A Lot Of Updates

Since I last update about the whole Genealogy thing, this photo showed up from a "new" cousin. The last update (August 16th) I showed you the picture of my Great Uncle Christoph and his family. 

Then this photo showed up. I believe this to be a "family" photo taken at the turn of the century (1900) and it was a "knock your socks off" photo. We know for sure that the man, center-rear is Christoph. Based on birth dates the one to his left would be my Grandfather Michael. To Christoph's right we believe is my Great-Aunt Louise. In the front on the right we believe is my Great-Uncle Georg. The young man we believe is my 1st cousin 1 x removed Herman (son of Christoph), AND the man that everyone is touching is my Great-Grandfather Gottlieb. 

With that part zeroed in, I've traced, via DNA matches on Ancestry.com to one Gottlieb Martin Kautz who I believe is the man in the picture.

Now a medical update. I saw the Orthopedic Surgeon on Tuesday. He looked at the X-Rays and the diagnosis from them. Here's what he had to say. Good news - I don't need a hip replacement. Bad news, there isn't anything that can be done (Steroid shots are not an option because of the blood thinner I take) until, and I quote "My hip tells me it needs replacing". Could be years, could be never. In the mean time mind where I walk, use the cane, take drugs if I'm in pain.
I've been to 4 doctors and the consensus of opinion is that I have Osteoarthritis in both my lower back and my left hip.

So I did the only thing one would do under those circumstances. I went fishing.

Yuki and I were supposed to go out to Lake Tabeaud this morning, do a little yakking, and see if we could catch anything. He sent a text last night cancelling because he's down with the creepy crud (for those not familiar with that phrase, a bad cold).

Not wanting to yak alone (not confident enough yet), I threw my gear in the truck and headed up the hill. Silver Lake was my destination. I thought that the place Yuki and I fished the last time would be a good place to start. It seems to be lacking in water. 

The cove

Last time all the land you see in the front of the picture was under water.

A little shallow

I did cast out both rods, but based on the amount of "sink" it couldn't have been more than 18" at best.

So I took a photo of the Fall foliage across the lake. There was a lot of yellow up the hill.

Across the lake

Packed up and drove back to the Day Use area, but the gate was locked and it was more of a walk than I felt like attempting. So I headed for Caples Lake.

I didn't think I could negotiate the "dead tree" area so I went to the dam. I was able to walk down and set up, maybe 50 feet in from the edge of the dam.

From set up

One rod out with PB and the other with a crawler and a couple white floaty things to get it off the bottom. Once I cast out, the water was a good 15 feet or more. Much better.
 

Straight out

In the picture below, I've fished from that area on several occasions and had fairly good luck.

The peninsula by the dam  

 Tried Kastmasters too.

Set up

I expected cold. It was (according to the weather guessers) 26 degrees in South Lake Tahoe (elevation 6237') this morning. Caples Lake being 8000 feet, I guessed would be as cold or colder.

Nope, I was in a tee-shirt at 9:45 and as an 8000' elevation would be, toasted by 11:00. Remember, I've not been out much this Summer and the UV rays are intense at 8000'. So to save myself from another bout with skin cancer (I've already had two), I wrapped it up about 11:30. 

In the photo below I wanted you to see the snow still on the mountain. Don't know if it's left over from last Winter or from recent rains. Elevation of that hill is about 9000'.

      
Oh yeh, want to know if I caught anything..........Nope. Not even a bite.

Stay tuned. I'm only getting started again.