Andy and Opie

I think I live with Opie and Andy. I watched from the window yesterday evening as my husband and grandson left with their fishing poles dangling for a visit to a friend's pond. I was reminded of the opening scene of the Andy Griffith Show where Andy and Opie are heading for the fishing hole. It was a gentler, kinder time when long summer days were made for lazy afternoons fishing. Unfortunately, times have changed. Now our days are so crammed with chores, committments, activities, going places, and a hundred other things, that the days aren't long and lazy but short and frantic. So the fishing expedition was a big event.

We finally have had some rain-almost two inches, which we needed badly. (It's amazing how we go from complaining of too much to begging for more) The temperature had cooled down and it was too wet to move hay. So a holiday was declared! Bob had rashly promised at lunch that if Justin couldn't find anyone else to fish with he would go after work. Well, that ended the search for a fishing partner. Justin declared that the fishing would be perfect after work, because fish always bite after a front goes through.

Now, Bob is not a fisherman. It took some time to find a fishing pole that still had fishing line in it. Then we had to find one with a hook. Most were rusted, dusty and tired, but one was sorted out. I was amazed at how many we had collected over the years and stuck back in one of the buildings. (We are a pair of "keepers". We never throw anything away! Products of parents who lived through the depression.) Finally. both were outfitted with fishing rods and feed buckets to bring home the catch to put in our pond. (I will cook anything they bring home, but it has to be cleaned and ready to cook. That stops most of the things they catch, shoot, find, from being brought home.) So off go Opie and Andy for an evening of fishing.

Two hours later, as I'm getting ready to step into the bathtub, I get a call from my husband. "Get your camera!!" "I'm getting ready to get into the tub," I complain! "Forget the tub, we got FISH". he shouts. So, I grab the camera and go to take pictures of my two fishermen and their catch. Several small bass and a beauty of a catfish. It was obvious that both "boys" had had a wonderful time and were puffed up with pride at their fishing abilities.

You know, it's not about fish. It's about fun times spent with your kids. I think Andy and Opie had it all right.