It's only words, and words are all I have

It struck me today that Spring is the best and Winter the worst, and that the word spring says it all, but just to confirm: 

Spring (verb and noun related, of course)

Season following winter, the vernal season, c. 1400, earlier springing time (late 14c.), which replaced Lent, the Old English word. The notion is of the "spring of the year," when plants begin to rise, from the noun in its old sense of "action or time of rising or springing into existence." It was used of sunrise, the waxing of the moon, rising tides, etc. Old English springan, "to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread, grow," (class III strong verb; past tense sprang, past participle sprungen), "to move, hasten, spring" (cognates: "desires eagerly," Greek sperkhesthai "to hurry").

Winter (Only a noun)

Old English winter (plural wintru), "the fourth and coldest season of the year, winter," from Proto-Germanic *wintruz "winter" (cognates: Old Frisian, Dutch winter, Old Saxon, Old High German wintar, German winter, Danish and Swedish vinter, Gothic wintrus, Old Norse vetr "winter"), probably literally "the wet season," from PIE *wend-, from root *wed- (1) "water, wet" (see water (n.1)). On another old guess, cognate with Gaulish vindo-, Old Irish find “Horrible, hate-filled, kill yourself, do it now”.  From Old English Jonny, meaning “eat my bottom mushrooms I'm glad you're dead". 

Interesting.

Jonny 

Inspirational*

To the New England hills today to make like a mountain goat. The scenery was breathtaking, the fish plentiful, the company excellent. It was a treat, is all.

Here's a taste.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Not like those office posters. Just like actual waterfalls that hold trout that have blue halos. 

First white bass post of 2015

By this time each year, I have been thinking of white bass for a couple weeks, and may have even ventured out to see if they’ve arrived. I then report back to you all.  In that spirit, I offer the Culvert’s first white bass post of the season.  But that’s sort of where it all goes south.  The problem is two-fold.  First, we’ve a fair bit of rain and worse yet, the timing has been awful.  As soon as the streams are 24 hours from wadeable, we get another rain.  Second, I just got a vasectomy.  I feel fine (thanks for asking), but Doc says I should take it easy today and tomorrow….yep, you guessed it: more rain.

According to DMOZ, some sort of website that is useful but not very amusing, the Angler’s Culvert is a website that covers “Fly angling topics ranging from the useful to something less useful, but always amusing.”  I’ve said I all have to say about white bass for today, but according to the informational video I was required to watch before my vasectomy, I should consider…

Useful?  Check.

If you’re not fishing for white bass right now for the same reason I’m not, then I think we both agree that this little tidbit was useful.  It’s the Culvert way.

I tried to snap a few more photos from the instructional video.  The following one captured an interesting transition between images.  The editing was so superb, I didn’t even notice it was happening during the film.  It was only later, when sending the images to Jonny during the live stream that I noticed.  We’ve been searching for a Culvert logo for our hats, and I think we’ve found one.

Less useful.  But amusing.

The procedure itself was largely painless, and quicker than you can tie a wooly bugger.  Nonetheless, I got a little light-headed and nauseous during the surgery and I don’t think it was because of the pain.  Right before the doctor started, I caught a glimpse of the instrument tray.  If you know anything about vasectomies, you know there are a lot of little hoses to snip, clamp and suture so most of the instruments on the tray were no cause for alarm.

But the little metal bowl?  I could only think of one thing – well, two really – that would be in danger of rolling off of the tray and there was no mention of that in the video. 

I checked the bowl on my way out, though, and it was empty.  The nausea passed, and I think we’re all good to go. 

I hope you’re able to get out there and catch the white bass run before it’s over!

Images of Spring (warning: sexually implicit)

Improved x-country ski trail.

O'Keeffe Cabbage

Clamming again

A sort of sexual penguin cabbage

The clammer for spring 

Floral phallus

A penguin

Come get some

Lick

A stream or whatever

A frog

Everywhere is sex

Deposit

Happy Days