But I noticed something today while I was there: fewer people in the fishing aisle, more people getting ready for bow hunting, and it hit me...
Fall.
I'm never really ready for it, never ready for back to school, football, autumn colors, Halloween, the holidays. There's nothing wrong with any of that (other than the Steelers' rough showing in Week 1...), but I am simply not a fan of Wisconsin winters, of cold toes and runny nose, of any morning spent 'digging out' only to get stuck in an intersection two blocks away, or worse not being able to get out, and being stuck at home. I've suffered through 40 in a row, and have never warmed up to winter, never have felt anything but just a little anxious when the leaves start turning. I finally understand why people retire to Florida, or the American Southwest...and I have vowed to do the same, to one day become a gray-haired stereotype somewhere warm. I'd be perfectly fine with my holiday dinner being fresh crab and Corona in lieu of turkey and cider. And to be honest, I'd love to catch an alligator gar once.
If nothing else, I'm usually prepared to accept the change of the seasons. But this year, with temperatures in the 90s the last two weeks and straight through Labor Day, it's been hard to get out of summer mode. Seeing people 'tire-kicking' the bow hunting equipment the way they've done so with the fishing gear all summer really drove the point home.
Summer's about to end.
But that's okay. It's been a great summer, the best in recent memory. I've been sweating balls on the river for the last month, and frankly, it's really got me looking forward to casting out on the first truly crisp morning, leaves getting ripped from the trees by a northerly wind, sunlight through broken clouds offering not nearly so much warmth, and Big Missy throwing herself out of the water with a life-or-death lurch.
I have a feeling if this girl's gonna make her move, it's going to be sometime in the next month or two.
