A Little Florida Fishing

I didn't grow up fishing. Taking my own children to the lake to catch a few small fish doesn't bring back any nostalgic memories from my childhood, but I bet it does for my husband. He and his brother love fishing and grew up fishing from the time they could hold a rod and reel. 

It makes me happy to take them to the lake, all of us together. There's something special about passing on a skill from generation to generation. And so, for that reason, we fish. ...and also because my husband loves it. And the kids are beginning to love it, too.

We went to a little lake on the outskirts of town, one that we had never been to before. It was quiet and still, and the fish were biting. And boy, were there a lot of little fish! They were everywhere. 

Still, it was a lesson in patience. It's terribly hard for a 3 and 4 year old to sit still for very long. 

But if you sit still long enough (and if you throw a handful of worms into the water), something happens!

Victory!

Silas had a good time exploring while his big brother and sister caught some fish.

He crawled down the boardwalk.

Threw pine needles in the water and watched them swirl around.

And tried to grab some lake water out of the bucket.

The older kids caught two small fish each. Perch, I think.

Their expressions were absolutely priceless.

If joy had a face...

And I loved being out there, too. I spent more time looking at the trees than catching fish, though. 

Wild Florida. Truly beautiful.

Sometimes it's the simplest, cheapest activities that keep kids entertained for hours. 

What are you doing to explore your backyard?

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