Fishing and Birthdays

We went to Tori's birthday at Dewey's Mill Pond yesterday, and it was a very low key but fun party. The kids really enjoyed it, and the truth is, it really was a fairly humble affair, very much in line with life in Vermont. I had wanted to get some fishing stuff together for the kids for a long time but in typical fashion, didn't know where to begin (I know, it's fairly simple, but not for me) so naturally I just shut down and blew it off. Of course, as time passed, I regretted my inaction.

With the birthday at hand, I resolved to make it over to Steve's bait shop to get together a tackle box. I'd never been there, and figured that it wasn't necessarily cheaper than Walmart or Kmart, but I'd get something that I'd never in a million years get at those stores-personal attention and service, not to mention the all important advice.

Steve's is local, as well, and fairly non-descript, so you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention. Even after we'd found the sign, we weren't sure where we were. The store is part of his house, and he doesn't go to great lengths to advertise. The door is even locked. We knocked and he answered the door, a super friendly and gregarious man whom I bonded with immediately over the Dodgers.

I used to fish a lot as a kid with my dad, I loved it even though we never really knew what we were doing. We fished solely in salt water, off piers, but there's something special, especially for kids, about fishing in fresh water. It's just a very soulful experience. I told Steve our situation-we had a broken rod, and we needed just the basic startup kit to go fishing for a novice and young kids. He hooked us up with all we needed, dispensing advice, which at our level didn't require a lot, and providing us with the basics-tackle box, weights, hooks and some bobbers. Nothing fancy, and no sales pitch to get us more than what we needed.

He was nice to the kids, something I appreciate, and showed the live bait, which they got a huge kick out of. Audrey and Nicholas (especially) really love checking out all the gadgets that people use for the sport, and what attracts fish seems to attract curious minds, as well.

He even went out of his way to find us an old dusty rod to replace Audrey's broken one, something I appreciated, and he only charged us a buck. I came away with a good feeling a resolve to go there whenever our fishing needs came up.

Now that we were stocked up for the big hunt, we needed a birthday present, which I'm sorry to say we were sadly unprepared. There aren't too many places in Hartford or Hartland to find presents, and W Leb was not an option. Our choices boiled down to the Vermont Store (Laros) or Phat Hat. We went to Laros, got her a stuffed cat, tried free samples, and each got a maple shortbread cookie. That's a really fun store, and even though they are geared towards tourists, it's a fun place to go for locals wanting to give local presents. And the people are so nice, very much in the local tradition.

They wrapped it in a box, and we hit the pond. The party, as I mentioned, was low key and fun. Just fishing, cake and pizza. It was hot, and we fished for a couple of hours, the kids tormented assorted fish and frogs, and it was done.

After fishing, we were slated to chase Gary's balloon, but we had some time. We headed over to the Ottaquechee School and tried out our new inline skates, then off for the chase. I hadn't chased for Gary in months, but I was more than happy to help him out when I could. What started out as a potentially challenging chase actually turned out fairly easy, the winds calmed down and all went well. The kids got to ride in the truck, and on the way back they got to sit in the basket. A fun evening.

We couldn't wait to get back to our kittens, and we fed them, and it was an nice end to a busy but rewarding day in the Green Mountains.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.