January is time for a break for the Tiger Lily staff. The holidays are over, it's not yet wedding season, and Valentine's Day is still a couple weeks away. Valentines Day is on the same weekend as the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, one of Charleston's biggest tourism draws of the year. That weekend has always marked the kick-off of our busy season, and we'll stay rocking until Thanksgiving, with just a couple slow weeks (4th of July) mixed in.

I decided to take the down time and go fishing in the NC mountains last weekend. Clara was home with the kids, planning to make her famous lasagna and a new hardcore chocolate cake recipe. So I dropped the kids off at school Friday morning, grabbed a quick workout, and busted tail at 80mph towards Pisgah National Forest. Just Me, Myself, and I.

It was a perfect "timeout" weekend to think about things, and there was a LOT to think about. President Obama, layoffs, the wars, bailouts and trying to run a small business in that environment. Heck, trying to raise a family in that environment! And what about the environment? Global warming, alternate energy sources, and much more. Well, the bad news is I didn't solve any of the problems during the four hour ride. But I did arrive in Brevard with a resolve that we will overcome all of these challenges, eventually. As a business owner, I hope that following solid business principles and pursuing quality will see us through. I'm confident it will.

But to more important matters, the Davidson River and the East Fork of the French Broad looked prime. So I spent the next day and a half flyfishing and wading these two rivers. It was chilly, with remnants of ice and snow still hanging on in the shady patches. Even with two pairs of socks, long johns and insulated waders, feeling in my feet left after about an hour of wading. The fish were willing though, and that kept me going for 6 hours straight on Saturday. At the end of the session, I caught 18, including the big brown trout pictured. Not bad for a guy who is not a very good fly fisherman. That brown was a day maker, along with the crystal clear water, cascading waterfalls, riffles and pools

As I headed back on Sunday, everything seemed a little more in order. Yes, we have our problems but things eventually will be OK. The wars will end, the economy will come around, and we will even figure out the whole energy thing. We all just have to work hard, be smart and have faith. Bring on Valentine's Day!