July 3, 2014. Canyon Lake, Texas. Fishing Equipment.

David has not fished seriously for twelve years, but this afternoon he decided it was time to get back to his old sport. With that in mind, he asked if the twins would be interested in sorting through all his old fishing gear. Sarah was still taking a nap. So the three of them went down to the shed and brought all the stuff up to the top deck. They brought up ten fishing poles and five tackle boxes, plus assorted bags. One bag held live bait, sealed in a plastic bag but as he had not fished for twelve years the live bait was dead long ago. You can not imagine the smell. One tackle box was broken. David recalled finding that tackle box from the curb in front of our neighbor, Bob Fuchs. When the boys asked if they could use it, he was delighted because he was quitting fishing forever. That was 1976. I was the only one sitting on the deck doing nothing. Samantha and Allison worked hard separating the poles while Ken checked to be sure the lines were intact and that the reels were in working order. Then David and Ken strung new lines on the poles while Samantha and Allison learned to tie the knots to attach the hooks to the lines. It took the four of them over two hours but now there are six fishing poles ready in the shed, just waiting to be taken fishing. Twelve years ago, just after the twins were born, David caught a fish hook in his thumb. It required a trip to the emergency room. It took so long to heal that he got used to not fishing but now he is ready to start again. This holiday weekend would be a perfect time to begin.