Saturday, May 16, 2009

Vacation Return


We’re backkkk!

As you can see, I caught at least one monster bass! The pictured fish, of course, is the minnow that I used to catch the monster bass, which would not fit in to the frame of the photo.

Actually, I didn’t have much fishing luck. I caught two small ones. The pictured one is by far the biggest of the two. I did, however, have some fishing “fun.” It was enjoyable to slip my way around the lake, fishing from small cove to small cove with hopes high. Lana often accompanied me and I’m sure she’ll show you some of the great photos that she got, including delightful pics of some Canadian goose chicks, and lots of herons and egrets.

It was unfortunately hot during the middle of the days so we tended to nap at those times and get out during the morning and evening hours. We saw lots of interesting plant life and in a night walk I saw many hundreds of fireflies, a sight I haven’t seen since childhood. We also visited the park’s deer research facility where we saw many ear-tagged whitetails.

I didn’t do any writing during the trip, but I read a lot, including The Saga of Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, a Star Trek novel called “Time for Yesterday” by A. C. Crispin, and The Force, a 1987 horror novel by a friend of mine named John Edward Ames. The Swamp thing piece was interesting but I felt it was fairly flawed. I very much enjoyed the Star Trek book, which was a sequel to Crispin’s Yesterday’s Son. That book introduced Spock’s son, who had been born without Spock’s knowledge in the past, after the events of the very last original Trek Episode, “All Our Yesterdays.” I also enjoyed The Force, which took me back to those enjoyable days of 1980s horror.

Another book I started reading was The Lost Notebooks of Loren Eiseley. Eiseley, who is dead now, was my favorite nature writer. He viewed nature with both the eyes of a scientist and a poet, and it was an effective combination. Eiseley was a compulsive writer and note taker but didn’t have his first book published until he was fifty years old. I found that inspirational and it’s renewed my commitment to my own writing. I plan to dedicate this summer to writing and reading, and that may mean somewhat less blogging. But I’m not giving up blogging and will be visiting blogs again starting today. Writing must again become my focus, though.

A final thing I realized is that I’m very lucky to have most of the things I want right here in my house. It’s good to be home.

Now, I'm off to make my blogging rounds. I got a big kick out of the comments on my last post, and I must single Wil out for most creative response to my vacation. I better check there first to make sure he's still alive!

By the way, I just checked Google Reader and found 407 posts. No way I'll be able to catch up with all of those so I'll have to just pick up from today. Sorry about that, but I don't want to die of finger cramps.

-----
-----

43 comments:

Cloudia said...

Back from the wild! I envy you your vision of fireflies. Aloha and thanks for your visits to my blog. Don't cramp your fingers, we love ya...

Thumbelina said...

Welcome back and please do not die of finger cramps. One blogger near death from your absence is quite sufficient without you starting and all!

You seem very relaxed. A sure sign of a successful vacation. :0)

G. B. Miller said...

Good lord, your legs are whiter than mine.

I gather you don't wear shorts much either.

Glad you're back, things were a bit stale during your absence.

Travis Cody said...

Welcome back!

I've read that particular Star Trek book. In fact, after seeing the new film, I've got a bit of an itch to go back to some of those Trek books on my shelves.

Charles Gramlich said...

Cloudia, I remember as a kid we had so many fireflies that when you drove at night it was like streamers of light outside the car.

Thumbelina, I am relaxed, and feeling energized for the rest of the summer.

G., no, I hardly ever wear shorts. And at least you only saw the legs. My belly is the color of a catfish's stomach.

Travis, I'm definitely on a Trek kick, and so is Lana. She's reading some of my books now.

Sidney said...

I think there's a story in the title: "The Small Cove With High Hopes."

Lana Gramlich said...

I enjoyed going around with you while you fished. I'm glad you caught that monster fish, too. Sorry I didn't get a picture of it. ;)

Robin said...

Beautiful post...missing fireflies...(got mayonnaise bottles and poked holes in the top and called 'em tinkerbell...the only country lyrics I know!) But you brought summer home to a cold front southern outpost! Love it! I would so love to go fishing!! We had an overcast day, kinda misty...perfect for it! Alas, no large body of water within a 100 mile radius....thanks for taking me with you!

Scott said...

Charles,

Glad you had a good vacation! Welcome back!

the walking man said...

Welcome back renewed, refreshed and relaxed...speaking of Wil;

http://wilharrison.blogspot.com/2009/05/from-desk-of-wil.html


nice shoes.

Randy Johnson said...

Glad you guys enjoyed the vacation. I've read those Crispin Treks as well. I can't remember the last time I saw fireflies. It would have had to have been in childhood. Wonder why?

Randy Johnson said...

Oh, by the way, I've finally found someone with whiter legs than me.

Gabby said...

I barely see fireflies anymore, and that's definitely something I miss from my childhood! I see some every once in awhile, but not like that! It sounds so lovely.

Glad you had a nice vacation. ^_^

Charles Gramlich said...

Sidney, yeah, it's a 'hopeful' kind of story. I've written more of those as I've aged.

Lana Gramlich, well no one's perfect. You're 99.99 percent I guess.

Robin, I used to catch fireflies as a kid too. It was so much fun. we do have a much bigger lake not that far away. I need to try that for fishing.

Scott, thankee. I find I've missed fishing. It's been a long time.

Mark, those shoes are very comfy. Probably about all I'll wear this summer. Uh oh, what has Wil done now? Geeze. He stole my shoes. I got mine at KMart too. Who hoo.

Randy Johnson, I see a few rare fireflies in our woods here but not many. This was the first big concentration I've seen in years. I think pesticides used by farmers killed 'em mostly off in the countryside. Surely does seem to have been a big loss of them. As for the white legs, you might have to prove that. Any pics of you in shorts?

Gabby, I was very happy to see 'em too. I remember them very fondly.

Middle Ditch said...

Oh I used to love fishing. And what about that monster fish? Lana surely will post that marvelous catch on her blog. She must be so proud of you!

Cullen Gallagher said...

I tried fishing a few times. The fish in the picture is bigger than anything I caught by leaps and bounds. I quickly retired the fishing rod and tried other hobbies.

writtenwyrdd said...

Glad you had fun. Since many just catch and release up where I'm at (Maine: Land of sport fishing and catch and release, apparently) I keep hearing that it's the fishing that's the reward, not what you catch. Hope that holds true for you.

Travis Erwin said...

Welcome back. And just getting to go fishing is often good enough regardless of the luck.

But mine is bigger. ;)

moonrat said...

that looks like a pretty big fish to me :)

Leigh Russell said...

Death by finger cramps - hmmm. An interesting idea... I wonder if I could develop that into a murder mystery plot?

I think the fish looks great! Did you throw it back or barbecue it? And what is an 'ear-tagged whitetail'?

It sounds as though you had a really good time.

JR's Thumbprints said...

Tellin' fish stories are we? I guess I'll have to go to Lana's blog, perhaps she caught a whopper! Heck, she probably baited your hook for you. Welcome back anyway. I hope you guys had a wonderful vacation.

ivan said...

Er, the shorts.

Is there some reason that you have to wear only Bermuda shorts? :)

Greg said...

hey Charles, sounds like a great vacation! "The Force" sounds like a cool book, I might have to order a copy of eBay. thanks for the tip.

Charles Gramlich said...

Middle Ditch, she is indeed proud of me. But I'm afraid my perfect wife seems to have missed the photo op for the monster fish. I suppose I'll forgive her.

Cullen Gallagher, I used to fish a lot growing up, and some after I came to New Orleans. But it's probably been 10 years, since Josh was small, since the last time I fished.

writtenwyrdd, well I almost always do catch and release as well, unless I'm hungry for a mess of fresh fish. It's the fishing yes, but one likes to catch some and then you don't mind letting them go.

Travis Erwin, yes your's was. And I'm trying not to resent you for it. I'm trying very hard. ;)

moonrat, you are quite kind.

Leigh Russell,the researchers tag the deer with a little yellow ear tag through their ears, with a number on it so they can identify them for data analysis. I ordered a copy of Cut Short today.

JR, I'm like Spock. I never lie. Though occassionally I exaggerate. whose to say what my definition of monster fish is eh?

ivan, Is that what Bermuda shorts are? I had no idea.

Greg Schwartz, John Ames wrote some pretty mean horror works in the 80s. Lately he's been mostly writing westerns.

Erik Donald France said...

Sounds wonderful, glad y'all had a good time. Good luck with the writing projects and all, too.

Anonymous said...

Dude, we do indeed have the same exact shoes only I got brown cause they didn't have any in black in my size. The brown ones are really pimpin', the OL won't even let me wear them out in public with her, LOL.

Wil Harrison.com

laughingwolf said...

wb heap big white hunter... uh... er... fish taker ;) lol

glad you and lana had a relatively good mini v :)

this morning i go to see the pup i may get in another month or so... :)

daughter called, me she's ill, so i go alone :(

BernardL said...

With fishing, it's the journey not the destination. I remember the fireflies from my childhood very well.

jodi said...

Welcome back Charles. The hell with those nasty commenters--you look great and happy. We used to do the same thing with fireflys as Robin. Too cool.

cs harris said...

Sounds like a nice, relaxing time. Nice.

Charles Gramlich said...

Erik, yeah, it was relaxing.

Wil, I know what you mean. Those shoes are chick magnents man.

laughingwolf, sorry to hear about your daughter. Hope it's nothing serious. I'll be glad when you can finally get your pup.

BernardL, yes, I love being around a lake with it's coves and hidden life.

jodi, my son never got to experience fireflies like that I'm sorry to say.

Candy, hope you guys are feeling better.

laughingwolf said...

thx charles, she's a bit under the weather, nothing serious she said a bit ago...

bought the pup this morning, will post pics after i get him home in another month or so, only 4 weeks old right now :)

Michelle's Spell said...

So glad you're back! Great picture! Here's to a summer of great writing. I know what you mean about renewing the vow to keep going and drawing inspiration from other writers who have simliar things going on -- I love hearing about the older/longshot/interesting family writer myself. It beats the 10 year old who just finished at Iowa and has five books finished already. :)

Anndi said...

The fish was that big huh?

L.A. Mitchell said...

Fireflies sound heavenly...you lucky guy. Glad your time was restful and good to have you back :)

Charles Gramlich said...

laughingwolf, I saw the pic of the coloration. Very cute.

Michelle, I think I'll kill that 10 year old. Who's with me? ;)

Anndi, bigger!

L.A. Mitchell, thankee. It's very good to be off work.

j said...

Die of finger cramps! You made me laugh. Glad you had a good time fishing, reading, napping, and thinking.

Vesper said...

LOVE your picture with the monster bass! :-)

Charles Gramlich said...

jennifer, you know, I rather enjoy thinking. It can be a fun activity. You get little enough of it when you have little ones. I rememeber and probably you've noticed.

Vesper, yes, you wouldn't have believed the fight that one put up!

laughingwolf said...

thx charles... chat with breeder this morning revealed the pup's registered name MUST begin with "Talisker's"... since talisker shetland sheepdogs is the name of her canadian kennel club registered kennel name

total characters must not exceed 30, so i have 20 more to play with... but i have to submit 3 names for ckc approval

i have part of a name i'm considering: Talisker's Carson ... which uses up 17 characters

Travis Erwin said...

What we should do is take a fishing trip together. What could be better than floating in a lake talking writing and fishing at the same time.

Charles Gramlich said...

laughingwolf, wow, they're pretty strict. My ex once bought a registered breed, and the only restriction really was that it had to have three names. We called her Silken Fudge Brownie.

Travis Erwin, dude, that sounds like a plan. Maybe take along a few brewskies!

MarmiteToasty said...

Me thinks that little fish looks more like a 'stickleback' lol

x