JohnF

Nice. I like it.

What's with this "Over 70" crap, sonny? Like it's old or something! The way the years are flying by it won't be all that long for me either, so watch yer mouth. Me own dear old Mum kinda likes to go touring some of my favourite creek spots, although she doesn't fish, or even get outa the vehicle, but then she's over 90 now. We're lucky they're willing to share things like that with us, aren't we? JF

The Canadian east has gotta be the toughest place to live up to fan expectations. Combine hockey history & Canuck pride in the game and you've got extreme pressure. Factor in the Quebecois heritage thang and you've got near impossibility. Nothing less than a Cup will satisfy the fans in our eastern markets. Pity the Habs who gotta do it while including a lot of french sounding names on the roster. Nothing short of a Cup will make all things right with the world in Toronto, Montreal or even Ottawa (just cuz they live too close). JF

A few outfits package rubber rings that roll over the butt. 2 or 3 for a few bucks. I use them on a few rods and they work fine. I bought some at Bass Pro last year I think. Dick's Sports has 'em down in the States. I'm heading down to the States in a few weeks. Let me know and I'll pick some up for you if you can't find 'em. JF

We're more humble too. JF

Saw them running the Thames up near St.Marys on Sunday. JF

Lots of those rays in the sand there. Bear with me if I've already told this story. My wife was walking on the beach at Ft Myers one day and came across a feller shorefishing. He was hauling something in so she waited to see what he'd caught. It was a little bitty Southern Ray. The big burly guy freaked. He said he was afraid to touch it cuz those things are poisonous. My wife, although not a fisherperson, was quite familiar with rays from our scuba diving, so she knelt down, flipped the ray on it's back, removed the hook, lifted him by the wings and set him back in the water. The guy was blown away that a mere female could do that. Most folks don't understand that they're relatively harmless except for those little spines at the base of the tail, and those things are nasty if you step on one. JF

I'm hoping that someone in town chose this week to clean out their buffalo corral. It's easier to turn the other cheek/take the high road when the other guy is toting bags of warm stinky buffalo poop to the truck. JF

When our 18 year old was killed in the car accident we honoured his wish that his organs be donated. The hardest part was that the doctors kept referring to it as organ harvesting. Made it sound too impersonal somehow, but later we were glad it was done. We heard about how many people were helped and we knew Steve would have been proud. In hindsight it would have been terrible to waste the organs of a strong healthy young man when there are so many people needing them and us having the technology to do the transplants. It's definitely a win/win thing, albeit damned hard at the time. It occurred to me much later that a little bit of Steve was still alive, even if we didn't know where. There was even comfort in that. JF

Looks like you parked in a real estate office pkg lot. We're forever getting scratches like that on our cars from oversized purses and briefcases. Very frustrating. There are rubbing compounds available that might restore the colour if the scratch isn't too deep. You might ask your favourite body shop guy if it's easily curable. JF

Better yet, do you know anyone with a pony, preferably one with a stomach ailment? JF

"Soso" (same old same old) isn't always an insult. JF

That's not you. That guy's not wearing a GB hat. JF

We were on the ice one day back in the late 60's. Some guys were doing that out on the middle of the lake. One, in a late model Charger, hopefully a hemi, spun it right into open water. Didn't hear much sympathy going around. JF

But it's one more than I've seen so far. JF

Looks like a plain ole robin to me. JF

Do fire departments ever outfit their rescue guys with drysuits for winter water work? We've stayed down in near freezing water (34 F) for up to an hour without being uncomfortable. All you need is the right undergarment and a drysuit that doesn't leak. JF

Opened the sun roof on the car and went off to make the rounds of the local fishing spots. Water's high and dirty but spring is definitely in the air. JF

Isn't there anything about the rumble of exhaust that tweaks something way down deep? I still roll down the car windows to listen when I see a bike or car that might have that sound. My wife disapproves too. Guess that's why none of our vehicles have it any more. JF

Yeah sure, but yer from 'Bama

The Dead Cow and Vet School. First-year students at Texas A&M's Vet school were receiving their first anatomy class, with a real dead cow. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, 'In Veterinary Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the animal body.' For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the dead cow, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth. 'Go ahead and do the same thing,' he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the anal opening of the dead cow and sucking on it. When everyone finished, the Professor looked at them and said, 'The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle finger but I sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention. Life's tough; it's even tougher if you're stupid.'

34 years later and I can still recall that first time. It's pretty incredible, isn't it? Yer son looks like he's building up pressure to do something really really nasty in that first picture though. Congratulations to you all. JF

Thanks for that. I was having a somewhat ego deflating day, but you just made me feel a lot more important. JF

Sounds like it's converting to US$$ JF

Never divulge that your company pays yer account. JF