As I write this there is a warm spring rain falling outside my window.

Yes. That's what I said. A warm spring rain.

Like many of you, all I can say is "It's about time" and "Amen!"

Didn't it seem like the winter was extremely long, wet and cold this year?

How's a fishin' man like me supposed to survive winters like the one we just had? I mean, enough is enough!

Sure, all you "trouters" out there get to jump into the fun a little earlier than most of us Midwest "bassers," but even then, sometimes the rains come and mess up your streams. Pictures from some of the trout streams across the lower portion of the state look pretty ominous. Thankfully, nature has a way of correcting its own mishaps. Let's just hope it happens in a relatively short period of time.

I know it's been a bad winter for the flu, but my household is home to another kind of disease.

Cabin fever!

The entire family is ready for the change of the seasons and all that it brings -- from the warmer weather to weekend outings with friends. We even popped the camper up in the driveway the other day to restock essentials for weekends at local state parks. We still have to check tire pressure on the rigs and get the propane bottles filled. But we'll be ready.

All it takes is the right combination of reports from the on-air cable television weather personalities, the daily newspaper weather reports, and the local radio announcer's "all clear" - and we'll be out of the driveway and headed to the woods.

Until then, we'll check and double-check. We'll oil the inner and outer workings of the reels again. We'll check the lines for frays and snags one ore time, and then end up winding new line on most of our favorite reels anyway. We'll make sure we have a good supply of spinner-baits, crappie jigs, soft plastics, in-line spinners, and jig-n-pig combinations to last us a while. We may even go window shopping for a trolling motor to use on our canoe -- in case we have a lot of wind on area ponds and small lakes again this summer.

You see, we just want to be prepared for that magical day when the weather cooperates and we find ourselves on the lake at first light, fog sitting gently on the water as the sun heats the morning. We want to be prepared for that day when we awaken to the sounds of birds and other woodsy critters outside the door of the camper. We want to be prepared for a day or two of peace and quiet, away from the day-to-day hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.

Now where did I put that bag of motor-oil and persimmon colored plastic crawdads?