LEAF BLOWER Monday
Outside my window lives a fig tree, typical of the warmer climes and now quite happy in the northern reaches of North Central Texas. This time of year the leaves crisp to their death, all at once, and hang around waiting to be blown down covering the dog graves scattered underneath.
This morning before light, the north winds began doing their duty, whipping over the top of the house, leaves rattling me awake and dealing me another defeat before the fly fishing game could even get started. This is one of those distinct switches being flipped, an early fall cool front once again changes the game after a weekend with record hot temperatures and the distant passing of yet another hurricane, Delta, for lack of any remaining real names this year.
Our well-worn Sears Brand electric leaf blower looks like a tool that fell off the back of someone’s truck, but actually it still blows and blows eardrums. Note to self: Wear ear protection. Said leaf blower has remained plugged into a long yard power cord for a week as the onslaught of leaves began in earnest a week ago. This is one fine leaf blower.
Brown Leaves Matter
Now in a true lack of drama, our “colors” for leaves here in North Texas, for the most part, lack color. They’re alive, they look a little dead, then they’re instantly dead and then they’re future weed fodder in the corners and cracks where they are unwanted. They bring life to the awful cracking streets, yes the streets – left, right and middle – of this neglected town, now City, of Denton, Texas. Street gutters, sidewalks and City flower beds … all composted by leaf fall.
Falling leaves also have their effect on fly fishing. On the Blue River in Southern Oklahoma? There are days that crowd together into about two weeks where fly fishing is made virtually impossible by leaf fall. Last week’s float of the Trinity River through south Lewisville to Carrollton/Farmer’s Branch was starting to get “leafy” as well, and I warned Danny Scarborough that those leaves would shut things down there soon as well.
Perhaps by the time I am finished writing this, I will walk outside and the wind will be past, and the day will once again open up into a completely bizarre October. I already hitched the skiff last night, and expected to get another helping of last week’s Ray Roberts carp today. But then the wind. North Texas weather really is a box of chocolates, and honestly? chocolates really burn my radiated throat. Of course the allergies I never had; they now go a long way to relieving that burning throat sensation in this season of Halloween candy. Trick-or-Treat?
On Politics & Fly Fishing
If politics are not supposed to be a part of our outdoor experience, someone needs to let our government agencies – all of our agencies, at all levels – know they are not supposed to be part of outdoor experience. No licenses. No laws. No limits. No conservation. Makes sense, right? Silence is consent.
Thanks for reading this Monday Morning Sidewalk, and I hope you are taking the time to go to the YouTube Channel and SUBSCRIBE! I think I have posted five videos in the last ten days, by my standards a FLOOD of videos with varied information about fly fishing – not politics. So if politics in fly fishing – writing – repulses you? Feel free to sit back and watch some great propaganda videos about fly fishing.
Category: Body-Mind-Soul, Culture on the Skids, Life Observed
