Patio cleaning, finishing opening the pool, tree cutting and a fond Al Szuch’s Bait Shop memory … triggered by smell #TBT

Posted By on June 4, 2020

PoolOpening200531

The “to-do” list is slowly being chipped away at as last weekend Brenda and I enjoyed the nice weather at home to work on yard chores. She is still struggling with a back issue, but felt good enough to use the Kubota (against my advice BTW – bumpy lawn) to mow the front lawn. I spend my time continuing the pool opening, patio and teak furniture cleaning and starting to cut down a few dying trees (photo bottom).

MinnowBucketDipperThe sense of smell doesn’t get enough attention, in my opinion. It is amazing to me just how a slight whiff of something can trigger a long lost memory (at least for me). As I was preparing to put the skimmer baskets back in the cleanouts, there was a bunch of leftover buds, bugs and pollen that had collected. I didn’t think much of it, but put my hand in to dip out the floating “scum” so as not to push it under the basket. As I did, the smell hit me and triggered a strong memory as 6-11 year old boy of going to Al Szuch’s Bait Shop with DadC, my Grandfather Bluhm and Uncle Bob during our summers living on Lake Erie (here’s a #TBT photo from 1967). It was a good time and I so enjoyed tagging along for the routine of getting minnows to spend the day fishing and late afternoon cleaning a basket full of yellow perch. Even writing this, I can close my eyes and remember clipping open the lid of the minnow bucket .. “and smelling that scent” (and not a smell in a bad way).

AlSzuchMap

As an aside, my condolences to the Szuch family on the passing of Edward “Butch” Szuch Sr on April 26th… due to Covid19. (as a small community, we knew most of the commercial fisherman this area)

SatMapSzuchBait

One finally ThrowBack Thursday memory since I’m on that topic. One of the trees that is dying and needs to be cut down is a yellow pine planted from a foam cup brought home by Taylor from Independence Elementary school for Earth Day when he was in Kindergarten or First Grade. We’ll have to count the annual rings to determine which year it was. (although I have only climbed my extension ladder to “top the tree” .. against Brenda’s advice .. at this point (photo below) and still have the bottom 25 feet to de-limb and cut down).

CountingTreeRings200530
I wonder if Taylor remembers bringing this tree home and planting it?

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