That picture is of my friend Don. I met Don through my Mom. When my mom was renting an apartment many years ago, Don lived in the same building. Don took care of all the maintenance of the building and really took care of my mom when she was living up here in Rhinelander alone during the week and then going to Wausau on the weekends. He is one of the biggest characters in the world. He has a great sense of humor and always seems to make people laugh, if not get some sort of reaction out of them(some people are taken aback by Don because he pretty much says anything that comes to mind, which can be shocking at times! Sometimes I wish I had the courage to do the same, but then again I do really like to have people like me.) One of the other guys that hangs out at the bar that my mom and I like to go to said to me last week: "You let yourself be alone with Don?"(as if he were some dangerous Dahmer type.) I replied by saying that I can run a lot faster than Don!(Don has trouble walking these days because his hips aren't working as they should) Don reminds me of the men in Grumpy Old Men. He is so much like both of those characters. He is also a master angler. He has been teaching me how to fish and I have been having a lot of fun learning.
I have fished before, but I think I have always been pretty much clueless about it. I have learned how to tie a good knot on the line attaching the hook. I have learned how to cast better. I have learned that when you are bringing the line in to re-cast that you should do so slowly because as Don says: "You just never know." You really don't know if a fish will bite the bait on the way in. I have also learned that you should guide the line in with your thumb and forefinger. (That would have helped very much last week when I got the line all tangled and I was by myself and I couldn't un-tangle the line. I guess that is what I get for going out without my teacher!) I think the most important thing Don has taught me though is that there is so much beauty in just taking the time to stop and enjoy life. Sitting on the shore he often says: "It is a shame that all the kids in the world go around saying 'I'm bored, there is nothing to do.' Look at the place and how much fun we can have out here, Man!" Really, life is like that. You really just need to sit back sometimes and realize how wonderful everything is. Sitting out there on beautiful lakes is a real special thing to do and I am so glad to have Don there with me to teach me and to help me remember important life lessons.
People are cool, aren't they? I am still amazed by how each person that is allowed to be a part of our lives can really effect us both positively and negatively. I feel lucky to have mostly people in my life who effect me positively. I am also amazed that somebody who is over forty years older than me can really get along with me and make a difference in my life. It's cool!
I caught four fish today. Three Bass and one Bluegill. It was weird to catch something beside a Bass. I just expect to have a Bass on the line now. Good times.
Didn't do much else today. Summer is going too fast. SIGH!
