Overcast and rain...

Even though it was overcast, I headed out to the strip pits this evening...with a stop at a strip pit in Universal.  I stopped there to try to get some photos of water lilies/seedpods.  Even though I know they were there this spring, there wasn't a single one still growing...I don't know if it was the heat or if their life cycle normally ends early.

Since they weren't there, I snapped a few pics of leave, goose, and flowers...not the one above.  And then put the camera away and got out my trusty fishing pole.  I just wanted to throw in a few times from the boat ramp...it is basically the only place to get to the water.  Wouldn't you know, I got a hit right away.

Ended up I stayed there probably 45 minutes or an hour....I caught 4 Large-mouth bass and a big bluegill, plus I had two on that dove down and went through the moss and got loose.  And of those two, one of them just had that heavy, heavy feel.  Of the 4 bass I caught, a couple of them were really nice sized...oh, not a lunker or anything that big.  But still nice...one was just on the verge of being what I would call nice, and the 4th was just a youngster.  But I could have fit my fist in the mouth of the other three.

Fishing is like good medicine for me...it is good for my soul.  It puts me at rest...it really makes me feel better.  Whether I feel bad physically or down in spirit.  It is probably a combination of I am focusing on fishing, and not something bad.  And also, I am just enjoying nature.  While standing there fishing, there was a turtle that kept poking its head out...an egret flew over....I heard a kingfisher...and then the pair of geese that live there was there.

Anyway, left there to swing through all the rest of the strip pits.  I just crawled through the area...had one car pass me.  Didn't see another car till I was up close to where I leave the area...I glanced in my rear view mirror and there was a sheriff's car behind me...I pulled on over to let them by and they pulled up beside me, me with no seat belt on, and ask if I was okay...I showed him my camera and told him I was just out taking photos....so he said have a nice day and went on.

I was so thankful he didn't say anything about the seat belt...but he could see that I was just crawling along I suppose.  And not  like there is any traffic out there...sometimes I go and see three or four cars...sometimes just one or two, and sometimes none.
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We have had some really hard rain tonight...with some thunder and lightning.  But the important thing is the rain...it really has rained a lot at times.  And the way things are, every little bit helps.