OBN Photo Prompt: Where our work gets done

When little natural light exists

Street lights bounce off wet pavement

I write after sleep

before the day begins.

This urban setting

Is not my sanctuary;

It is a challenge to my imagination

To dream of the outdoors spaces I love.

The Burn Center!

We will get to the title of this post in a minute.

Well folks, today is a post-call day. That means I've got free time (we will get to the title of this post in a minute). Since I got good sleep last night today turns into a free day to catch up on things that need to get done. On the Agenda:

1. Read educational material (my brain needs exercise)

2. Read non-educational material (the library wants their book back)

3. Laundary

4. Lunch

5. Nap? (I know, today sounds stressful, huh?)

6. Pack for the weekend

7. Practice my presentation (we're not going to dive into the anesthetic considerations of laryngeal carcinoma laser resection on this post; though "burn center" is a fitting title).

Now that you have an idea of what is on my plate, I wanted to give a little attention to a fun blog (not fishing related) that my cousin, affectionately referred to as Johnny Napalm, as running. The Burn Center is a blog with awesome commentary on all things movie, tv, game, comic related. Let me tell you now, I am not really into comic or video games, but he and I have very similar taste in movies and television shows, so I love reading his reviews.

It has been a month since his last post, so I thought maybe a little help on my side might prompt some new material.

Anyway, if you are into any of these topics, give it a try. It is a worth a read.

Big Horn River in April

So, the idea has been floated. A trip is in the works. Big Horn River in April, here we come. I looked at the hatch chart, and, to no surprise, it looks like midges, blue winged olives, and scuds are the main dish. That being said, I will have to start giving my best shot at tying these bad boys.

Speaking of fly tying.... Guess who just won a re-draw of an OBN gear review give-away?! Well, not John Boehner (Though, that is what I look like when I'm overwhelmed with emotion). ME! Yup! I am gonna get some goodies and try to tie you something pretty. Hopefully it will also be functional. I will fill you in more on that as the time comes. Thanks to Montana Fly Company!

*Tear* Adios!

Let's get the day started. Passion Pit - "Little Secrets"

"Open up and keep on climbing"

good morning. good evening.

good morning good morning

to the new east coast

to the top of the south

our appalachian hosts

how lightly the future dances

just out of reach

we imagine each step

but the details retreat

an adventure awaits

on atlantic waves

with new pictures to snap

and fresh seafood to taste

so good evening good evening

to the howling winds

the endless tasseled fields

to our dear midwestern friends

My Leaky Wader Heaven - Let's Recycle

Well, folks, my waders have caught a glimpse of the light. They might survive their battle a little longer, but we know where the will end up.

Moving across strong, untouched Salmon waters in Alaska. Delicately stalking brookies in toothpick-sized waters in the Wyoming back country. Chasing browns in Utah canyons or on the mighty Big Horn. Fighting grizzlies for the fish in Kamchtka or teaming up with Owl Joneson the Southern Blue Ridge.

Yes, my actual leaky waders (not the website or myself in 3rd person) may just end up in any of these places. They will be reborn and find new life through an avenue I have only, just now, come to discover.

I would like to introduce to you Recycled Waders. It is a small company that brings a second existence to your unintentionally-H2O absorbent breathable waders. They take your breathable waders and either create something for you (at a very reasonable price), or for someone else. This includes Tippet Wallets, Creels, Shoulder or Hip Packs, and even Reel Cases. So whether you are looking to set your waders free or get sentimental and hang on to those puppies a little longer, here is a cool way to do it.

photo by Dave McCoy and Ashwin Rao

I myself and debating on just donating versus purchasing a bag of some sort. Ideally, I would have a bag made from my own material, but we'll just have to see if they accept the amount of sealant I've got laced on those bad boys.

Anyway, a cool company and great idea to delay creating something useful out of those water pants we keep hanging on to.

I'll let you know when my leaky waders have moved on from this plane and become something new :) In other words, I'll tell you when I change my wet pants.

My Leaky Waders are Heading to Virginia this Summer!

Well, gentle-ladies and gentle-men, the decision has been made. I matched yesterday into the field of my choice! Ophthalmology. I submitted a list of the programs I interviewed at ranking them from top to bottom, and a computer matched me with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia!

Now I need to learn about fishing out there. I know they have a lot of water. There must be fish, right? I've found one guy on OBN, The Grey Sulphur, who is a fly fisherman in western Virginia (not West Virginia). Maybe I'll snoop around his page a bit. Or just ask him what the deal-ee-o is.

Sara and I won't be heading out there until June/July, but once there, it will be 4 years. So I have all that time to figure out the fly fishing in Virginia. If anyone has any tips, pointers, hints, suggestions, food for thought, grievances, and so on regarding fly fishing in Virginia, please, let me know! I'd love to hear what you have to say :)

OBN Photo Prompt: Favorite Outdoor Places

I will start with the place. My parent's cabin on Cedar Lake, Mn. It isn't isolated in the wilderness. It simply is a beautiful place with great fishing and has been a place where I've made awesome memories over the years.

That being said... Like many of you, I assume, it is really hard for me to come up with an all-time favorite place. This is partly because I am quite indecisive, and secondly, I am very nostalgic. I really feel the memories attached some of my favorite places. In fact, I think I enjoy the thought of where/who I was at the time in life while at those places. When I was 19, my best friend and I drove from Minnesota to Wyoming and Montana to backpack, and I found some beautiful streams and caught a few brookies on our way up to Cloud Peak. I don't have any pictures of it. But I love the memory most because of what we were doing at the time. We were kids with a summer off, no responsibilities, and had the wilderness to ourselves. I've had similar experiences in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area or while I lived in Scotland for a few months.

I might also be hesitant to commit to something right now because tomorrow I will be finding out if I am moving away from Nebraska. Maybe I worry that committing to one place will set me up for disappointment because I could be moving farther away from it. That could be part of it. If tomorrow, I can decide what my true favorite outdoor place is, I will let you know.

To be even less decisive, my favorite outdoor places are most outdoor places, so long as I am either doing something I love or with good company.

*Epiphany: maybe I haven't found my favorite outdoor place yet. Or maybe it will be the way I am with movies, my favorite movies seem to rotate and expand over time. Anyone else feel like they are in the same boat?

It's Snowing Again

It's snowing again.

Not fat heavy flakes.

Not a dusting.

Like sideways rain

In slow motion.

We packed the car and

Hurried to the golf course.

sara LEWIS and david CLARK

Exploring the Missouri River

Searching for the coast.

Snowshoes tightened,

We surged forward,

Up and down the hills,

Weaving between and under the

Heavy pine branches

That carried the weight of the 37 inches.

Tracking rabbits from tree to tree,

Burrow to Burrow,

We brushed off the weighed down needles

Releasing them from their burden,

And the limbs swung up with a sigh of relief.

Even Atlas wants to set

The world down

Now and then

To rest.

Spring will come

Followed by

Her friend summer.

And fall will make way for more

Snow.

Catch Magazine

Sorry for 2 posts in one day, but I had to do this. I am too excited. I stumbled across this online fly fishing photography and film journal called Catch Magazine. Maybe you've already heard of it, but if not, it is gorgeous.

I just spent about 45 minutes flipping through it at watching the videos. They also have all of their past issues archived.

Anyhoo, just check it out. Your life will be better for it.

Doube Grasshopper Saturday

I was at a craft store with my wife a week ago and saw this pack of assorted foam for $3. I thought to myself, "wow, that is way more foam than I will ever need, but I think I should buy it and make some hoppers." So that's just what I did.

I've never tied hoppers before, and being the beginner that I am, I thought I should try a couple different patterns. I've been looking online on and off since I bought the foam. I came across a video of a Logan hopper that looked pretty cool. This was my first try. I think it worked pretty well. I don't think the fish will be too picky with my technique, but we'll have to just wait and see next summer. Then I decided to freewheel one. I wanted to throw some red in there and extended the foam casing from the Logan into wings for this one. I used some moose body hair to give it a bit more texture and possibly add to the illusion of moving wings.

Hop hop little buddies. Catch me some fishies.

Am I Deserving? Am I Worthy?

Sir Owl Jones over at Fly Fishing the Southern Blue Ridge and the folks at Hook and Hackle have proposed a question: Why do I deserve to win a Hook and Hackle "Xi" 7'9" 4-piece 3 weight rod building kit?

Why do I deserve this? Am I really worthy? Worthy is a strong word in my book. I don't know how worthy Arthur felt as he approached the sword in the stone (Disney version, obviously. Sweet fish scene.).

I also don't know how worthy the Taco Bell Chihuahua felt when he was cast to say his famous words, "Yo quiero Taco Bell." (Chili Cheese Burrito? Why, yes. I'll have 4.)

I do know I am lucky enough to own 1 fly rod. It is a 10 year old 2-piece, 8'6" 5wt with a wooden handle and graphite shaft. I made it from a kit as a sophomore in high school. Has it caught me many fish, you ask? Well... many is very, very relative. But it is a beauty. It's special not only because it is my 1st fly rod, but also because I made it myself. That is one of the reasons I am am so excited with the possibility of updating my equipment with another rod I can make provided by Hook and Hackle.

There is one more reason, however, I would be happy to win this rod kit. My wife doesn't know this yet, but I am secretly trying to turn her into a fly fisher woman. It is a slow process of subliminal messages, compliments, and strategically placed encouragement. I know I couldn't keep the project a secret, but I could surprise her with the finished product, and possibly, find a new fly fishing buddy.

So, approaching this essay, my preverbal stone with a shining rod making kit buried deep within, I will now muster up all of my courage and use my best Chihuahua voice to say, "Yo quiero Hook and Hackle "Xi" rod-making kit." and find out if I am truly deserving, if I am truly worthy.

That's My Blog's Name.

Since joining the Outdoor Blogger Network, I've been propelled into an online community of bloggers that are more creative than I can imagine. It is awesome. I am quickly realizing the beauty of the OBN blog prompts. This helps us all stay fresh and continue to contribute to our online passion catalogs.

That being said, the latest of the prompts has us telling secrets and swapping lies of our past and shedding light on the roots of our names. Blog names for some. Contrary to the AWESOME song by the Ting Tings, "That's Not My Name," My Leaky Waders is my blog's name. Listen to the song; it rocks. (nice semi-colon, huh?)

Now, like many others, the name of my blog is not shrouded in mystery. It is pretty darn obvious that I am the proud owner of a pair of 10-year-old waders that have seams like the US-Canada boarder (I actually have no idea regarding the status of our boarder to the North, but am instead reaching for humor) and material with sieve-like properties that rival my dismal college hockey statistics.

These bad boys are easily filled with 2-3 liters of water after an afternoon in the Nebraska lakes I've been fishing lately. Why do I keep them? I'm cheap. It's more wet than cold. I'm poor. I haven't fished enough in the last couple years to justify new ones. And I'm cheap.

I came up with the name while on a night shift in the ER this past summer, and it stuck with me. I am, indeed, cursed with optimism, and this also seemed like a general theme for me. Things never go perfectly or as planned. Waders are not meant to last forever, and they will leak. All of them. I'm positive of it. That being said, it doesn't have to ruin the day or the outing. I am choosing to embrace it.

Still, I do have my eye on the exact pair I am waiting to purchase. I'm hoping a coupon comes in the mail soon, to help me out. Or I find an extra $100 in the mail. *hint hint* To send money to me in the mail, ask for my address.

cheers!

Awaiting the match.

Anxiety is such a awful thing.

It churns your stomach,

Twists your hands,

And clouds your thoughts

So they never quite materialize.

Everything tastes laced with

The sour, bitter bile of nerves.

Like MSG or dirty pennies.

All experiences are sub par

Until the pin finally drops.

Will I? Won't I?

Who will take me?

No plans can be made until then.

The whole world will keep moving as

We hold our breath

Lungs burning,

Head spinning,

Without appetite.