Interesting News

While most of social media is all abuzz about the indictment of 45 and his appearance in court yesterday, I decided to share some news that is surprising and most interesting and refrain from any commentary on the other news.

Don’t be shocked. There are times my restraint actually works. 🙂

The following report is from The Economic Times and there are other publications that dip into the science in more detail if you care to read some of those.

Scientists have found microorganisms capable of digesting plastic in the high altitudes of the Alps of Switzerland and in the polar regions of the Arctic, where temperatures are low. While several microorganisms that can do this have already been found, when their enzymes that make this possible are applied at an industrial scale, they typically only work at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

More information at Sci-Tech Daily.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we should continue to use plastics at the rate we have been. It will take years for those microbes to digest plastics in large numbers.

Now I’m going to turn the blog over to my friend, Slim Randles. But first…

Watching the fly fishing going on down at Lewis Creek is a little like box seats at the Bolshoi ballet. You might not even know what those old guys are doing, but dang they seem to do it well.

Long, sinuous casts out from the bank to the Lunker Hole. The Lunker, often dreamed, never caught, but our community would be the poorer without him.

“Fly fishing,” said Marvin Pincus, “is just another name for life.”

“Or love,” said our cowboy, Steve.

“Or frustration,” said Dud, who was about to shinny up a tree to cut loose a tangle made by his back cast. He wouldn’t have bothered, but that fly hanging down from that tall branch was tied by Marvin Pincus. And was therefore an objet ‘d arte, which we learned is a French term meaning darned cute.

But if left in that tree, it might cause death and suffering to a bird.

“It could be a metaphor,” said Windy, making a little scud fly skitter across the surface.

“Metaphor?” Steve said.

Windy shrugged. “Heard that the other day. Means somethin’ like that there, I think.   Might be a metafive …”

“Don’t think so, Windy.”

“Thanks, Doc. Jest cogmitatin’, you know, ‘bout life and when to use a dry fly or when to drag one a-them streamies along and temptationize them fish.”

 “That’s pretty deep, Windy,” said Dud, nodding.

 “Don’t think so,” Windy said, “Last time I fell in ‘twas ‘bout three foot or so. I jest fly fish cuz it’s more funner than drownin’ worms.”

 “You can say that again!”

 “Okay, Doc… I jest fly fish cuz it’s more funner …”

 Were you aware you can hear six men groan above the noisy chuckling of a creek?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fly fishing with a tenkara outfit is even more funner than you thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out all of Slim’s award-winning books at his Goodreads Page and in better bookstores and bunkhouses throughout the free world.

All of the posts here are from his syndicated column, Home Country that is read in hundreds of newspapers across the country. I am always happy to have him share his wit and wisdom here. There’s also the book, Home Country. Check it out.

Slim Randles is a veteran newspaperman, hunting guide, cowboy and dog musher. He was a feature writer and columnist for The Anchorage Daily News for 10 years and guided hunters in the Alaska Range and the Talkeetna Mountains. A resident of New Mexico now for more than 30 years, Randles is the prize-winning author of a dozen books, and is host of two podcasts and a television program.