Fishing for couch potatos

Do you enjoy fishing but are just too darn lazy to get out do it yourself? Do you wish you had a $100,000 bass boat but are afraid of the water? Do you want to wear goofy-looking bowling shirts covered with sponsor patches but don't even have a buck for the bus?

Worry no more. Fantasy fishing is here.

Yes, now you can experience the thrill of the professional bass fishing circuit without leaving the safety of your own living room. All you have to do is pick ten anglers on the FLW Bass Tour and follow their progress through the 2008 season.

If you have a knack and can pick the leaders of the pack, you may just win $100,000. FLW will be giving away seven $100,000 prizes to seven lucky winners. But there is a kicker: the fantasy fisher withe the largest number of cumulative points at the end of the year will win $1 million.

The best part is that it is all free. That is right, it cost nothing to play.

Professional bass fishermen spend their entire careers hoping to get one big payout, but you too can  win a record purse without ever getting your hands wet by just logging to to fantasyfishing.

Jaws V

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water a great white shark has been spotted off Indian Rocks Beach. No this is no mythical monster bent on revenge but a real live Carcharodon carcharias that will swallow you whole.

Great white sharks regularly turn up off our coast in the winter months. They are often caught by longline fishing boats, but the catches sometimes go unreported for a pair of jaws from this protected species will fetch a high price on the black market.

These apex predators sometime come close to shore as Tom Kane found out Tuesday while he was pulling stone crab traps in 25 feet of water. The Indian Rocks beach captain and and his mate, Mike Whipple, were about six miles offshore when they spotted something following their boat.

"We had about 500 pounds of mullet on board to use as bait," Kane said. "At first we thought it was a dolphin then it swam under the boat and we could see it was a shark....a big shark."

Kane, a veteran skipper is not awed easily, said the shark measured 10 to 12 feet and weighed between 800 and 1,000 pounds. Kane got a good look at the beast when he turned his boat around and followed the fish.

"It circled back and came right up to the boat," he said. "We could see th under belly. It was white."

Kane charters the T-Kat for grouper, kingfish and whatever else is biting. Check out his website at T-Kat or call (727) 460-7029.

Super Bowl blunder

One of my many hats is that of scoutmaster for Cub Scout Pack 210 in St. Petersburg. I teach the boys how to tie knots, build fires, track wild animals etc.

Occasionally, the dads and I get together and take the boys on a "family camp" since the outings are not sanctioned by the Boy Scouts of America. I plan these forays into the wilderness months in advance, since group campsites are often hard to secure.

Our next outing is planned for Sunday Feb. 3, which also happens to be the day of the biggest sporting event of the year, The Super Bowl. When I realized my error, I thought about canceling, but the lads were so looking forward to another night hike in search of the Swamp Ape.

What's a guy to do? Stay home to watch one of the most historic games in decades and disappoint the lads? Or stay true to the ideals of the Scouts and keep my word?

Thanks to my friend, Campmeister Joe Springsteen, I can now do both. Springsteen is the pack's scrounger, sort of like James Garner in that classic World War II flick The Great Escape (remember Steve McQueen jumping his motorcycle over the barbed wire fence?)

Springsteen has secured a generator for a TV and fashioned a 16-foot antenna out of a paint roller handle and telescoping rod.  We normally don't take electrical items on our expeditions into the wilderness, but extreme times call for extreme measures.

I am not sure how this contraption will work, but Campmeister Joe gets an A for effort. I'll take photos and report back soon. Don't worry. We'll save a seat for Swamp Ape.

A pack fit for a yak

Forty years ago, when I first hit the Appalachian Trail with Boy Scout Troop 16, my back pack was made of wood and canvas. It was so cumbersome and heavy, the belt literally wore the ski off my hips.

Years later, when I finally got my first high-tech pack - nylon with an aluminum frame - I felt like I could hike from Maine to Georgia. But then again, I often slept under the stars with nothing more than an old bed sheet and rain tarp.

But now I'm getting old, creaky and this 47-year-old body doesn't take a licking and keep on ticking. That had me worried when some buddies suggested we cross the Big Cypress Swamp on foot, a 38 mile trek through some of the most unforgiving terrain in Lower 48.

Looking for an edge, I bought a new backpack. This $250 work of art, built by Osprey Packs, holds 70 litres of gear. But the coolest thing about the Aether model from this Colorado company is the custom hip belt.

Dee Schilling at Bill Jacksons Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park checked my size then took the belt off the pack and put it a specially-designed oven and heated it up for eight minutes. I put it back on, waited till it cooled, then Voila! A hip belt designed for my unique body shape.

Now if I could only do something about that beer belly.

To learn more go to opsrey.

Rally round the grouper

Anglers are up in arms over proposed measures for the recreational grouper fishery. When the Gulf of Mexico Fishery management Council meets next week in St. Petersburg, officials will consider a half dozen regulatory alternatives.

The first option would be to maintain the status quo, which is unlikely, since officials believe both red and gag grouper stocks are in trouble.

The second alternative would set a three fish aggregate bag limit and shut down the fishing season from Jan. 15 through April 15. The third alternative would have the same bag limit but close the season from Feb. 1 through April 30. The fourth would have a Jan. 1 through May 15 closed season. Under the fifth alternative, the season would be closed Jan. 1 through May 21. Under the final option, there would be no fishing from Dec. 1 through April 30.

If you read between the lines of the recently released report, Alternative Four, with the Jan. 1 through May 15 closure, appears to be the favored alternative.  Such a long closure would have a devastating affect on the recreational fishery, already reeling from skyrocketing gas prices.

Anglers will have a chance to voice their concerns next Wednesday when the council meets at the Raddison Hotel in St. Petersburg. The public comment period is 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Anglers will meet and discuss strategy tomorrow night at Tight Lines Tackle on Armenia Avenue in Tampa. Call (813) 932-4721 to learn more.

Another great source of information is the Fishing Rights Alliance website. www.thefra.org.

Sailing world watches Key West

Hard core sailing fans say it is bigger than the Olympics and second only to the America's Cup, yet few landlubbers even know it's name. Don't have a clue? Look to the southernmost point in the continental U.S.

Racers from 18 different countries are in Key West this week competing aboard a record 60 foreign boats and an undisclosed number from 35 U.S. states in the annual Key West Race Week. Former Olympians,  America's Cup champions and Round the World racers will compete in 16 different classes on four separate courses today through Friday.

Nearly 70 percent of the entries will be racing "one design," meaning all of the boats will have the same tight specifications. The Melges 24 class is the biggest with 46 entries and J/105s have an equally impressive 34-boat fleet.

Race fans can follow the action at Premiere-racing.com. Gary Jobson will have racing highlights every evening on ESPN.com.

This year's fleet will have a solid contingent from the Tampa Bay area. Look for the action to continue on the waters off The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg when the NOOD Regatta returns in February.

Local sailor earns national award

Lighting World Champion Jeff Linton of Tampa has been named U.S. Sailing’s 2007 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

Linton was first nominated for this prestigious award in 2005, after he crewed aboard winning boats at the Etchells World Championship and the J/24 Midwinters.

Linton earned U.S. Sailing's top honor for his mastery of the Lighting, a 19-foot centerboard sloop.

Linton, 45, also earned points format he selection committee for winning two other one design classes, the Flying Scot North American Championship and the Classic Moth National Championship.

Linton’s wife, Amy Smith Linton, often crews with her husband in the Lightning and Flying Scot, making her a world champion as well. Linton joins a short list of prominent Florida sailors, including St. Petersburg's Ed Baird, who have been named Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

Paddle out

A neighbor stopped and looked at me kind of funny this afternoon. He had never seen a paddleboard before. The 12-foot Eaton, strapped to my surf racks, had served me well.

I explained to the gentleman that the board was not for riding like a traditional surfboard. It was for paddling, in the kneeling or prone position. Paddleboard are a common in California where surfers use them to  keep in shape. They are also popular on Florida's East Coast, especially among ocean lifeguards who use them as rescue boards.

But here on the Gulf Coast, only die-hard watermen play around the sleek, fiberglass watercraft. I had to have mine flown in from California ten years ago. I couldn't find one here in Florida. But that is about to change.

Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park has started carrying Surf Tech stand up paddleboards carrying the name of Laird Hamilton, the famous Hawaiian big wave surfer who is also happens to be married to Florida State volleyball standout and super model, Gabby Reese, as well as traditional paddleboards by Joe Bark.

Over the years I have had kayaks, canoes, surf skis and paddleboards, but I am getting rid of them all to buy myself a 12-foot Bark board. I'm hoping to get it wet this week and perhaps even paddle it some flat day around Egmont Key. Any one like to join me? To check out my board go to http://www.surftech.com/shaper.phtml?type=paddleboards&typeId=6&labelId=77.

Swamp safari

Slogging 28 miles across the Big Cypress Swamp is no picnic. The trail is often covered with knee-deep water and if you make a wrong turn, it would take days, if not weeks, for rescuers to find you.

It is not the way most folks would choose to spend a couple of days. It's a hard sell, even to the most seasoned adventurer. But nonetheless, I spent the better part of the day rounding up recruits who were willing...no, more like excited, about the prospect of walking from the Tamiami Trail to Alligator Alley.

The Florida Trail starts here in Big Cypress and winds across Florida before ending on the Panhandle at Gulf Islands National Seashore. The 28-miles stretch that runs through Big Cypress is one of the least traveled sections of the Florida Trail system. Potable water is nonexistent and at certain times of the year, the trail can be under water.

But the payoff is well worth the effort. This wild patch of paradise is one of the last haunts of the secretive Florida panther. The chances of seeing one in the wild are slim, but if you are lucky enough to spot one of these mysterious cats, this where you will do it.

It takes a lot of planning and preparation to make a trip such as this. In weeks to come, I'll keep you posted on my progress. In the meantime, you can do your own research by checking out big cypress.

Buck or doe?

When 13-year-old C.J. Nowling of Jay, Florida took aim at a deer earlier this month, the boy thought he was about to bag his first buck. The whitetail had a decent rack - six points - not bad for a first tier.

But when Nowling and his grandfather started to dress the deer, they realized that the youngster had really shot an antlered doe. Nowling had the deer inspected by the a veterinarian and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission technician who confirmed that the 110-pounder was indeed a female, despite the fact that it had a hard, well-polished rack.

According to the FWC, in rare occurrences, female deer do develop antlers, which are usually malformed and stay in velvet. But Nowling deers, a doe with hard, polished antlers (typical of a buck) was indeed a rare occurrence.

Nowling shot the deer on a 2,000 acre tract of land near Escambia County called the Downey Ranch. The eight grader saw several deer that afternoon, but when the six pointer stepped out of the woods, he dropped it from 175 yards away.

Later, when Nowling's grandfather was helping dress the deer, he noticed something unusual and said "Houston, we have a problem," according to the FWC.

Play it safe when hiking

Since the death of Meredith Emerson, the 24-year-old woman whose decapitated body was found recently in a Georgia state forest, trail groups around the United States have been promoting hiker safety. The suspect in this murder, 61-year-old Gary Michael Hilton, is also being investigated for a December slaying in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest.

Most hikers who hit the trail in our country's national and state forests know they need to be concerned about the predictable outdoor emergencies - dehydration, hypothermia, getting lost, bad weather, etc. - but most don't give much thought to psychopaths.

But the topic has come up among the band of brothers that accompany me on most of my outdoor adventures. Everybody in my crew is well-acquainted with firearms. Most own a handgun of one type or another. We often travel to remote locations, far off the beaten path, where when confronted by a threat or an emergency, we have no one to depend on but ourselves.

Most violent acts against hikers, however, don't occur in truly remote wilderness areas. They occur in state or national forests or parks, within easy reach of civilization. There is no easy way to protect yourself from violence. Even if you do carry a firearm into the woods, you must have the skill, and more important, the will, to use it.

The best defense is to travel with a group. Criminals prey on the vulnerable, not the strong. There is safety in numbers.

This is especially true for women. Meredith Emerson's fate might have been different had she been traveling with friends. The psycho who comes across my gang in the woods or water will think twice about tangling with such a motley crew of ruffians.

So before you plan your next outdoor adventure, recruit some friends. If you don't know any like-minded individuals, join a club. Once of the best in the Tampa Bay area is the Adventurous Woman Club. The group meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park as well as organizing regular group outings into the great outdoors. To learn more check out the adventurous woman.

Fat tire fun

After you spend some time biking the trails at Wilderness Park (check out video here), you will be ready for some more challenging rides. Well, mark your calendar. The Mother of all Mountain Bike races is just a few weeks away.

Off-road afficionadoes come from all over the state for the annual Croom 35/50 Off-Road Challenge held each year on the first Saturday in February at at Withlacoochee State Forest. Riders can take their pick between 35 or 50 miles of no-holds-barred single track racing. Newbies stay home - this course has no pavement, no double track.

Sponsored by the Tampa-based SouthWest Association of Mountain Bike Pedalers, a.k.a., SWAMP, the Tampa Bay area's pre-eminent off-road cycling club, the Feb. 2nd event fills up fast. In fact, the 2008 field is already full and organizers are encouraging racers to mark their calendars for 2009.

But if you are just starting out in the sport, you will need at least a year to get ready. The best way to train and hone your technical skills is to sign up for one of SWAMPS training classes. For more information go to SWAMP.

Kayak fishing goes big time

Boat sales, or we should say powerboat sales, are in a slump. But one area of the market that has not been hit by the downturn in the economy is the kayak market. We're not talking high-end fiberglass boats, but plastic sit-on-tops favored by anglers.

Darry Jackson of the Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park said recently that he can't keep the paddlecraft on the shelves. They are light, user-friendly and they can get into shallow spots traditional flat boats dare not venture.

Many of the Tampa Bay area's best fishermen have forsaken their petroleum-powered watercraft and switched to carbon-neutral kayaks. But until recently, serious kayak fishermen had no place to test their skills.

Classic Tournaments Inc. of Punta Gorda has unveiled the schedule for the 2008 KayakSlam Series, all photo and release tournaments that target redfish, trout and snook. The series has two separate divisions: West Florida and Southwest Florida.

The West Florida division kicks off Saturday in Placida and is followed by an event in Clearwater on March 1 and another in Sarasota on April 5. Winners will qualify for the championship in Punta Gorda on April 26-27. For information go to www.kayakslam.com.

(Times photo - John Pendygraft.)

Bad year for boat sales

Ask any boat dealer and they'll tell you that 2007 was a bad year to be a boat dealer. Many fear that with fuel prices going up and a possible recession on the horizon, 2008 might even be worse.

Tournament fishermen who bought triple-engine go-fast rigs to chase kingfish can't afford to take the boats offshore. Performance boaters who own souped-up inboards to take on the poker run circuit can't pay for gas.

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, registrations for new powerboats fell 3 percent in the third quarter of 2007, or a total of 7 percent on the year. Jet-drive boats were the only segment of the market to see growth.

Things are even worse for manufacturers. Records show that new powerboat shipments fell at twice the rate of new registrations.

But NMMA president Thom Dammrich is optimistic. He thinks the industry will rebound in the latter part of 2008.

In the meantime, people are looking for inexpensive ways to recreate on the water. As boat sales drop, don't be surprised to see an increase in the sale of sea kayaks, canoes, boardsailors and kite surfers. There are lots of great ways to get out and have fun on the water without spending an arm and leg.

Pick up a fishing rod and head to your local pier or seawall. Put on a pair of old tennis shoes and wade the flats. Keep an eye on this blog, our Web site and the pages of Gulf & Bay in the months to come for ideas for your next adventure.

Cool water hammers sportfish

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Research Institute received nearly 80 reports of fish kills from through out the state after last week's cold snap. It will take weeks, if  not months, to fully appreciate the magnitude of the plummeting temperatures.

One of the hardest areas hit was around the Anclote Power Plant. Fish and manatees normally congregate near power plants because of the warm-water outflows, but if the plant is suddenly shut down, which happens from time to time, marine life cannot recover from the drastic change in temperature.

Most fish kills occur during the summer when the Red Tide is at its peak or heavy rains cause man-made pollutants to suddenly enter the ecosystem. In this case, the killer was Mother Nature.

Fish kills were reported from as far north as the Panhandle, which is rare since the fish up there have more time to get used to cooler water, all the way to South Florida. No species appeared spared. Anglers reported seeing dead snook, tarpon, pompano, jack crevalle to name just a few.

The only people who seemed to have benefited from the freeze were commercial fishermen who scooped up thousands of pounds of stunned ladyfish on the flats just south of the power plant. The pickings were so easy, one local fish house sent a tractor trailer north to help haul away the take, all perfectly legal, but all too sad.

Much ado about manatees

The latest numbers for manatee deaths are in. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 317 manatee deaths were reported in Florida waters last year, which below the five-year average of 355 deaths per year.

One reason could be that we were spared from a major Red Tide last year. The microscopic organism wreaks havoc on a manatees respiratory system leaving the sick, weak and at times, even dead.

But there could be another reason why manatee deaths are down. Perhaps boaters have gotten better at spotting these slow-moving critters in the water and as a result, fewer are getting run over. Sure, you pessimists out there might counter that statement by claiming that because of our poor economy and rising gas prices, fewer people are boating.

However, as an optimist, I'd like to think that boater education is working. Before we start drafting more laws to protect these lovable sea cows, let's sit back and take a few deep breaths. Manatees are as much a part of Florida as palm trees and oranges. But what would this state be without boaters and fishermen?

There is enough room for everybody, man, beast, bird and fish, to live and hopefully, play.

(Pictured: A manatee swims through early morning sunbeams penetrating the water of Three Sister Springs of Kings Bay. Times photo - Ron Thompson. Click to enlarge.)

Little campers

Every time I return from a camping trip with kids, I swear I'll never do it again. Last night I had four little ones - two 4-year-olds, a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old - out at the Fort De Soto campground.

My rules were simple - no food or drink in the tent, don't fall in the fire and stay out of the Gulf of Mexico. Other than that, I pretty much let them do whatever they want.

The first casualty was my 6-year-old son, who fell into the water as he put it, "on accident." Then my daughter, age 4, snuck a juice box into the tent. The move was not discovered until several hours later when I noticed a large puddle beneath her sleeping bag.

My nephew, also 4, isn't good with zippers. He went into the tent to change clothes, felt nature's call, and answered all over two sleeping bags. Later, I noticed a foul stench coming from the campfire. They had found a dead mullet on the beach and decided to cook it for the raccoons.

Each one got up several times during the night afraid of ghosts, bears, werewolves etc. (it was my fault...those darn campfire stories). This afternoon at home, it took me four hours to clean up them and all my camping gear- and that does not include the tent that I may have to have fumigated.

But they're still outside talking about their little adventure. They are already bugging me to schedule another trip. But I told them never again. Or next weekend. Whichever comes first.

Outdoor dog needed

Fourteen years ago, when I was looking for good all around outdoors dog, my friend Dr. Greg Todd recommended a Labrador Retriever. These canines, bred for hunting, love the water.

When I was a boy, my family took in a stray black lab that we called Skeeter. This 80-pound brute once ate a whole pound of butter. Another time, he grabbed a pound of bacon thawing on the kitchen table and downed in one gulp, paper and all.

We lived next tot he woods and during the summer, this dog would bust loose to chase the mosquito control trucks that sprayed the nearby swamp. The driver thought my mother was crazy as she ran down the street after the dog yelling "Skeeter, Skeeter."

When Skeeter died, we got another stray, a Newfoundland St. Bernard named Nicky. My mother thought the dog had been neutered until one day it slipped its chain and broke through a screen door after a poodle in heat.

I got Lucy the Lab hoping to teach her how to surf. Instead, she liked to eat women's shoes and sleep on the couch. Eventually, I got Lucy a sister, another lab named Sarah. I tried to train this devious dog but the instructor said she was an alpha female with a high prey instinct, or in other words, a cross between Hillary Clinton and Dick Cheney, with a touch of Karl Rove.

Sarah's not herself these days, since Lucy recently headed off for that big dog park in the sky. I'm looking for another dog to keep Sarah company. I'll tell my wife it was a stray and just wandered into our yard. Any suggestions? E-mail me at Tomalin@sptimes.com.

Big Joe the bull gator

Slogging through the mud beneath a full moon on the tail at Hillsborough County's Dead River Park, my gang of elementary school adventurers wondered if we would ever find the fabled Swamp Ape. This hominid cryptid, also known as the Skunk Ape, was rumored to inhabit the wetlands that surround the Hillsborough River.

I had asked my friend, Ranger Jack Coleman, a.k.a. Dead River Jack, to make a guest appearance in his dusty old gorilla suit. But, being hunting season, he declined. So after an half hour of wandering aimlessly through the dark, I sat the boys alongside the river and told them a story about a beast that once inhabited this stretch of river.

Big Joe the bull gator was a solid 10-footer with no fear of humans. I had five separate run-ins with this swamp monster over a 15-year period. He once nearly tipped over my canoe with one swipe of his tail, but it wasn't until he started stalking Cub Scouts camped at Dead River that Big Joe had to go.

A licensed trapper came in and put out some bait, which Big Joe eventually took. But the beast did not go gently into that good night. Coleman knew they were in for a fight when the alligator bent a piece of re-bar that anchored bait to the shoreline.

Of course, my Cub Scouts didn't believe me when I told them about Big Joe (they were still looking for the Swamp Ape). That is, until the next morning when Coleman joined us for breakfast and pulled the gator's head out of a wheelbarrel.

Now my boys will think twice when I tell them to keep an eye out on the water in gator country, for no sooner had Big Joe been taken out, an 8-footer moved in. But that's life on the Wild Side.

(Pictured: Jack Coleman, a park ranger at Dead River Park, had a 12-foot-4 alligator legally trapped and killed in 1993 and uses the preserved head when talking to Boy Scout troops about the dangers of alligators. Times photo - Keri Wiginton. Click to enlarge.)

Wind but no waves

The wind howled out of the north last night so long and hard that I couldn't sleep. I get that way whenever I think there will be waves to surf in the morning.

Gulf Coast boardriders are a sorry bunch. We are so wave-starved that any time a cold front blows through, we all rush down to the beach at daybreak hoping to catch some waist-high rollers on our longboards. This morning, I dragged along my 4-year-old daughter, a future candidate for the U.S. Navy SEALS.

You may say that only a crazy man would take a little girl surfing on the coldest day of the year, but I figure she has to learn sooner than later. I dress her up in a wetsuit, booties, PFD, strap a leash to her back and then paddle out on my 12-foot soft-top with a rubber-coated skeg.

All we need is a 2-foot bump to catch a ride and, as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're standing up and moving toward the beach, you are surfing. You have to be dedicated to surf this coast. On days you think there will be waves there are none; on days when you think it will be flat, you drive out to the beach and find it is waist-high and glassy.

Some of you may think this sounds pathetic. You might laugh and say there are no waves in the Gulf of Mexico. Tell that to Shea and Cory Lopez, two millionaire professional surfers from Indian Rocks Beach who have been making a living on the pro tour for more than a decade.

But cold fronts are good for more than just surfing. This blast of arctic air will also send fish running toward the warm water of the power plants. Tomorrow at dawn, I'll be out hunting cobia.

With that in mind, be sure to check this Wild Side blog for fishing news as well as other outdoor activities such as scuba diving and sea kayaking. We decided to stop our Tight Lines blog, because it was too limited in scope, and instead adopted this format, hoping to give you a better picture of what is going on in the great outdoors.

(Pictured: Jeff Davison rides his 10 foot long board at the Upham Beach section of St. Pete Beach. Times photo - Dirk Shadd (2002). Click to enlarge.)

Cold weather fun

The weatherman says the mercury may dip below 32 degrees tonight, so that's why I'm headed home to gather my camping gear for a cookout in the woods. After 18 years on the outdoors beat, I've come to learn that you can't let little things like wind, rain and sub-freezing temperatures derail a good adventure.

I've got a trunkful of wood, my wool Boy Scout shirt and a Lodge cast iron kettle to cook some fish chili over an open fire beneath the oaks at the Fort DeSoto group campground. Ranger Jim Wilson said we should be protected from the wind but added that it might be a tad chilly.

But adverse weather conditions usually make for a better story, as you will learn, if you put this blog on your 'Favorites' list. I've made a resolution this year to do at least one thing outdoors every day, rain or shine.

Some days we may be fishing, other days we may be backpacking through a pine flatwoods or canoeing down a river. Florida has so many outdoor possibilities that the only problem I have is narrowing down my choices because, unfortunately, I can only do one thing at a time.

Tomorrow morning when you wake up and feel that cold air bite as you walk barefoot across your frozen driveway to pick up you newspaper, think of me. I'll be at Upham Beach with my 10-foot Donald Takayama surfboard picking off some choice waves with the other graybeards and silverbacks.

Sound crazy? Perhaps. But hey, that's my life. Welcome to the Wild Side.

(Pictured: Casey LaLomia builds a fire after setting up camp on a spoil island at the conclusion of day two of a three-day kayak trip in January. Times photo - Douglas R. Clifford. Click to enlarge.)