Taking A Break From Cleaning

We have been having some absolutely beautiful weather here for the past few days!  Yesterday Eler Beth and I did some work in the flower beds, and we took advantage of some sales at a local fruit and vegetable market, loading my car up with plants that I really don't need.  But they were so pretty and the deal was so good!  Then we came home and happily potted and watered and fed plants, new and old, to our hearts content.

Thomas and Eler Beth were up early this morning to go fishing nearby (which they haven't done much this year).  She called me excitedly about 20 minutes after they got to the pond to tell me that she'd already caught a huge catfish and a big red-ear.  I think she caught about 10 catfish all together and she caught her first snapping turtle.  There is an interesting story of how she caught the turtle, but I'm going to let her tell it first in her journal if she wants.  Yes, we do eat snapping turtle.  I have actually never had it in a soup though.  I cook it differently, and I really, really like it.  (The white meat under the shell and on the neck tastes like shrimp!)  I have some funny snapping turtle stories to tell sometime.

Now Eler Beth is outside clipping the dogs' toenails.  The catfish are on ice until Thomas can get to them, and the turtle is in a bucket of clean water until Thomas can get to him.  Andrew has been busy all week and is laying around in his room, but he's got a few chores to get to this afternoon.  Thomas actually had to go into work for a while this afternoon.  Before he left for work he said, "Well at least I feel like I've accomplished something today, getting the girl out there for some fishing."  I would have thought that going into work for several hours was accomplishing something, but if he's home in the morning he feels he should be getting something done.  He hits the ground running, and he hits it early, even on the weekend!  I'm glad he's like that though.  I, on the other hand, feel like I'm accomplishing something just getting up in the morning! lol

Now I hear Eler Beth's friend B outside.  I think we'll get cleaned up and run out for some lunch somewhere.  Then maybe I'll continue my cleaning this afternoon -- and maybe I won't.  I hope everyone is having a very nice weekend.

*To answer Paula's question in her comment, #2, I used to go fishing ALL the time -- every time Thomas did.  That was when it was just the two of us or when the kids were little.  For some reason, now, I guess I just have so many things going on that I just don't feel up for the quick fishing trips.  I can't get my mind to relax and stop thinking about all the other things I could be doing.  But if we are on an actual fishing trip or camping trip with fishing, then I do fish a bit -- and then, like you, I usually try to get some reading in.  (I still hold the family record for biggest catfish caught.) I haven't gone deer hunting in four years.  But I would like to get out there again.  Every year I say I'm going to go during muzzle loader season, but then either it's just too cold for me, or I have a head cold (can't be coughing or sneezing while you're in that tree stand) or something else comes up.  But every year I sight in my guns, muzzle loader and 12 gauge, just in case.  And somewhere I have a picture of me in all my camouflage, taken while hunting with Thomas one year. 

Tags: Gardening, Fishing, Snapping Turtle