A day-long rain cancels my intended visit to the upper Sinnemahoning. Disappointment has me dreaming– oh, those might-have-been trout! Those wild browns upstream of Costello, those speckled natives of the East Fork pools!
Some old moderns like myself get sidetracked now and then, get rolled by forces that reduce us to the level of a small kid or a primitive hunter or a drooling elder. No, there’s not much to be done at times like this. The mind gets loosened by the storm, and someone says, “Damn, the fishing could be good today. I haven’t seen the Birch or the Wild Boy Run in ages.”
Wild nature rounds us if our senses apprehend. Here at home the whip-poor-will, after years of absence from my life, surprises with its call at dusk. Front yard, back yard, pine grove recitations! So I study dusk and dawn as the night-bird fills all crevices with sound. Thoreau once said, “New beings have usurped the air we breathe,” and I listen even in the rain.
The child can be father to the man, they say. You can step in the same stream twice and watch yourself dissolve. I can fish or bird in the universal solvent, direct my wandering in the mythos of the wild. I won’t have to curse those sodden hours in the rain. My daydreams, mixed with memory, are therapeutic. I can salvage drier moments here at home.
Rivertop Rambles 
Hello there. Were the deer and catbird photos taken in the same field?
Taken in the same front yard! Yeah, with all the rain of late, the grass & animals are growing fast. Thanks!
Well said, thank you.
Tio, much appreciated!
Catching up on the blog here! Some great wild (and just wuthless) life pictures here, along with some really nice words on taking advantage of life and its offerings, day by day. Glad the whippoorwill returned to its old haunts.
Hey, welcome back! Thanks, and eager to hear (and see) all about the mighty Glacier.
Daydreams are essential for a well balanced mind! Not too much wrong with a little elderly drool, or primitive state, or childlike delight in the world around us – there’s lots to enjoy in your stream-stepping philosophy here. Thanks, Walt!
Always enjoy your stepping into the same stream with us, Adam. Each & every time!
That is an awesome pic of the hummingbird! That’s some great photography work!
Thanks, Bob, I’m workin’ on it.
Walt
I haven’t landed a smallmouth bass since we lived in Mississippi. I love the colors on the smallie and the fight this fish produces. What wt. and length South Bend fly rod were you using. Thanks for sharing
Bill, This 9-foot rod works well with a 6-weight floating line. Originally designed as a dry fly rod, I enjoyed casting a streamer with it for the river bass. Thank you.
Cherish the rain my friend. Best wishes from a dangerously dry and smoky Idaho.
Thank you, AJ. Wish I could send some rain your way!