Hookey

Yesterday I took some liberties with the traditional 9-5 (or 6:30, or 7) schedule that I typically keep.  I needed to do some concentrated writing, and typically can't do that well in the office.  SO I opted to take the day and 'work at home'.  I figured that I'd clear my mind first, and do a nice long bike ride to get the blood moving, and to kill some of the fidgetyness that has been building over the past few rainy, overworked weeks. 

Juvenile Eastern Red-Eared Slider

I took a long ride up the Green Ribbon Trail and ended up around Mile 5, near Gwynedd Township.  I stopped for a couple of minutes and then pulled out my tenkara rod for some sunfishing. The weather was warm and sunny and it was perfect to be standing around in a creek for a couple of hours.  Given that I was already 30 hours in to my work week on a Thursday, I just stayed out.  

I remounted my bike to head home at about 1:30, but took just a little detour to check out the lower reaches of the creek.  I ended up stumbling onto the most incredible fishing hole that I'd ever seen.  It was where all of the little fish go when they grow up.  So i did what I had to do, and started fishing again. 

Biggest fish I'd ever caught from the Wissahickon

Right after I caught this awesome bass, I also caught the first of what would end up being 8 yellow jacket stings.  I have no idea what I did to them, but they sure as shit stung the crap out of me!  The first one was on my eyebrow and was quite the surprise.  Then came the second through 5th in rapid succession.  It was terrifying--you just don't know where they're coming from, but you can hear the buzzing and then all of a sudden a hot poker of pain jolts through wherever the little bastards landed. I am not the quickest, but I can take a hint.  This was a definite sign that I had to get home, but it was quite the battle to get back to my bike which was leaned against a tree in the 'no go zone' patrolled by angry wasps. Fuckers got me on the ass, arm and side by the time that I was rolling.