TUESDAY . . . . .

 . . . . Another good day at the bowling alley except that I didn't take a jacket with me and it was raining as I left. . . . My first five lines gave me a 148.2 average and the second five ended at 156.8. Not too bad. That came out to 152.5 for the day. I had to run to the car to stay as dry as possible but I am sure I missed a lot of rain drops that way.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . As I type this I can look out the window and see two deer nosing around looking for the non existing apples Roy had trained them to search for. Roy is recuperating from shoulder surgery so he has not been outside much. For that reason the deer feel ignored. . . .  .I caught no fish today and ended up spending a lot of time reading under the umbrella. The wind is beginning to get cool, it is getting near glove time. I did get a strike and that was exciting but it did not last very long. That was during the rainy part of the day. Doggy got soaking wet and cold, he was happy to get home and get his dinner. I popped up some popcorn and watched Monday Night Football.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .I am happy to report the my fisherman's luck that began yesterday continued this afternoon at the  bowling alley.My first five lines averaged  155.8 and the second averaged 161.6.  That means I left the place with a ten line average of 158.7 That is a new high average for me. . . . . On the way home I stopped by Goodwill and purchased another book to read at the fishing hole and will return there tomorrow. While driving into town today I noticed a lot of fishermen trying their luck. I hope they left a couple for me!

SATURDAY. . . ..

. . . . . Today was the day!  After three years with nothing I landed a 6-8 pound King. Mel had caught a 30 pounder while fishing with Jeff Miller a few days ago and Jeff came by around 11 AM to show me four more he and his son had caught this morning. I was netting my fish just as Mel was bringing his equipment down for some bank fishing too. An hour later he landed a 20 pound Chinook. If I can catch 'em you have to know that the river is full of fish! I took mine home and cut off some steaks for myself and delivered the balance to Roy and his wife. They love fish and I am happy to supply them. Fish is a meat I would never buy at the market but I do like cooking up a small steak whenever I catch one. There was no rain today and the temperature was almost just fine. If my luck holds I will do well bowling tomorrow! .  .  .  .  Forgot to mention that two deer were peeking into my living room window this evening. I was watching TV at the time and waved at them. They made no effort to run away. I suppose they were looking for the apples that Roy some times leaves for them.

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .There was a lot of rain at the fishing hole today. I was able to read while sitting under an umbrella but that would not have been true if the wind had been blowing. I did get two strikes and one of the fish even broke water to flash his third fin at me before shaking the lure and swimming off, laughing. The other fish stayed deep and was off the hook before I could get to the pole. The temperature was acceptable enough to accept but I did get my feet wet because I was wearing the wrong kind of shoes. It is time to switch to something heavier. I may return tomorrow, depending on the weather.

THURSDAY. . . .

. . . . . .Today league bowling was mostly a fun time. My second game dropped to 134 but the other two were 160 and 158. I was happy to be best on team in the first line, that made me feel very good. My handicap is 63 at present and the challenge will be to improve it. I will not be so happy if it drops below that. Yesterday I had left my sweater folded over a chair and forgot to take it home but was happy to find it in the 'lost and found' when I arrived today. Heavy rain later this afternoon, looks like winter is winning the battle of the seasons.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . . I was not happy with my bowling results again today. I bowled 12 lines and came home with about a 139 average. Poop. Tomorrow is League day so perhaps I will remember today's mistakes and show better then. Who knows, not me!  I did win $3 on the Washington Lottery, not much but a start. I have been playing California and Washington State Lotteries for over 30 years. It must be a rip off, I have yet to win anything to brag about. Mu guess is I have invested over 2K in the two. There is no profit in gambling, folks.

TUESDAY . . . . .

 . . . . .I left the house at 11:45 for the drive to Beaverton for my device checkup. The doctors are very happy with the way it is functioning and how well my body is doing with its help. I also was given x-rays to make sure all of the leads going into the heart are wearing well. The opinion is that the pacemaker will be fine until at least 2017 at which time there will probably be a need for a new battery or a new device. The new devices are now able to last 20 years with out removal. It would be nice to outlive one of those! I enjoyed the drive and was lucky in making the whole trip without rain. I did have to turn on the wipers as I entered the Kelso city limits but that's nothing new. Terri Lynn is on her way to So. California so she was not able to meet me for a late lunch. I guess we will see each other again one day, if and when she ever returns to the rain filled Portland area. Living in Hawaii as she does would make it difficult for one to ever move back here to stay.

MONDAY

. . . . The weather was nice at the river today and there were several guide boats out but I saw no happy fishermen. One was jumping it the vicinity of my lure but he never did attack it. I used four different lures during the four hours. No luck.

SUNDAY. . . . .

. . . . .I did much better bowling today than I did fishing yesterday. My first five lines came to a 157.6 average and I was feeling just fine but then the Seattle Football game came on the TV and I was no bowler after that. My second five lines created a bad 137.6 making the final for the day 147.6. Actually my sixth game was a 192 but it was during that line that my eye started to wander toward the TV set overhead.. . . .I am doing very well finding excuses for my poor results!

SATURDAY. . . .

. . . . Again, no fish. I am really looking forward to tomorrow when I return to the bowling alley. I am sure to score something there. Certainly can't do it at the fishing hole!. . . . There were a lot of boats out today but I didn't see them do any good either. I watched several fish jumping but they are not striking.. . . .

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .This was a wonderful day to be at the river. I even saw a fish jump three different times. He was within a few feet of my lure each time but refused to strike. The great weather is holding and if it continues I will return to the fishing hole again tomorrow.. . . . . 

THURSDAY. . . . .

 . . . . . .I drove up the hill to Bernita's place this morning for my haircut. There were several raindrops on the windshield when I arrived. When I left at 10:15 there was no sign of rain and the drive home was uneventful.  I thought I had lots of time  to eat something before leaving for bowling but I was mistaken. I gobbled down half of the lunch I had prepared and arrived at the bowling alley just in time. I am still listed as a 'sub', perhaps I will get on a team next week. My results today were 149-149-156; that left me with a 151 for the day. One of the best league days I have had and I am still holding a fair [for me] handicap. It that rain goes away overnight I will return to the fishing hole tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY. . . . . .

. . . . . ChiChi and I were at the fishing hole about two hours today before getting a bite. The fish was gone before I could even get out of my chair but there is no doubt it was not a shifting of the sinker on the river bottom. A few seconds after the strike a 5-6 pounder rolled to the surface of the water  a few feet upstream of the pole. I think he was giving me the finger, fish style. We experienced a few rain drops on our head while there today, nothing came of it but it was a reminder of  winter to come. Darn it!

TUESDAY. . . . .

 . . . . .I forgot to mention that when I drove in yesterday evening I discovered a deer and fawn blocking the driveway. I stopped and enjoyed the view until she sort of shrugged her shoulders and bounced away, the fawn soon followed.. . .  .That sort of thing happens around here quite often. . . .  .I bowled ten lines today and ended with a 136.8 average. I was so unhappy with myself that I threw five more lines to improve the situation. I ended up bringing the daily result up to 138.5. Not too good but perhaps that means I will do well on Thursday. Hope, hope.

MONDAY. . . . .

. . . . .At least I got a bite today. I also watched a fair sized fish jumping and rolling. Perhaps I am getting closer to the big day when I finally catch a fish! This evening Caren phoned and invited me over for a Salmon BBQ but I turned her down. Once I get settled in for the evening it takes a bit more than a fish meal to get me moving again. Thanks, Caren, for the offer. I am sorry to hear that Ron ran out of propane while cooking the meal. Poor Ron!

SUNDAY . . . . . . .

. . . . . I arrived at the bowling alley about 11AM feeling rather good about my new found ability to bowl an acceptable game. The first five lines were not good at all. My average turned out to be a 127. I had to sit down and give myself a talking too and remind myself to go back to the basics and concentrate. I did much better during the next four lines then came up with a 171 on the tenth and last for the day.  The last five average was 148. The ten games averaged 138. I felt much better about things after that. On the way home I stopped by Teigens to find out how well the fishing trip went yesterday and Ron told me the eight guys on the boat each caught two silvers. They were in the ocean past the bar on the Columbia. The water was smooth and there were even some home made rafts from Long Beach, Washington out there with them. I have never been out side the bar fishing and really never have been excited about trying it. Maybe some day. Yesterday they had eight fishermen on the 22 foot boat but only four could fish at a time. I wouldn't care to do that. I will be happy to stick to the bank, a shady spot under a tree with a book available. That is my plan for tomorrow.

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . .Great day, Terri is visiting her sister in Portland so I met her and  we drove to the beach for lunch and took a 2-3 mile hike on the sand afterwards. The weather was as nice as anybody could ask for and the car ran like a top. It was a lot of fun getting 'caught up' with Terri and if all works out we might find  time to meet again before she heads to So. Cal with her other sister. I got home at 8:40 just in time to save the dog from starving to death, his words, not mine.

FRIDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . .Another nice day at the fishing hole except the wind was a bother at times. I suppose it is blowing in some bad weather, it is safe to say that around here this time of year. Even if it isn't always true. No fish were caught but there were a couple of small ones rolling on the surface right where I was fishing. That is aggravating but it's called 'fishing'.

THURSDAY. . . . .

. . . .  .I stopped to get gas on the way to bowling today and was too late getting to the bowling alley for their regular ten minute 'practice' session. I did have time to throw two balls and both were strikes so I felt pretty good when team bowling began. I was put on a team as a sub though, so far I am not on a regular team. I must wait until a group is found that is willing to accept the fact that I am leaving in the middle of the season to return to MZT. I did bowl fairly well though, 152-152-136 for an average of 146.6. I think that will lower my handicap from 66 to 65 when I again bowl next Thursday. In the meantime I will continue practicing twice a week. I certainly need it!. .  . . . I stopped by Wal-Mart for my annual eye exam and the doctor was very pleased with my eyes, she told me I was most fortunate to have such great eyesight for my age. She feels the cataract that is developing will not cause me any trouble until at least age ninety. I told her I am willing to wait until then.

WEDNESDAY. . . .. . . . .

 .. . . . . .  .I did not catch a fish today but I think I got a bite. It may have been only the sinker changing position that forced the tip of the pole down momentarily but the bell rang so that was something.......I watched a boat drifting by hook and net a nice looking what appeared to be a Steelhead of about 12 pounds. He was fishing right in front of me and I was surprised the fish did not get tangled up in my line. It jumped almost three feet out of the water at one time, a very pretty sight! I wish it had hit my lure instead of the other one. That is the life of a fisherman. The weather is holding, it was very nice today after the clouds left the area. I was wearing a jacket until 1PM.

TUESDAY. . . . ..

 . . .  .I enjoyed a great lunch with the guys from the 'class of 52' today. Only seven of us were there but this is the good old summertime so I am sure attendance will pick up as Fall arrives. . . . . .After lunch I stopped by the bowling alley and continued the good day with a 148.6 average for the first five lines then returned for the second  half with a 163.4 average for five lines. That means I had a 156 for the day. That might be a ten line best for me. If not the best then very close to it. . . . . . . I forgot to mention that before I left for lunch I gave the car a bath. It sure is a good looking automobile when it is cleaned up and shiny. Getting close to twenty one years old and running like a top!

MONDAY. . . .

. . . . ..  .Doggy and I spent an extra hour at the fishing hole this afternoon. I was hoping to catch a fish but of course hoping ain't getting. It was a comfortable day, I really enjoy sitting there and watching the world go by. We arrived home around 4PM and settled in for the evening. 

SUNDAY. . . .

. . . . I was pleased with my bowling results today; I failed to do very well in a couple of the games but I left with  a 148 average. Had I been a bit more attentive perhaps I would have broken 150. .   .    .    .ChiChi is doing better with his sore throat, I have found that he does not choke if I mix a bit of water with his canned dog food. That may be the way I feed him from now on. He appears to choke badly on any dry food or firm canned food. 

SATURDAY. . . . .

. . . . . Doggy and I enjoyed a quiet time at the river again today. The weather is holding just great but the fish are not biting. There were a lot of boats on the water but I have no idea how well they did. NASCAR and football are on TV this evening so I will be busy [without getting any exercise].

FRIDAY. . . . .

. . . . .There were a lot of guide boats on the Cowlitz today; I think it is because the Columbia has been closed to fishing for a short time. I saw Mark, Mel's friend, catch two Harvest trout while I was at the river. They were large enough to make a meal each. I didn't catch anything but the weather was nice. Happily it was sort of cool at first. I say happily because I could not find ChiChi after about an hour of wondering where he might have wandered off to. I discovered that he had never gotten out of the car when I parked on the dike. He usually does a lot of exploring when we first arrive so I was not too upset when at first I could not find him. He was nevertheless pleased to have me open the door and let him escape a horrible death in a locked car. His throat is better today and he is eating the canned dog food that I have mixed with water.  Also, there are still a lot of Blackberries at the rivers edge and while I was eating some he was there begging for his share. It surprised me that he was willing to eat anything but the berries went down as well as they ever had when I offered them to him. Crazy dog likes blackberries I guess.

THURSDAY . . . . . .

. . . . . . .After my Pro time check [OK] and a small lunch I joined the Winter Bowling League today. Today was the first day so no one had a handicap at the beginning. My bowling results were 157- 135- 140. That was a 144 average for the day and a handicap of 66. My lowest ever. Now my job will be to maintain the 66 and make every effort to lower it even more. I hope to get to 59 and be happy with it! We shall see.

WEDNESDAY. . . . .

1. . . . . . The weather was nice at the river today. There was a small fish jumping, looked like perhaps 3-4 pounder. Mark, a friend of Mel's came by and made every attempt to hook the fish but it was not biting.  I have decided the fish are just too smart for me. I will not give up trying but I do feel I have no answer for how to catch any of them. I will happily return to Bowling tomorrow and begin the Winter League. I am a better bowler {I suck at it} than I am fisherman.

TUESDAY. . . . .

. . . . . . I made some changes at the bowling alley today, I took my 16 pound ball with me and after using it for a couple of lines I decided to stay with it the rest of the day. My average for the first five lines came to 158.4 then I fell off a bit to 155.2d for the second set of five. My total average for the day was 156.8. Not too shabby, now to do as well on Thursday. The heaver ball forces me to slow down on my delivery and that seems to help with my accuracy problem. My low game for the day was 121 and the high game was 217. I have decided to start the new season next Thursday with the heavier ball.    .     .     .After bowling I drove ChiChi to Teigens house for a short visit and to drop off some magazines I had finished. Their little dog Luky seems to have taken a liking to ChiChi but it does not appear that ChiChi returns the favor. I am sure they will get used to each other by the time winter sets in and I leave for warmer climes.

MONDAY. . . . . .

 . . . . . Caught no fish today but there certainly were a lot of people trying. There were a lot of boats and some 'inner- tubers' too. The boat people were all fishing  and there were no sport type boats running around. Jeff and Jordan Miller stopped by with their boat and showed me a 15-18 pound Chinook they had landed down river earlier. One of them also landed a 40 inch Sturgeon but they put that one back in the water.  They even took some time to attempt to dig that table out of the water but to no avail. The sand was refilling the hole as fast as they were digging. It was a very nice day, the weather was great and the Labor Day crowd was enjoying it.