Cabin Fever

[Mike Ormsby]

Well it's almost the end of February. It's been a really long winter....and far too long since I was last on the water. Thank God that the winter is almost over....and trout season is only about 8 weeks away. I was hoping I'd be reporting back on the trip south I had planned -- it was my intention to send in computer updates to this forum as often as possible. Unfortunately, plans can go astray -- or as is said by Robbie Burns "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" -- and I've had to cancel my trip south. And put on hold my FFF certification until later. I was in an accident which left me with an injured arm, neck, and shoulder. And without a vehicle to travel south with (not that I could drive right now any way). So my past few weeks have been spent reading books and magazines and Internet forums -- mostly about fly fishing, of course. I've been unable to do any practising of fly casting (I'd been using a local horse riding academy's exercise ring to practise in. Or even much fly tying. But I've learned to type very effectively using one finger as this post shows. And I went to the recent Spring Fishing Show in Mississauga....and I'm looking forward to such coming attractions as the Fly Fishing Film Tour, the Toronto Sportsmen Show, and the Canadian Fly Fishing Forum. I'm making great progress in my physiotherapy (must be the cute therapist!!!! LOL LOL). So I expect to fully recover in plenty of time to make the trout season opener. And I can see an end to this bad bout of cabin fever.
Cheers,
Mike
P.S. Sorry I wasn't able to "hook" up with anybody as planned this winter. Hopefully I'll get a chance next winter to get out on the water with those of you who had PM'd me arranging to get together fishing while I was down south.

[shadesofsisyphus]

'The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley" is the actual quote. Robert Burns made a valiant effort to write in the vernacular.

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!







I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!





Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!





Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast,
An' weary Winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.



That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald.
To thole the Winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!





But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!



Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

Good stuff, that is...

Sorry for the hijacking

[Mike Ormsby]

No apology needed or any hijacking suspected -- thanks for the correct quote -- and posting the whole poem by Robbie Burns -- that brought back memories of my time in Scotland

[Betty Hiner]

Oooohhh, Shades!

I love it when you talk like that!!

[shadesofsisyphus]

Burns night was just a couple weeks ago I believe. Gotta love haggis, pipes, and reading Burns!!!