Stay safe, and no clowning around: Odd coronavirus impacts on the dreaming fisherman

This may sound like an extremely odd question, but because I am odd, here we go. Do you dream a lot?

I used to dream all the time but for whatever reason, either I don’t dream as much as I used to or I wake up so quickly my dreams don’t stick for more than a few moments.

Interestingly, since the COVID-19 caronavirus shelter in place started and is now going on for over a month, I have been having extremely vivid dreams. In most cases, I remember them.

It wasn’t until a couple of days ago that I read an article in a magazine that dealt with the psychological effects of so much isolation during this pandemic, and there in black and white was an entire section on how that isolation is affecting dreams, especially vivid and recurring dreams.

So that explains it, except my vivid and recurring dreams are worrisome.

If you had to guess what these dreams of mine are you no doubt might guess they would be about fishing and deep blue water. If that was your guess, you got it half right, except for one missing element. Clowns.

Clowns used to be highly regarded, but nowadays they have a bad rap. Personally, I love clowns. I think that comes from my childhood when my dad would dress as a clown every year during a church festival. With four brothers and sisters, none of us knew that clown was our father. He was that good. He never spoke except with his eyes and expressions and it wasn’t until we realized both Santa and the Easter Bunny weren’t real that he revealed his long-held secret. From that point on, I loved clowns, even to the point when I attended Ringling School Of Art in Sarasota, Florida, where clowns were a dime a dozen.

But why now are clowns consuming my dreams night after night?

I will admit that I carry a red clown nose in my tackle box whenever I fish and love to stick that sucker on when things get slow, or one of my fellow anglers wants to photograph me holding a big fish. It just adds a punch to the image.

I wouldn’t consider these recent dreams as nightmares except when I constantly trip over those huge, floppy shoes my crew are wearing.

Most guys I suspect dream of girls in itty bitty yellow polka dotted bikinis on board while they fish, but not me. There are polka dots OK, but not just yellow. Their clown outfits have polka dots in a variety of colors and, unlike my red clown nose that doesn’t honk when you squeeze it, theirs do.

I haven’t counted how many times clowns have taken over my dreams lately but it is more than I have fingers on my hands. Squirting lapel flowers, rubber clubs and every other typical clown accessory are always present.

I can only pray that this virus gets under control pretty soon or I am going to go into the clown business when it’s all over.

Another article I read talked about air pollution right now. Since the virus hit, air pollution is down as much as 60% around the world in the most polluted areas.

In India, one of most polluted places on earth, they can now see the Himalayan Mountains for the first time in decades. The same goes for places right here in the U.S. in cities such as Los Angeles.

I was surprised to learn that worldwide over 7 million people die annually from tiny particles embedded in pollutants spewed into our air.

Maybe this pandemic and other contributing factors will finally sink home and we will do better taking care of this planet we call home.

Personally, I feel we are doing a horrible job right now, all in the name of the bottom line.

Run for the Bulls update

Scheduled for Saturday, May 16, this year’s “Run For The Bulls” dolphin tournament to benefit the Waddell Mariculture Center in Bluffton is still a go.

Entry fee deadline for boats that were in last year’s event is April 25. After that date, boats on the waiting list will be given those spots in the order they were taken.

Limited to only 30 boats, we are taking every precaution to keep people safe with no group gatherings and stressing that captains carefully chose crews that have taken COVID-19 seriously.

Entry checks can be dropped off at the Hilton Head Boathouse Showroom or tackle shop. For questions call 803-237-2592 or 843-816-6608.

Be safe, and no clowning around!