12 MORE DAYS!

12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!12 MORE DAYS!

Season's End

Well, another track season in the books. I'm quite proud of these kids this year. I'm really gonna miss some of these eighth-graders. We had 28 qualify for conference finals, and had a great showing there.

Decided to have an outdoor ice cream party instead of an indoor pizza party. I think we have started a tradition. After the sappy speech from the head coach, the kids descended upon the ice cream like a pack of wolves on an elk.

When the junk food fix was done, it was a free-for-all on the high jump mats. Once again, it makes me so happy to still see kids have fun and entertain themselves without the aid of modern electronics or without one of us to tell them what to do. No arguments, no fights, just a bunch of kids running around enjoying each other's company.

Flyfishing Final

Well, we did it. The first ever Blaine Middle School flyfishing class was completed today. Back in March we originally had 27 kids (21 boys and 6 girls) sign up for the first class, and today eleven (9 boys and 2 girls) completed their final exam on Silver Lake. We had a blast, with kids fishing from shore, in rowboats, paddle boats, a motor boat, and some goofy, kayak-looking thing. We managed to land over 20 rainbows and cutthroat on flies the kids tied themselves. Ironically, the kids and/or parents who tried bait and lures were way outfished by the ones who stuck with the flies.

Turned out to be a nice day, especially during the mid-day barbecue. It was so very nice to just be able to enjoy being around some of our nicer kids and their families. It does much heart-warming to see these younguns having fun outdoors with no videos or T.V. and where the cell reception is bad enough to keep all of the phones off.

Thanks to Ed Megill, Holly Bullock, Dad and Mary, and also to Klaus, Dan, Larry, and Frank of the Fourth Corner Fly Club. And also a big thanks to Jerry at Kauffmann's for donating a bunch of fine fly-tying material.

You Gotta See It!

Just put The Blindside on the T.V. What a fun flick!
I thought I had the hots for Sandra Bullock before, but now I'm positively smitten.
This is the best sports flick since Remember the Titans.

An Evening Worthy of the Title

Just a classic sloth and gluttony kind of night. So much to do, haven't done shit. Unless you count putting a load of clothes in the wash. Haven't even put them in to dry yet. House guests for the weekend, place is a heap, fridge is empty, fly class tomorrow. As soon as school gets out, I'm heading for the woods for two solid weeks to get the head on straight and the body cleaned out. Nothing but mountain biking, hiking, fishing, spey casting, and cold water swimming. Gotta hold it together until then.

If I had any brains I'd use this computer for target practice, along with the T.V.

Slivers, Rivers, and Mothers Day

Weekends just don't get much better, except the fact that the camera hid on the kitchen table again this weekend.

The ill-planned track meet (the second meet this week) that I was semi-dreading turned out to be a great kick-off to the weekend. Even with one ice pack, two bandages, and a removed splinter (stupid hurts), the meet was a resounding success for the mighty Borderites (what a stupid name for a mascot). The kids competed wonderfully, and the boys 4x100 relay was the most dramatic of the season, as the guys came from dead last to win the race without two of our fastest guys. The girls managed to kick butt in the field events as our list of female runners on the I.R. is increasing.

That was followed up by a 5 1/2 drive to Sandy, Oregon Friday night/Saturday morning. I talked my buddy Ken Hubbard into meeting me there. It seemed like a decent midway point between Bellingham and Eugene. We fished with Marty Sheppard of Little Creek Outfitters. I had met Marty's wife, Mia on the Skagit River this winter, and thought it would be fun to book atrip with them for this spring. Damned glad i did. Hubbbard and I always have fun, but Marty even made it more fun. The guy is the best casting instructor I have worked with. My casting improved a ton, and Ken had fun learning to fish a spey rod for the first time. What a warm, sunny day on the river. Just what the doctor ordered.

After fishing for a while this morning, it was time to head for Buckley for Mother's day with Mom, Tom and Family, and his in-laws. The food, as usual, was way too good, and the company wasn't badd either. It feels like summer. Not yet, dammit!

I Heart Track Meets

You know, the difference between track meets and ball games is that a track meet is more like an event. It's priceless to see a kid who you had to talk into doing an event, because they had no confidence, experience success. Priceless. There's a feeling of relaxed camaraderie you don't get when you're having to deal with playing time and defending the other team.

That first sentence reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw Spring Break in Idaho:

What's the difference between rodeo and football, baseball, and basketball? You only need one ball to play the other sports.

Yee haw!

Winning the Parent Lottery

I've been working with kids now for close to 30 years now. That's hard to believe and even harder to admit. So I've had a chance to see hundreds if not thousands of parents over the years. Some parents I've admired tremendously, and some have been total pieces of shit who should have never had kids. Most have been somewhere in between the two.

It's led me to be grateful for the two who brought me into the world. Now Mom and Dad are far from perfect, as evidenced by the fact that they are no longer together. But I've been blessed with a mom who has a great sense of humor and who loves her kids and grandkids completely and unconditionally. And I have a dad who will do anything to help those he loves, which is a pretty exclusive list to be on.

I've really been struck by this the last two weekends.

Pondering Ponderosas

So I was kicking around in the Tumor Tube for the last time yesterday, on this here lake, and I started thinkin', see. What is it about Ponderosa Pines that makes them so cool? Is it the bark? The long needles? The pine-fresh scent? The shade they give in the heat of summer? I'm not sure, but I never get tired of looking at them or being around them.