Wild fishing, eating too much, Grandpa and Victoria

When my daughter and her husband brought the grandchildren over to meet us in Arkansas, we discovered that Mykenzie really likes fishing. With that in mind we bought her a fishing pole as a birthday present. Naturally we had to put that pole to use when we visited in Florida this past week.
Her daddy and I both got licenses so we could legally fish with grandkids and we picked out a spot close to their home; one that would provide some easy access with a safe approach to casting our lines in the water. My son-in-law knew of a park with access to a backwater area on the Blackwater River.
It was a great spot, part of a park with a playground and a large picnic area. It offered a well-built wooden walk along the river and other than being fairly high above the water without any restraints on the water side of the walk it seemed perfect. We would have to be careful, but otherwise, we could make it work.
We sat down and got the poles ready, a process that took most of the enthusiasm out of the very young fishermen, and finally cast out into the deep to see what surprises may come to us.
We were only there about twenty minutes before the grandchildren lost interest, but the park was nearby and we fished on as they went to play. It was only after about another half hour that we began to question whether what we were seeing in the water straight ahead of was really an alligator; turns out it really was.
That turned out to be a little too wild for the mother’s in our group so daddy will have to find another spot to take his budding anglers.
I asked Mama why it is that we always seem to eat too much when we are on vacation. But it does seem that way. We are anxious – well maybe not – to check our weights when we get back home. That is the unpleasant side of a pleasant vacation.
Grandpa and Victoria are on the way. She managed to get sufficient time off of work to make the visit and Grandpa came as protector and chaperone – of both her and the car: besides there was a brand new great-grandchild to see. I am not sure how long it had been since he held one so very small. I know it has been a long time for me, probably since I held one of the twins we watched so many years ago in Victoria, TX. They are both in their teens now.
I was a pleasure to be able to quiet the baby when he began to fuss. With one that new, it is a walk of discovery every day to find what they need and want from those of us not nursing them.
It’s part of what makes life good.