Take A Kid Fishing 4/30/2018

Good Morning,

May your morning drink be as good as my cup of Door County Cinnamon Hazelnut Coffee. May the road of your day rise up to meet you.

Yesterday as Rene and I were driving through the country I noticed that the warm weather brought out the fishing poles and people were standing on the river banks trying their skill or luck at landing some fish. The river I drove by is the one that I do a lot of duck hunting on. It seems to sustain life in the spring, summer and fall.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of fishing with my dad and grandfather. I can still smell their cigar smoke which they swore was for warding off mosquitoes. The cloud of smoke just made my young eyes burn and I still came home with mosquito bites. The result of our fishing labor always resulted in a Friday fish fry the following week. They didn't talk much while we were fishing, but on the drive to the lake and then back home the talk was filled with a lot of old folk lore and a wild fishing tale or two. When we arrived back to the house grandma always wanted to see what we caught and there was  a slice of cake and some cold iced tea when the fish were cleaned and in the freezer. We washed up with a bar of Lava soap. After using that soap on just about everywhere, you didn't need to scratch any mosquito bites.

Psalm 71:18 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

While fishing, both men were quick to point out things in the wild that I did not notice, like a fawn following it's mother through the cedar trees. If they hadn't shown it to me I would not have seen the little deer. I believe that teaching me to walk slowly and observe my surroundings has afforded me well. I tend to not miss seeing too much in the woods and fields. These two guys taught me to appreciate the nature God has blessed us with.

The point of the day is this. Spend time with your kids and grandchildren. They won't forget it and long after you are gone they will still practice the things you taught them.

Take a kid fishing!

Marty