It's so hot I

 saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking. This morning at 5 a.m. it was seventy degrees , ten degrees higher than the daytime high in Soldotna Alaska. So you're wondering how the fishing went as what else would a guy be doing at 5 a.m. , right ?  mmm..... well actually we close the house up after we completely open it up as early as we can in the morning, fan at the front door, all the windows open and then close drapes and windows about 8:30 and then its, 85 by 10:00. I know to most of you this is routine...I'm still learning.

So we got a lot to learn. For instance , in our joy of having an Apple tree that produces pounds of wonderful McIntosh juicy red apples we never dreamed it could carry so much fruit that it breaks . Yesterday we went out to find a huge branch bearing over maybe 100 pounds of fruit broken and bent over. Yikes !  So being that guy I sharpen the chainsaw and go to work . It was 10:30 and already 85 degrees....I get dizzy and kneel down before I would've fallen  down and scared the crap out of MP and honestly, myself.... MP helps into the house and twenty minutes in front of the air conditioner and two Gatorades later I'm fine.....yup, we got a lot to learn.

And of course what happens when it won't rain and it's 100 degrees for days on end ?????  This the plume as seen from the Southern bureau of MIle 14. But you know me, old lucky lucky lucky....the prevailing wind is to the east so for us on the west of the fires we only get all the smoke from other fires and the air quality index has hovered in the dark yellow at 80 to 90 .

So what to do....leave the apple tree clean up for another day. Pack a picnic . Go to flowing water. Get in  flowing water. Sing a song ......ahhhh things are more better already.

For my friends in Mazatlan I've been working on new songs while in doors from the heat. And of course I think of the rain in Alaska and well...just Alaska....which I miss along with my and Alaska's friend Hobo Jim Varsos. This song is one of his early ones. It really speaks to mine and his path through life . Of course I worked the cannery as a kid and had not been in one for 30 years when MP and I got invited to Kenai Packers year end party with entertainment by Hobo JIm . He played this song and to this day I can hear the rhythmic drumming of the conveyor belts, I can smell the heavy protein fish smell that I've lived with my whole life . The steamy hiss of the retorts when their pressure is released . The muffled sound and yelling to talk with your ear plugs in and the longing that goes with the work to be done and $$$$$ , in the fishing industry we call it ' making your season ' ....Thanks Jim, we all miss you .