I've been feeling sorry for myself lately because I've been sick and unable to go fishing. To make matters worse, this morning my physician scheduled me for some more obnoxious tests and told me he's 95% sure that I'll be undergoing one or even two major abdominal surgeries this spring. I lost it. And I admit to feeling way more than a little sorry for myself and frustrated and sad.

But I had already scheduled to have 5 students in my women's studies class (creating a website about women in sports and outdoor rec) join me for a fly casting lesson and fly tying session. We spent a bit over an hour casting and I felt myself get happier and happier as the minutes went on. The best part was taking one of their purses and putting it in the middle of the field and having them target practice. They got good!!

Then two of them joined me and learned some tying.. wooly buggers, of course. Talk about happy campers!

They were wonderful to work with and grateful for the intro. I, on the other hand, feel way more than merely grateful to have had the chance to wave the rod around for a while and see these folks do it for their first time.

Next we're going to attack the goldfish in the campus pond and see if we can trick them into biting some green weenies, griffith's gnats, and bivisibles. I can't wait to see my students go for it!

Amazing what a little getting past myself will do for a lousy mood.

Thanks for listening.