2020 Wasn't All Bad

 I'd like to say I want to forget last year but there were a lot of wonderful things that happened. My family visited Disneyworld for the first time.

 Even with Covid we were able to have an amazing vacation in the Rockies.

 We made the best of things and found time to kayak and mountain bike the VA Creeper Trail.

 I think the pandemic brought my family closer together and brought out the best and worst of us. 2020 was tougher on my kids than my wife and I. It has never been more evident that kids need the interaction of others. This generation is so spoiled and we take so many things for granted. It's easy to social distance and do what you're supposed to on paper. In reality situations make you drop your guard and not take proper precautions. The lapse in judgement can lead to a terrifying tornado of chaos and anxiety. Last year we had dinner with someone who later called to tell us they tested Covid positive a few days later. The time we spent trying to find a place to get tested until we got the final results were horrible. My family all tested negative but the guilt we experienced and the anxiety of not knowing were bad enough. 

I  hardly fished at all in 2020. I didn't tie much and fly fishing just became something I thought about but never practiced. I made so many planned trips in my mind only to have them be replaced by other priorities or be forgotten entirely. I did manage to get out a few times and my experiences were great fishing wise but the catching not so much. I don't think those experiences deterred me from further trips but I will say they hurt my fishing ego. A small pond 20min from where I live was recently stocked with trout. It's very strange because this pond will become way too warm for trout by late spring. I tried my luck there but didn't even get a bite. I was happy that I still have a somewhat decent cast but my confidence in what I'm actually doing is not the same. I've never had great confidence fishing still water and I always question my fly selection. I usually end up tying on a streamer and fishing with that the majority of the time. Even if it's not productive it keeps me engaged and my hands are always busy. 

I have more hope for this new year but there's still a lot of unknowns. I guess all we can do is our best and try to cope with what's happening.