOWED), seeing my pet gator cruise around or the heron slide a fish or snake down his long throat. My wife will keep me informed when she takes up our observation post of the number of turtles, and the black racer that lives in the bush by our lanai. On a good day I count Dragonflies, mourning doves, sandhill cranes and mocking birds. 

Fishing has been off since he moved south; blame red tide, suntan lotion and crowded beaches. I will get back to that sooner or later. My longest fishing pause was ten years. I was working continually since college and went to an outdoor show in Chicago. There I saw a guy tie a hares ear nymph, I discovered trout streams within a two hour drive, and the bug hit me again. I paused again in the 80's, too much work and raising my family. 

A summer trip to the Hungry Trout and I was back at it. That trip the hot fly was a spent wing black caddis. In the 90's I discovered the Carmens and spent the next 15 years or so visiting the river. As I lived on the north shore, spent a lot of my evenings fishing the salt. Heck it was a 5 minute drive. In the early 2000's I bought a kayak and then another. fishing for stripers and bluefish on the fly, in the back edges of stony brook and setauket. 

One lesson learned, adapt.