Sometimes I Do Not Like People!

  Sometimes, I just do not like people.  Not folks.  I like folks.  Folks are those kindhearted, generous, understanding ones in your life who try to do right by others.  People, on the other hand, are those who don't give a rat's tail about how they treat others.  I repeat...sometimes, I just do not like people.

  This afternoon while we were on the pier, I caught a catfish.  While there is nothing unusual about that, I quickly noticed that something was amiss.  The poor catfish was suffering.  Yep, we will use catfish as crab bait but we kill them quickly and do not let them suffer and we never kill anything needlessly.  But...this poor fish had been maltreated by somebody.  Obviously, someone caught the fish then decided that the fish needed to be on a stringer.  The clip was placed through the gill and out the mouth.  Granted, what happened next may have been purely by accident but somehow the catfish got away with the clip still attached.  

  Obviously, this happened some time ago as the clip was now embedded, not only in the fish's mouth but even in its side.  Where the clip pressed against the side of the fish, there was a great indentation.  The side of its mouth was bloody and sore from the clip rubbing against the skin.  With the clip snapped in the locked position, there was no way for the fish to ever escape this slow and very painful death.  

  Yeah, like I said earlier, we will kill a fish for food or for bait but never let one needlessly suffer.  My heart went out to that poor, old hardhead catfish.  The fish was unhooked and Mark carefully removed the clip.  He tried not to tear the fish's skin any more than necessary to remove the embedded clip. As we held the fish, it seemed to know that we were trying to help it.  Not once did it try to flip around and stab us with its sharp fins.  After a few photos, I gently let the fish back into the water.  It seemed mightily grateful for our efforts to help.  I can only imagine how much easier the catfish's life will be now. 

  It is people who do things like this that I do not like.  There was no earthly reason to stick that stupid clip into the fish.  My goodness!  If you wish to keep the fish, use a bucket or, at least, be careful not to release the fish with that horrid thing still attached.  Whoever did this rates right along up there with the wannabe fishermen who use 5 lb test line with a steel leader and huge cork.  I have caught many a fish with the rig still attached to them.  Pulling that cork around eventually kills the fish.  People....use commonsense!  No wonder I do not like you!  You cannot fix stupid.

As Close As I Can Get

  What is there about the Bayou that makes people think they can just dump their unwanted animals here??  Granted it is a great place to live and I try to feed the poor critters but it does irk me that some people are so cruel that they just throw away their pets.  Another cat has come begging for food.  Which is fine.  I am good with cats.  They usually have a tendency to earn their keep.  However, that is beyond the point.  Stupid people do not need to get pets in the first place if they have no intentions of taking care of them for the long haul.  No excuses.  You have a pet...keep it for the lifetime of the animal.  They are not for your entertainment then to be tossed the wayside at your whim.  Forget it...there is no reasoning with some people as their frivolous wishes are far more important than the life of a critter.  It does, indeed, irk me to no end.

  The cat that lingers at the back door is not only hungry but hurt.  Son and I have been trying for a week to coax it to us.  We ply it with food and have tried everything in our power to befriend it.  Being wounded has it very leery and we cannot get too near it.  Short of trapping the poor thing, our hands are tied.  It makes me sad. It irks me.

  From what I can see, this one is an elderly cat with a front paw that seems to be broken.  This does not bode well for the cat.  Son has set the trap near where we feed it and will gradually move the food inside.  Hopefully, we can get it to our vet before much longer.  If it only knew we were trying to help instead of trying to maltreat it like the last people it trusted.  People irk me...did I mention that?