Guess what... we have a dog!!! Yep, an 8-week old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Leo - he's adorable! We're working on some manners right now, but the kids are crazy about him and he's really cute - we'll have to send some pictures soon...
(This is not Dave's dog, but an example of a Rhodesian Ridgeback, according to Google)Thanks for the trip down memory lane... I could use some of that heat and sunshine right now, not to mention the breakfast, music, lawn and pool (in that order...)!
Those are some of my fondest memories too - Claymont Pool was such a gift to us as kids; I would spend hour upon hour every afternoon on that diving board - I don't know if the rest of the family even knew how much time I spent learning how to dive... I only wish that I now had the courage and lack of fear to learn some new moves...
Another treat for me was to get on my bike and ride down to Claymont Woods Lake to fish - I know it sounds boring, but there was one day when catching a largemouth bass actually became a reality for me: it was a beautiful spring day in May and I had spent hours during the winter dreaming of when the ice would thaw so I could use my new lures... The anticipation is most of the fun!
I had no schedule, so I threw my hula-jig spinner out there and walked along the bank trolling - and hoping... I need to say here that I had seen a few bass pulled out of that lake before by Dr. Messina, but so far, my catches had been limited to bluegill, sunfish and catfish (all easy bait-fishing catches...). I walked for a good while, having done so many times before, but then suddenly, a jolt hit my line and I found myself reeling in my first largemouth - I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I brought him in, hardly believing that it had happened, and looked around, trying to find witnesses...
Well, having landed my first one meant only one thing - that I had to try to land another, which I did, four more times, until it was time to go home for dinner. What a day - it cemented my love for fishing and I grew from there starting with the Shakespeare Baitcasting Reel Santa brought me the following Christmas...
There are certain moments that stand out for me, and aside from Christmas, most of them are memories of being outdoors.
