Survival

 Monday September 14, 2020

I am a day late again. Sue me.

I am discouraged. We were just getting over the fire in Pt. Reyes when fires popped up all over the west coast. The smoke is horrible. You can hardly go outside. For me, it is like the straw that broke the camel's back. I am going stir crazy. I want to ride my bicycle. I have had no exercise for about a month.

I am still getting over the last fishing trip. Too much work. After we got home, I had to spend a day getting the boat back in the water and returning the trailer to the yard where it lives. I am going to sell the trailer. I have only used it once in two years. It was such a gigantic hassle to get a truck, the trailer and boat all in one place; only to have to put everything back again after returning. Never again. It was a great fishing trip but I am still tired three days later.

Beth and I dropped off Robert's truck tonight, ending the last task. We had dinner with him. Robert cannot sit idle. He is putting in more and bigger fishtanks and making wine. I like spending time with him. He is smart, interesting, generous, funny and brutally honest.

2020 is the worst year ever. We are plagued by Covid, close friends health issues, fires, smoke, credible threats of fascism from the Trump administration, economic hardships, etc. I should stop reading the news. Every time we think things can't get worse, they do. Discouraging, depressing.

The only bright thing I can think of is eating albacore. I barbecued some last night for Beth's birthday. Three of her sisters came over for dinner.



Today, I smoked some


You can see some of the smoked albacore belly in this photo. So soft and oily - like butter. One of the richest foods I have ever eaten. I am making a fish lover out of Beth. We have eaten albacore at every meal since I got home.

It seems the only joy in my life is fishing. I can't wait to get out again. Although, I can't even bring up the subject for a few more days because I spent about a week on the last trip. After that, one of my day trips for salmon will seem like nothing.

One correction from the last blog. Greg recalculated the distance. We only went out forty miles. Still VERY far out to sea in a little boat. It makes our trips offshore out of SF Bay seem pretty short.

When is something good going to happen? Early November? Can we survive that long? 

the bear

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