march madness #1

go trout fishing in the nc mountains as a cold, wet front moves in and
the ncaa tournament is beginning? pure madness...but, uh, as my
intellect and ability seem best suited for wrong-headed pursuits, off i
went at 4 am last thursday.

it was raining as i left...oh well, i've fished in the rain before. at
some point, as dark loses the fight to the sin-revealing illumination of
the morning light... near greensboro, of course...i drove into the
insanity of i-40, snow & sleet pelting the minions of fellow freeway
miscreants. damn, sez i, gone too far to turn around, plus i'd never
withstand the "i told you so's" awaiting in greenville (not to mention
the faint whispers of "cold and old" woven into the foggy gray chill of
guilford county)...onward!

guilford and forsyth county from the vantage of i-40 aren't what one
would describe as pleasing or soul-elevating scenery on the best of
days, and not even the baptism of the snow's white blanket provides
sufficient forgiveness. however, if the macabre world of car wrecks and
fearless driving are of interest, there's no better place to get a
stage-side seat.

as one of those with a dearth of sense and an abundance of divine
guidance, i successfully navigated my way around the slip-sliders and
over the icy highway to morganton and wally's shop. the devil himself
greeted me, enticed me out of more dollars than budgeted for some
well-deserved items (he actually...i sweartogawd...sold me the vest off
his back...said it had only been worn 3 times), and sent me
freshly-hypnotized out the door, up the mountain, to the soul-enriching
and cleansing of the blue ridge streams.

for those who haven't yet met greg l., the owner and operator of the
"optimistic rv park, cabins, and lodge" (no-kidding), well, he's a
former charter boat captain, owner of a home in cuba, and from
somedamnwhere in the midwest...but hospitable, entertaining, and as fine
a renegade landlord in burke county as you're apt to find. it's only my
third visit, but i've never felt like greg was anything other than a
friend from the moment of our first meeting. greg's place is at the
confluence of steele and upper creeks. pleasant spot... close enough to
the trout in the grandfather mountain watersheds and to the pagans of
the watering holes in morganton.

tom brown, indian joe, and i settled into the lafoon lodge. a
single-story house with 4 bedrooms, big kitchen, and huge gathering
living room with fireplace. on this day, greg drove over to hickory
just to buy a 32-inch screen tv so we could better enjoy the delights of
ncaa tournament. as i said, hospitable.

joe and i drove up to a vista above upper creek (photo posted on abpf).
uh oh. snow cold. time to go back to the lodge, start a fire, and
commence soul-warming. fortunately greg had started a fire and tom had
brought the nourishment. i brought a hearty appetite and a soul in
need. tomorrow's another day for those of us with an optimist's gift,
or, as in my case, a fool's mind. it felt good to be in the blue ridge,
even in the madness of march (to be continued...and yes, 'tripper, there
are fish and streams ahead...honest g...photos posted on abpf)