Optimum Online - News - AP News - Interest in Hunting, Fishing Dropping

Optimum Online - News - AP News - Interest in Hunting, Fishing Dropping. It doesn't surprise me that interest is dropping in hunting and fishing . Its gone out of style .Tell some one you hunt and they look at you like you are Attila the Huns first cousin
As the cities in this country sprawl further an further into the country An awful lot of good hunting land disappears . Then when you finally get where you are going the land is all posted .
I hunted for years on land owned by my friend Bob Wiltse .It used to take us 4-5 hrs to get there .We hunted deer ,turkey,and fished for over 20 yrs .
Bob retired and his family sold the land .There was a verbal agreement that Bob and his friends could use the land for turkey hunting because the new owner only wanted it for hunting deer . It didn't work out .Bob moved away and the new owner did want to hear that we were his friends .
I find it the same for accessing good trout streams . New York state has some of the best access to fishing in the country but the days of stopping along the side of the road and wetting a line are fast becoming a thing of the past .Every thing is POSTED.
Now you have to go to a fishing resort and spend a few hundred per day to find good fishing
New York state is also talking about a license to fish salt water .I'll be God damned if I ever buy one of those .I'll give up fishing and have a big yard sale.

Amazon.com: The Founding Fish: John McPhee: Books

Amazon.com: The Founding Fish: John McPhee: Books
With all the buzz going on over at my favorite fishing blogs about the demise of shad in the Hudson ,I recommend reading this book highly

Amazon.com: Fool's Paradise: John Gierach,Glen Wolff: Books

Amazon.com: Fool's Paradise: John Gierach,Glen Wolff: Books

I said anything John Gierach ,Hear is his new book .I'ts not available till May .I'm sure it will document his constant search for fishing nirvana .He's only been wandering around the world for the last 40 yrs

Quick update

I actually got 2 emails this week from friends who read these pages asking me what the deal was ,health wise

To anyone else reading these post ,all I can say is right now I'm in limbo .The tests are in. Now I have to go to the appropriate specialist and weigh my options .

Its looks like my hips are in bad shape .The left being worst than my right . My back has 3 bad vertebrae and a bulging disc .

All of this is the result of over 40 years of heavy construction and a gene or two that favors arthritis .

That's all I know and won't bore any one who reads this blog any more about this .

The trout season open 4/1 , bass 4/15, I have 3 boxes of new fruit trees to plant and a ton of other things to do .

I've called all my customers and told them if they couldn't wait, to get someone else for I don't know how long I will be laid up.Just don't want to drop out of sight with this economic turn down

The photo posted is my next project.I have to find a place to put my growing plane colleection.I found this photo one one of the many list that I subscribe too .Its not my design

I dropped a Stanley # 10 the other day and now I have two 5's lol or a bunch of parts that i will never use .I 'm going to try and get it welded .Unfortunately the weld will cost more than another one on the 'bay

Sorry Syd

This year is my friend Dutch and I's 10th attempt at perfection .Friday morning we mixed some ground pork shoulder ,salt and pepper, Marjoram,a few other secret herbs and not enough garlic .We squeezed it into natural skins with a 3 lbs. sausage horn and out comes fresh Kielbasa. 40 lbs of it .20 for each .I never agree on the amount of garlic and this years batch is lacking the overpowering flavor that makes it kielbasa .

This winter Uncle Tony Malinauskas died .For years he kept the old traditions going.In Spring we would gather at his for a feast and dig Horseradish roots for easter dinner .Fall was always sauerkraut and all kind of pickles

Colin and I had mentioned that we would continue it because Tony had not been up to it for a few years .

Well its continuing closer to his house and yesterday about 15-20 guys gathered at my old bosses house to grind the roots .

These roots were purchased.Tony's old crop is gone and no one has the space in their garden to devote to it .

Horseradish can also be a weed so you have to be careful where you put it .

I tried growing it years ago but my ground was just too heavy and all I got was tops and some puny roots

Today will be the big test .I'll bring a ring or two for Easter dinner and my father in law will tell me that the kielbasa and horseradish is not as good as his mother in laws .She died 40 years ago and who know the last time she made any thing for easter

I'll agree with Pop this year .The roots are too mild and there isn't enough garlic in the kielbasa

There is always next year !!!

nothing new

Wm J Mills is a local canvas place . I know every one in there that was born in this country .
They took the trailer last Monday .It hasn't moved .They also do all the canvas work for Boston Whaler ,maybe they had a rush order .
I'm sure I will get it back next week and then its off to Deer Park about 70 miles from here .The plywood place there has the Ash in the sizes I need to continue on the inside
Because I had no trailer I canceled Charlie for last friday .Getting him back will be a bitch .He is a busy man and boating season is upon us. Everyone will want something rewired or added to their boats

A short brake II

The MRI results were not very encouraging. The physical therapist the same.I guess I'll just wait to call the MD on Monday to see what the next step is
When I was working on the wiring for the globtrotter everyone I asked said it was a bad ground but few had any solutions. It wasn't till I ( with help) tore apart the undercarriage was I able to solve that problem
Today I got the same feeling regarding my hip. Every one told me that I was wasting my time trying to lose more weight ,exercise,physical therapy
It was all about steroid injections and hip replacement.
I'll know more on Monday

just around the corner

Syd took this picture of me 2 yrs ago and forty lbs heavier.I hope with everything going on I will get a chance to toss a few flies in the coming weeks.Opening day is next week

A short break

No pun intended.Work on the globetrotter has come to a screaming halt .
On Tuesday I was sent for x-rays for that hip I have been complaining about.On Thursday,the doctor informed me that I needed an MRI but that it looked like I had a broken back!
Actually I'm looking at the possibility of 3 compression fractures in my lower back. All the pain in the hip is being caused by the fractures .The fractures are from a lifetime of carrying and lifting lumber, doors, and windows.
I have a full week ahead of me .
Monday: I drop off the globetrotter to get remeasured for cushions.The old ones were so worn that They couldn't use them for templates
Tuesday: blood work
Wednesday: 2 hrs in an MRI
Thursday: Physical therapy
Friday: Charlie is coming over to help me finish the wiring of the converter .I have DC but he cut all the AC wires when he put it in weeks ago
Im going to get the materials and start laying out the new plumbing that has to be done before the gauchos can go in permanately

Hummingbird Migration Maps

Hummingbird Migration Maps
I've spent so much time with the trailer I have fogotten about all else.Here is a link to view the hummingbirds migration this year.
I usually have a mixture of feeders and hummingbird friendly flowers around my deck.
Except for a week last summer there were 2-3 that visited me everyday.The missing week convinced me they were not nesters.Just coming and going

Current Weather Conditions at ,

Current Weather Conditions at ,
This is my friend David's weather station. Local readers can now get local weather

The blank palate

This is the beginnig of the next phase .I would number it but have lost count.
I didn't bother to post the gauchos that are in pieces( they are in a previous post),the new plumbing to be installed.There are also the new stainless tops and sink .The floors are in .The vinyl has been scrubbed and rescrubbed . Now I just have to order some new ASH plywood and we would have a start toward completion minus the bathroom
I have to call Mills and Co. for a final cushion measurement

Finally home

After 2 days on the road and 20hrs of driving we pulled in the drive at 5:00PM today We left Blairsville Ga. At 8:30 Sunday because of springing ahead the night before .Pulled into Winchester Va @ 6:30 in the evening .I was barely out of my cloths and fell asleep .
Got up at 5 this AM ,and was on the road at 6:30.I was making record, lol, time when I got off route 78 at the Meadowlands in NJ .My XM radio was saying there was a 15 minute delay for the NEXT 3 HOURS while I sat there not moving .I have no idea what the hold up was.I think it was road construction by the bridge .I didn't get over the bridge till 3:15.
I'm taking a few days off and then back to work on the globetrotter.The interior is next

Still in georgia

Stopped to see my friend Jim Sime in Blairsville Ga. Got to Blairsville after an 11hr ride from Hudson,Fl
We thought we would stay a few days and move on home.Unfotunately the weather is not cooperating .It rained all day today and its supposed to snow tomorrow.I'm not going to pull the trailer for two days through some of the worst weather of this young spring so we are going to pull out sunday morning and head up route 81
Thank Jim for putting us up for 3 days

Heading Home

The last few days have been a nightmare. Everything was ordered in a timely fashion at the beginning of the month and like the army we hurried up and then waited .Vinny and I have put about 75 man hours in the last 3 days so we could have it ready to head north. We finished last night around midnight .
I took Vin to the airport at noon and I'm loading the truck and trailer now .Just taking a blog break. Pictures in a few days when I get Internet access again.The cable is going off shortly.
Florida Work Project:Acomplished
Remove belly
5 ft of new frame
New wheels and axle (Came loaded with brakes so they are new as well
Checked all wiring and waste pipe
New belly of Al
All new copper lines for four gas appliances
All wood work stripped and refinished( couldn't get Ash plywood down here so there is still work to be done when we get home
Made new lexan Rock guard
Installed new cork floor inside(salon?)
All gassed up and hooked up and ready to go when we get up tomorrow

BTW if we invaded Iraq to save them from a brutal dictator but we really did it for the oil then Bush and his henchmen FU again .Diesel has gone up $.55/gal in a month.They did not have a price posted for fuel when I filled up this AM but 3 semesters of calculus has taught me that when it cost you $77.00 for 20 gallons,that's almost 4 bucks /gallon .I can't wait till I get home where it probably pushing$5.00
I have owned my truck for 9 years in June. A diesel was the choice because it gets better MPG.I needed a large truck for work, a prius wouldn't do. Now its 4X times more expensive and its cost is rippling throught the economy,I wish I was making 4X more than I was in the last year of the last century.

The 1966 Dometic

The Frig in place and bolted down.The white square is the new piece of Stainless steel for the door .The counter tops are also going to be stainless

Other progress

This is the new cork floor .I really like it .Soft on the Dawg's dogs.

old skins

We saved the old belly for a refence until we get the new one up.i decided on a new belly because the old one had numerous oxidation holes in it .It was pretty beat up.

The new pieces are against the wall ready to go.We got three pieces up today .I could onlt get the Aluminium in 10ft lengths ,the old one was 15 or 16'

A look so far

Getting ready to put on the belly skin

Ready for a new Belly

Things are starting to come togeter. Toady we got about 40%of the new belly pan up and attached .The bracks were not working correctly after the new axle went in so today we got that fixed before the belly went on
If I have learned one thingduring this rebuild its that If the 12 Volt system doesn't work correctly it the ground wire that is not working.
We smoked the brakes all the way home from the garage that bolted on the new axle .Working on something on a lift is so much nicer than crawling around on the ground.