I forgot how nice it was to walk outside without putting 19 layers of
clothes on. Today, I got to find out, it was glorious! The sun was
shining, the sky was blue, the birds were singing and it was so nice, I was
able to pull the boat out of it's protective shelter. I decided to get some
much needed maintenance done on the rig before making the long trek to Lake
Okeechobee.

Even though it was covered, there was still a fine layer of dust covering
the entire boat, including the mess I forgot about last fall when I parked
the boat. It's not entirely my fault you see, I was going to get out one
more time last December, and then clean up the boat. I never made it.

I forgot how many hunks of soft plastic I had scattered around the boat, but
I soon remembered the really cool sound these pieces make when they go up
the tube of the shop vac. Speaking of soft plastics, it's not a good idea
to bring them into the house to "organize" them. Wives tend to object to
the smell of some of them. Wives also begin to question exactly how many of
those nasty rubber things a guy needs. On a side note, did you know that
Power Worms can get moldy and smell even worse?

I forgot exactly how friggin' huge my boat is, but I soon remembered when I
got to scrubbing it.

I forgot how many square acres of carpet are in this boat, and how hard it
is to get minnows, leeches and dried nightcrawlers out of said carpet after
they've been tap-danced on, baked in the sun and then freeze-dried all
winter. I think I also pulled out an entire beach from the carpet with the
vacuum cleaner.

I really forgot how nasty and vile smelling a livewell can get, especially
when the last critters to be in there were some dead musky suckers. But on
a brighter note, my sinuses are clear now!

But you know, I'm glad I forgot all these things, because it was a glorious
day spent reacquainting myself with all these fine details of my life. I
sat in the boat, soaking up the wonderful sunshine, letting all the memories
come flooding back. I remembered sights, scents, and sounds of previous
years and smiled a lot. And I know now that soon, I'll be on the water once
again, and all will be right with the world.

I also remembered why I paid one of the kids to clean the boat last year....
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com