Friday, May 31, 2013

Seasonal Changes... Spring, Summer, and Fall All In The Same Week! (05/31/13)

Hell Folks,

This past few weeks have been rather challenging, to say the least. We have seen our weather range from 90 degree daytime temperatures to nighttime temps that have hit the upper 30's! It's been like having Spring, Summer, and Fall all within a fourteen day stretch.

Not only has the air temperature fluctuated drastically, but we have also had a tremendous amount of wind. And from my past experiences fishing with bass anglers, most do not like fishing on windy days.

I have had very limited time getting out on the water since I am still attending PT three times a week. Plus, we just past through the Memorial Day Weekend. South-central Pennsylvania is currently in a three day heatwave which most likely will stretch into the fourth and fifth day before thunderstorms in the Mid-West will come east and hit the Keystone State.

Despite my available time to fish, my very good friends, Penny and Jeff (CHRGD), have been able to fish  the Conowingo Pond and Lake Aldred - Susquehanna River (Red Eyes).

They have recently sent me pics that I want to share here on "Fishing With Dad"...

Conowingo Pond

I think that Jeff made Penny laugh so hard that she almost lost her chewing gum. I wonder what he said to her???
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Jeff caught this little guy close to the area where I caught my very first crankbait bass. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was fishing from my Bass Tracker TX-17 with a 40/60 Suzuki Jet. It was an early evening trip to the Conowingo Pond and I had bought several styles of crankbaits to try. The first one I tied on that evening was a Rebel Crayfish. I was tossing it up and along a rocky bank just below the Holtwood Dam's tailrace. I was so excited to catch that first crankbait bass and that crayfish-style Rebel is still one of my favorites. I carry at least two different sizes at all times.
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This is a very common size smallie on "The Pond". Nice catch, Penny!
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Fishing For Red Eye On Lake Aldred

A nice looking Red-Eye above the Holtwood Dam.
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10" Red-Eye On The Board!
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According to the Pa. Bass Regulations controlling the 98 mile stretch from the Sunbury, Pa. Fabridam to the Holtwood Dam, if an angler catches a smallmouth or largemouth bass, they are suppose to release that bass while it is still in the water. This 17"+ smallie was released safely and Jeff mentioned that it never was removed from Lake Aldred water. I would find it quite hard under my circumstances to bend down or kneel to release a bass in the water!
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Jeff and Penny spent a few hours today on a local lake and came across this struggling hybrid striper. The poor guy was swimming in circles on the surface (See Video Below). The air temperature reached 93 degrees today and being on the surface certainly wasn't the best place for him...
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Jeff was able to catch seven largemouth today, including this beautiful pre-spawner.
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Thanks once again to Jeff and Penny for sharing their "on the water" adventures with us.

Update On My Knee PT

There has been a big change in my PT  provider. Initially, I had a young woman named Diane who was my primary PT. Diane followed my progress and wrote the ongoing reports to my surgeon, Dr. Parrish. But Diane and her husband pulled up stakes and moved out to Colorado where they would be closer to snow. She told me that they both loved to snowboard.

That meant that I needed a new primary PT. So, Rich took over that responsibility and when he was tied up, the new PT, Alex, would work with me.

This arrangement lasted up until the week before Memorial Day. On Wednesday, May 22nd, my wife and I entered the PT office and was met by a completely new staff! They told us that the staff had taken their Memorial Day Holiday early... "Ahhh, Okay."

This past Wednesday, my wife finally asked the one owner, who was my PT, when was the other staff members returning. The truth finally shared with us. The entire previous office staff had walked out on them prior to the holiday weekend. "What!?" They apparently had made plans to open up their own PT service and the entire staff , without warning, quit on the same day... Two secretaries, one assistant, and two PTs.

I am now on my fifth PT since I had my knee revision done this past February! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid by not returning to the PT service I had back in 2011 when I had my knee replacement. I felt that because my knee was not recovering well, I was being past among the previous staff. Yes, I did have one primary PT, but I rarely saw her as a PT.

So after my knee revision in February of this year, my home visiting PT recommended that I try this "new" service that had recently opened near my ome. He had visited an open house and thought that they had what  I needed during my recovery. Plus, it was a smaller staff which meant it was less likely that I would be "passed around" the staff.

I'm not sure how much longer I will be staying in PT. I feel that I am at a plateau in my recovery and that I haven't improved much over the past three weeks. I have made appointments into June and will most likely stop afterwards.

This coming Tuesday, I will be seeing the pain management doctor at my neurosurgeon's office. Dr. Trevin Thurmon will be meeting with me to determine the best course of action in dealing with the arthritic pain I experience in my back. Previously, I have had spinal epidural injections that have helped. This may be one of the options offered.

In my recent neurosurgeon visit, Dr. Marotti told me that my L5 was actually touching my pelvic bone and creating what is called a "False Joint"... Bone on Bone. If pain management cannot help control the pain, they may consider removing the vertebrae bone that is touching the pelvis bone and fusing the last two vertebrae.

I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Thurmon nest week and receiving help for the lower back pain that often keeps me awake at night and "talks to me" throughout daily physical activity. 

Take Care and Be Safe!
Dad