Funny Fish Moniker

Largemouth bass="Ditch Pickles"

I like it.

Cut It, Please

Was looking over my bills yesterday, including my phone bill, which is one of the few I still get in paper form. I've been meaning to change that situation but always manage to get around to something else first. Apparently, I'm not the only person who dawdles about this: the envelope I opened yesterday promised me that should I "go paperless" I would not only spare trees in the future, but would have a tree planted in my name.


This is a well-established form of persuasion. Taken at face value it sounds unimpeachable, but I do wonder exactly where and in what circumstances the trees are planted. If they established along a crumbling riverbank to halt erosion, great. If they are added to the ranks of lumber plantation, not so good. Too, forests are not the only habitat in need of restoration. What about grasslands, which face the double threat of development and, if not maintained by cutting or fire, forestation. Where should the creatures that depend on that habitat go?

Perhaps companies or nonprofits that sponsor "plant a tree incentives" ought to offer a choice to have a tree cut on behalf of the customer or donor. They could not only cut trees to preserve grasslands, but offer to cut exotic, invasive tree or shrub species. They could cut overgrown forests that have animal populations in decline (which ought to appeal to hunters) or cut sterile pine plantations and sell the wood at a loss (for which of course they could claim a charitable deduction). To simplify the process, they might just present "native prairie restoration" as the feelgood bonus for accepting the offer at hand.

But reforestation is the embodiment of conservation in the public mind, the most iconic form of greening the land. This is not a bad thing, but there are deeper shades of green. Is there room for those within our routine household transactions? With only a little imagination, the answer could be, yes.

Busy Work Ahead

With summer coming nigh, fishing is on my brain. How much of it I get to do is in doubt.

Lots of projects on my plate--teaching two courses, revising courses for next fall, helping design a curriculum for a new minor in sustainability studies, and a new writing project whose nature remains vague. I want to write about literature of Ohio's Maumee valley (wherein I happen to teach). There is precious little of it, but I think it deserves some notice. That there is any would come as a shock to many people.

There is much work on the house to be done too. We're considering a move to the Toledo area next year, so we need to get this ready to sale. Given the market, we need to make this dwell nothing short of swoon-worthy.

All the same I will be scrounging out some water time. I plan a few days the week after next somewhere or other. I'll let the spirit move me in a suitable direction when the time comes. I plan to head north at least a couple times a month. And with a relatively dry spring (until now) the Huron should be fishable early this summer.

What this means is blog fodder. Daily writing is unlikely, but I will be on at least once a week. This is not of great consequence to many people but I'm feeling the need more now--this site has become a nagging itch. I hope I am inspired to continue writing, if only because writing inspires me in whatever I write about.