Outdoors with Don Q: Personal resolutions for the year 2012

It’s the very first part of January and this is a good time for all of us to make some personal resolutions for the year 2012. Most importantly, remember that if you do make any resolutions, be sure to follow through with what you resolve to do in this new year. I have a number of things I would like to accomplish this year, so without any further ado, here are my resolutions:

I resolve to:

Catch a fish larger than the one Elaine catches
Whenever and wherever we go fishing, Elaine consistently outfishes me.
She has outfished me at Sitka Alaska (the last two times), Frog Lake, Kinney Reservoir, Pyramid Lake, Lake Tahoe (three times), Walker Lake, etc.
I am beginning to get an inferiority complex, plus it doesn’t help that my regular fishing partners always remind me of my shortcomings.

Continue to harass my fishing partners
I vow to continue my harassment of Norm Budden, Don Hettrick and Bob “Slick” McCulloch. It is a never-ending, labor of love because of their constant attempts to embarrass, harass, tease and torment me.
I don’t know why they do that, because I am an all-around, easy-going, polite, well-mannered, modest, humble and nice guy.

Finally hit a Royal Flush on a poker slot machine
We are not big gamblers, but Elaine, her Mom and I like to play the penny and/or nickel poker slots. You would think that after all this time (several years of playing about once a week or so); one of us would hit a Royal Flush, but no such luck. If and whenever I finally hit a Royal, I will probably keel over in a dead faint from the excitement of that super rare event.

Get to fish from my raft at Winnemucca Lake
That lake is about a two-mile hike from Kit Carson Pass on Calif. S.R. 88, and the last half-dozen times that I have carried my inflatable raft into that trout filled lake, the wind has blown so hard, I could not use it.
I am getting tired of all that hiking into the lake with that raft, paddles, life preservers, fishing equipment, etc. only to carry them out, unused.

Help make www.carsonnow.org a world-class website
I have had the personal pleasure of writing about the Great Outdoors for almost one year at this website. It is a great location, where I have the pleasure of working with Kirk Caraway and Jeff Munson, two very knowledgeable and classy people! I will continue to work to make www.carsonnow.org even bigger and better in 2012. You can bet on it!

Not get so irritated at the length of red light phases
Carson City has terrible lengths of red light phases on the side streets that cross Carson Street. Whoever times those lights must get paid by the hour because it seems to take that long before the red changes to green. Some of the worse are at the intersections of Fairview, Fifth, Long, and William.
Geez, I wonder if that timer has ever driven on any of those side streets.

Not get so irritated at the dumb drivers at the Post Office
Every time we go to check the mail in our post office box at the main location on Roop Street, it is an adventure in that parking lot.
Every dumb or rude driver in Carson City is usually there: Going the wrong direction, illegally parking, backing out without looking, tailgating, honking their horn, etc. There ought to be a hunting season on them.

Plan another fishing trip to Valdez, Alaska
Two years ago, I fished there for two days with Barry Drury of Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada, and we kicked butt on the Sliver Salmon.
This year, it looks like a trip is planned for August 18-22 back at the same location, and I plan to catch more and bigger Silvers.
Then, it will be time for Barry to buy drinks at the cocktail lounge.

Plan anther vacation trip to Italy
However, this next time there will be some major changes.
I have no desire to return to the big cities (Florence, Palermo, Pisa, Rome, Venice, et al) because of the crowds of people, traffic, trash and graffiti.
However, I do want to re-visit the quiet and scenic Northern Italy countryside, the Dolomite Mountains, Cortina and Lake Como.

Plant a vegetable garden that grows
Each year, I work hard to plant a garden that contains such things as all different kinds of tomatoes, squash and onions.
Then I carefully weed and water that garden on a faithful basis.
The result: Wimpy tomatoes, wimpy squash and wimpy onions.
I would sure like a garden that I could brag about. Maybe this year!

Pick, cook and eat Pine Nuts
Last fall, Sal and Catali Quilici of Dayton, plus Elaine and I found a treasure trove of Pinon Trees, whose cones were full of nuts.
Those trees where near the top of Sunrise Pass, east of Johnson Lane.
We waited until after a heavy frost opened the cones, a high wind blew the nuts out of the cones and then we simply picked the nuts up off the ground. This fall, I hope that we can repeat that performance.
Win some prize money in Riordan’s Invitation Derby
After a long run of many years of success in John Riordan’s Invitational Fishing Derby, I hit a dry stretch and have not won for the last few years. Sadly, this is a fact of which my regular fishing partners incessantly remind me. It would sure be nice to finish in the money again, to not only win some nice cash but to get those guys off my back. Keep your fingers crossed.

Finally
Make one or more resolutions and then follow through with them for 2012.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon which of the above resolutions will be the hardest to achieve in 2012.
If he grins and says, “Heck, that’s easy – Don will have a hard time trying to outfish Elaine,” he could be one of our regular fishing partners.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now and South Tahoe Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.