It’s August already? And red snapper is coming into season? Collins can’t believe it
It’s hard to believe its August already. Being somewhat of a space cadet when it comes to which day of the week it is, much less what month it is, it wasn’t until I was watching the news and they were talking about kids starting school again that I realized I didn’t have a clue what the date was.
“Already?” I thought, “Heck it’s only July!” Then, checking my calendar, which was still displaying the month of June, I had to do some serious calculating before accepting the fact that yes, it is indeed August.
I reckon ya’ll are wondering about me right about now, but in my defense, I am self-employed and have been for years. People always assume those of us that are self-employed can simply sleep in late, take any day off and do whatever comes along.
Wrong! Not only do I work seven days a week, I am up at 4 a.m. every day and never know when my day will end.
I am required to pay into unemployment and that really gets my goat.
Imagine if I stood in front of the mirror, put on a sad face and said to myself “Collins, I’m sorry, but we are going to have to lay you off.” Could I apply for unemployment? All I can say is it sure is a strange world we live in.
My day almost always starts with a super sized cup of joe while I sit plunking away on my computer.
Ad work, design work, copy writing and by the time most of you go to your job I have already put in around five hours of uninterrupted creativity.
Especially during the dog days of summer, I would prefer being outside, more specifically on the water, during this cooler part of the day. There is just something about being a human rooster.
When I go outside it’s so quiet, no traffic noises and watching and listening to nature roll out of bed is awesome.
Remember me telling you about the Mississippi kites that nest next to my home each and every summer?
Probably not, but this year they birthed two younglings that have already mastered the sky. I am no Dr. Doolittle but a kite’s call is easy to imitate and all it takes it a couple of whistles and they come a-running.
The male, with his white head, is particularly vocal. I reckon he thinks I am honing in on his bride and kids. Then roosters and chickens across the street at Stiles Harper’s house join the chorus and it really is a great way to greet the day.
Way cooler than my Mississippi kites are swallowtail kites. With that distinctive “V” shaped tail, it doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, my eye immediately looks skyward when one of these beautiful birds is captured by my peripheral vision.
It’s akin to if a rattlesnake is coiled in front of me. I guess growing up hunting, fishing and walking through the woods here has tuned me in to these subtleties of nature.
This summer, I’ve seen at least two dozen in various places and it always amazes me how people around me never once glance at them.
Summertime is also snake time and since I mentioned rattlesnakes earlier, I have one in my freezer that I plan on skinning. It came from a friend’s yard, a big canebrake rattler. Like myself, he usually will let rattlesnakes alone but since he has a young German short hair that runs through his yard nonstop, he had to dispatch this beauty.
I used to skin rattlesnakes when I was younger, but time has taken a toll on the art of skinning.
You know, kind of like knowing which day of the week it is or what month it is. Thank goodness for You Tube instructional videos, so I’ll probably finish the project this weekend.
Other than tarpon and a few other offshore fish, the scorching August dog days makes it hard to fish unless you go first thing in the morning or late, late afternoon. But believe it or not the Feds are opening red snapper fishing this month.
Beginning on Friday, Aug. 10 through 12 and again from Aug. 17 through 19, recreational anglers can catch and keep red snapper. This fishery has been closed for a handful of years due to overfishing so stocks can rebound, but around here at least, red snapper populations are and have been off the chart.
It’s hard to catch anything but red snapper on most days. The daily bag limit will be one red snapper per person per day with no minimum size. I think red snapper as table fare is way over-rated but if you are from the opposite camp, here’s your chance.
There are some real monsters out there. Maybe when the snapper season opens I’ll give you my recipe for a “stand-up stuffed snapper.” I de-bone the entire fish, replace their eyes with shrimp and stuff them with breadcrumbs and crab meat. You can eat the entire fish, it’s an incredible presentation and it’s so tasty you’ll swallow your tongue.
This year August won’t just be hot, it will be RED-hot. Just so you know, that’s my word association that might help me remember about red snapper days. It is August, right?