No one can complain about our weather these past several days. Cool, low humidity, and sunshine make for fall-like days many consider perfect. Now if only the bugs-those pesky ones-leave, all will be right.
A couple of days ago I took our grandson Joshua for a late afternoon paddle/fishing trip on a local lake.
He had never paddled a kayak or been in one for that matter. The trip was to acquaint him with these kinds of boats and at the same time allow him to fish to help keep his mind off what he was doing.
He's nearly 13, 5-5, 115-pounds, and size 10 1/2 shoes. "I'm nearly as tall as you, grandpa," he said when I asked about his stats.
A really wonderful baseball and basketball player with lots of potential talent, we've spent the past few weekends having him try out for travel baseball teams in the area. So far he hasn't quite gotten the call.
A little fishing trip might help ease the mind from thinking about all those "what ifs," I reasoned.
After a brief lesson of do's and do nots on the beach, we launched Josh and his boat, a Wilderness Tarpon 100-or 10-feet.
Initially he and the boat were two separate items. The boat tipping this way and that while he was looking back at me uncomfortably. But in no time, he had things smoothed out including his actions and the boats.
Soon he was throwing a small spider with rubber legs along lily pads, catching and releasing good-size bluegills.
Later, we took a leisurely paddle around an island, then paddled the majority of the lake before heading in at dark.
For a few hours, Josh was able to leave the world of athletic competition behind and concentrate on learning a new skill. I would like to think that it helped.
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