I have serious doubts about whether me and Junior will ever get out fishing together this year.
After experiencing flooding through most of the spring, it appeared we would be able to reach Ol' Tom's boathouse by foot late this week or at least before June 1 with the river going under 10 feet. Now, after Saturday night's deluge of rain, the National Weather Service predicts the Mississippi River will raise almost 2 feet by next Sunday. Can you believe it?
As of 7:15 a.m., today, the river stage in La Crosse was at 10.89 feet. It is now forecast to reach 12.7 feet by 7 p.m., on Saturday, May 25. For those who don't pay much attention to the river, flood stage is 12.0 feet. A "no wake rule" for boaters is in effect in La Crosse County whenever the river reaches 10.0 feet.
At 6 a.m., this morning, our rain gauge showed 2.5 inches of precipitation from overnight. Our neighbors to the north, stretching all the way to the tips of Minnesota and Wisconsin, received even more rain. And, more rain is in the forecast, especially on Tuesday.
Years ago, rain and high water never bothered me and Junior. We simply paddled his canoe out to the boathouse, hopped in his boat and motored out. However, age and health problems have affected both of us.
Junior's recent back surgery limits his movement for another 6-8 weeks. His doctor prescribed no fishing from a boat for that reason. Cancer and stroke have slowed me where I lose my balance easily. I don't trust myself in a canoe anymore.
All we want to do is to be able to walk out to the boathouse and fish from it, let alone crawl into his boat. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Sitting in front of the TV with thousands of other viewers on Saturday night, I watched lefty Josh Hader strike out the side in the ninth inning to preserve the Milwaukee Brewers' 4-2 victory over the the St. Louis Cardinals in Miller Park.
No big deal, right?
Well, Hader performed what is called an "immaculate inning." He threw a minimum nine pitches, all strikes.
Tyler O’Neill was the only Card to put any wood on the ball, fouling off Hader's first pitch. Then it was lights out. The next eight pitches were also strikes that no one could touch, including the last one at 98 mph. Hader's slowest pitch was his first (95 mph) that O'Neill fouled off. Hader's second pitch hit 96 mph, then six straight at 97 mph before the 98 mph heater that Yairo Ozuna flailed at out of the strike zone.
It simply doesn't, or can't, get any better than that.
Hader's heroics, thanks to an over-the-wall catch by centerfielder Lorenzo Cain to save a Brewers' victory in the opener on Thursday, are breath-taking.
For the record, Hader struck out seven of the nine batters he faced in three innings of relief work in the season-opening series. He threw only 30 pitches (all fastballs) and Cardinal batters swung 22 times, whiffing on 18 strikes. They made contact four times, putting only two in play.
The good news is Hader still hasn't shown his slider or the change-up he is working on.
While Major League Baseball continues searching for ways to speed up games, Hader is certainly doing his part.

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I bought mine and you should get yours, too, at Forest Hills Golf Course in La Crosse.
I have been a Players Club member for seven years. It's a great way to save money on greens fees, cart fees, range balls and receive Players Club only specials for a $30 annual fee.
For example, the course is currently offering a Players Club only spring special through May 12. Nine holes with a cart is $20, while 18 holes with a cart is $35.
Other Players Club benefits include $1 off on cart rentals and range balls, greens fee discounts and e-mail specials, in addition to guest discounts twice a year.
The program has been very popular since it started in 2013, according to Keith Stoll, Forest Hills general manager and PGA pro.
The course has more than 300 Players Club members each year, including all of its league players.
"Everyone who plays in our leagues here, buys one. It's a no-brainer because it saves them so much money," said Josh Larsen, longtime golf shop manager.
Trust me, it pays to be a member.
For more information, contact the golf shop at 608-779-4653 or log onto foresthillsgolf.org.

Here it is. Wednesday and I still haven't completed my bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament.
For some odd reason, "March Madness" hasn't caught up with me quite yet. Oh, it will very soon as it always does, but I just haven't caught the fever yet.
One reason may be my thoughts about the University of Wisconsin Badgers. I have watched them on TV almost every game this season. They don't seem to be playing any better. In fact, they seem to be playing worse than earlier in the season.
I want to think the Badgers are good enough to make a moderate run in the tourney... at least for a couple of games, but I also feel they are definitely in the category for a possible "one and done," outcome, too.
We all realize Ethan Happ is the straw that stirs the drink for Greg Gard's Badgers, but he has been missing way too many shots in the paint as of late. He just isn't finishing under the basket. It's easy to see that bruising Big Ten defenders have physically taken their toll on Happ, who incidentally must put on more several more pounds to have any chance of surviving the NBA grind... if he makes it that far.
Meanwhile, Oregon, the Badgers' opening round opponent on Friday, is no slouch with four starters at 6-foot-9. Toss in a 6-10 sub and they could cause Happ fits anytime he touches the ball, which leads us to the next challenge.
If the Ducks collapse around Happ, he must kick the ball out to the perimeter like he usually does. However, the Badgers have been horrible from 3-point territory of late, having made only 29 percent in their last 11 games.
The 12th seeded Ducks (23-12) and riding an eight-game winning streak, rely on a 2-3 matchup defense, which could also rattle the fifth-seeded Badgers (23-10).
The more I think about the matchup, the more I believe the Badgers are a "one and done" team.
Gosh, I hope not. But I think I'll wait a little longer before making my pick.

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