I just got back from my walk. I took a frozen water bottle with me, and in a quarter mile, it turned into Luke warm water. Good thing Kathy is not home, or I would have been hollered at. I thought the temperature had dropped below 90, but it turns out the heat index was 100. Yikes. Not good for old people. Of fat people. Or ...well, all the other categories I now fit.

I walk around a lake. it is a nice loop, and a County Park. Because of the nature of the water (bacteria grow in its waters much better than fish do) there are no fishing signs everywhere. I mean like every 200 yards. If there is a fish in there over eight inches and six ounces, it would be a lake record. The only big things in there are the occasional alligator and some snapping turtles. And neither of them are nice to meet in the water.
There is a dock where they launch canoes and paddle boards. It not only has "No Fishing" signs, it has very specific: "No Fishing from Dock" signs. Although you couldn't read either from a distance because they were blocked out by the fishermen. Yep. I counted nine people (Four adult males, two Adult females, and three kids about ten years old) all with their poles in hand, and lines in the water. They gave each other nice spacing on the dock.
one the one little "beach" which is probably sixty fee along the shore, another gaggle of fishermen. All keeping to themselves, and all fishing right next to "No Fishing" signs.
The Park has put up a huge display informing folks why fishing there is a bad idea, as is having your pet ignore the "no pets in water" signs too. But I bet when their dog gets sick, they want the County to foot the bill.
So when I asked a guy walking down to fish why he ignored the signs.
I had greeted him by saying: "Anything under 18 inches and four pounds goes back!" He laughed and told me that trout like that live in cold water. So he knew I wasn't going to lecture him. Here is his answer: Verbatim:
"It's a free country. Some Duffus at the County Parks decided that fishermen make the lake look bad. Probably not a fishermen."
"Would you eat anything you caught in there?"
He laughed.
"Gator, maybe."
And then we parted ways. And once again I found myself thinking, how much I don't know. I like rules. I mean what if folks had that attitude towards red lights, or school zones? And a lot of us here on RP are much more likely to follow the thing we were taught as Soldiers: "Better to ask for Forgiveness than permission."
So part of me understands...sort of. Part of me thinks you don't get to pick what rules you have decided are right and the heck with the rest of us. But then I thought some more ...and you know what?
I do not know why "no fishing signs" are posted. I don't know the regulations. I don't even know the Governing Body over County lakes and Parks. Maybe it is just a Duffus who doesn't like fishermen. Or maybe, that bacteria has caused law suits. Or maybe the fish all have heavy metal poisoning. I don't know.
And I realized once again, how something simple has a backstory that I don't have the time to figure out.
I just hope they stop at redlights. And don't use hooks while I am swimming.