Not to put too fine a point on it, but the lack of availability of nearby fly fishing spots is painful. Too many days of not enjoying the push of the water on my legs, the tug of the fish through the rod, and the warmth of the sun on my face. With the wildfire closing much of the area where I prefer to fish the small tributaries, and the water level in the Canyon having been pretty high until recently, I just have not fly fished in far too long.
That said…the smoke has been clearing off a bit, as the sunrises and sunsets have clearly shown…
AQI mostly in the green for a few days, InciWeb has our nearest fire at 31% contained, and the published maps appear to say that the highway leading up to my favorite small body of water might have been opened back up.
A scouting trip might be in order…soon.
Until then, though, I owe a buddy some flies, need to finish that flagstone walkway, need to prepare for a wine pairing event. All of this around having to work…. funny, that.
One thing that has continued is the exploration of new recipes!
A few of the recent ones, to get you caught up:
This one is not new, as you may have noticed, but does mark a milestone in that I finally got a pic of it that does not look like a pile of glossy … something. Not sure what. This one was a good add to the recipe, so it is a bit more complete.
The Saltimbocca came from one of my favorite cookbooks, and is a derivative of the traditional recipe that uses veal. Family is not fond of that protein, and this recipe turned out beautifully. The crust on the visible side is actually prosciutto that is pan seared onto the face of the chicken breast.
Have to get my greens, so the arugula with an Asian dressing is a must. Pork roast (covered by the roasted onions, in back) and the mash of Garlic, Yam, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin. Nice meal.
Still, each meal reminds me of how much happier I would probably be, cooking for a job…if it weren’t for the pay disparity, the stress of doing it on-demand, and the hours. it would require me to work.
Okay… I will stick with doing it purely on an amateur basis!
Hopefully, I will be sharing some pics from in the water … also hopefully with fish prominently featured … soon. Until then,
Tight lines…