Thursday, and there is so much to do.

Since it is Thursday it is time to start planning our weekend expedition.  Careful planning insures a successful fishing trip. People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan, after all. Starting with the all knowing, all seeing, all powerful fisherman's friend, the internet, it was a simple matter to find that the lake that seemed so barren so desolate, so lifeless last week actually has fish. It seems that fish are routinely taken out of the muddy, smelly water. Huh, go figure. But, according to the modern Oracle of Delphi, the world wide web, there is a great fishing spot less than a mile north of our last location.  Great.

Step 1, find a new spot, check.

Fishing is like riding a bicycle, you don't forget how, but it takes a while to get comfortable enough to ride in traffic. Fishing is like that, without the likelihood of being run over, or coasting into a tree. Thrill seekers, don't despair. If you are a little careless there is always the possibility of falling into the lake. Since it is fairly shallow by the shore drowning is probably not a concern, and since it is hundreds of miles from the ocean there are probably no sharks, but it is filthy lake water, teeming with bacteria, and industrial contaminants so there is enough risk to keep a daredevil happy.

Step 2, add some intrigue. check.

It is the wilderness, so wildlife is present. Bears, wolves, wild boars, monstrous constricting snakes, huge venomous spiders, none of those are present here in the environs of our medium sized city in the midwest. But, mosquitoes are awful things, and there are going to be some of them. Bees are always a possibility, so it is best to lather yourself up with some reeking, repulsive goo that even insects can't stand. We have some.  There are skunks, raccoons, and non venomous but still sneaky, and startling snakes and plenty of spiders. No matter how harmless a snake is finding one blocking your path to the car is always a nasty surprise. It is best to have a backup route to the car. Fortunately, it is not far, and there are several routes from the shore to the car.

Step 3, find convenient escape route, and check supply of insect repellent, check.

No fishing trip is complete without a supply of snacks.  A sad fact that dawned on me during our first fishing trip, which was last weekend. We had no snacks. Oh, sure we packed in some water, and a few cans of Dr. Pepper*

Step 4. Make a list of all the important list of important stuff for fishing. check.

Fishing is easy if you have a plan, and stick to the steps.

By the way, check out the new logo, it has a spider, and a scared person running in terror, which kind of explains life. If you love it, you should tell +S. Bradley Stoner , he suggested using a spider.  If you are not so crazy about it, don't worry, there are more logos coming down the pipe, or sluice or whatever the appropriate symbol for creative process would be.

Oh, and here is a still from the new movie "Revenge of the Life Explained Jedis Strike Back."**  Coming to a theater near you soon. Unless you are one of them there art snob types, in which case it will be coming to theatre near you soon.

*This is not an endorsement, I am not a paid spokesperson (but I am for sale, if you are interested Dr. Pepper, do you mind if I just call you Doc?) it is just difficult to know whether to use "pop" or "soda." "Soft drinks" just doesn't carry enough weight for a such a masculine, primal thing as a fishing trip into the wild.

** Actually, this is a selfie made with the new "Star Wars" app, Available on the iTunes App Store, and Google Play.  I will have a full review if I ever take the time to do anything except take some goofy looking pictures.  Really, though, isn't that enough.

Some people laugh in the face of an invasive species.

Here is something from NBC News to make you think;

A Miami man pulled an 18-foot Burmese python out of roadside brush and wrestled with it for 10 minutes before cutting its head off with a knife.  The 128-pound specimen turned out to be the biggest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, besting the previous record by more than a foot, wildlife officials said.

"I was pretty exhausted and I didn't want to get bit," Jason Leon, 23, said of the decapitation that ended his struggle with the massive constrictor.  For his trouble, Leon got thanks from the the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, which considers Burmese pythons an invasive species that wreaks havoc on the state's ecosystem.

Leon, a college student studying marine biology, said he was riding ATVs with friends in a rural area on May 11 when one of them spotted about three feet of snake sticking out of some brush.

Leon, who used to keep snakes, had never seen a python in the wild and decided to get up close and personal with this one. It wasn't until he yanked him out that he realized how big it was.  As he held it by the neck, the female wrapped around his leg once, then twice and then headed for his waist. He kept grappling with it until he became worried it might sink its razor-sharp teeth into him.  A friend handed him a nine-inch knife and he sunk it into the snake, he said.

Two days later, Leon called wildlife officials, who took the snake and confirmed it was a record-setter. He agreed to donate the skeleton but has been promised the skin, which he plans to tan and put on his living room wall.  Officials said they are grateful the python is no longer roaming the wild and that Leon was not hurt.

"Anytime people are dealing with wildlife, we recommend they use common sense," Segelson said. "If you're going to approach a Burmese python of this size, you should have an understanding of what it takes to euthanize it."

And what it makes me think is, "What the heck gets into people?"  

One minute you are cruising along, carefree, happy, the Florida humidity and mosquitoes slowly sapping your will to live, suddenly you think, "hmm, that looks like an invasive giant python, somebody should euthanize it."  So you leap into action, and wrestle the giant beast out of the bushes, when suddenly you realize "you know, I don't really have an end game in mind, maybe I should be armed."  Fortunately, you have a friend there to "hand you a knife."  While this does not seem like your friend may have been taking this seriously enough, it is much better than throwing you a knife from a safe distance, or jumping back on their ATV and riding away, screaming like they had just seen a giant, invasive python trying to crush their friend, which is probably what your friend would have been doing had it been me.

Anyway, my hat is off to you, Mr. Leon, while I believe in civic responsibility as much as the next guy, well, not if the next guy is you, of course.  And, sacrificing for the common good, after all I am a blogger, my first instinct would have been "wow, I wish we would have slowed enough to get a decent picture of that giant, invasive python, it would have made a great Facebook post."  

Rest assured, Mr. Leon, like the wildlife officials in Florida, I am also glad you were not hurt.  Maybe we can meet in Louisville sometime, and I will buy you a bourbon, because I am sure not going to Florida.