What a great day already!  I took my kayak out this morning – it was fabulous!  I’m lucky to live so close to a marina!  I throw open the hatchback on my car, slide the kayak in as far as possible, and attach a couple of bungee cords to stabilize it.  Luckily, I only have to drive a few blocks and not on any main roads to launch.  It took a lot of courage to take this selfie too!  I am naturally clumsy, and in a kayak… But, no phone causalities today!  Whew!

I have taken my kayak out into the ocean via the boardwalk, on a red flag day, (it’s kind of a funny story now…), but I prefer the Bay.  More specifically, the back waters of the Bay where it is a bit calmer. I am careful to try to pick the right tide and weather conditions for optimum enjoyment. 

One of my favorite routes takes me to a nice quiet place, surrounded with islands of tall grass scattered around.  There are people fishing in kayaks and along the shore, while fish jump out of the water to taunt them and pesky crabs steal their bait. 

I heard recently, actually saw it on You Tube, that raw bacon is now the bait of choice for Flounder.  Larry and I tried it not long ago, along with the normal array of bait.  The crabs were crazy for it!  Next time I drop my crab trap, I’m definitely baiting it with bacon.  I’ve never had much luck with that contraption.  Best I’ve ever done is 2 that were too big to escape through the bars.  Anyway, we didn’t catch any fish that day, so we’ll have to experiment again when the fish are biting.

The last time I fished in my kayak, I caught a big flounder in the middle of Rudee Inlet and it got off the hook – in my kayak!  Have you ever seen the teeth on a flounder?  Well, I have and I freaked out because this fish was flopping around right under my butt and thighs.  So, I balanced myself – elbows and feet – on the sides of my kayak and started yelling for help from my son, Andy, and Larry.  They were in a canoe around the corner.  I was in the middle of the channel and anyone familiar with the area will appreciate that the people fishing off the rocks were definitely amused by the whole event unfolding in front of them.  I think I used the phrase “gonna bite my ass” a few times. And, I definitely know how to project with volume.

But today, just floating around, listening to music, with the sun baking my skin…ahhhh!  Life can be so beautiful when we enjoy the simple things!  The wildlife I see when I go out is often breath-taking.  Having lived most of my life not at the beach, I am continually amazed by the birds, the landscape, and the magic that lives in the ocean.    

I admit, I’ve been away for a while, but I’ve been collecting stories that I’ll be adding soon – and living an excellent life!