It's Good To Be King

Cat and I have been leaving the idiot box off more often lately and just turning the CD player on while we do things around the house, chill, whatever. I've been on a total 311 binge with the release of the knew CD, but a good measure of other music that we've listened to for seems to have been forever. Interesting how some CD's seem to occupy certain phases of my life, meaning one thing at one time, something else at another.

I've been listening to Tom Petty's WIldflowers CD on and off for the past two weeks. After years of lying dormant in a CD case, I'm remembering why I love that CD so much. In my opinion, Tom Petty may possibly be the greatest songwriter of our generation. A lot of his music speaks to me on a personal level, different songs having different meanings to me. I love the while CD, but some of the standouts have always been: Wildflowers (this song is a amazing), Time to Get Goin (Life song, has always meant something to me), Only a Broken Heart (sigh.... such a great song), To Find a Friend ( I don't know, but I have always loved this song), Crawling Back to You ( another great song), Wake Up Time ( epiphany song for me).

These are probably some of my favorite songs to reflect about things to, chill to, and listen to on a road trip. There is just something about his music that pulls me deeper into myself. I left one song out, one of my absolute favorite songs in the world. When I'm feeling down or even whimsical, I love to listen to it. It has the abilty to lift me up on a crappy day and even improve one that wasn't too shabby to start with. It reminds me that we all have places that we go in our heads. I'm a dreamer, so the song has a stong appeal to me.

It's Good to be King

Its good to be king, if just for a while
To be there in velvet, yeah, to give em a smile
Its good to get high, and never come down
Its good to be king of your own little town

Yeah the world would swing if I were king
Can I help it if I still dream time to time

Its good to be king and have your own way
Get a feeling of peace at the end of the day
And when your bulldog barks and your canary sings
Youre out there with winners, its good to be king

Yeah, Ill be king when dogs have wings
Can I help it if I still dream time to time

Its good to be king and have your own world
It helps to make friends, its good to meet girls
A sweet little queen, who cant run away
Its good to be king, whatever it pays

Excuse me if I have some place in my mind
Where I go time to time

Hit the water today in hopes of getting out of the house for a bit and catching some decent fish on the full moon. Fishing is what I did, bit catching was not really in the cards today. If I had hooked 1/4 of the fish I made contact with today, it would have been a spectacular Sunday. My timing was off, the fish were being funky, and I couldn't seem to keep them on the hook when I did poke one. It was like I couldn't quit get into that zone. The one where my sixth sense develops and I know a fish is gonna take the fly before I even see them. I just couldn't get there, everything seemed to be a struggle. Moving through the water, keeping droppers untangled, and staying out of the trees.

I spent a lot of the afternoon just enjoying being where I was, which is a good thing, seeing as the fish weren't co-operating. Earlier in life when having a day like today, I would become more focused and driven, trying to figure out what was going on and beating the hell out of the water, usually with negligible results. Today I just kinda ambled around some, casting now and then to likely spots, catching (missing) the occasional fish, but really soaking in my surroundings. The warm wind blowing downstream, enveloping me in the sticky smell of honey suckle blooming on the hill above me. Feeling the coolness of the water on my legs, while the sun beats down on my neck and fore arms, marveling at the beauty of a square tailed hawk as it silently glides through the forest canopy, majestic in all it's movements. Staring amazed at the whip like blooms of the galax waving in the wind like a fields of wheat.

Times like these make me contemplate life and all it's meanings and complexities. Our purpose and being, where we belong and what we do. I find a soothing simplicity to it all when I'm standing in the middle of stream, feeling it's power coursing around me. Strong enough to wear down rock, but yielding enough to give to my presence, if only for a fleeting moment. Streams are the places I go to to turn off, go into auto pilot. Sometimes they have the exact opposite effect, forcing me to recognize the unbelievable intricacy and purpose of life around me. Drawing me to find my purpose and place, my meaning for existence. Sometimes I feel like I'm looking at the answer, but I can't focus on it, like it's a note written in a language I don't understand. Painfully close, but still so far away. Far enough that it ceases to matter sometimes, for the very nearness of it makes me want to tear my hair out.

Every once in awhile, I get a clear glimpse of that answer. Never enough to see it in its entirety, but enough to re orientate myself back to true North. I sat for a bit, just watching the creek flow past me while gazing at a laurel bush in full bloom, contemplating, searching. I'd like to say that I found an answer while surrounded my so much inspiration and beauty, but it didn't come. Just that warm breeze, full of the sticky sweet smell of honey suckle.

Uplifter

After much wait and anticipation, my Deluxe copy of 311's new cd Uplifter, with 2 bonus tracks and a dvd, arrived at my doorstep yesterday afternoon. I have been listening to it nonstop in my waking hours. What an incredible piece of work, absolutely wonderful!

A little more relaxed than some of their previous cd's, I can still see this one turning into a fav! I had big fears that this would be Nick Hexum's wedding album, he just got married, and it is to some extent, but still.... timely for me. It seems I can always find a 311 song that fits my mood, feelings, whatever, this cd did not dissapoint. On my first run through, I liked 60% of the songs, which is a bit unusual. They're new music usually has to grow on me, not this time though! Some of the standouts for me are, Hey You, It's Alright, Never Ending Summer, Two Drops in the Ocean, My Heart Sings, and Get Down. If you go here, you can listen to the stream of the CD, if you've never listened to 311, listen to Get Down. Give it chance, you never know what might happen. This band LOVES their fans, their fans love them. Seeing them in concert is incredible. As a matter of fact, we just made our reservations in N.O. for 311 day next year! I can't wait!!!

So, I'm going to leave you with what might possibly the most meaningful 311 song to me. This song hit me like a ton of bricks when I heard it. Besides being a jammin tune, the lyrics blew me away.


"Get Down"

I got this great idea about why I got stuck in reverse
I was so out of control it just got worse
I hope you got more sense than I, side step the curse
I don't know which came first
In the spiral threatening me, my survival
It's come, time to get down

It's time to get down
Boots to the ground
Know we don't stop 'til they hear the bell sound
Keep your head up
Cause the truth just cut
No quick fix when I'm caught in a rut
What I got to do to get right size
Think I'm despised when I look through the eyes
Of another
Not mine to discover
What the next man think is none of my fucking business

And then I say what is this
Illusion I can't fix it
You name it, hey
The story stays the same
Any trouble you can name
Just goes straight into accepted
You name it, hey

It's time to get down
To the ground
So simple yet profound
In the now
Is why we're here
Inspiration
I've been waiting all my life
I'm set free, it's happened
I won't look back and think twice
It's how it's meant to be
Something's happened
A sudden slap in the right place
In my face, I thank you
You always came through for me
It's how it's meant to be

Gonna get down because I can't stay high
All of the time, cause I see the sign
So I re-align with an open mind
Adamant and circumvent
I get by every night and day
Get by with my comfort way
An Open space to an open way
I just unwind, I just unwind

And then I say what is this
Illusion I can't fix it
You name it, hey
The story stays the same
Any trouble you can name
Just goes straight into accepted
You name it, hey

It's time to get down
To the ground
So simple yet profound
In the now
Is why we're here

Inspiration
I've been waiting all my life
I'm set free, it's happened
I won't look back and think twice
It's how it's meant to be
Something's happened
A sudden slap in the right place
In my face, I thank you
You always came through for me
It's how it's meant to be

Adicus Badicus- Bestest Dog EVER!!!

I've been meaning to do a post on Adicus, the most incredible dog I've ever known! His birthday was last week (he turned 3) and what a three years it has been! We got him from a breeder from Tennessee and got a hell of a bargain looking back on it, plus, we always get to make fun of him for being from Tennessee. When we got him, he was little more than a ball of fuzz, full of energy and curiosity. Little did I know that I was about to form one of the closest bonds of my life.

I can still remember the first time I took him out to start training him to fish with me. There are some shallow gravel runs below the damn at the lake near the house, so I figured I would take him down there for his introduction to moving water. We had had Asdicus over 2 weeks at this point, so he was responding pretty well to tennis balls, getting him to follow me into the water wasn't that hard. In what would turn out to be his natural fashion, he bit off more than he could chew, ended up head over heals and underwater! A quick grab of the collar and back on the gravel bar he goes.

After that day, I started taking Adicus with me whenever I went fishing, feeling very guilty if I went out without him, leaving him in the crate alone. The first few months, there was not just a lot of fishing going on. More me cussin and trying to teach him that he is never allowed to get in front of me. Watching him learn the boundaries of what he was willing to do, and me learning where he could go. Over the months an understanding and a partnership was developed, as well as an incredible fishing companion being gained. It is rare that I am seen on the water without him. I have a tendency to feel even more guilty these days if I leave him at home, because he knows when I've been fishing without him, and the look of betrayal he gives me breaks my heart. People who don't know me say hi because they recognize Adicus. I guess he's just that type of dog!

Anyone who has ever owned a German Shepard knows how smart they are, people who haven't sometimes have a hard time comprehending it. Trust me on this, if they had thumbs and pockets, we'd all be in trouble! He has come to recognize the sound of the computer shut down and heads for the door, knowing it means mom or dad are FINALLY getting of off "the silver box" and will finally pay him some attention. Attention = Fetch, Frisbee, or Stick. In that order. Adicus is a fetch fanatic. If I had the some dedication to anything in my life as he does when it comes down t us throwing something, God only knows where I would be. Cat and I trained Adicus with tennis balls, so from the early days of his life, he was wired that tennis balls, and eventually Frisbees, were his reward.

I have always wanted a dog that played fetch. Standing in the back yard in the evening, throwing a ball while watching my loyal companion bring it to his master... We got that and some!I took me 6 months to get him to quit running after EVERY ball that rolled by. (many apologies issued at the park!) I have seen him stare a a tennis ball for 4 hours in hopes, just an inkling, that someone might throw it. He is constantly bringing sticks up to us and throwing them at our feet. It is well beyond obsession and traveling towards a neurosis! A couple of winters ago, I was playing with him on a snowy parking lot, throwing a tennis ball around. So focused on what he was doing, it was not until he stopped for a few minutes that I realized that he had tore the skin off of the main pads on his front paws and he finally realized that he was in pain. Never a limp or skip in the step, I don't think he realized until he stopped long enough to feel it. We ended up having to bandage his paws for a week or so. He spent most of that time lounging on the couch with his momma.

Adicus and his momma have a very special relationship. He turns to butter around her! Always getting scritch and special loving from her and food. For those of you that may not know her well, my wife will feed anything, and I mean anything! Adicus knows this. Hell, animals that don't know her know this! He can look at her with those big brown eyes while she's eating, knowing mamma rarely cleans her plate, or that he can "rinse" the plates when she's putting dishes in the dishwasher. Unfortunately for him, he is on total human food restriction because he has very sensitive digestive system. i.e. he gets the shits!!! Hence one of his other names, MudButt. Enough said!

Adicus is now three years old and maturing into the dog I've always dreamed of. There were times that I didn't think we were going to make it through the puppy stage. On many more times than one occasion, I've come home to see him napping in random piles of destruction. Ranging from digital cameras, X-Box controllers, Cats expensive/new shoes, the list could go in for awhile! he is by no means perfect, but at the same time he is in my eyes. People comment on him when we're on the water, at the lake, a restaurant, wherever we might take him. Everything from what a beautiful dog he is to how well behaved he is. I'm so proud sometimes, my heart could just explode out of my chest! He is a marvelous dog!

And what post all about Adicus would be complete without discussing a little bit about his bestest friend in the world, Scooter. Scooter is a cat that we brought hame at two weeks old and had to be bottle fed. I think Adicus was just over a year old when we got Scooter and devoloped a somewhat unusual bond with him. Adicus started carrying Scooter around in his mouth when we got him, making sure he was where ever we where. Adicus also protected him from the other cats in the house and anything else that might try to harm him. They sleep together, Scooter cleans Adicus' ears. If Adicus hears Scooter scream, he totaly freaks out. Granted, he does this with all our cats, but Scooter in particular. Scooter is the only cat allowed near Adicus' food dish, it's so cute to see them eating together! Even cuter to see them cuddling together in the bed or on the couch. Adicus + Scooter = Bestest Friends Forevers!!!

So that's Adicus. A dog that makes me wish I could be all that he thinks I am. He loves his pops, there is no doubt in the world about that! I love him. He most definately loves his momma, there is no question there. He listens most of the time and he stays out of the garden. On rainy days, he's more than content to lay on the couch doing absolutely nothing. On nice days when I'm going fishing, he'll wait by the truck door so I don't forget him. What more could you want out of a dog?

Grow Garden, Grow

The benefit of all the rain we've been getting is that the garden is growing like gang busters these days! Unlike the past couple of years where we've struggled to keep the garden watered, this year is the exact opposite. I don't think the soil has dried out in two weeks, mushrooms are growing all over the garden and we're starting to have some fungus issues from all the moisture. I need to spray, both Neem and a general fungicide, but we can't get period of time that's dry long enough to do so. I have some leaf spot attacking my tomatoes and another type of leaf spot on my taters. Not out of control by any means, but if the humidity and rain don't take a break, it's gonna be a problem!

We've been harvesting lettuce for the past few weeks and have been enjoying the fresh salad, although it would be better if the cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots didn't have to be bought. The cabbage plants are starting to head up. We bought an early variety that has a smaller head in hopes of harvesting them before it gets too warm. We will defiantly be replanting cabbage around late August for a fall crop this year, along with broccoli, spinach, and another run of lettuce. Onions are kickin right along, They are growing good tops, although they need to be weeded thoroughly.

Ah, the potatoes! My potatoes seem to be doing very well, despite being assaulted by flea beetles and some kind of leaf spot. Cat says root crops a lesson from nature to me about trusting what I can't see. I always have visions of scab covering my beloved tubers or wire worms devouring their insides while I can't see. I haven't dug into any of the hills yet, trying to have enough patience to wait until they flower and I can harvest a few new potatoes. All of the squash, zucchini, and cucumbers that were planted are doing good. If there is one thing that grows in the garden is squash! We had it comin out of our ears last year! I'm anticipating having some of them by the 4th of July at the latest. Mmmmm, fried squash..... The beans are up and puttin out true leaves, with more growth anticipated soon. For 2 people, we probably planted more beans than we need, but we are also hoping to can and freeze some this year. One of the reasons we planted so many potatoes and onions this year, we eat alot of em, so we devoted a lot of space for em!

And so another attempt at corn will be made this year after last years dismal results. I would like to blame it on the drought, which played a role no doubt, but more to due with not having quite enough direct light to grow it properly. We'll see, some changes have been made and maybe the all the rain will make a difference. That is, if we keep getting it into the summer. The first couple of rows I planted are about 5-6" tall and the other 4 rows that I planted last week are just breaking through the ground now. Most of the marigold, nastrium, and other random wildflowers are starting to develop into plants or are just coming up. So, as you can see the garden is growing right along nicely.

Now, if we could only get enough of a break in the rain for me to do some prevention. I need to put some dishes with beer out tonight after it rains..... again, to knock off the slug population a bit. They've been merrily eating away at the black seeded simpson lettuce for the past week, they must die! We're trying to keep as organic as we possibly can, using Neem Insecticidal soap, organic fungicides, and what not. But I am more than prepared to escalate this affair to some seven dust if I can't keep the buggies under control. They will not win, I will defeat them!

Side dressings of the compost we made last year are being applied to most plants, with some mulch being thrown on afterwards. A lesson we learned form last year, dirt constantly splashing on the veggies and plants causes lots of problems and makes cleaning them later alot more work. So there it is, what's going on in the garden and we transition into summer over the next couple of weeks. I can almost taste the fresh BLT's!

Bows and Browns

I decided to get out for a bit today to hit some new water above Canton that I've been eyeing for a while. The skies were overcast with rain threatening. I was happy to see this, hoping that it would keep the tourons at bay that flood the area this time of the year and help turn up some nice sized fish. I was fishing water that is a little larger than what I normally prefer, but you don't normally catch big fish in the small streams that I frequent.

Armed with my 3 wt., I tied on a new leader and then a size 12 Elk Hair Caddis with a size 12 yellow Harey Moose hanging 16" off the dry. There was a light drizzle starting as I moved down the road, looking for a convenient entry spot. Dropping down to the river bank, I noticed a large clump of fire pink blooming amongst the underbrush. This is the first of the summer wildflowers that I've seen this year. Somewhat disappointing, as it signals the end of spring is drawing near, but exciting at the same time, as we get into terrestrial season. Hoppers, beetles, ants and inch worms will be the norm at the end of my leader in not too long of a time.

I was skeptical about the quality of the water I was about to work. Running next to a road with a RV campground next to it, I didn't have high hopes for decent fish, if any fish at all. My first cast in to an eddy behind a rock, I saw nice rainbow swirl at my dry and miss. I made a second cast and he did the exact same thing. Third cast and he was finally able to get the Caddis into his mouth, netting a nice 10" wold rainbow. The smallest fish that I caught all day. Adicus and I continued moving upstream, picking up the occasional fish, most looking like twins with the one I caught earlier. The pocket water gave way to long slicks, making me a bit nervous, as I don't tend to catch many fish out of big pools.

Standing on a rock, I was casting to a seam in one of these large holes. Watching the drift, a large bow came up and nosed my caddis, one of the more frustrating things about trout. I made a few more casts, hoping to beat the odds and get that rainbow to come back up and take the fly or my nymph. To my surprise, on my 4th cast to the same location, I got a perfect drift and Mr. Rainbow came up and smacked the crap out of my dry! Fish on! After a nice fight, I was able to land this beauty of a bow, bringing a smile to my face.

After releasing, we continued to move upstream, picking up 10" browns and bows with surprising regularity. I was having a great time despite the drizzle that was soaking me to the bone. Why I left the Gore-Tex at home I have no idea. Despite the rain, I continued fishing, because.... well, it was on! Coming to the next hole, I had a feeling that something big was living in there. It was one of those holes that just looks fishy as all get out, and it had a deep trough with a mild current running through it. On my third cast, my caddis stopped in mid stream before shooting down and my line began to zip through the water. I heard something I don't get to hear often fishing for my small jewels, my drag! Not a lot, but he had enough back bone to get my drag singing for a minute. After one heck of a fight, I was able to land this beauty of a brown, probably my largest this year. If you look close, you can see the harey moose hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

Fighting the rain and having caught quit a few quality fish, I decided I had had enough fun for the day and decided to head back to the truck and try to dry out some. I had about a mile walk back to my truck, but luckily it was along a road and not a trail or back country. Unfortunately, the skies opened up completely by the time I reached the road, so I had the privilege of walking back in a complete downpour. I thought I was wet before. I was wrong, now I was wet, thoroughly. I was even soaked under my waders, but it was worth it!

The Cedar Cliffs

Today is Adicus' birthday, so I thought I would take him on a hike since he prefers to do that over fishing. More on the birthday boy in another post. A bit of background on this hike. First, it starts in the back of my "neighborhood" and climbs about 1000ft in 1 1/2 miles, topping out at an rock outcrop overlooking the Crabtree Valley. I love this hike for many reasons. One being that I have NEVER seen another soul up there, two being that I can see from the Pisgah ledge to the East and the Cataloochee ridge to the west, with the Snowbirds and Balsams tucked in the middle. I think it might be one of the best views around, but I might be a little biased at the same time. I try to make this hike multiple times a year, noticing new things each time I do.

This is one of the places I go just to contemplate the intricacies of life. I find that the peace and solitude, along with the view helps me put things into perspective most of the time. Looking down at the world from 4000+ feet can help me realize how insignificant I (we) really am and how fleeting our time on this earth is, so we better make the best of the run we have. There are no do overs.

Like most of our hikes together, this one started out impressively. It's really not much more than a hard grind up the side of a mountain up some of the old logging roads that litter this area like the Interstates in Atlanta. ( I like the old logging roads better!) This is a spring or fall hike as the old roads have a tendency to get overgrown with grass, briars, and poison ivy during the summer. Anyone who knows me knows that I can look at poison ivy and break out with it! God forbid I actually get into the stuff, and it grows like fire up here. I have NEVER seen as much poison ivy as I do in Western North Carolina. The blueberries were blooming as were a few other miscellaneous wildflowers, but not a whole lot as we wind down from spring into summer around here.

I'm never disappointed by the view that greets me each time I pop out of the rhododendron onto the cliffs. My favorite spot is a rock that hangs out over the cliffs about 20 ft giving me a 200 degree view with a 800ft vertical drop below me. Most of the times I'm up here I see all types of different raptors gliding on the warm up currents rising from the valley. Today was no different, I was graced by the presence of a red tailed hawk that floated from the valley below me to rise and crossed the mountain top less than 25ft above my head. What a magnificent animal!

I did what I normally do when I'm up there. I sit on my rock, turn on some 311 and just sit back and relax, soaking up the world around me. I can see clouds envelope Mount Pisgah 30 miles SE of me, I can see cars the size of ants driving down Hwy 209. Everything just seems to be perfect when I'm up here. I really don't have a lot of words that can describe this place, so I'll just give you some photo's to soak up. Adicus and I had a great time, he got to play fetch and I got to empty my head a bit. Hurray for beautiful places, my life would be much less fulfilling without them!


View to the ESE, Mount Pisgah is in the center, barely visible in the distance.


View to the S, the Balsam range in to the left and the dairy farms of the Crabtree valley below me.

View to the W, the main ridge of the Cataloochee divide is on the right marking the boundary for Smoky Mountain National Park.


A red tailed hawk floating on the warm updrafts.