04.20.26 Of course there's a freeze warning...

 

     It's 33 degrees out here this morning. I think it was over 90 at some point this past week. Crazy fluctuations. River is still a paltry 8,700 cfs but the temps are coming down a bit. 

     Looks like rain at the end of the week which will hopefully bump up the river just in time for the Flower Moon, or next full moon, on May 1st. If the herring haven't already showed they will by then. Hopefully at some point, somehow, the river gets up into the 30,000 + cfs range, just where I like it. Otherwise it's pretty much a boat game. And my jet boat is listed as PENDING on Facebook Marketplace. 

04.18.26 First one gone...

 

     The dumpster has left the building, well property. It's amazing, and sad, how much we hold onto. There's something to be said about todays younger minimalist generation. While they throw money around like it's nothing on stupid things, they don't need or want our stupid things. I can't wait to just have around us what we need, and use. 

     While we haven't sign on the dotted line with the realtor yet I thought I'd tease out the house this weekend. It's a beautiful weekend and you never know who's passing by along River Road on their way to Lambertville or New Hope. We found this house that way, so why not someone else. Plus, it would save us the tens of thousands in real estate commissions.

     And the jet boat hit Facebook Marketplace this morning. With the river at just about an all time low it's perfect for skinny water. I hope it goes quick. We need to pay for Cape May which we hope will be our stop over after we sell in New Jersey and buy in South Carolina. 

     And what about the fishing? Well I'm hearing of blitzing bass along the beaches in Monmouth and Ocean County. Well that would be a first for me. You just never know how things change from year to year. 

04.17.26 If you don't have a picture then it didn't happen....

     It didn't really matter because there was nothing going on. You see, I forgot my iPhone because I was excited to get down to the river. My goal was to get to a spot, mostly before the pre-work guys showed up. I figured I better get to the tidal section while there was still water around so I went at 345 am, just at the top of the tide. Needless to say it didn't take long for the waters to start receding. There wasn't much for current but more of just an ebb and flow of tidal change.

     I watched as a half a dozen boats crossed crossed around which to me is a sign that they weren't on any fish. The river is in pitiful shape for this time of year and with the water temps hitting that magical 60-65 degree spawning temp they may have shut down. There were fish, and some good ones, when the water was higher and on the cooler side. Those were the earliest big females, I don't know if the males ever showed up in numbers. They are smaller, of course, than the big cow females. 

     I don't think the herring are here yet, and if they are they are schooled up in the deeper water. There's no need for them to hug the banks and hide behind rocks where bass wait to pick them off. That usually happens when the water is up, and the bass put on the feed bags post-spawn. Like I said, I believe, these bass, at least up here, aren't eating, they're caught because you dangle an 8-inch dildo in front of their faces while they work to get up river to spawn. But, that's just my take on it. When the bait is around, and their stomachs can actually fit food in it after depositing their eggs, then they eat, before heading down river and off to New England for the summer. 

     Participation out here is low compared to other years. One, the conditions, and two, the east side of the state is seeing better fishing. The bays and rivers of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties are full of fish, and now out front from top to bottom are seeing fish. The river here dropped almost 1,000 cfs in 24 hours, now just about 8,400 at 67 degrees in the middle of the night. 

     Above doesn't show much hope coming up, if any, maybe it's towards the end of the month. We have a 74% chance of rain on Sunday with a cooldown, but it won't do much for the river levels. Starting on the 27th it looks like we'll have five days with some kind of rain. That'll coincide with a New Moon on May 1st. Water, moon, lower water temps, and maybe post spawn fish around. That'll give me a few weeks to concentrate on things around the house, and not those stupid fish. 

04.16.26 Of course it's 100 degrees in April....

      Well if I wanted a teaser of what hot weather feels like in South Carolina all I had to do was step out of the hospital yesterday. It's 2026 so of course it's over 90 in mid-April. I don't care what you think about Global Warming but something is up with the weather extremes we've been having for the last 25 years.

     While the hot may be good for my waistline, as I drop my winter weight after hibernation while slaving around the house, it's not good for a lot of things. The grass is growing buck wild, and so are the weeds, but if the heat continues it will burn dry in these drought conditions we're having. It's also not good for whatever water we have around, and the fish that call those waters home. 

     The Delaware River near me is hitting 65 degrees, way to warm this early in the season. The put and take trout streams, well they're low and warm already, but those fish are meant to be harvested. But the wild streams and those wild trout will take a beating if you fish for them and stress them during the hook, fight, and release. Up river, at the Lordville, which is the Main Stem, it's already over 60, and Beaverkill has hit that as well. We still have a few more days of hot so those temps will surely rise. Not good, not this early. 

     And back to the Delaware near me. The river is running at 9,300 cfs which are late summer flows. That will surely affect any type of spawn the striped bass were about to enter into. It will also affect, possibly, the herring run, which is one I count on and usually have good success when the bait meet the bass. Flowing water, even big water, actually helps with fish that are swimming upstream. Low flows also keep the fish out in the mid-river currents, which eliminates fishing from the shores of the river. 

     So the heat wave will continue before a break on Sunday. It looks like some rain will be coming and if the weather patterns are consistent we'll get hit with a deluge that will blow out the rivers and carry all the debris down the river. The water will be chocolate colored and the turbidity high, before it drops like a stone. What we need are days of a nice steady rain where the ground can absorb, filter, and store the waters, filling the aquifers, to keep water levels consistent. That would also be good for those, like us, who depend on wells for our drinking water. The last thing I need is that underground water source to dry up before we sell. 

04.14.26 RIP Eric Olesen....

     I met Eric when I was a member of the Asbury Park Fishing Club. He was a regular on the beach and could always be found when the big fish were around. I learned yesterday of his passing following a pacemaker swap at Deborah Heart Center. He was just 38 years young. RIP Eric, big fish and tight lines.

     I joined the graveyard shift crew for some near low tide fishing early yesterday morning. I'm glad I went, even though I didn't get a tug. I know it's coming, and so are they, although I might miss out on those big early pre-spawn fish that come up first. They generally aren't in fly rod distance although I have caught them before. The river is low, and we continue to be in near drought-like conditions. 

     The rivers at 10,600 cfs and at 56 degrees. The temps fine but the flows are not. They will not make for a good spawn. If conditions aren't near perfect those eggs will get released or reabsorbed with no hope for a good YOU numbers next survey. What we need is rain, and a lot of it, just not 100 inches over 6 hours. 

     To possibly increase my chances at night I brought along my little bottle of Anise. In the end the only thing it did was stick up my hands and jacket. It didn't help with fishing. And then it was back to the grind before a few days at the hospital. The dumpster is getting picked up this week so the first one came, was filled, and went. I'm hoping the next one we need is a tad smaller. 

     I'm glad I'll have the next two days away from the house as I getting burned out. Things are looking good and I still want to male that May 22nd listing deadline that I made. We're ready to go....

04.12.26 I can't wait for this to be over...

          From a Google Ai search, "Lead paint is a toxic, hazardous material used in homes before its 1978 ban, creating significant risks of nervous system damage, learning disabilities, and developmental delays. It becomes dangerous when deteriorating, peeling, or producing dust through friction. Lead-based paint is still found under newer layers, in most pre-1978 homes".

     So far I've lost count of how many small bins of heavy paint I've burned off and deposited into the dumpster. The original paint job on this house dates back to when it was built in 1923. Over the next century there have been countless layers of paint added. I can't believe no one thought to many get down to the original wood and detail before just adding another coat. Did it really look when you turned around and saw the above? Did someone actually charge for that?

     I'm into the front entrance for over 40 hours on the heat gun, chisels, sparkle knives, and picks. Luckily I think I can wrap this up today before moving onto the next to-do list the realtors gave us. But begrudgingly, that will involve more heat gun play in another part of the house. We got the report as far as the market price they want to set the house out and it was about where we thought it would be. The only thing we can do is continue the push and hope that somewhere out there a buyer is dying to get into this house. 

Circa 2021

     In the end was doing this really needed and worth it? Could my time have been spent better? Well, this work that I'm doing is my gift to the house, and to the future owners. I feel that I owe it to both of them. While we lived here with it, and really never noticed it, both deserve better as the home enters another chapter, and the fourth owners. I would have loved to have seen this place as the craftsman back in the 1920's finished up before the owners, and their staff, moved in. She really is a fine estate. 

     

04.11.26 Finally got a bite...

     With my brain swollen from hours of burning lead paint off the front entrance I decided to take a pause and give it a shot, not once but twice. Two-a-days are a usual thing for me when I have the time but as you know my time has been overtaken by decluttering, filling the dumpster, and getting the house ready. 

     So I hit the river at high and just about low tide. I've been throwing whatever flies I could find without digging through the storage bins bins looking for my class A offerings. On top is a herring type flies, this one with Ru Harvey tabs, minus the eyes. After not getting a tap I went smaller with a fly Abe Pieciak gave me when I was up in the Vineyard. I've been watching the cormorants fishing in the river and coming up with small fishes in their mouths. For me, they may be the smaller alewives rather than the blueback herring, so it was a good choice. 

 

     I finally had a tap which was most likely a smallmouth bass that took a swipe. I usually start off the season with a non-bass catch which is either a walleye or red-eyed bass. In the end it was good to get out with some sun around, but the water is near gin clear, and the SW wind was steady. We've had the first push of fish come and go so we'll see how the rest of April goes. The New Moon is a well away and surely the herring will be pushing up on the moon and tides. 

     Today will be get the boat ready day, but not for use. It's going up for sale and I have a friend com ing over who might be interested in adding this smaller skiff to his river arsenal. Delaware Joe is coming over to help me get her ready. I hate to see her go but one, I'm not a boat guy. and two, it won't serve me well down in the Lowcountry. 

04.10.26 I'm not trying to be a jerk, but......

     Hey, it's fishing. It's supposed to be fun. And it is. But let's just say I've seen and heard enough already. Easy to sit behind a keyboard and poke fun at those out there getting it done. But, c'mon guys, are you really accomplishing anything when fishing for pre-spawn striped bass? And that goes for spin, fly, troll, plug, jig, and shad anglers. Basically it's find the fish, and you'll catch fish. And that's even easier said for the boat guys. 

     If you're in the know then you know. Just take a minute and watch the early birds trying to get a worm as they leave Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina. The boats pull out and they either head west or east, then south, then west. It's no secret, although people are trying to keep it one. Yes, the Raritan River is big, small compared to the Chesepeake, but if you are in a kayak it's big, a 28-foot center console not so much.

     Basically, at this time of the spring, all of those pre-spawn bass who are ready to go, like spawn, or are thinking of getting ready to go, will stage and chew, in the bays and rivers around northern Monmouth County, Middlesex County, and Staten Island County. I won't give up spots, but you know them, the Raritan River, the Arthur Kill, and the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. 

     Captains do their best trying to keep the bite quiet, but it's already blown up. My guess is the above picture could have been seen taken as you drove over the Highlands Bridge. The boats have been stacked up there, as well as around Perth Amboy, every day for the last two weeks, outside of any weather days. And the banks have been lined with guys, day and night, if they can squeeze in their car to the limited parking areas of the funnel-type spots. 

     These fish, are entering and are stuck in the funnel, that will have them enter into the Raritan Bay system and exit into the Hudson River. While the Chesapeake Bay has many tributaries where bass spawn, these fish are heading to Albany. Some say they spawn in the back of the Navesink, Raritan, and Hackensack Rivers, but I am not a believer. So when there's images and videos of catches with terms like "epic" and "madness" it makes me cringe. You came out of the marina, found the flotilla, used your electronics to mark tons of fish, and dropped bats down to them. I know I sound jaded, or jealous, but c'mon guys. 

     Other guys post and just don't care what's in the background. This guy's a happy NY Giants fan and a striped bass fishermen proudly holding his catch. That spot has always produced and believe it or not, before they replaced that bridge, guys used to fish off the hold one and hoist up 30 and 40 pound bass. Fishing from the bridges in New Jersey used to be a thing, but the law has that locked down, plus the new bridge is way too high. 

    Fishing for pre-spawn striped bass in the spring is fun, no doubt. There's a lot of fish around, depending where you are, and they are eager to eat before their hundred mile long journey north. But sitting anchored or spot locked up over a ton of fish on an ingoing and outgoing tide and landing "triples" is not much of an accomplishment, to me, but that's where I have to admit that's a jerky statement. Fishing is fun, and these anglers out there having fun. 

     If you go, pinch the barbs, get rid of the tailing trebles, and hold them correctly, so they can have enough life in them to make it to the den of iniquity in the north Hudson. 

04.08.26 Feels like winter's back....

 

     Woke up to 30 degree air temps with a NE wind to 15. Not what I hoped for but I went anyway. Wind didn't help with the casts nor did the iced up guides. I at least got to to see a nice fish that Leif got in Monmouth County. Seems like the fish have moved into their usual springtime spots and the crowds have as well. To say there's no more secret spots may be an understatement. 

04.07.26 Finally....

 

     Since everyone and their Mother's are catching fish starting last week I made it a point to find my stuff and give it a go. Nice day, little brisk coming out of the NW, dropping tide. I couldn't find my wadding staff so I just played it safe. 

    As far as flies I had to go into the bowels of my B-team collection. The are the ones that aren't tied on AHREX hooks, have lots of fake (hair extensions) hair, and are just off a bit. But they will do for this spring because it is what it is. I've packed away all my tying stuff and I just need to keep moving forward.

     I didn't get a tap but things are looking good in the next week or so. The cormorants have set up shop and their arrival means they've arrived. No, the herring aren't here, but the shad are. But you won't find the sleek black birds swallowing down big roe or buck shad. Maybe there's some white perch or smaller gizzard shad they're after. I'd say spring has finally arrived.

04.05.26 Skinny box delivery from Orvis....

 

     I was perched up on the ladder with heat gun in hand when I heard Luke in attack mode. When I turned around I saw the FedEx man waving a long skinny box trying to fend my protector off. Luke is more bark than bite but he has been known to snip at peoples calf when they turn away. In the end I was relieved there was no attack and that my favorite fly rod had made its way back from Manchester, Vermont.

     It was over 10 years ago when I purchased this Helios 9ft 11 wt four piece rod. It's a great rod for the boat, or fishing in big current, or when the wind is kicked up and I'm throwing heavier sinking lines. Of course it's been beat to hell, like my other stuff. I thought about retiring it to the dumpster, just laying it to rest, and buying a new Orvis Helios D to replace it. Over the years Leif has fixed the tip section several times and it was more of a 8'6" than a 9 footer.

     So a month or so ago I took advantage of Orvis rod repair program. For $60 I sent it back not knowing if they would even fix the broken tip section since I had already done several home repairs and wondered if any "warranty" would be null and void. When you fill out the form online they ask if the rod "has sentimental value" and I checked that it did. In my mind I wouldn't have wanted to replace a rod I have caught so many fish on, good ones too, and missed the opportunity to bring it to the Lowcountry for a shot at some bull reds. 

     If you remember the old days when you send a rod in, sometimes, if you're lucky, you would open the box and the rod tube and find a new glistening rod inside. They just replaced it rather than going through the work of the repair. When I untied the rod sock I saw the battle-worn cork grip first so I new my lovely was still intact, albeit with a new tip section. I was happy to have her back and look forward to at least a few outings on the Delaware before we split. 

     Things in terms of the spring and striped bass have broke open after the full moon earlier this week. From the Hackensack to the New York and Raritan Bays, the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, to some action on the beaches, and in the Lower Delaware River, the fish just popped like that. Luckily, while I spent every waking moment either loading a dumpster or with heat gun in hand, the striped bass haven't made their way up my parts in the mid-330 mile long river. I would guess that at some point during this week I will find my gear and give it a go, my internal fly fishing urge has started to rumble.

     At work we've finished up our Emergency Room rotation at Capital Health's Regional Medical Center. The students did great, one so impressive that he got eaten up my the staff and will most likely have a spot held for him after he sits for the boards. But my hat has to get tipped to and much thanks to the nursing staff that welcomed the kids and did everything to give them opportunities to learn and hone their skills. So while the seniors have ended their clinical rotations I'll be back upstairs on the med/surg floor with the freshman before starting the mental health course in mid-May. I'll be doing the lecture, labs, and clinical rotation with the class, which will include time at TPH, or the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, on their long-term inpatient unit. 

     And today is Easter Sunday. It's a day when Catholic's celebrate Jesus rising from the dead after three days spent in th tomb following his crucifixion on Good Friday. I may not be the best rule abiding Catholic out there but I am believer, and have faith, it's the only thing, for me, that is a constant in this world that we have bastardized and changed for the worse. In a world of AI and questioning and challenging everything like the entire Bible and Jesus stuff, for me, existing without faith would lead me misdirected an guided. And that, I would say, for anyone who believes in any religion, spirit, higher power, or force. 

     Easter Sunday's used to be one of the best days when the kids were young. You'd wake them up and have them follow those powdered made footprints around to find candy and gifts inside or outside the house. There were Easter egg hunts and brunches and family dinners. And of course you would have to drag them to church. As they got older and left the nest we pretty much have a 0'fer when it comes to the kids and their own religion beliefs and participation, but that's on them and how they choose to live their lives as adults. I think it's normal, they are forced into it as kids, drift away in young adulthood, and then get drawn back when they have their own families and kids. But in the end Easters are different as you get older. 

     We'll be heading out to my sister's house for a family get together with good food and mimosa's. It'll be our first visit to her new house after she sold and bought within a month. That's just hot the Monmouth County real estate market is these days. Hopefully some of that action will be alive and well out here in Mercer County. 

04.02.26 Staying focused but the pace has slowed...

     I might as well talk fishing since it's been a bit. If I had to put my hands on my gear right now it would be impossible. I saw the above picture on some Facebook page showing the catch a father and son made in one of the backwater lagoons in Palmetto Dunes in Hilton Head. I've driven through there and even walked some of the property but it's mostly a live and or stay there and fish kind of place. You basically need a pass to get through the gate, like most plantations or resorts on the island. Funny thing is my sister and her crew are down there now. I hope they got to wet a line.

     I haven't been on the river watch which is weird as by now I've usually had at least forty hours in and a fish or two to hand. A quick look at the USGS graphs show me things are looking real good.

     While the flows may be off from the norm, and we're probably still way to dry after the winter we had, the temps are looking real good, maybe too good. The river is running at 15,700 cfs and the water temps are near 55. While the shad fishing has broken open to me it's still too skinny and too warm for the first week of April. If water temps are a trigger for spawning then things may be early, or are already underway. My buddy took the ride to one of the Chesapeake tributaries last weekend and had luck on the fly rod at night. He found tons of herring and bass on them, and most were already spawned out. I should take some time and gather my stuff as I feel internally I'm missing out on something in my normal spring rituals. 

     One thing about having a dumpster is it's just go time. The more and harder you work the more you get done. Period. But that bull-in-a-China-closet-approch doesn't work for all home selling preparation operations. During my house survey I realized I looked over, for eight years, some things that need attention, especially if someone is going to plop down some serious money for the house. 

     The entrance to our home is pretty stunning. In an effort to pretty things up I thought about painting it over. The problem is a close inspection shows all of the dentil work has lost its detail after about 100 years of paining and subsequent weather. You just can't paint over it. And that's where speed and work comes to a quick halt. You can't rush a heat gun and picking through lead paint. And so it begins. 

    Next week we'll host the realtor team that will handle the sale and hopefully they will give some guidance on what to do or not before the house goes to market. What a seller thinks is important might not be to the buyer, so it can be time and effort wasted. To me, the entrance is the big first impression, and this one can be spectacular when it's all buttoned up. 

    What's also slowed the process is being down to one strong hand. This laceration wan't acquired from the work of filling the dumpster but from a much needed break during some day drinking when Theresa and I paused for a bite and a beer over at Al's Airport Inn. Said to say I had to direct the minor surgical procedure, and even redo two of them, as you need to grab some meet to approximate the edges of the wound. I didn't want to say anything, and be that APN guy, but I had to. I need this to be closed and stay closed, and clean.

     I was trying to cut a hole in a to-go container and a serrated knife and soft flesh met at the wrong time. I can't imagine the patient's faces when they get a load of my hands of horror as I approach them to start an IV or put in a foley catheter in the ED this Friday. I don't know how surgeons keep those surgeon hands impeccably clean and own a home where they do the yard work and tackle home improvement projects. Well, maybe they don't roll like me.

     We've set the to-market day as May 22nd and hopefully we'll meet that deadline. With springs arrival the landscape is coming in nice with everything coming in nice Ana green and the house shows best during May, before it gets unbearably hot inside during the summer. 

     I checked out the neighborhood yesterday on Zillow and saw that a few homes are coming close to market. There's one coming on with 3,900 square feet for $1,375,000 which is a nice number and will be interesting to see what kind of action it gets, and if it moves quickly. If it does I'll increase my lead paint poisoning exposure to try and get every dollar we can from the house. The bigger the get the better off we are starting anew in South Carolina. 

     What's funny is we just never know as we scan Zillow every night. Is our future home already on the market or is it to come? There's so many options, price, size, and location within Sun City that it's hard to zone in when we don't know when or how much scratch we'll be able to help in the search. We've capped out searches to a max of $450,000 but there's more in higher price ranges. The last thing we need is more space than we need.

     So while Theresa is looking at what kind of kitchens a listing may have I have my sights on more important, to me, spaces. One listing had the most glorious room that would serve me very, very well.

     It was a garage view that was an image towards the back of the gallery. It showed the garage and a secret little staircase located in the corner. The next picture showed a beautiful space which could become a fly tying room or a safe room where I could go and hide when we're just about to kill each other. 

       The 55 and over homes in our price range are basically 2 bedroom and 2 bath at around 1,300 square feet with no where to run and hide, or have a messy Man Cave space where I can feel at home. Part of me needs to have a space that isn't organized or sterile. One like this just might do. 

     So what does all of this personal stuff have to do with The Average Angler and fly fishing? Well this blog has documented the journey of a fly fishermen, like you. No doubt it's just a chapter in my life's book. And the next chapters will hopefully include fly fishing and guiding in and around Hilton Head and Beaufort, South Carolina, and not about burning lead paint, loading dumpsters, and getting stitches.

04.01.26 I hope this isn't an April Fool's joke...

      I check Zillow frequently for places to buy down in South Carolina and for listings in our neighborhood in Titusville, Every now and then I'll check our house. I don't know if it means anything, or if it's an April Fools joke, but the Zestimate as of this morning, has our house with a value of $1,004,420. To me that's crazy, but either way I'm glad to see this arrow of value moving up rather than down. 

     Like I had said after the estate sale, people who stopped by asked what we were listing it at and I put the question back to them. "I don't know, 2 million?". "1.7?". It's crazy to see how the value of real estate has increased over the years. 

     Luckily for us there isn't ANY thing on the market, like a similar big old home, in our surrounding area. Next Thursday a relator team is coming over for a meet and greet, a presentation, and to discuss their plan. No doubt they'll be targeting New York folks who are looking to come to the beautiful Garden State, and won't blink an eye at a one million dollar price tag and $18,500 a year in taxes. Hey, it's near Princeton, Lambertville, New Hope, and a short train ride to New York, and Philly. 

    I'm hoping for a bidding war. Actually I just want the house to go to the right people, who have the scratch to make it even better than we tried to do. She is a beauty. 

04.01.26 There's some things that just make you pause...

     There are things we've had to make the tough decisions about as we downsize and get ready for the sale and the move. The extra "stuff" is pretty easy to part with, but other things are definite saves and some just get a quick picture and then meet their doom in the dumpster. We've sent photos and texts to the kids asking, "Do you want this?", and most replies are a simple, "No". One thing that we've accumulated is every photo package we've ever purchased from Lifetouch or Jostens over the years. Imagine having folders with 8 x10's, 5x7's, too many wallet sized photos you could ever give away, and class or team pictures. That's for seven kids, for 8 years. Needless to say we whittled them down to just a single picture for each of them, for each year, and put them into a bin. 

     But then there are some items where I just have to sit and pause, and think of the story behind them. The other day I was out in the yard doing a hard edit and filling the dumpster. Then I came across the wood holder. There's not much to it and it's simply built. But I remember like it was yesterday. It's made from four pressured treated 4x4's and 2x4's and some galvanized bolts. I built in 1996 when we bought the house on Madison Avenue in Red Bank. I most likely purchased the materials from Home Depot in West Long Branch and surely paid less than the current price of $10.68 for a 4x4x8. 

     But like me, this log holder has been around. "Born" in Red Bank, it moved to Middletown, Ocean Township, did a stint in Roscoe, then back to Red Bank before its final rating place in Titusville. Most of the time it sat off behind a garage or along the side of a property. When just used for storage it held a few logs, most becoming the home to rodents under a frayed tarp. 

     This past fall we had a wood stove installed and she was dragged out from the back forty and brought out closer to the house. All winter she did her job, although a little wobbly. The rack was aways full and at times even over the top. She helped us stay warm this brutal winter, and may have even helped us save a few bucks in oil. But with spring arriving and my move to make the house present as pretty as possible my first move was to unbolt her and throw her in the dumpster. But she deserved better than that. 

     So I found a ratchet and tightened her joints up and displayed her proudly in the sun. I threw a few pieces of oak on her to look fresh and a little bit younger. Hopefully she will serve the new owners well as she did to me. We've had a relationship for thirty years. It's funny how things like this stir your mind, and your heart, as you downsize and move to live the last chapter of your life, pretty much naked, with just the clothes on your back and a few things stored in the bins.