We hit Walmart for our fishing licenses and some worms, packed up our poles, chairs, and a picnic lunch and headed off on our adventure! When we got to the lake, we found a little dock that we had to ourselves for the next 3 hours. It was a beautiful place to spend a Wednesday afternoon. What is it about a day off work that feels so much sweeter than a regular old Saturday??
I haven't been fishing since I was a kid...my dad used to take us to the lake on the weekends when we were little. My sister Katie and I would eagerly spend the day before practice casting our fishing poles in the driveway, while dad coached up to keep our poles away from tree branches and anything else we might get caught up on. The next day, we'd sit in my dad's little green fishing boat (that he still has!), clad in bright orange life jackets and old tennis shoes (never flip-flops! Dad said those were too dangerous!) and try for hours to get a bite on the end of the line. And, oh, when I reeled in a fish.... I don't know who smiled bigger -- me, or my proud daddy. :)
Today, it took me awhile to get the feel of the cast again. My poor husband had to attend to me as I broke the fishing line, got my hook caught on a tree branch, and various other interuptions to his own fishing experience. With the patience of a saint, he changed my baits at request and showed me how to cast the open-faced reel. Now I know how my dad felt...
Sadly, I did not catch a fish. :( However, this proud boy did!
Yes, the fish is tiny, but it was still a victory. It did not come without challenge, however. Mark played a game of cat and mouse with this little stinker for almost an hour. The little guy was hanging out by the dock, and was able to eat nearly 20 worms off the hook before he finally lost the battle. He was quick-witted and a fast-swimmer, so he'd nibble the worm off and manage to escape while Mark frantically whipped his pole up in the air to catch him on the hook. We both tried for awhile to catch him, and I lost interest and decided to take a little snooze in the sunshine. Mark persevered and finally was successful. That's my man!
Here's some pictures of me fishing. The first one was taken shortly after we arrived:
Here's the next one:
Yes, that's me pretending to catch a fish. All I caught was a couple of sticks...
I don't know why I didn't think to put on sunscreen....I was ready to get out into the sun because I am SOOO pale and need some summer color! However, that didn't go quite as planned....
This is the extent of my sun exposure...and yes, it is only on this arm. Cute, huh? I told Mark that I'll have to wear longer sleeves to work tomorrow so I won't have to explain my one-armed sunburn. I should have at least worn a tank top so I wouldn't have this t-shirt line....lesson learned. Why do sunburns get more red and hurt more after you are out of the sun? My arm just kept getting redder and redder on the way home. After dinner, Mark finally got tired of my whining and went to the store to get me some aloe.
Okay, considering that I originally took this day off to work on my action research project, I guess I better get back to it. Don't judge -- you know you'd choose to be in the sunshine instead of chained to the computer all day.
Hope I inspired YOU to play hooky some day soon! You deserve it!
JEALOUS.
ReplyDelete