Cool Outdoor Fun

We took the boat out today for a little fall fishing expedition. It seemed cool and inviting outdoors while we were driving out to the lake. Once we got out on the water it felt pretty cold. We were each bundled in layers, but the overcast, cloudy day, cool temps and wind combined to make it pretty chilly. Later as we were hauling the boat out of the water the sun broke through the clouds and it warmed up considerably. This rainbow trout is what I caught while standing on the dock while the boat was being tied down and readied to head out. You can see by the tape measure it is approx. 18"-19" in length. That's a nice catch!

The other two fish pictured here next to my rainbow trout were caught while we were out on the lake. We had a few other fish that were too small and were thrown back. We might not have kept these two smaller ones, but they didn't look like they would survive if thrown back. These are all good eating fish, but we were really hoping to catch more of the large mouth bass we caught last time we fished this lake. The only bass we caught were tiny ones. They were thrown back to grow bigger for next year.

This may have been our last trip to the lake for this year. We're waiting to see what the weather looks like next weekend. We may make one more fishing trip if it's nice. Hunting season's upon us so the call of the wide open fields means the end of fishing and the start of something different. All that walking when pheasant season opens is good exercise. I may just tag along this year for the benefit of all that walking.

I love this fall weather we are experiencing here on the northern plains. We pulled the window air conditioners out of the windows for winter storage some time ago. There were a few warmer days that required running a fan, but now it feels like cool air conditioning again. Plus, an extra bonus, it's natural air that helps to save on energy costs and better to air out the house. The leaves are turning color more, but most are hanging onto their branches yet. We pulled the last of the vegetables from the garden and need to pull up, till under or cut back the plant growth around the yard. Some of that yardwork has already been done, but still plenty to do before the snow comes. It looks like it's time to winterize now.