Grandpa Dreams

Fishing Memories

I haven't been fishing in well over a year. I am sad for that because it is one of my favorite activities. Part of the problem is that it takes so much time to get there and back and I really want to spend time with Mom on Saturdays. It seems that our weekends are more booked than our weekdays, with family and church commitments taking a lot of time. Well, maybe next year if my Butterfly comes to visit, I will take her fishing. Ever since I was small, I have said, "When I am a Grandpa, I will take my grandchildren fishing!" Fishing with my grandparents was one of the highlights of my childhood. I loved my Grandma Ions' salty talk, my Grandpa Parker's patient way of helping me tie knots and bait hooks. He always had little jokes he would tell me and private conversations, while my Grandma Parker was commenting on everything from the number of rocks to the attitude of the other people fishing around us. All of these things created a flavor in my mind that I relish to this day. I want Butterfly to have the same experiences. It's my dream she and all my grandchildren will look forward to fishing with Grandpa.

Mud and Motorcyles

Fishing is one of my zen activities. Driving and reading scifi or fantasy is the other. Fishing is a safe haven unless you mange to hook yourself or there are annoying people on loud ATVs roaring around. Speaking of which, I was up at the Lake once and there were two kids on motorcycles roaring around. One had a pretty weak motor and he could just barely keep up. The other more powerful bike went off an old log in a little jump, landed in some mud, lost control a little, and then turned around to watch the other do his jump. Well, the little putt-putt came off the log and did an endo into the mudhole covering it's rider with mud from head to toe. It was obviously satisfying to his riding partner, who laughed hysterically over the fall. It was more satisfying to me because they got what they deserved. I raised my Diet Coke to them and toasted the maneuver, "Here's mud in your eye!"

That's my dream. Every annoying person who disturbs my zen time should get face planted in the mud.