Missing the Fall

Autumn Leaves


I posted this version of Autumn Leaves on a Jazz guitar website that I visit.

The internet is a pretty cool place...allowing the handfuls of people that actually enjoy this type of guitar playing to share with each other..
One dude is from Norway, one from Australia, Chicago... etc...and one dork from Sarnia Ontario ..lol

I have been pining for the fall lately with dreams of cold water, no bugs, and silver ghosts filling the rivers...

..Til then its Dos Equis , Garter snakes and OT...

Why Does Morin Hate Turtles??

With a Jedi like throw Brian nailed this turtle in the neck with a Picasso style Bass Frog!!

A team of 100 tournament level fly caster over a period of a thousand years couldn't hope to replicate that throw...it was like he willed it into that turtles throat..

Fucking Barbarian...the insane laughter still haunts me... I can't sleep...Why he kept screaming 'Fuck you Turtle Fuck you!!!..' oh merciless lord why????....

If it weren't for my unmitigated compassion for all of gods creatures and tireless dedication to goodness this poor little fella would never have made it ..

The turtles owe me one.

kith - shoes- This ones for Brian

JB vs 'The Norland Curse'

JB '1'...Norland Curse '0'  !!!!

There are times when I believe that Michigan hates me..at least the fishery.

It stings a bit because the feeling is not mutual. I love it over there.

This weekend I got a chance to hang out at Brians cabin and even more important we both got a chance to get out with JB to experience some of the Lake Michigan world class salmonid fishing that corner of the world is famous for.

After seeing some of the videos he had been posting on his BLOG I was pretty fired up.

The morning didnt disappoint.

We hit the water at about 5:30...all three of us hungover... and beat them up for  a couple of hours.

The bite was crazy hot right off the bat then died off considerably which prompted the decision to 'pull em' and grab some breakfast.

The breakfast call was unanimous. No sense beating a dead horse...or in this case a tired one.. just to scare up a few more fish. We had more fish then any sane fisherman needs with two big Steelhead released as well and an entire day ahead of us.
As a perfect end to a perfect morning there was even a guy willing clean our fish for us at the dock.
He charged 2 dollars a fish...which is a 'No Brainer'..and as it turns out.. this guy is a fish cleaning genius...perfect everytime..
Here is a video of him cleaning a salmon in right around 20 seconds???!!!...My time is worth more than that..geesh what a gift
Dig this!!
'

DSCF0807 from Gene Norland on Vimeo.


DSCF0809 from Gene Norland on Vimeo.
I really enjoy downrigging or more specifically trolling for bigwater salmon and to get a chance to do that with JB was a real treat.
New water ...with a guy who obviously really has his shit together out there...very cool...that goes in the books as a solid.

The rest of the weekend was spent in the Hyde lazily drifting the Manistee for 'Smallies'.

Well the Smallie bite sucked especially when compared to what I am used to on the Maitland but as usual fishing that river is a great way to spend the day fish or no fish.
In reality I spent most of my time dreaming of the fall, picturing the deep bends holding the promise of the mighty Steelhead that roll in there when the weather becomes tolerable....the very fish that hate my guts..lol

We did pick up some Largemouth bass and a few panfsh as well.

Good fun on the flyrod...especially the topwater stuff.

I miss the summer pondfishing.
 I should make an effort to try and make that opportunity happen again but the fact is that in the summer I rarely have time for anything like that.

As it stands late July and early Aug is shaping up to be a nasty work induced marathon and I hope I am up for it.
For that reason this little trip was a perfect break to steel me for the next four weeks of hell ..bring it..

2 more months and I can start tying roe....

THX AGAIN JB!!!!!!

Chris Minh Doky & Richard Bona. 2011.

Infant Eyes

Wayne Shorter is a Genius.

..not in the way that Michael Jackson was a genius....because Michael Jackson was not a genius...he was a 'alleged' pederast' piece of shit..fuck him..


People throw around the word genius like they are describing the sky being blue...

In 200 years ...if we don't annihilate the human race through greed and head up our ass stewardship of this planet...big 'if'...people will still be referencing people like Wayne Shorter when they study music as an art form and Michael Jackson will be remembered as a cautionary tale for his scandal and freakish nature ...if at all..
The fact that we reward these types of circus acts with immeasurable wealth speaks volumes about the moral  and intellectual state of our society.

Moving on...

I am in the trenches right now for the family...and I am proud to do it...its my role...but I am tired..

When I get like this I look for inspiration and I find it more often than not in art...particularly music.

I love music...and I love the study of music.

The piece of music...or 'song' ...Infant Eyes is one that haunts me.
Every now and then you run across something in life that is so perfect it almost is hard to register .

This tune does it for me... it gets in my head and I cant get it out...not in the way a snappy 'Coke' commercial does but more like a beautiful memory you cling to when the going gets tough.

I am posting the original version and Sylvain Lucs interpretation

When fishing really sucks

Fishing the pickeral drift makes me wish for death.

We went out yesterday morning...

The wind was up which fucked up the 'drift'. Most the little tin boats can compensate by "back-trolling" but Gerrys boat is way too big for that possibility.
Its high profile acts like a kite and in order to maintain contact with the bottom we have to use pencil lead the size of downriggin canon balls...

 This is not finesse fishing and is about as enjoyable to me as a kick in the jewels.
But we hammered them...it is not hard fishing...

...and the end result was once again 'A thing of Beauty...'.. 'is a joy forever'

...but four in the morning comes very early.

I would like to have a slave that I could send out to catch my fish for me...maybe a work release program with the local prison.

DSCF0761 from Gene Norland on Vimeo.

Just a thought.

Working a ton this week but a little vacation is looming and it is my light at the end of this very dark and irritating tunnel.

Work has been a freak show lately...there truly are some fucked up people out there.

This weekend should be a gong show.

God help me

Environmental Terror...

Today Avery and I went back looking for snakes!!

 LOL This is weird...but it is what we do..and we have a lot of fun doing it.

 I believe today that we captured a very rare Butler Garter Snake, and a wee one at that.

 This snake can't be any more than about a week old judging by the size of it. Really cool looking snake and the girls are fascinated by it.

 Owen ...not so much ...if he had to fight it on his DS in techno land then maybe...but nothing in the real world .. 'Stripey' is spending the night and we'll release him tomorrow.

 Cool snake.

Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau Quartet - Live in San Sebastian Live (2007)

Canada Day

So yesterday was Canada day.

I suppose I am proud to be Canadian despite all the shit...If this country was a person I would grab it by the shoulders and give it a good shake...but gentle because it is a person I care about..I have to admit..

Canada Day , at least in Sarnia , starts with a corny little parade down at Canatara Park ...this little show is replete with the full catasrophe..Shriners is minature cars...dogs dressed like people..politicians..firetrucks squirting water at a people..just a complete fucking shit show...

...Which my kids love.

Poor Ella was only two days into her medication.

She wanted to go so badly we decided to give it a shot. She is a tough little bird.

She was fine for the parade and the BBQ afterward but slept most of the afternoon waking up only just in time for the fireworks on 'Papas'boat..

I was glad she didn't have to miss it as she was really looking forward to this.



The fireworks display was really good despite all the douchbag behaviour by the marina crowd...peoples conduct never ceases to disappoint...

Fun day..and Ella is feeling much better today.

Back to work for my Stat today..big money...and its a good fucking thing considering how busy I was today.

Arrested four people today...which is a new record even for me...Where do these fucking people come from???

...EH????