Gone Fishin'

Dad and I had been scheming about a potential adventure for just us - not that we don't enjoy every single moment with the other members of the family, just sometimes it is nice to get away in a smaller setting. So Boca Grande, FL here we come. I'm driving so that Dad (RBDJr.) can work. It is raining - hard. It was like a monsoon. I hate driving in the rain. I turn into a white knuckled, scared granny who has lost all sense of sight. We got there and it stopped raining - that's the important stuff.

I think sometimes people (in general) forget what most of the Sunshine State looks like. It's not all Panama City Beach, South Beach, Old People, and Disney World. Most of the state is pretty beautiful. I'm partial to the marshlands that line the feeders just before you get to the ocean. RBDJr and I sat outside to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sun set. Later that night we walked 5 minutes to the restaurant and met up with our fishing guide L and her friend R. A scorpion also dined with us.

It took us a little while to catch some bait using some interesting combination of chicken-by-the-sea and oatmeal mixed with salt water. Probably didn't help that the cast net was a 12 footer and the tallest person on the boat was 6ft. Even though I really wanted to help ( i like casting) I thought it best to just watch the sun come up. Eventually we we out to buy bait -- also an interesting experience. Old man in the overalls, no shoes (obviously) and a Merlin beard watched us for a few minutes and then immediately started flirting with our guide. I got a little uncomfortable and looked away -- its a good thing I did! As we loaded bait into the live well, a giant egret swooped in and made a pass at the little fishes.

The seas were not friendly that day -- at least not to us. We caught snook, a trout, a redfish, and a catfish. When I say "we" I mostly mean RBDJr, although I was successful with the small snook and catfish. Both dad and the guide were anxious to have me catch a giant one. So much so that when I failed to set the hook correctly, or failed to notice that my bait was dead, I felt as if I had let them down. I wasn't upset; most of the time I like just being on the water. The bonus of all your catching being finished in the morning is that most restaurants in the area will cook your catch. Fried redfish that was swimming in the salty sea a couple of hours ago and an ice cold beer is the best lunch ever.

I love getting to hang out with dad. I love the water. I love sunshine. Being back in Florida has been good for me. Would I have liked to catch more fish? Duh. But watching and laughing with Dad when the guide parked the boat overnight underneath a chain blocking someone else's slip, or when we phoned a friend for a combination to a lock and then discovered we didn't need it. Fishing got rained out Sunday and instead of taking our time and relaxing more, we raced home to see the kiddos, ready to resume our Aunt T and Grand-dad roles.

(ps. this picture transfer from the phone didn't work out that well - will figure that out before the next post)