Emerald Lake

still has the same number of fish it did last week. Kelvin took me out for a half day of fishing, and showed me new techniques and lures. I learned a lot but caught little. If we learn so much by our failures, why am I not a great fisherman by now? But I had a great time nonetheless.


We spent five days visiting, fixing, reading, cleaning.


Saw Addison--Lee and Carrie's new baby girl. She is really cute, slept the whole time we visited (she's only a few weeks old), and has just about the puffiest cheeks ever.


Kathy worked inside while I got equipment going after it sat all winter. Everything started surprisingly easy. One battery needed charging but it is nearly 10 years old. Lee fixed a tire (thanks Lee) so Kathy could mow--Lee had mowed once earlier (thanks Lee).


As we cleared some brush near the entrance to the drive, we came across a woodcock, probably disturbed her nest. We found out later they are not usually seen because of their coloring so we feel fortunate.

We are looking forward to our next trip.

Finally

the Pistons got rid of the pesky Bulls. Have to hand it to the Bulls. They won two more games than I thought after game three. They shot well in those two games but in game six they seemed to come back down to earth. Kudos to their team, Scott Skiles, and their management. They will have to be reckoned with over the next few years.

Why do Chicago fans permit Detroit teams and fans to get under their skins, to become so irritated that they chant obscenities and insults? And why couldn't you stay in the arena and give your team a hand for a terrific season and playoff. Arrogant and spoiled, perhaps.

And Rasheed, sometimes you just have to suck it up, recognize that some calls are going to go the other way and will even out over time, and quit putting pressure on your team to make up for the points you give away.

My sense is the winner of Cavs/Nets series will not fair as well as Chicago did. Both teams are slower, worse long-range shooters, and worse defenders. Pistons in five.

Weathering the storms

Quite a storm last night. Winds blew rain and hail horizontal--warnings of 70 mph winds were on target. I left a couple door walls open and the winds blew in so strong that rain sprayed onto the top of the kitchen counter getting salt and pepper shakers sitting there wet up to their tops. Leaves are stuck to the door wall windows up to the top and on the siding. Only one large branch came down. Now for a little cleanup.

The Chicago Bulls stormed into the Palace making it interesting against the Pistons by winning two straight after the Pistons won the first three. I was wrong about the Pistons sweeping if they won the third game--so much for my picks.

Pistons did something similar to this last year against Cleveland Cavaliers--got off to great start and then had to struggle to win the series. That seemed to take something out of them and they lost to Miami in the conference championship--perhaps they were just not as good as Miami last year.

We shall see what happens Thursday as they return to Chicago for game six.

On the other hand the Red Wings blasted the Ducks 5-0 Tuesday in a surprising offensive show. They now have home ice back in their favor.

And the Tigers showed they can play with anyone as they beat up on the Boston Red Sox Tuesday. After giving up a first inning run, Justin Verlander shut the Sox down until the eighth inning while Ordonez supplied all the runs they would need with a 3-run homer in the third. Still atop the Central Division.

Joey visited

for a couple days. We went to dinner both evenings, once for Mexican at Peppers, the other at a new Irish Tavern in Romeo that replaced the old Fifth Corner (Ida retired and the kids would not take over the business).

Saturday Joey and I walked part of the new Orchard Trail, a paved trail along an abandoned railroad bed. We walked from 32 Mile Road to 30 Mile Road and back. Found one cache along the stretch. Great day, sunny and cool with a stiff north wind.

Joey is visiting Paula's parents in Redford. He visited with Julius, Sylvia, and Abby for about four hours Friday on his way out to see us. Today he returned to Redford, will help Toivo (Paula's dad) find a car to buy, then will fly back to on Tuesday. A busy week for him.

It was good to have him here. Got some new insights into our childhood, the influence of our parents on us, some of my cousins, and my grandparents.

We hope to visit him on our next venture to the Pacific northwest.

Pistons versus Bulls

has been an interesting series, just as I blogged earlier that it would be. The interesting part, however, is how easily the Pistons have beaten the Bulls in their first two games at the Palace.

Detroit has had slow starts in first quarters, even first halves, during the regular season. But in this Bulls series they have gotten off to early double-digit leads and have increased the margin from there.

Pistons' guard play is overwhelming the guards of Chicago. In the first game the Pistons offense went to Chauncey Billups early and forced Ben Gordon to play defense, something he did not have to do too much against Miami, resulting in early Gordon fouls. In game two Richard Hamilton joined the scoring and put pressure on Kirk Hinrich. In addition the Pistons have had superior play at the other three positions.

And during the weeklong layoff after the Miami sweep by the Bulls and Orlando sweep by the Pistons, Chicago sports talk shows had been looking ahead to the Bulls in the conference finals.

We will see how the Bulls respond at the United Center on Thursday. If Detroit wins Thursday, I doubt that Chicago will win the fourth game.

A break from drywalling

Fishing day was fun. Monday morning Ken picked me up, then went to Don's house and rode with him to his cottage on Lake Louise where we met Henry. Off to breakfast first--bad luck, I guess, to fish on an empty stomach, not sure, I am new to this.

Had a little luck, caught a few--sunfish, crappie, bluegill. Others caught a few bass but nothing else. Sunny all day but windy at times. Got a little sunburn on my face.

On way home in the afternoon we stopped for ice cream cones at locally famous Cook's Farm Dairy.

Now to learn how to fish...

Who's Dumb Enough To Pay For That?

Me, I suppose. I bought a portable XM radio this week via Amazon.com, activated a subscription and am now listening to Sly Stone on Channel 6, commercial-free music of the 1960s. I love the categories and variety of choices available, much of it commercial free.

I said the same thing when cable television first became available. Who's gonna pay for TV when they can see TV for free? Being commercial free was its main attraction, but that lasted only so long. Needless to say they have the business model close to correct--cable channels are different from over-the-air channels. Eventually we subscribed to cable TV (Brenda was recovering from one of her surgeries here and she needed it to pass the day) and have had it since. Not that there is a whole lot to watch, but it does have sports that interest us, especially our local pro teams.

It took me longer to get cable television than XM radio. Perhaps XM being included in our new car had something to do with it. I really enjoyed having XM on my solo drive to Nashville. Decades music, comedy (why do comedians have to use profanity when it does nothing for their story?), jazz and bluegrass, soul, and some talk radio.

Now my next question. Who would ever rent movies?

Pistons vs Bulls

• Pistons swept Orlando and Bulls swept Miami.
• Bulls won season series from Pistons 3-1.
• Pistons had Ben Wallace, Bulls now have him.
• Pistons are veterans of playoffs (one championship, two finals, several conference finals).
• Bulls are young and energetic.
• Pistons have Flip Saunders who played at U Minnesota.
• Bulls have Scott Skiles who played at Michigan State U.
• Pistons coach is reputed to be best coach of offenses in league.
• Bulls coach has molded a team with good young players.
• Pistons like the half-court game, run their offense.
• Bulls like to run.

Should be a fun series. Go Pistons.