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Luzerne County government was battling a different virus Memorial Day weekend last year

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Luzerne County mail-in ballot requests rising as deadline nears

Right about now I would be doing laundry &mdash; washing all my clothes from our annual Canadian fishing trip and then packing it in my duffel bag for next year.
				The poles and reels and tackle boxes would be aired out and then stacked in a closet until next May.
				And I would be looking at pictures of big fish that we caught &mdash; northern pike and walleye. And the anticipation of next year&rsquo;s trip would begin.
				But thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no annual trip this year. The borders remain closed. The virus just won&rsquo;t go away and a cure/vaccine has not yet been found.
				There are 12 guys who are extremely disappointed that this trip had to be canceled. It is a group that is long on their love of fishing and extremely resilient when it comes to ego-busting. Nobody is immune to that &mdash; some are easier and more frequent targets, but hey, everybody enjoys the game.
				But beyond the ego-busting and the food &mdash; I defy anyone to find a better lineup of meals. snacks and hors d&rsquo;oeuvres anywhere &mdash;this trip is about the fishing. Make no mistake about that.
				We are on the lake usually by 7 a.m. every day and fish to around 1 p.m. We come in and eat our main meal, take a brief nap or work on our gear, then back on the lake by 4 p.m. and fish until dark.
				That&rsquo;s about 11 to 12 hours per day. And it is worth every blessed second.
				And we catch goodly amounts of fish daily and when we all return to the cabin, we enjoy telling all the stories about how each fish was caught. This is also the peak time when the ego-busting is at its best. Some stories are embellished. Some stories are redacted. Some are out and out changed so as certain members of the group are not given deserved credit for their fishing expertise.
				I&rsquo;ll let you figure out who I&rsquo;m talking about there.
				But the beauty of this territory &mdash; the water, the trees, the wildlife &mdash; is breathtaking. It&rsquo;s so scenic that you sometimes get caught up in the beauty of it all and fail to set a hook here or there.
				Yes, the fishing is missed the most. And the food &mdash; barbecue ribs, cabbage and noodles with kielbasa, cavatini, whimpies, pigs in the blanket, and much more. And the snacks, walleye tacos, walleye sliders, nachos grande, pick plates of pepperoni, cheese, pickles and more, add to the daily/nightly menu. And breakfasts of eggs, bacon, scrapple, sausage and gravy, home fries, and French toast are served, many times with fresh walleye nuggets.
				And there are desserts too &mdash; apple cobbler (with the apples peeled of course), carrot cake, cookies and more.
				It&rsquo;s a 10-day trip filled with fun from start to finish.
				So as I continue to self-isolate, I will not find any joy in having no laundry to do. I won&rsquo;t be happy that I have nothing to put away. And I sure won&rsquo;t be glad that my ego was deflated once again.
				Nope, I am saddened by having to stay home this year. And the next 51 weeks will drag for sure.
				Until then, I will look at the pictures of past trips and dream about the fish that we have caught and know that come mid-May 2021, the good times will return.
				And I&rsquo;ll leave that big note on my refrigerator that says: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t forget your meal.&rdquo;

Coping with Corona: 51 weeks to go