Ooh, Ooh That Smell. Smells like...Ew, Never mind!

When I was about six years old, I had a classic yellow slicker.  A Paddington Bear type of rain coat and I loved that thing.  One July evening, I ventured out to collect night crawlers, which we did often because we fished every weekend in the summer with my extended family.  We would travel to various locales in the Adirondack region or along the Mohawk River on Saturday nights and then take our little 16 foot Star Craft out on the Great Sacandaga Lake on Sundays.

Summers in upstate New York are hazy, hot, and humid. A few days after my Lumbricus terrestris safari a most unsavory odor began to emanate from my room-more specifically, my dresser drawer, where, as you may have guessed by now, my beloved rain coat lay with a festering pool of worms in it's pockets. My mother could not even attempt a washing of the garment as it was indeed gag evoking. Into the the metal garbage can it went.  I am certain the ever present flies and their spawn feasted like kings that week.

Flash forward 45 years and the worms in the raincoat have been supplanted by dismembered body parts  of Scomber scombrus -  a.k.a.  a fetid pool of Atlantic Mackerel fish head in my tackle box.

Ah, the sporting life.

Freeport Town Landing
setting the stage for the gruesome discovery this evening

Kayoe: 6 year old speak for kayak

Today was Miss Maisie's inaugural kayak fishing experience.  We went to Estee's Lake in Alfred.  She sat in one kayak with her life vest and pole.  This was tied to my kayak and I towed her around.  Although the fish count was low for the day (3 in total: 2 bass and a bluegill all caught by me) we still were close to nature.  We were swarmed by dragon and damsel flies, saw a great blue heron with a fish, saw several turtles and evidence of beaver activity, spiders, fish in the water, and Maisie even managed to get a small leech to attach to her hand. This last incident, I have to say, she took VERY well-way better than I would have, but she did have her freak out moment when a spider was on her boat.

I told her on a day like today when I was six I would have been out fishing and island exploring with my parents on the lake I grew up in upstate New York, The Great Sacandaga.  I am hoping she continues to enjoy these experiences and seeks them out as I believe it will help her in mysterious and innumerable ways.

practicing

ready to roll

you would look cool too if you had your own guide and  paddler

target practice in the backyard

I Guess It's Been a While

I just brought my blog up to add an entry and saw the igloo photo in the title header...I promise to update this and make it seasonal this week.  Right now I only have a moment to add some items as I want to go see Keeping up with the Kardashians- my latest trash TV fetish! (Along with the newest season of Teen Wolf)

We have been busy putting the house on the market, ending a the school year, tending to a sick cat,  starting camp...I know it may not seem like it, but these things all take a great deal of time and energy, which unfortunately leaves little time for creative avocational outlets such as this blog.