Carol Northcut | Tuesday, 28 February 2023
The only downside was four 10-hour-days of driving. We drove from [almost] Canada to [almost] Mexico. Once outside of Montana, the scenery quickly changed to monotony. Hundreds of miles of flat white terrain through Idaho. Although not far from the Snake River, we couldn’t see it. Once in Utah and past the reckless insanity of the Salt Lake City freeways, it looked like a scene from The Martian but with snow. I gained four pounds on the trip (less than Paul’s gain while in the UK), and I’m sure most of it was from boredom eating in the car: nuts, seeds, dark chocolate.... We listened to, seemingly endless hours of podcasts. The best were the who-dun-it real crime ones because it was listening to a story unfold. I’d downloaded a John Gierach book before leaving, but the reader was as dull and monotonous as the landscape and we made it only through three chapters. Being lulled to sleep while driving isn’t smart.
It was good to be able to spend time with, and help, a family member whose spouse had just passed from cancer. Her husband, only 62, was an avid bass angler with the bass boat, multiple fish finders, a trolling motor, 24 top-shelf conventional bass and trout rods and reels (I inventoried them for donation), three “worm” and “grub” binders jammed full, boxes and boxes of lures and poppers of all sorts imaginable. He was outfitted like a guide and could easily have been one with his knowledge, ability to teach, sense of humor and patience. But you can’t take it with you and his wife (first mate) didn’t want to move it when it comes time to sell the house, so she sold the boat and heavy gear (he’d already lined that up) and donated the tackle to the local flyfishing club. They took the tackle to give to veterans and to auction for Project Healing Waters, an organization with which the club was very involved.
While in the Phoenix area, which boasts(?) a population of 6 million, I was able to meet two individuals, Mark Huber and Bruce Williams, both MCI/THMCI/CBOG Level 3 examiners.Mark gave me a good intro into Single Hand Spey, specifically, the switch cast. Larry Allen was there too, practicing for an upcoming two-hand competition. The switch cast is fun, and I actually nailed a few of the anchors while practicing, after figuring that it’s all about finesse. I’ll probably do better at SHS before I finally get my initial pick-up cast at 50’ where I want itto be. :D The other fun thing about it was practicing on the golf course pond in my in-laws’ backyard and noticing the nasty looks from the old duffers. Though well out of their slicing range, I was breaking the rules. Such a renegade. LOL. That’s about as far as my defiance goes.
It was good to see multiple days of sunshine -- the opposite of here -- though not every day was warm. Certainly warmer than here, but not warm. The desert wind blew many days and made practicing on the golf pond difficult, chasing the D loop. Sometimes, when I stuck the anchor and pulled the line off, wind blew disgusting bird-poo-laden, reclaimed-waste water in my face. Eeeuuuu. At least my mouth wasn’t open!