May 19, 2024

Sunday Fishing

Sunday morning began with an early wake up and time snuggling up to my wife. Once we got out of bed, we made some coffee while the dogs entertained us. Happy to have their mama home, they were all in an extra playful mood this morning.

After we finished our coffee, I asked my wife if she was hungry, and she replied she was. I asked if she wanted me to take her to breakfast, and she said she would eat something at the house, since we went out for breakfast the day before.

About five minutes later, I walked into the kitchen to make another cup of coffee. My wife was about to cut into a watermelon when my stomach made the longest, loudest growl. My wife laughed and realized I was hungry. Right then and there, we decided that going out for breakfast was a terrific idea.

About ten minutes later, I walked into the living room dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. My wife wore jeans and a nice blouse, mostly because I usually left the house in long pants and a button-up shirt. When she saw I was going in sweats, she ran, excitedly, to the bedroom and changed into more comfortable clothes. No one appreciated the little things more than my wife. In fact, she was so happy to head out the door in her sweatpants and sweatshirt that I declared the outfits as our official breakfast uniform.

Breakfast was a blast, as usual. Before heading home, we stopped by to fill up my SUV with gas. Once we were settled, my wife started a study session while I sat down at my desk to write, enjoying a Half-Caf Nespresso coffee with cream. After several hours of working, we reheated pizza for lunch before taking Axel into the woods for a walk.

It felt comfortable inside the forest. It was damp and dark with shade, and everything was still wet from last night’s rain shower. Axel sprinted in zig-zag patterns, circling back every so often, catching various scents with his sharp nose. The boy looked alive. When my wife arrived at the creek, she saw two large turtles that frequented the area. By the time I got to the creek’s bank, the turtles had already dived underwater.

On the way home, we took the newest trail we had cleared. It was a pleasant walk, and I enjoyed how different this section of the forest looked. The windswept trees, rocks, and moss reminded me of a scene out of Oregon. It felt incredible to be in the woods together with my wife.

In the early evening, my wife, tired from her studies, rested on the couch while I shot pictures of birds from the rear deck. After the birds left for the shade, away from the house. I put away my camera and gathered my fishing gear. My wife fell asleep on the couch as I left, but I had to come inside the house a few times to grab things I had forgotten to load into the truck. There was a plastic bag full of hooks and weights, and my pocket knife I used for turning small bluegills into catfish bait. I kept making noise and my wife and I later laughed about my less than stealthy departure.

After gathering twenty earthworms from the bins in the shed, I drove to the Buckhorn Reservoir to fish. When I arrived at the parking lot, there were people everywhere. The docks were full, as was the shoreline. There was simply no room to fish, and I didn’t feel like being in a noisy environment. I wanted to be out alone.

I drove to the Wiggins Mill Reservoir, where I knew a quiet fishing spot. When I arrived at the body of water, there were only a few people in the area. I drove past the parking lot, pulling into a small area perfect for parking a single vehicle. This space put my SUV right against the bank and allowed me to fish in peace.

I opened up the back of my SUV and set up my gear. The area was beautiful. Tall pine and magnolia trees lined the bank where I stood. In front of me, the water from a small inlet reflected the monochrome skies perfectly, showing an occasional blue patch of sky on the glassed surface. About fifty feet across from me, the inlet’s southern bank was a knoll of green grass with large pines behind it. The scene gave the illusion of the trees creating a border around a glossy reflection of the sky.

There was something special about fishing on a mirrored body of water. It felt more serene than when there were ripples or waves. I baited a hook and cast my line out, letting the hook sink to about two feet off the inlet’s bottom. The water was so still that I could see my line sitting on the surface. When a fish bit the bait, the line would twitch.

Today’s fishing produced several bluegills. While large bluegills are good eating, I mainly enjoyed catching small ones that I used for catfish bait. Since I was only fishing for a few hours today, I released all my catches. One thing I loved about bluegills was that they put up a good fight once you set the hook. I netted five bluegills in about ninety minutes.

When I arrived home, my wife was sitting on the back porch, talking on the phone to a friend with whom she served in the military. She was happy to see me and motioned for me to grab a few beers and come sit outside with her. I grabbed my laptop and headphones and did a little writing while she was on the phone planning her approaching graduation gathering. Graduation. Wow, that felt good to think about.

After her call, we spent some time relaxing on the deck, watching the birds feed on the seeds and suet. Several hummingbirds stopped by for a visit, one buzzing right past us. My wife showed me a video of a wren she filmed near the grove. It looked like one of the baby wrens that recently hatched. It appeared awkward with the front half looking like a full-grown bird while the back half looked like a featherless chick. Our grandbabies were growing up.

After an hour, we went inside to make a salad with grilled chicken. Then we took our plates outside and ate while sitting in the rocking chairs. I put on an 80s playlist from Apple Music and we had fun listening to all the old tunes we loved so much. It was a fun, energy-filled evening.

After the festivities were over, my wife took some watermelon and other food scraps to place in the feeding area on the western trailhead. We passed through the secret entrance and she laid out all the food, while I formatted the SD card on the trail camera that faced the area. A little later, my wife spotted fireflies near the pasture, so we walked over to see them, trying to catch lightning bugs in our hands. It was the grand finale of a great weekend.