Gone Fishin’
My dad and brother decided to take an unpaid vacation this week. They are long-haul truckers who spend six days a week driving from one side of the country to the other. It’s not an easy job but it pays the bills. They hardly ever get to see their family because they run long and hard. Taking a week off is probably not the smartest thing to do during these difficult economic times but it is a good idea when you’re so fed up with working that you feel like quitting. Hopefully after a week of rest and relaxation they will be in better spirits.
Bug and I rest and relax all the time but that doesn’t mean we didn’t hop in the car quick as a bunny and rush out to the sticks to enjoy their R&R time with them. A fishing trip! Some lawn-mowing! Sign us up!
The lake was so pretty. I haven’t been here since I was a kid and it immediately brought back memories of camping and kicking up dust. Camping in the desert is a lot different from camping up in Northern California but it’s still pretty. There aren’t as many trees and you can’t find any moss outside of the scary pit bathrooms but it’s still quite serene and beautiful.
My Dad used to take my brother and me fishing here. I don’t think I’ve ever caught a fish at this lake though. Maybe they don’t exist. Though I know they do because the guy next to us caught five big fat bass and a guy across the lake caught two. But we didn’t catch anything. We never do.
We caught some rocks…
…and a log.
But the most important thing about this trip was that Bug got to fish with Papa. She’s been fishing with her Uncle George and that was really fun but fishing with Papa (my Dad) is special. All of us kids have stories about fishing with Papa.
My Dad LOVES fishing. He fishes every chance he gets. Sometimes he stops along the side of the road while he’s trucking and fishes. He could tell you tales all night long about the trout he’s caught and the people he’s met while fishing. I don’t know how many times he’s forced me taste some stinky piece of fish that he cooked in a pan over a campfire because he’s sure that I’ll like it if I just give it a chance.
I never do. I can’t stand the taste of fish. But I do like fishing. I just like letting them go again better. Fishing is fun. Eating fish is for the birds, or the cats. I get much more enjoyment out of watching my cat eat the fish I’ve caught than I’d ever get out of the choicest piece of salmon. I don’t care what kind of fancy sauce you put on it. It all tastes like fish to me. Even tuna out of a can. Blagh!
Anyway. Fishing! Fishing is fun!
Except when you’re ten and the fish aren’t biting. Then it’s reeeeeeaaaaaallly really boring. But then everything is boring when you’re ten. I remember.
Now that I’m older (and fatter and lazier) I’m inclined to think that the best part of fishing (and camping) is the eating-outdoors part. There is nothing like a big fat picnic next to a lake when you’re starving. Fried chicken, German potato salad, fruit salad, freshly-sliced avocados… YUM!
CC and my mom made all the food. I was supposed to make cookies but I was too busy doing something else and I thought we wouldn’t need them. Who needs cookies when you have enough fruit salad to feed an army? I guess I forgot how much energy you use up when you are running up and down the shore fetching things and untangling fishing lines. We did need those cookies and missed them sorely.
So we fished and we fished and we fished. “And we caught no fishes!” (That’s a line from Sunday School song.) But it was all good.
The sun went down and suddenly we remembered that it’s still March and not July. We huddled under coats as long as we could take it and then packed up for home.
It was a great day. Just like my Dad always says, “The worst day fishin’ is still better than the best day workin’.”
27 Comments
Jennifer
SO MUCH FUN. Jeremy and I LOVE to fish. Did I ever tell you our honeymoon was a fishing trip? I’m glad that your bro and dad had a chance to sit back and wet a line with family. You took some great pictures. They really captured the day.
Jinxy
I hate fishing and camping but I love spending time with my Pop (grandpa) who loves those things. Its amazing what we will do spend time with the ones we love.
I love your shoes BTW.
Ruth
Hooray for Rock N’ Serve Tupperware! I know some good plastics when I see them. :)
beyond
i love that first photo! and the one with you jumping is nice too. i used to go fishing with my dad as a kid. great memories.
Uncle George
Yeah FISHING!!! Papa is one heck of an angler, and it’s so great to see BB fishing with him!
Remember, in fishing, the fish are just a bonus!
BeachMama
I used to fish when I lived in Winnipeg. Like you I never ate what I caught, but I loved it. I hope to fish again one day with my kids and bring a kickin’ picnic like the one you guys had. That is the most awesome picnic I have seen that wasn’t on the pages of a magazine.
Oh and your photos are fabulous, you captured Rapunzel’s boredom just perfectly.
a Chris
Wow, I’m tired and chilly from the sun and the fresh air. Just from reading and looking at the pictures. Gorgeous pic of Rapunzel looking v cool and demure. Love the vertical waterline composition too.
Gayle
What a great day! I’ll bet everyone was tired out after all that fun!
Rebecca
I hate fish, too. Blech! My Dad (Poppa) is a big fisherman and I, too, have fond memories of fishing when I was a kid. I used to put the worm on the hook and my sister would take the fish off. Fun times!
jadekitty
Your pictures warmed me up, we are middle of another snow storm. I am very ready for some lake time!
Kate
Looks like a great day. I love the fishing part too, not so much the eating part. :)
The Chatty Housewife
“Peter, James and John in a fishboat” is sung almost weekly in my Sunday School class of three little girls. They love any song with actions!
Shelley
Your post brought back so many memories! I assume that’s Hemet Lake? I spent tons of fishing trips there as a kid. We used to catch fish and trade some with other campers for homemade tamales. And I love Baby Bug’s pink fishing pole!
Jen
How fun! I love fishing too, but I’m a very picky fish eater.
I love that first photo!!
DeeJay
Looks like our lake only we have more big rocks instead of the trees.
Heide
That first feet-up pic is so stinkin cute I can barely stand it. And that closing quote from your oh-so-wise dad just rocks!
Brianna
Wonderful photos and awesome memories.
Uncle George
P.S. SAJ is smiling because her dad is one of the nicest, most fun guys on the planet. And her mom is a wonderful lady, just super special. Her whole family is. Any outing with them, fish or not, is a complete joy! I’m so lucky to have them as relatives, blessed if you will…
Barb
I feel the exact same way about fish. Bluck.
kirwin
That first photo is classic! Thanks for the smile. Is it just me, or does Bug have a pink fishing pole?
SAJ says: She does. There weren’t any green kiddies-sized ones. We told her we would put green stickers on it.
Susie
LOVE the first photo. Awesome.
gingermog
I’m sure your brother and Father’s holiday is well deserved, from the photos looks like your family like tonnes of fun even if the fishes didn’t bite this time. I don’t think I’ve been fishing, crabbing, or shrimping since I was a little older than Rapunzel. Fun childhood summer days. I once caught a flat fish in my snorkeling mask. I’d forgotten that. Thanks for making me remember SAJ :)
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com
Those pictures are lovely! I’m glad you had such a good time!
And your dad is right. I think. I wouldn’t know. My Poppa was the only man I knew who fished and he said he could never take me because I talked too much and I would scare the fish away.
But he’s probably still right =)
Little Sister
And you can’t have a day of memories without square Tupperware picnic plates! What a day!
kiki
I never liked fish either until I tried some in the carribean. That is the only time I will eat it. -The cactus in the background is amazing!!
Kerri Anne
I love! that first photo. GREEN. SPRING! IT IS COMING!
My parents LOVE to fish, and I love to watch them fish. Especially since they bought a perfectly sized pontoon boat on which there is a perfectly sized place me to sunbathe.
Lin
The lead photo of Bug in the grass is just a terrific shot. Frame-worthy!