Flatland moods

The van was loaded with my pike kit just after 05.00 hrs, prior to me leaving home for the start of my Friday shift. Luckily I had plenty to occupy my time, at the factory, so avoided spending the day "clock watching" and wishing my life away. 12.40 hrs it was over, by 14.00 hrs I had three baits in position on my chosen drain. Let battle commence!

The best laid plans eh? I had one bite which I failed to connect with - hey-ho! It was cold and the stiff NE breeze hastened the thick grey clouds across the sky. I spent a while pointing the camera at various vistas but, I have to admit that it was rather tough going out there today. A decent flock of "Russian" White-fronted Geese (60 +) had a short fly about and I recorded my first Shelduck of the year, so something to be positive about I guess. A Kingfisher zoomed past, my first since Storm Darcy paid us a visit, and as I was driving back down the track, headed for home, a Barn Owl flew through my headlight beam, flushed from an adjacent fence post.

To be perfectly honest, catching a pike would have been a bonus, it was time away from work and all the nonsense associated with my formal grievance application, that I really wanted. Mental health isn't a subject I've given much thought, it's never applied to me! Well it does now and I'm finding it a very stressful situation which, only with the support of Bev, my family and close friends, will I come through, so much wiser for the experience.

I'll end with this image of a flatlands sunset. Big skies and the realisation of how insignificant we are, as individuals. I've reached the end of the road and retirement can't, now, come quick enough. Should I feel like this? How can digital ink be on a par, let alone superior, with the critical care NHS staff, yet I earn twice, at least, that of a low ranking doctor. If, for nothing else, the pandemic remains etched in my soul it will be purely down to the massive inequalities within our society, the realisation that my parents did me so proud and it is their legacy that allows me to walk away without a backward glance. The traditional close season comes into effect, mid-night, next Sunday, thus the local drains will be off limits.  I'm hoping to end with a bit of a flurry? Still got two days holiday that I'd carried over from 2020, so am planning a four day stint (remember that there is still a night fishing ban in force) starting next Thursday.

I have this as a fridge magnet on my bait freezer - says everything required I feel?