Tuesday
is April 1, opening day of trout fishing in brooks and streams. I’ve not missed
an opening day for the 60-some years that I’ve been fishing. And if possible, I
don’t plan on missing this one. But it’s going to be rough.
I’ve
always boasted that it would take a lot to keep me from going fishing on this
traditional date and now it looks as though nature has called my bluff.
Specifically, I live one mile from the nearest paved road, on a strip of dead
sand and mud called East Waldo
Road East Waldo Road
It
doesn’t appear as if the town can do anything about current road conditions,
since rain is forecast for the rest of today and into Monday. Even if they
wanted to, which I’m not certain they do, it doesn’t look as though a gravel
truck could reach the worst parts of this miserable excuse for a road.
So
Tuesday morning, I will have to try and walk from my house down to the paved
section of road. My driveway, not exactly a great feat of engineering in and of
itself (I built it) is pretty bad. A dammed-up seasonal stream has broken out
from confinement and now runs like a river across my driveway. But I can
probably ford it.
Walking
on the main road, though, will be problematic. Ruts, some several feet deep,
weave this way and that up and down the road. So pedestrians (me) will need to
walk on top of the snowbanks on the roadside.
Walking
one mile in summer would be a trifling matter, something accomplished without
thought. But this is different. However, despite a winter pretty much stuck
indoors because of ice and snow, I’m still in pretty good shape. I should make
it.
One
thing’s for sure. When I reach the end of the mud gauntlet, my buddy in his
waiting van will be a welcome sight indeed.
Meanwhile,
if anyone has access to a private helicopter, I could use supplies. Topping the
list is broccoli, lettuce, potatoes and beer or ale. If the other stuff is
unavailable, just send ale. Food for the spirit is more important at this
point. Besides that, I’ve got lots of canned goosetongue, Swiss chard,
dandelions and green beans to hold me over.
It’s
going to be a long mud season, by the looks of it.
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