Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Winter 2009-2010 - The Great Malaise

I struggle during the northwest winters...no big secret there since I talk a lot about it here on the Quiet Pool. This winter is different though.
I'm pretty sure I have Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. I have the light to help out but this winter has been more of a struggle than usual.
I have been disinterested in most things that I usually enjoy and have been apathetic on the things I am passionate about.
I have several friends that deal with the same thing and they agree that this winter has been a tough one.
Maybe it's the uncertainty of all that is going on in the world, who knows?
Of course the winter steelhead returns continue to tank but it's not like we haven't witnessed this steady decline for the past several years.
I don't know though.
I was born in the Pacific northwest and no doubt I'll die here. There really is no other region I would rather live. I spent 17 years living in Southern California and could not wait to move away from there in 1973. I have visited So. Cal twice since moving away and have not been back since 1986. I'll go back there some day soon if only to visit the grave of my grandfather and go to a Dodger game or two but the attraction of spending a lot of time there is gone.
I long for spring and summer. I want to wear short pants and fish until nearly 9pm. I always love the drive home from the Deschutes near Maupin. How many of you guys who fish the Deschutes know where Pine Grove is? There is the long stretch between Maupin and Government Camp where you really are in the wilderness of the Deschutes National Forest. I really like that part of the drive in the summer.
I can't wait to string up my bamboo rod for the first time. I hope it will be soon.
I want to sit in my back yard and enjoy a beer and feel the cooling breeze of a summer evening.
I really miss going to drive-in movies. Remember hanging that speaker in your window and watching the kids play on the playground in their pajamas? Wonder why we ever got away from that?
I guess these are the things an old guy like me ponders on a cold March night.
Winter will be over soon enough but not soon enough for me.
The first chance I get I am heading east if only to roll down the window to smell the sage...I can't wait.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Shane. I know exactly what you mean about So Cal. I live there for 13 years, left for Northern California in 1975, and never regretted it. As to Pine Grove, when we were up on the Deschutes in October, we drove through the forest on the way back. Marveled at the beauty and remarked at the town of Pine Grove. We have a Pine Grove just 8 miles from the house, over on Highway 88. Wondered why we had to drive all that way to end up in "Pine Grove". We were most impressed with the forest, in fact I have a number of pictures I took that I didn't post, but kept for posterity.

    Mark

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