Summer's Flying By!

Summer seems like it's whizzing by at 150 mph.  It's as though trying to get out fishing is almost work these days.  My landscape project is sort of in a holding pattern until I get my design done from the local nursery.  Having had to replant my sweet corn as I think I burned it with starter fertilizer, it almost made the "Knee High by The Fourth" requirement.  My raspberries have almost come and gone, and the two whitetail bucks have made a smorgasbord out of the majority of plants that have been growing in the garden.  I have been enjoying fresh blueberries as I beat the birds to them.  With over 2 inches of rain the last 3 weeks, my John Deere has been racking up the hours as well.  With all that is going on I got a hair up my you know what and bought a motorcycle.  A lot of us used to ride when we where young, then either stuck with it or abandoned it for "safer" activities.  I had always wanted to get into it as I enjoy the outdoors, understand the risks, and have lived past those crazy years!  Near the house was a 2007 Honda VLX600 Shadow for sale.  It had 325 miles on it and it looked like a good bike to get re-established again, so I bought it.  Lacking a motorcycle endorsement, I did get my permit and plan on taking a riders course next month.  It's one of those things, if it becomes enjoyable I can always move up and if not, it will cost me little.

Sunday saw me back up on Mille Lacs with my friend Tom and his friend from Colorado Springs.  The wind was set up to blow exactly like the direction last week be by the time we got set up it had died.  We fished Sherman's again and picked up a few before heading to the 7-Mile Flat.  I don't remember marking so many fish and catching so few.  We did try bobber fishing for a while and caught a few over the slot but nothing really big.  My other friend, Tom and his son Cory were parked on a deep reef I suggested as we headed over to see how they were doing.  Corks were going down left and right but they were pretty small.  My guests were ready to leave a little early so I dropped them off at the landing and headed back to the reef.  Having caught a few more fish, the bugs descended on us like the plague and we headed out early.  Ending up with a couple of meals worth of fish we did ok.  A few days later I learned that my friend John had done real well on a flat just north of us.  Because I had 3 in the boat it was a little tougher to make the right presentation.   Hopefully the bite continues for another week.  Here is Tom with one of his larger walleyes. 

Next week I have the pleasure of returning to China for 10 days of business meetings.  It is extremely hot and humid this time of year and frankly I do not look forward to it,  however these things must be done.  It is a 22 hour flight to Shanghai with our return flight out of Hong Kong.  I should have stories of my adventures as there is always something interesting a half a world away!