Themes

Basically I don't have New Year's resolutions this year. Everyday during the winter is a constant struggle to keep my weight down until I come out of hibernation in the spring. Also, I hope to get the job I want within a couple weeks. I may have an interview next week ( fingers crossed). Usually I try to think of places I want to visit during the upcoming year. For whatever reason, my years usually end up with a theme.


One year, I went to New Hampshire all summer on my day off from baking. I would get done baking donuts at 2 am Thursday morning. I'd pick DJ up and drive to New Hampshire. We would fish a pond in the lakes region, trying to be there at first light. We would fish about 4 hours then drive to the mountains. Our next goal would be to secure a campsite. We would hike a 4000 foot mountain and then head back to camp. At camp we would make supper and I would try to stay awake long enough to see the stars. Usually I would pass out within 10 minutes of darkness though. Next morning we would go on another hike then drive home and I'd be back at work Friday night at 7 pm. It was exhausting, but we loved it. We spent the whole summer looking forward to our Thursday/ Friday routine

The following year, before school got out for the summer and we could go to New Hampshire, we were down at the Cape Cod Canal sight seeing. The herring were in the run. There were a bunch of fishermen and the fish were biting! I got to talking to one of the fishermen asking my usual million questions. While we were talking he hooked a keeper striper and let DJ ( only 6 at the time reel it in). Seeing that fish was love at first sight. That afternoon I was at Walmart buying a $30 surf rod. Next morning I was at the canal at 5 am. I caught a couple keepers. Since I was baking, I was driving to the canal after work almost every morning.

When the herring run was over I hired a fishing guide in Rhode Island, to teach me surf fishing. When we were driving from spot to spot, I was asking question after question and writing answers in a notebook, I brought for that purpose. That entire year I was fishing at least three nights a week. I would drive to Narragasnsett and Charlestown, RI like I was commuting to work. Thursdays being my night off, I would fish all night.

The following year I bought binoculars and a spotting scope, kind of on a whim. Next thing you know I'm seeing birds I didn't know existed. I started going to wildlife refuges. I was seeing one life bird after another. We visited every local refuge in Mass and Rhode Island. That year, birding was the theme

One year, although I did my normal fishing, we did a lot of daytrips. We managed to do 46 daytrips ( yes I counted, we have already discovered I'm a dork). We did things from concerts, museums, birding, baseball games. Other than concerts, many of the daytrips we do are free or close to free. When Crystal's friends ask her about cheap daytrip ideas, I usually get a phone call for advice.

Another year baseball was our theme. We went to three Red Sox games about 10 Paw Sox games ( usually on a promotional nights) and 3-4 Cape Cod League games. DJ was playing little league, so factor in the 14 games of regular season, a couple scrimmages, and three playoff game, then the 20 or so games of All-Stars and baseball was definitely the theme of the summer.Of course I still did some fishing and hiking, but I have never had a year where I saw so much baseball.

This year didn't really have a theme. The spring was about birding and fishing. The summer revolved around my western trip. When I got home I really didn't do a lot of anything as I had the post vacation blues for a while. The fall I went fishing a couple times but mostly I saved money for Christmas. DJ's mom got into the car crash November 3. Since then I have been taking care of her daughter Amber. Life is different hanging out with an 8 year old girl. There is a little to much iCarly and not enough R rated movies like renting Salt and going to the Fighter. Still having Amber around is a lot of fun. Now that DJ is a teen seeing the world through a little kids eyes again is pretty cool.

I don't actually plan " themes" for the New Year. They usually just happen throughout. Seeing that first striper or buying the binoculars were things that just happened. I did not plan on birding that year and had no idea how many birds are around. If I did plan "themes" I would be more of a geek than I already am. I usually try to come up with some ideas for things to do the upcoming year. They are usually places I've never fished or are some distance away ( this will be my next post) I just do what I enjoy at the moment. If I feel like birding a couple of days in May instead of fishing I will. Usually though my plans are decided by weather. If the weather is cloudy I fish. If the tide is right in the evening or night, I striper fish. Sunny days will usually involve hiking and birding. Cloudy days are carp days. If we get warm northeast winds in spring I trout fish in Falls Pond because I know from experience that wind turns the trout on big time!!! Most of the time strong winds will send me to the movies. Birds don't like wind, I can't control my canoe and the ocean can get too dirty to fish. I don't mind rain, but wind can ruin my day. Of course all of this is dependant on free time I get from DJ's athletic events (track and baseball)

Once I get into a new hobby like birding, saltwater fishing, or hiking, I become somewhat obsessed. I will buy and read through any info I can find on my new passion. I bought many back issues of On the Water magazine when I found stripers. I learned to read tide charts, the wind, and moon phases. I can tell you what time today's tide will be just by looking at a calender with moon phases on it. I have a tremendous appetite for learning about things I am interested in. The winter after my first season striper fishing I read everything I could get my hands on. I bought books on fishing the surf, locations in Rhode Island I would memorize directions to fishing spots I had never been too. I basically gave myself a course in stripers, including field trips. I was driving to places like Barrington River, Watch Hill and East Beach during February scouting locations for parking and access points for the summer.

I plan on doing a lot of fishing this upcoming summer. Less birding and more fishing. I don't go to Red Sox games as often as I once did. I am not sure what this years theme will be. If the theme is catching a bunch of thirty pound stripers and some wild trout with DJ, it will be a great summer. I do have some plans for specific day and fishing trips I want to do this summer. That will be in the next post.