I love this time of year. North Central PA is blazing. Change is in the air. Everything is shining. Autumn brings us so many vibrant colors. I wish there were more hours. My son continues to take full advantage. We never got into hunting. It is a family thing, and we decided to pass. But fishing is our passion. We are both obsessed. It is something we love. Fall is our favorite time to throw a line. Especially here in PA. The landscapes are just splendid. Pictures don’t do her justice.

We live in Cogan Station. Our favorite stretch is only minutes away. We are there quite often in the Spring and early Summer. We’re back after the Fall stocking. Jensen has been out more than Dad. He heads up after school. Work and my extracurriculars get in the way. I joined him this past weekend. All fishing is noble. My son throws a spinner, and I prefer to use a fly rod. Jensen tallied more. But I managed to get a few in the net. We had a great time. Walking and casting for miles. It was an all-day affair.  Teach didn’t understand. It was pouring. The Rainbows were full of color. The males were super dark. The females were on fire. Most of my luck was with a small nymph I was bouncing on the bottom. I even tricked a few Browns on a dry fly. That was fantastic. Jensen captured some great footage. He stopped counting.

We celebrated by watching the Nittany Lions that evening. Man. What an atmosphere. 114,419 people decked out in white. It was crazy. I had the chance to partake. But I am getting too old for those night games. Johnny Goodtimes retired. He had too much fun. I prefer to stay home. Teach is a proud graduate. I was never smart enough to get into the main campus. I wouldn’t say we are rabid fans. We cheer for PSU. But it is not life and death. Some of our friends are possessed.

USC won. It wasn’t pretty. The Nittany Lions are now 0-3 in the BIG 10. Ouch. The natives are restless. They are fuming. We were in the same boat last year. #firejamesfranklin. Penn State has lost three straight games. We were once in the conversation to win a National Championship. Now we are struggling to even win a conference game. Amazing how things can suddenly change. I like Matt Campbell. He seems like a good dude. The former Iowa State HC inherited a mess. College Football has changed. The NIL and transfer portal are insane. Coach Campbell brought many of his players from Iowa State. They are good, but they aren’t ready to compete in the BIG 10 race.

Be careful with what you wish for. Those responsible have encouraged us to hang in there. This is all part of the rebuilding process. I can only relay the same. Do the PSU fans deserve better? Sure. But this will not happen overnight. Again. There are many factors. Hiring the next big name will not put your program in the top five. You are only as good as your horses. Coach Campbell was hired very late in the game. The PSU recruits flipped. They went elsewhere. Some went to Virginia Tech with James Franklin. Again. The landscape has changed. Now Campbell and his staff have to find and renew those relationships. This isn’t Iowa State. Cheers.