Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Udate and a half
Well, a LOT of water went over our fordway on Little River since I posted last.
Shortly after that post we had the "Mothers Day Flood". The water came within a very few inches of the mark I made on the Back Shed at the peak of the October 1996 No Name "500 year storm".
It did it again a week or two earlier last year. The peak was a couple of inches lower but not much.
Spent both of those working communications at the Exeter Emergency Operations Center.
BJ and me did get oysters a couple or three times during the rest of the "06 seasons and we did get up-country over the 4th with the grandkids and all. Even Cathy Lynne made the '06 Little Diamond trip, extending her Summer trip home from Oregon to do it. Trout and good family times aplenty.
I did get into the Bluefish pretty well off Plum Island that Summer but the Bay was not as hot as in previous years for some reason.
That was also true in '07. Took one that was 8 pounds even and on my 9 weight fly rod at that. Best fight you can get this side of Alaska or the Atlantic Salmon waters of Canada.
During the '07 flood event my beloved BJ was at Exeter Hospital where they were trying desperately to find out the cause of "pleural and pericardial effusion" that had nearly killed her the previous week. Fancy terms for fluid building up around the heart so it nearly stopped, and building up in the chest so it collapsed a lung and squeezed the other one pretty badly too.
Still she called me early that morning and said "I know you must have been called in. I can see whats happening on the TV here. You go take care of those who need you and come see me when its all under control." It was not to be. Our primary care Doc called me at the EOC around 4 P.M. and said those dreaded words "I need to see you and Mrs Kenick together around 5 P.M."
Short version. Her breast cancer from 1988 was back. We spent the rest of the Spring, all Summer and Fall until November 6 fighting it. That day they told us we could not win this time and on November 13,here at homes and literally in my arms, she passed gently from my arms to the arms of our Lord.
Through all of that fight she sent me to take the grandkids fishing. She registered kids while popping her Chemo-therapy in the early hours of May 5 at the Exeter Sportsman's Club annual derby. She went out in the Canoe with me on Little Diamond Pond during the 4th of July trip after quietly celebrating our 40th Anniversary on June 24th. She cleaned and cooked the trout we ate as always.
She went oystering with me at the end of May. She spent the day judging 4-H at Stratham Fair at the end of July. And while using a scooter due to fatigue from the chemo, she wore me out at Deerfield Fair on Sept. 27th.
She sent me off waterfowling when the season opened and several times during it as well. She was determined that we'd beat that evil thing again and would not let it dominate our lives until her last week on Earth.
A fw mornings before she died she made me promise to get right back to hunting and fishing, veterans and Masonic activities "as soon as this is over".
I've kept that promise with the help and understanding of partners, Brothers and friends but truthfully, my heart is not in it very much as yet. I've not gone smelt fishing once and don't know if I will or not.
Pete Tilton shared a nice mess with me last Monday so I've at least eaten some. Whetted the appetite for that part all right but I sure miss my "clean 'em and cook 'em partner".
Well, that's about all the news thats fit to print from here. There are a FEW days left in the late goose season down in Mass but our snow cover is so depleted that the geese are feeding in the fields again. Saw a large flock on the apple farm beside Rt. 150 in Amesbury as I went to church. We need snow cover to drive them back to using the marsh creeks.
Clean and oil those reels and dress those lines. Only 75 days or so until TROUT season.
Joe
Shortly after that post we had the "Mothers Day Flood". The water came within a very few inches of the mark I made on the Back Shed at the peak of the October 1996 No Name "500 year storm".
It did it again a week or two earlier last year. The peak was a couple of inches lower but not much.
Spent both of those working communications at the Exeter Emergency Operations Center.
BJ and me did get oysters a couple or three times during the rest of the "06 seasons and we did get up-country over the 4th with the grandkids and all. Even Cathy Lynne made the '06 Little Diamond trip, extending her Summer trip home from Oregon to do it. Trout and good family times aplenty.
I did get into the Bluefish pretty well off Plum Island that Summer but the Bay was not as hot as in previous years for some reason.
That was also true in '07. Took one that was 8 pounds even and on my 9 weight fly rod at that. Best fight you can get this side of Alaska or the Atlantic Salmon waters of Canada.
During the '07 flood event my beloved BJ was at Exeter Hospital where they were trying desperately to find out the cause of "pleural and pericardial effusion" that had nearly killed her the previous week. Fancy terms for fluid building up around the heart so it nearly stopped, and building up in the chest so it collapsed a lung and squeezed the other one pretty badly too.
Still she called me early that morning and said "I know you must have been called in. I can see whats happening on the TV here. You go take care of those who need you and come see me when its all under control." It was not to be. Our primary care Doc called me at the EOC around 4 P.M. and said those dreaded words "I need to see you and Mrs Kenick together around 5 P.M."
Short version. Her breast cancer from 1988 was back. We spent the rest of the Spring, all Summer and Fall until November 6 fighting it. That day they told us we could not win this time and on November 13,here at homes and literally in my arms, she passed gently from my arms to the arms of our Lord.
Through all of that fight she sent me to take the grandkids fishing. She registered kids while popping her Chemo-therapy in the early hours of May 5 at the Exeter Sportsman's Club annual derby. She went out in the Canoe with me on Little Diamond Pond during the 4th of July trip after quietly celebrating our 40th Anniversary on June 24th. She cleaned and cooked the trout we ate as always.
She went oystering with me at the end of May. She spent the day judging 4-H at Stratham Fair at the end of July. And while using a scooter due to fatigue from the chemo, she wore me out at Deerfield Fair on Sept. 27th.
She sent me off waterfowling when the season opened and several times during it as well. She was determined that we'd beat that evil thing again and would not let it dominate our lives until her last week on Earth.
A fw mornings before she died she made me promise to get right back to hunting and fishing, veterans and Masonic activities "as soon as this is over".
I've kept that promise with the help and understanding of partners, Brothers and friends but truthfully, my heart is not in it very much as yet. I've not gone smelt fishing once and don't know if I will or not.
Pete Tilton shared a nice mess with me last Monday so I've at least eaten some. Whetted the appetite for that part all right but I sure miss my "clean 'em and cook 'em partner".
Well, that's about all the news thats fit to print from here. There are a FEW days left in the late goose season down in Mass but our snow cover is so depleted that the geese are feeding in the fields again. Saw a large flock on the apple farm beside Rt. 150 in Amesbury as I went to church. We need snow cover to drive them back to using the marsh creeks.
Clean and oil those reels and dress those lines. Only 75 days or so until TROUT season.
Joe
Labels: LONG UP-DATE
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The Winter That Got Away
Well, at least SOMEBODY went fishing. And SOME guys got on the ice (even if only for a day or two between rains/thaws etc.). And not one of them dropped off even ONE smelt at this address....
The Old BayRat spent from the afternoon before Thanksgiving until April 3rd being retreaded instead of retired. Back to Construction Management. Did a fast track "fire-job" when one of our own apartment houses burned (allegedly torched) shortly after noontime on November 23.
Even fitted in a little medical adventure in Jan & Feb but that's all under control now. Back to the gym three times a week though. Won't let it cut into fishin though.
But FISH BEWARE!! The final shingles went on the roof Monday afternoon. 19 weeks out of my life and $170,000 later, all is well. Got a lot of fishin to make up. (as soon as the back-logged list of "honey-do's" is caught up a bit)
We were clearing the garden when the pager went off that day. Finally pulled those tomato cages and long dead plants today. Burned same along with a huge brushpile from "the pruning winds of Wintah".
Dying to get to the big lake. Salmon season ought to be spectacular this year.
Anybody who can get away on a week-day gimme a call.
The Old BayRat spent from the afternoon before Thanksgiving until April 3rd being retreaded instead of retired. Back to Construction Management. Did a fast track "fire-job" when one of our own apartment houses burned (allegedly torched) shortly after noontime on November 23.
Even fitted in a little medical adventure in Jan & Feb but that's all under control now. Back to the gym three times a week though. Won't let it cut into fishin though.
But FISH BEWARE!! The final shingles went on the roof Monday afternoon. 19 weeks out of my life and $170,000 later, all is well. Got a lot of fishin to make up. (as soon as the back-logged list of "honey-do's" is caught up a bit)
We were clearing the garden when the pager went off that day. Finally pulled those tomato cages and long dead plants today. Burned same along with a huge brushpile from "the pruning winds of Wintah".
Dying to get to the big lake. Salmon season ought to be spectacular this year.
Anybody who can get away on a week-day gimme a call.
