We live in Louisiana which is known as "The Sportsman's Paradise". The weather here is always either so mild during the winter or hot the rest of the year that people can enjoy the outdoors pretty much all year long. I, along with most folks here, grew up in a family that hunted and fished. And trust me, it wasn't just for sport. My grandfather provided food for his family during The Great Depression by fishing and hunting. And even after that period of time was over, he worked as a commercial fisherman, providing for his family. But, traditions run deep here in the south and like I said, most people hunt and fish and eat it! So for us, teaching our children and grandchildren how to do these things in a safe manner is so important. Not only to have a fun outdoor activity for life but also to acquire some good, fresh food.
Hubby took Parker Ann fishing when she was just a wee little thing and she immediately loved it, continuing to fish with her daddy whenever she could. Beckett was also taken fishing by Poppi at a very young age but Holli, however, had never been fishing. She saw videos of Beckett and Poppi fishing and kept saying that she wanted him to take her when she came to visit. Well, that day came this past summer and all 3 of the older Grands made the trip!
A friend of ours has a dock at his house, just down the road so we loaded up the fishing poles, bait and the kiddos. OK, and their parent too; everyone wants to go when you mention fishing! Excitement was in the air as the little ones ran down to the dock to impatiently wait for their poles to be baited. My friend has some pieces of wood in the dock that can be lifted up and a fishing line just dropped in. The kids were marking their place and anxiously awaiting their pole.
Everyone wanted their line baited first!
Parker Ann is an old pro by now. This beautiful little freckled-face girl has ended up liking not
only fishing but also catching frogs!
Holli got her wish...She got to fish for the very first time!
And everybody wants Poppi to help them.
It's also really important to show off your catch!
The excitement, chaos but most of all the smiles. In the end that's what makes it worthwhile. That and making memories with our family. Just think about how much time is wasted on electronics and sitting around watching television. Why get so busy and caught up in life that you don't have the time or energy to get outdoors and make fabulous memories with your children and grandchildren while teaching them a skill they will use for life. Just passing it on to the next generation...
“You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.” (Chinese proverb.)
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