I’m grateful for this holiday week. I’m caught up on email, as well as most household chores. So, I decided to spend the day outside.

I fished a local river. It was cold and windy. Only crazy people go fly fishing on January 2. I ran into quite a few other anglers. Everyone was very friendly and freely gave out tips on what was working and where.

I had a long chat with three young guys. I gathered they were old friends on break from college. Three old friends, spending time together outdoors. How good is that?

The day just absolutely whipped by. It’s like that when I’m fly fishing. I don’t feel time in the usual sense. The seven hours I spent fishing felt like about two. I would have kept going but it was getting really cold and nearly dark.

Today, I landed ten fish, of which four were good-sized. I hooked more, but I’m using very small flies, and they pop off easily. I’m also using extremely light line, and so, I cannot be very aggressive with the fish. I keep the drag loose and just let ’em run. Fly fishing is interesting. You never bat 1.000. You never land all of them.

But, the ones you do land, well, they’re a source of much euphoria and a deep sense of satisfaction. I did it! It is hard to explain the feeling, but it is instantly jolting and joyful at the same time.

I photographed two of the larger fish (see up top). One is 15″, and the other is nearly 17″. Pictures don’t really capture how colorful these fish look in the sun. They’re called rainbow trout for that reason.

And, tonight, it’s business as usual. There’s more laundry to do. Dinner remnants need to be put away. I’m awaiting a call from one of our CEOs. I need to fix a laptop. The fridge light switch needs to be replaced. There’s more social media to read.

You know, the usual.