Welcome, ven a gozar!

Some nights like tonight, when things are quiet, and the music is just right, I can feel my end approaching. I know it will be tomorrow when my world will be changed forever, and everything I know will be taken away. Strangers will be my family, and if I have any mind left, I will live in a world where none can enter.

A world of memories returning. Thinking thoughts I haven’t thought in decades. Old friends and family members I have all but forgotten will become my closest companions. If my body is wasting away in a corner, or perhaps a bed, waiting for me end, my memories will help comfort me.

If I am very lucky, I will go to bed one night, lay down, turn out the light, think about those most important to me and how much they mean to me, how perfect the world is, and go to sleep. Never to waken again. Someone will find what is left of me, and go through the motions that we go through at times such as those, but my race will have been run.

I can not be sad about it, I have spent my life knowing death waits with me, marking time behind me, over my left shoulder. I am grateful for this knowledge. Death has been my councilor and guide for many years, and there is nothing to fear in death for me. Whenever I question what I should be doing, all I have to do is look over my shoulder, and I see that little swish, the flash of what is visible changing into what is not.

I make my best decisions at that moment. Decisions are easy to make in that instant, because everything I have done up until that moment is weighed, and my path is laid out before me. I can move forward confident that the path I take is the correct path. Consulting death brings me calm, knowing what is important and what is not.

Life is what is important. Making decisions that benefit others without impairing or causing harm to myself is important. My life is my most important possession. Something I do not own, and have so little control over is the most important thing in the world to me. Without my life, I can not do those things I must do. I am not even a spec of dust in a sunbeam.

So when the music, darkness, and my thoughts are aligned, I can feel death behind me, marking time. I know my time is not this instant. I also know that I can not waste what little time I have. Time is too precious, and there is too much to do.

When you look at me, and it looks like I am doing nothing, wasting my time, remember that wasting time is not something I do. I may be resting, or collecting my thoughts. I may even be consulting my final end, to determine how whatever weighs me down at the moment ranks in importance to my final end.

Even if I am lounging about, taking naps between sips of now cold tea, know that I have received my guidance from an honest source. Even now as I type this and listen to the music dancing through the air, I know this is exactly what I should be doing. I also know that when I am done with this task my most important tasks of today are almost done.

The dishes did not get washed, the grass and weeds did not get cut, and dinner did not get cooked. But none of that is important when weighed against those things I did that really matter. If tomorrow I do not wake, I will have passed over knowing that I took care of those most important things in my life with all the thought and care and attention to detail that I was capable of. If I do wake up in the morning, it will be a wonderful day, because I will already know those things which are most important and which things do not matter.

Stepping away from myself, these are the things I wish for you too. It is my desire that you too finish each day knowing that if you do not wake in the morning you have completed those things which mattered the most in your life. If you do wake in the morning, I pray you know what matters most, and what is idle distraction at best. Unfortunately, and it makes me sad to write it, but your time too is short. Make the most of each minute, and when it looks like you are wasting time doing nothing, you and I will know the truth of your actions, and how well your time is spent doing what is most important in your life at that exact moment.

There is a new blog by a young woman, Amy who is very brave and sharing her weight loss saga with the world. I left this on as a comment because she asked what to expect on her blog. I did not come across much about how dieting really feels, and what happens. These are highlights that I jotted down as I typed. I have modified a few sentences from my comments to here.

If you are thinking about dieting, but scared of starting this may be a blog entry for you. If I can do it, so can you.

Between last Christmas and last May I dropped 56 pounds. I learned a couple of things along the way I am happy to share with you.

Eating less of the same food(s) does not work!

For the first two to three weeks I was feeling poorly. I have a friend who’s wife is a dietician, and he told me that is normal to feel fairly ill the first couple of weeks.

For the next weeks, I was teetering between hungry and very hungry. It goes with the territory. I wanted to lose weight at an optimum rate, so I chose to be very hungry. After about three weeks of very hungry it does not bother you any longer. It is like having a sore toe, you get used to it.

I woke up a some nights because I was hungry. I also needed less sleep because I was hungry. Hunger must make us want to go and find food to eat. You get used to it.

I also went through different types of cravings. Calcium, salt, vitamin C, etc. I imagine it was my body adjusting to new foods and not getting vitamins and minerals from junk food. This too does pass.

Over the months, even when I felt really ill in the first few weeks, I remained consistent, both in my eating and my exercise which was twenty to thirty miles of walking each week. Three times a day after eating I hit the pavement for anywhere from a mile to a six mile slow walk depending on how much time I had free.

I can honestly say, that other than the first few weeks when I felt like I was going to fall over from a puff of air, I never ran out of energy walking. I think I may have tanked out from running, but at walking speed my body was able to convert fast enough that I always had enough energy.

If you plateau, it may be you are not getting enough good fat in your body. I had to increase my extra fat intake to two teaspoons of walnut oil a day, up from a little less than one teaspoon to keep the weight loss going.

I find now that many foods I used to love, look and taste terrible! That is a good thing, although I know from experience you can make yourself like them, but the pounds will sneak back on.

Find a diet you can live with, and forget about the word ‘diet’. Think instead, New Lifestyle. Find a plan you can eat/live with/on the rest of your life. There is no going back to the way you used to eat, once you arrive on the other side, so make sure your choice is enjoyable, easy, and simple. Be creative when eating out, a few sides and some mixing makes a good meal too!

I picked the 30 Day Diabetes Miracle Diet, which is a plant based diet. I lost between 2.5 to 3.5 pounds a week. I like it because I like oatmeal, beans, and vegetables, and you can get them anywhere. It is cheap and healthy eating. I enjoy eating these foods even now, and will mostly eat this way the rest of my life, with some meat in the mix now and then.

McDonalds salads and wraps are good choices when you need to eat and are away from home. Salad bars are as bad as burger joints if you do not watch what you are eating - they hide fat and too many calories in soups and bread stuff.

Once you start losing weight, dieting experts will come out of the woodwork and tell you how you are doing it all wrong. Stick to your plan, and politely tell them you are happy with what you are doing. A doctor and a dietician argued against my diet, even though they could not argue with the results, or find anything lacking in it.

Fat breaks down to water and air, so get comfortable to the idea that there will be more output liquid than input.

I am driving to the Dallas airport at five-forty-five. The sun was not out yet, and I was looking for an IHOP I knew was close by on the left side of Belt Line Drive in Addison, Texas. There is a Denny’s up ahead on the right. I do not like Denny’s for breakfast. Generally there is too much oil (okay grease) for me. I wanted something with less fat in it.

As I drive, a need to eat at Denny’s takes hold of me. I guess Denny’s is as good as IHOP. A couple of eggs, some well cooked bacon, and toast. Before I know it, I am making a hurried right turn into the Denny’s. It’s not even six am, and I am wondering if they are open.

As I open the door, I know without a doubt I am to meet someone inside the building. There is exactly one customer sitting against the far wall, in the corner, trying to be invisible. There is no doubt in my mind I am supposed to request that I be allowed to sit at her table. Not my thoughts, but thoughts that are filling my mind. She and I have something important to talk about. What that will be, I have no idea.

I am seated two booths away in the same section. I do not have enough courage to do what I knew I was supposed to do. After a few seconds I make up my mind to ask her if I may join her at her table. I look over my left should to make eye contact with her, but she is sitting against the wall on my right. I turn around…another failed attempt, this is not easy. As I eat my breakfast, a waitress walks past me with a purpose.

An argument ensues over the food and the bill. The woman complains the there is something wrong with the food, and she could not eat it. The waitress says the food was fine and she should pay for it. I know this is not a part I am to play in this scene because I am not at her table. It ends with the woman insisting she is not paying for the meal, something is wrong with it. The waitress walks away to the kitchen. The woman in the corner booth walks by me with determination. A waiter asks if she is going to pay and she says no, she is not, but she stops. After about thirty seconds she leaves.

When he comes by with refill coffee, I tell him, I will pay for her meal. He tells me no, and says this is a common ploy of homeless people, and they see it all the time. He says there was a man with her most of the night and he left just before I walked in. (Of course, it makes sense, he was her place holder) He does not mind that they can not pay for their meal. He does mind the extra work that the situation invokes. He fills my cup and leaves. I am feeling miserable, I didn’t do what I knew I had to do.

I missed my time with this woman and now I am going to spend my day wondering what business we had, and what was my part in her life, or perhaps her part in mine. As I finish my coffee, the woman comes back in, and walks towards the bathroom. I assume she is going to hide out in a bathroom stall for a while until she is found out and is forced to leave. How can I speak to her without being a complete fool, enters my mind. I can’t knock on the door, I can’t walk in the woman’s bathroom and explain my need to talk with her. I am feeling lost, because time is getting short and I have to get to the airport.

As I pay my bill, I offer once again to pay for her meal, and I am told no. They are really adamant about this for some reason. I would say sure, it’s is seven bucks, plus a tip! As I turn around I see the woman. She is sitting on a bench by the bathroom, not hiding. It is now or never, and I have to see this compulsive feeling through or wonder forever.

I walk towards her and speak. Her eyes are stormy angry, and I can see what I said has not penetrated her anger. Suddenly her eyes grow soft and we share a moment of staring into each others eyes. I speak another few more words. She say’s, “Thank you.” As I turn away, she calls out, what is your name? I turn and say Michael…. It was the best I could do. The woman softly says, “Thank you Michael.”

A minute or so later I am on my way to the airport. I feel the power of prayer hit my heart. It feels like a very warm bath and a bright light on my heart all at one time. I know it is the woman praying about me. She knows without a doubt her prayers will always be heard, and she means well for me.

I have felt her praying or thinking about me a couple of times since then. I don’t know what part I played in her life. I had such a small part, only a few seconds, but at those moments, we are the same, and I know she is working out something she has to do. I must have changed whatever her course of action was going to be, and for that I am grateful. She will make a difference herself in someone’s life someday. I hope she has more courage than I had when her time comes.

Just a quick note, I am out of town this week, so it has very been quiet here. Thanks for checking in, I will be posting as sson as possible. Thanks!

As a kid, I used to go to a YMCA camp for a few weeks at a time. I mentioned a little of those days in an earlier post, ‘Canoeing and decision making in the BWCA’. If you run a search at my blog for YMCA you will find it, or click on the link.

Camp was a place where everyone was made to feel special. The councilors and staff were very special people. They each had many gifts that apparently I lack. More likely I just would not have the patience to hone my skills day in and day out as they did at camp. They were our Mom’s, Dads, Teachers, and Baby Sitters twenty four hours a day, a week at a time. They took care of us kids - from all walks of life, different life experiences, needs, and problems. They did a spectacular job, and I admire them for what they did for all of us that were fortunate enough to attend their camp.

I was watching television last week (?), The Tonight Show. I rarely watch The Tonight Show, but there is a die hard Tonight Show fan in the house. If I am in the front room when The Tonight Show rolls around, I watch the show by default. I was doing something this particular night when Jay finished his monologue, and was talking with his guests.

Jay had someone on who has their own show, and they were discussing politics of course in a round about fashion. The talk turned to the presidential candidates and they danced around race without really naming race as an issue in the debate.

The guest, (wish I knew who he was, so I could give him credit) made an interesting observation from some data collection, or surveys, or other data mining. The guest said that there is division among voters that is driven primarily by age. The dividing line seemed to be around fifty years old. Americans over fifty were more likely to take race into consideration than younger voters who appear to be ignorant that the race of an individual might be taken into consideration of their ability to do a job.

Growing up as a kid, I experienced ‘The Pill’. The pill caused a huge ripple in society because for the first time in history it allowed women to be as sexually indiscreet as men if they so wanted to be. That was the biggest freedom to come into woman’s life in decades!

A few years later, and fortunately for me I was in my teens, the Woman’s Rights movement was in full swing, and burning bras became a national pastime for some women. As a teenager, I had no idea of the full impact of the movement, but I sure was a happy camper when I saw the first women walking down the street bra-less! That was about the extent of my understanding, and I did not realize the political overtones of her actions.

One summer at the YMCA camp we were in line to go swimming, and two boys were making fun of a third boy. One of the boys and the odd boy out were to tag up for safety while swimming, and I was to be the buddy of the other boy. I did not understand why they were making fun of him, but I said I would be his buddy. We hit it off, and we were swimming buddies all week long. There were a couple more incidents as I remember. The situation repeated itself with a few boys who were black the same summer.

Each time when I got home I would ask my parents why these boys were being singled out and teased. My folks would frown and look troubled as they thought out a good explanation. It was my introduction to the world of social presumed inequity and intolerance. It seems after watching Jay Leno the issue continues, at least for people over fifty.

I am glad I was there for, ‘The Pill, Martin Luther King, bra burning, equal rights, and every other social change that happened during those years. While it seems apparent that we as a generation did not cure ourselves of afflictions that should have been laid to rest years ago, our children thankfully have a more mature view of the world. I am happy I was a small part of that, even if only as a ignorant, ogling teenager.

I left Minnesota three days ago and I am now in the Dallas/Fort Worth cooling my heels. On the drive up to Minnesota I bypassed Kansas City for a look at more rural country. On the way down here it was I35 all the way. There were a few serious thunderstorms along the way which made driving tough, and slow. There were also a lot more flooded and wet fields where it looks doubtful that anything will be planted that will be ready for the fall harvest. Somewhere along the way there were some very flooded rivers and one lake that must be ten times the size it was the last time I drove by it a few years back.

I find I am pretty tired. I don’t want to sleep any longer than normal, or lay around the house, but I can tell by the way I feel, it is time to go home soon and do nothing for a few days. I have this feeling of physical tired, like I worked hard the day before. I also am falling asleep very quickly which is unusual for me, as it usually takes me a while to fall asleep. It sure has been a fun trip, I am glad I was able to take it.

The sights and the views have been better than ever before when I have gone up north, and of course best of all was seeing family I have not seen is a few years. It is kind of funny, I find myself not saying much, but rather just enjoying the interaction between them. I suppose that is my family link. We change as we get older, but I think we act almost the same way all our lives.

There was one funny, or so I thought incident in Kansas. I pulled on to what I thought was a side road to look at some baskets being sold by some Amish women. The road was next to a gas station, but I did not think it was being used as the entrance and exit did not directly lead to the road. I stopped more or less in the middle of the road, leaving about twenty feet on each side of the truck.

As such things go, along come a guy in an SUV, who is right in the middle of the road, stops and starts honking his horn. I look over and he signals me he wants me to move my truck out of his way. I make sweeping motions suggesting he can go around either side of me as there is plenty of room. He gestures again, and so do I. He makes some rather rude and obvious gestures towards me and I ignore him. He backs up five feet, and drives around giving me some dirty looks, as if I care. About two minutes later a semi pulls out on the road and I move the truck, I have a lot of respect for those drivers, plus I realized I was on their road to the gas station.

I had some good meals along the way, and the people were very nice with only two exceptions. If there were not a few behavior exceptions, I would wonder if I were in another reality, and out of this one. One thing that always catches my attention in the corn belt is contrast in what appears on the bathroom walls in the men’s room.

I never understood how there can be ‘Jesus saves’ scrawled on the wall in the first place, in a bathroom. What really adds contrast though is the hate slogans, usually either Nazi slogans, or other hate talk. What makes it so interesting to me is publicly the sides of the roads are filled with church signs and repent and be saved signs. yet on the bathroom walls and other places in the mens room’s are less savory thoughts and ideas being written down. I always wonder if it is repressed being given an outlet, or the true nature of a small minority of people in rural areas who feel threatened by something they can not quite define? Perhaps there is more repenting and saving going on in the corn belt than is obvious driving through, although I doubt it is different per capita than anywhere else I have been.

I have been to a a few places to eat and one mall here in the Dallas area, plus a drive around tour. It is surprising to me how neat and clean the city and streets are. It is obvious that most of the people here take a lot of pride in where they live and it is reflected in how clean everything is. I think there is a lesson here for all of us. All it takes is a second to bend down and pick up a piece of trash from the ground, and a few more seconds to throw it away.

I have been in Minnesota for five days now and it has been a lot of fun being in Minnesota with no responsibility, and nothing but time to do what I want to do. I have been lucky enough to spend time with my family, and that time is very special. We have been apart so long now that that the the stories we share are about us are years old and probably stale, but family bonds are strong, and very special. I have been lucky enough to spend time over meals, talking with Cousins, Aunts and Uncles, Children and Grand Children. These are always very special times for me. The meals and conversation bring back memories of meals and celebrations when I was a child. I hope the have the same fond memories.

I look on Lake Superior and the Duluth with new eyes since I have been away the most part of thirty years. I now truly feel like a stranger in the city, and see the ’sites’ just like the ‘tourists’ next to me are seeing them. As strange as it sounds being away from where I grew up all those years ago has given me a new appreciation of everything I left behind. I now look at all the things I did not like about growing up here with new eyes, and a new perspective. I still know I never could have spent my life here, but it is refreshing to be able to look upon the sites and people, knowing that for the first time I am seeing the positive side of life in the Duluth area. Also it is fun to show where I used to live, and the places I used to go and the things I used to do. It adds a completeness to my life in some way. I made a peace with myself the last time I was here, but this time it feels a little deeper and carries more meaning for me.

We have seen a large number of deer during our time here, both in and outside of the city limits. So many deerin fact, that it seems every new road I drive down that is even partially rural seems to have a dead deer laying in the ditch. It is too bad all that deer meat is going to waste. I am sure if there are not hungry people that would be very happy to have meat to put on the table, there are people who own dogs who would be happy to have some free dog food. I wrote a previous post about road kill deer and pet food, but I seem to be the only person around who can get excited about the idea. Not excited enough I want to move back, but excited enough it bothers me to see a Deer wasted, and the meat thrown away on top of it.

I think we live on memories, ideas, hopes and dreams. At least it seems that way these last days. I know every time I come to visit that it is a possibility that this may be the last time I will see someone, or perhaps the last time they will see me. Life has no warranty, and often little notice is given that our ride is over for this lifetime. I may be more aware of this than many people, it could be one of the things that living in many different places over the years does to you. You become more aware that forever does not exist, and no matter how much we may not want it to happen, nothing stays the same, and people change, move, or grow old.

I think it is a good thing though, I hope people can learn something from the things I write. One of my cousins was laughing while telling me he likes the stories I write here about growing up. He said it gives it him a good idea how far my memories are from the truth of what really happened. I had to admit that sometimes I may leave out some detail here and there because there are some things that should not be said. I know he was thinking that it is not what I leave out, but the selective memory I seem to have about what I include. I have been told once in a while that what I remember as being true is not what someone else remembers. I am sure my version of the facts are correct of course.

In wrapping up, I have been eating way too much, visiting different places, spending time with family, relaxing, and in general just having a good time with no rush to be anywhere or do anything. I am starting to miss being home, and my at home regimen as boring as it probably is. It is always good to know that out there at some point I will be home, and grounded back into life as it is most days, which is a good life for me.

It is relaxing to finally be in Minnesota after travelling for the third day. Day two and day three are blended together, as there was not much difference between them. The meals were good, and the hotels were very cheap because they were not boxes with chain names attached to them. We Americans are so conditioned to use a chain anything, I wonder how independents manage to make a living running their own busines. At least any business that applies itself to the tourist trade must have a difficult time competing.

I did not see a lot of flooding, but I did see a lot of wet fields that won’t be planted for the summer season, or at least planted with a normal cash crop. Coming from a city it is always refreshing to see so much farm land and so few homes. It makes me wonder how our government can function with so many different interests in our country. There are the farmers, fisherman, lumberman, miners, on and on and on. I think that is why so much pork ends up in otherwise good bills. The pork is added to get the votes so the bill can pass. The pork project is probably something some Senator or Representative needs to keep his area back home in jobs.

Lake Superior is HUGE! It always surprises just how big the Duluth and Superior harbor is. The harbor as big as it is is dwarfed by Lake Superior. We drove along the Skyline parkway in Duluth to Enger Tower. Years ago when I lived here in Duluth, Enger tower was not a big tourist spot, having more broken liquor bottles and used condoms than tourists on any given day. About the only time it was talked about was when a teenager trying to climb on the roof did not make it, or someone decided jumping from the tower was a way to end their current life on earth.

Enger Tower yesterday was a completely new experience. There are many types of flowers and shrubs in bloom, manicured flower beds, trails, picnic tables and short walking paths so no matter how many people are there, there is room for everyone. After Enger Tower I drove over one of the bridges to Superior so the kids could add another state to the states they have driven through on the way here and back. We stopped and had lunch at a Hardey’s. Hardeys’s is a burger place, and was entrenched here before the burger chains invaded. Because they make such giid burgers for a fair price, they are still around and thriving.

I enjoyed dinner at my Aunt and Uncles house, as always it was very good. After dinner and catching up and trading stories three days of driving caught up with me and bed looked like a great option. I was out voted, andany  it was off to the mall. It was late and the mall was would be closing soon, so I never made it any farther than a book store. It was a borg store, but much larger than any I have been to in New Mexico. I forgot how much passion people here in Minnesota have for reading. Five months of cold weather a year probably adds to that passion, but that is another story in itself.

I was woken in the middle of the night by the resident dog, and upon checking the outside temperature I saw it was a frosty forty-two degrees. Seeing I have experienced forty two degrees in a number of months and the fact the dog needed out, I opened the door to make sure the thermometer was correct. If it was not forty-two, it was a good imitation. The dog did his thing, I let him back inside the house, turned up the heat to a warmer sixty-five and went back to bed for a few more hours sleep.

Woke up this morning to light rain, perhaps drizzle. It has been so long since I have been anywhere where the rain last for more than twenty or so minutes, it was a pleasant change to my morning. It has been a lazy morning with the overcast weather and being tired from the trip, I am not moving very fast. I will probably drive us to the mall and maybe see the rest of the mall too.

The start of day two is a good one except it it obvious that the warm days of New Mexico are behind. I find a restaurant that has a good breakfast deal. Sitting down at the table the cool breeze from the air conditioner is a little to cool for me. About ten minutes later, I ask if I can move to another location, one that does not seem to be under the refrigerator door. The waitress taking care of us tells me that is fine with her. It seems that refrigerated air is big at this place, and there is no place that is not cold to me, so I settle into the table I am at.

The weather did not look that good and looks were not deceiving. About forty minutes into the morning drive it started raining and did not stop for over three hours. At some points I was down to forty miles and hour, because the rain was so hard it was difficult to see the road. The rain stopped almost as fast as it started but the sky remained overcast for a big part of the day. The rest of the dirve was pretty uneventful, and I ended the days drive in some little town on mid Iowa after swerving to miss what was left of deer on the highway. Deer and vehicles travelling at high speeds do not mix well.

I enjoy watching the lanscape and the slowly change from sand, rock, and cactus to rich soft earth, rolling hills, fields of wheat and corn. When travelling from the southern end of the US north the people also change. The Hispanic and Indian peoples become fewer and fewer and the remaining people become taller. Once the halfway point is crossed some women are as tall or taller the the average male in New Mexico.

The food also changes, New Mexican cooking now becomes something that looks like Mexican cooking, but tastes like something not quite Mexican cooking. Not that it is bad, just different. The staple foods become more English looking in nature, spiced with an occasional dish from Germany, Poland, or a dish from the Nordic countries. I am guessing because the weather is colder in the winter and more humid, Mexican cooking is not as good a choice for meals as what is served. I know I am going to start wanting hot food and not be able to find it.

Being in the center of Iowa the damage from the flooding is not as apparent as it is on CNN, but there are still signs of too much rain. Some of the fields are soggy and lay barren, other fields have wide shallow ponds in them that will eventually become muddy spots. I do not think we in the rest of the country will notice the effects of the flooding until this fall, but even from a roadside tour in the middle of the state it is obvious the harvest will not be what it normally is. We won’t notice the shortage too much because the increased cost will probably be blended with increasing gas prices, but third world countries will certainly notice there is less food to go around.

I always appreciate just how big our country is when I travel. Even though most of us are homoginized by chain stores, we all have a unique perspective on what we need for our country depending on where we live. I live in a large city in the south and my views are a lot different than a farmer living two miles from his neighbor in the midwest. I am sure their views are split up again depending on what they are growing and what price the crop is bringing. On the coastal cities the views are flavored by the ocean industries. Somehow we manage to pass laws and do things that either make us all unhappy together or marginally satisfied.

Lunch and dinner were prety uneventful, but filling. I spent the night in one non-descript hotel that had seen it best days in the sixties. The room was spotless and the price was right. Once the lights are out, I sleep as well as I would in a three hundred dollar a night suite. In the morning, the showers are always hot and and the towels soft and clean. I didn not see a continental breakfast, but for the price difference I can live without it.

Day two ended on a tired note. After the second day of driving, I am tired but not sleepy. It is times like these I really appreciate long haul truck drivers. I have had a few friends who used to drive for a living and said they loved it. I find the thought of knowing how many minutes to a destination hundreds of miles away from whatever bush is in view a little on the boring side. To each his own, although I always have a fondess for truck drivers, as they are the lifeline of our country.

I spent a week with two of the Grandkids this week. I am on vacation, so I had nothing but time to spend with them. It was a great week, lots of fun! The oldest just discovered fishing this year and is taking it very seriously. The younger one also went with us fishing, and when bored found ways to keep entertained. It worked out very well for all three of us.

On to the fishing part…if you have not interest in fishing this post is not for you. If you enjoy fishing read on. The oldest had a fishing outfit, but it was geared more towards big bass which is not a fish he is likely to be fishing for in the local fish ponds where he lives. They are stocked with trout in the winter and catfish over the summer.

So what was there to do but find him a nice light weight trout spinning rod and reel. Almost fifty dollars later, he had a spinning outfit I would not mind owning myself. There is no close by trout fishing for him here, so he had to wait until he went back home to really try it out. It will be a while before he appreciates what he now owns though, as he doesn’t have much to compare his new outfit with.

Because there are no trout close by here, and fishing is generally spotty at best anywhere I could reasonably take kids to, I decided I would fall back on an old standby fish. I love to fish, it doesn’t matter what the species as long as it is catchable. I wanted both of them to catch the biggest fish of their summer, so I took them fishing for Carp.

If you have never fished for Carp, think of smart Bass with extra low gears. They are not dazzling top water fighting fish, but they are true powerhouses and fight until they are exhausted. You can catch them on almost anything, though they are mostly vegetarian. Canned corn is what I used this week as it is cheap, easy to bait with, and works well with kids.

Everything was set the first day out, except the fish. Almost four hours of fishing and it was Carp one (won?), and us zero. The second day of fishing was almost a repeat of day one except there were a few bites that did not get hooked or landed.

Day three looked like it was going to be a no fish week when the oldest had a bite. I coached him along and he landed about an eight pound Carp! He was one happy fisherman! I thought I was going to have to find some rope and tie him to something to keep him from floating away he was so bubbly and excited!

I went out for day four today, by myself unfortunately, as the kids have gone back home. I netted four Carp, and hooked six total. My biggest was about fifteen pounds. Once I hooked it and realized it was a HUGE Carp, I checked the time. Almost seven minutes later I had one big Carp halfway in my net. It was just too big to fit into the net I use! I imagine I brought in between thirty and forty pounds of fish today and it was a blast!

There were two men who showed up right after I started fishing today. They were fishing brush and other pockets for Bass. They had each been fishing a few hours, and were still waiting to catch one Bass big enough to keep. One of the men arrived at the spot I had moved to later in the day, after five hours of fishing he was still looking for an elusive Bass dinner. I guess it is fun to fish all day for Bass, but Carp are a whole lot more fun and not as hard to find.

They took a tole on my rods though. Not a big deal as they were inexpensive rods to start with. Two rods have bit the dust this week. One Carp pulled the reel out of the reel seat, and a second Carp snapped a guide eye. It had been a while since I fished for anything but trout, and I forgot what pure horsepower does to old fishing gear.

So it was a great week, and a great time for the three of us fishing. If you have never fished for Carp, you might want to give it a try. They are smart, and fight like crazy, and are present in almost every body of water around where you live. A cheap but sturdy rod and reel, a can of whole kernel corn, hooks and sinkers, and you are all set. Plus a license if you need on where you live. You can probably fish all summer for less than dinner and a movie on a friday night.