Columns

The time has finally come. That great computer that you bought five years ago is starting to show its age. It seems sluggish and slow, won't run some of the newer programs because it doesn't have enough memory (RAM) and you have already added all you can. So you finally bite the bullet and buy a new replacement. You get your new computer home and transfer all of your data files from the old computer to the new one.

So, what do you do with the old computer now?

I remember as a kid we used to say, "Wind from the west, fish bite the best; wind from the east, fish bite the least." I don't remember any sayings about the north or south winds. But, when the wind blows in that pristine clear water from down around Crystal River our inshore fishing gets much better.

Now I will grant that the fish will allow you fewer mistakes in clear water, especially redfish, but the clear water more than makes up for the disadvantages it brings.

Mulberry trees grow hereabouts. Trimmed a certain way, you might even call them bushes. Right now, the mulberries are ripening. The fruit is dark colored, nearly black, clustered much as blackberries. The flavor is gentle and sweet unlike blackberries, which are strong and tart. As with most fruits, there are many ways to serve them, most generally mixed with other fruits, over cereal, over ice cream, or baked in pies and pastries.

I get a lot of fishing lures given to me to "try out." Some of them are so far out I have to force myself to tie them on and give them a few feeble casts.

About two years ago someone gave me a big bag of soft plastic grubs that were cream colored with a chartreuse flipper tail. To top it off, they smelled like garlic. They were kind of nice looking but the fish that year had no interest in them whatsoever. So I put them in the "special" drawer of my filing cabinet and pretty much forgot about them.

Yes, I am a pack rat of sorts...so what?