Fighting The Furnace

Temps soar towards sixty. Small patches of snow linger on the banks. For February it’s a heatwave. My sinuses are clogged and my head is in a fog. Sweat builds on my brow as the heat builds inside my jacket and crawls up my neck. Cold water lapping at my calves provides some respite, but my upper body continues to overheat.

Fishing is slow. I sit on the bank and watch my friend as he mends his drift. After being on the couch all day I thought some fresh air would do me good. The concept was sound but I’m running on empty. Slowly the light moves from directly overhead and begins to soften. The shifting light causes the temperature to drop.

With the sun now low in the sky it’s as if the oven in my head is turned off. Cool evening air provides relief. The hot pounding in my brain dissipates and for a moment the fog I’ve been living in begins to lift. A level of comfort returns to my body as I watch my buddy make a few last casts.