On The Fly

In this episode, A Burr in the Britches . . . People often ask why I'm always up before the birds. Well, mostly because I'm awake. And if I’m awake, there’s usually a mental list of things to do already spooling out like a tangled fly line. But really, it's about the quiet. That sliver of pre-dawn peace. Coffee, a few pages of whatever's on the side table – right now, it’s a dog-eared copy of humorous essays on Fly Fishing by John Gierach – then shutting off the lights and just . . . thinking and sorting out the day's tangles before they actually tangle. You'd think a clear, crisp morning would feel like a blessing after a couple of days of rain. And it did, mostly. But there's always something, isn't there? A little burr in the britches, a knot in the tippet. This morning, it was the neighbor's lights. Now, I'm not one to get all worked up about such things. But there it was, this unwelcome glow seeping in through the windows. The side door an...

In this episode (172) – Turn off the Lights . . . It happened on Thursday; Fall officially arrived, and soon darkness will be upon us by 5:00 p.m. To prepare, let's look at our energy usage and the most cost-effective way to light our home this winter. Compulsively turning off household lights to save money is a habit most of us have, but it's not the money-saving power move we think it is - unless . . .   Back in my day, it made sense to turn the lights off when you left the room. As Mom always said, "Turn off the lights! We're not made of money." Let's be clear, if you turn off any device in your home that uses electricity, no matter how big or small the device, you will, of course, save money. It doesn't matter if the device is a power-hungry tungsten lamp or a tiny night light in the bathroom. You are obviously not paying for electricity if it isn't using electricity. However, LEDs completely changed the game regarding serious energy savings. The e...