Spring Cleaning

The equinox has come and gone, I’ve taken the plow off the ATV and the temperature has edged up a few degrees during the last two weeks; all are sure signs that spring is in the air. For a brief period each day, the temperature rises above the magic number of zero and the slow melting process of snow and ice begins. Although we still have a long way to go before the record winter blanket of snow is history, it’s a pleasant start.

The birds are on the move and each day finds a fresh variety of travelers at the bird feeder where they frantically fill up with seeds and suet in preparation for the next leg of their northern flight.

A new troop of squirrels is out pestering the dogs and competing with the grouse for the food that has have fallen out of the feeder. I don’t have the heart to chase them away for they all look exceptionally hungry.

It’s fun to watch our animals sniff, scratch and roll around on the first patch of dirt and grass to shed its cover of snow. They return to it time after time as if it is the most wonderful experience in the world.

Spring-cleaning for me means it is time to wipe the dust of the rod case and tackle box and do an inventory of the goodies therein. It may be a bit premature as the ice won’t clear out of the lake until mid-May but it feels good to clean the reels, spool some fresh line, check the action and fling the odd lure into a snow bank, sans the hook of course.

From this weekend on until the middle of May, I will probably join the dozens of would be fishermen and campers in cruising the sporting goods section of the local Canadian Tire store, not yet buying anything mind you, just making sure that I don’t miss out on any of the new stuff being put out on the shelves.

It is a great time to clean up the boat that I hastily tarped up last fall, just ahead of the first snowfall. I can charge and install the battery, remount the electronics and take the time to send the outboard prop out for repair, the one that I accidentally crunched on a river trip last summer.  If I send it now, I’ll have it back in time for the first launching in May.

A more pleasant task is the planning of a river trip or two for the upcoming summer. That means hauling out the camping gear to see what needs repair or replacing, perhaps adding a new pot, a new LED light, or some other new fangled gizmo. It is often said that anticipation is better than realization and I agree that the cleaning and organizing is a great exercise for ridding oneself of the winter blues. I for one don’t intend stopping at the planning and also mean to live the dreams of spring during the upcoming three months of summer.