Take Me Off The Stove – EDITORIAL OPINION INJECTED
After a few days back in North Texas, my opinions on what has become North Texas, have become much more clear. North Texans are simply frogs in boiling water. Our eyes bulging as we look out and see a region that has been completely overrun with new residents who live by different laws on the roads, live in apartments and pay no infrastructural taxes, and most tellingly who have begun to deplete the limited natural resources of North Texas at a much more rapid pace than we ever dreamed possible.
I am most surprised that it only took me two months away to bring my temperature down from boil. I knew I moved into Island Time, for worse and better, but I would guess the people who have had time to simmer on the Lower Laguna Madre may see me as I see the the barbarians (I talked about years ago) here; they’re not at the gate anymore, and they can be an annoying and unruly lot. Yes I can.
It is a truly interesting undertaking to try and explain to those nearing boil here, that in fact, they are nearing boil. Senses have been dulled to a booming population of homeless in Denton, Texas, and the homeless continue to arrive by any means possible, and stay anywhere possible, now including right behind our house. The extraordinary becomes normal. Come one, come all.
My efforts to bring attention to the Denton Greenbelt Debacle? I’m gone, over and done. There is no hope in my lifetime that I, me, myself and I, can do anything to change the trajectory of the Denton Greenbelt. Think about it. At the City of Denton level, a paid employee generates a letter to the USACE. That letter? It never gets a response. If it does, I never get a response. Everyone is doing the circle jerk, TPWD USACE and City of Denton – and being paid handsomely to do what? Take me off that stove.
The same attitude carries over into my constant battle to get grown-ass men to understand that TPWD’s stocked trout program is for kids, and not for their own gratifications. How simple would it be to include your own kids, grandkids, neighbors or anyone other than yourself – in an outing for a fish that is put with the express intent (by TPWD) to get families out to fish in the winter months and holidays??? Go get ‘em! Have at it, and when you’re done, tell me all about it. Take me off that stove.
My biggest problem these days, besides the Los Pescadores building debacle? I need to figure out where to find winter fish on the Lower Laguna Madre. Is that a great problem to have, or what? Sure the open bay can be brutal at times, and the rewards can be very few … but the payoff? The payoff is being off that stove.
The post Monday Morning Simmer appeared first on Flyfishing Texas.