I was rather tentative as I headed down the
seawall steps there in front of WalMart.
That’s my favorite spot.
Why? No, it’s not because there
is a particular honey hole in the Gulf around there, although there are two
different standing spots that often result in very different results. Sadly it is more of an economic and
convenience decision. Convenience in
that it is the closest point to the beach from my house. Economic in that it is the beginning of the
only strip of seawall parking that does not require you to pay using your cell
phone and registering your license plate.
So back to being tentative. The
seaweed completely covers the granite boulder rickrack now. I know from prior experience that there are
deep holes in between the rocks. I also
know that the boulders often provide a home for some of the slipperiest sea
stuff I have ever slipped on. I wasn’t interested
in being incapacitated before I even got a line in the water. However, my fears were unfounded. There was so much seaweed that after about a
foot and a half, I couldn’t even see the rocks any more. I used my pole to test out each step, but
aside from the sickening crunch beneath my holey tennis shoes, it bore my
weight as if I was on the sand. And when
I reached the sand, what used to be a two foot leap into the unknown waters had
become a two inch gradual step. So access
was great. There is one plus for the seaweed.
The influx is not over yet, however. Oh, there were patches of the evil stuff all
around me, but there were occasional breaks in the masses. And I did catch a few whiting and quite a few
hardhead catfish. There were times
though when a patch of seaweed would drift in that was so thick I had no choice
but to wait it out. One of those times
kind of snuck up on me after I had already made a cast. So while I waited and slowly reeled in the
line, something unusual happened. I noticed
a butterfly making its way toward me from the Gulf. That’s right.
Just a simple butterfly. Not one
of those monstrous Jurassic ones that Moody Gardens releases every so often. This one was normal sized. Very pretty coloring, too. Yellows and blues and some greens and even a
patch of white that looked like a big eye.
How do I know so much about the colors?
Well, I’m glad you asked. The
little critter landed on my shoulder. Just
like he was my well-trained pet. I don’t
know if he had just flown over from Mexico or maybe was on his way down there
for a vacation, but I welcomed him and told him he was welcome to stay and rest
as long as he needed to. We had quite a
conversation, in fact. I don’t remember
when he finally flew away. I think it
was when I actually got a bite and was reeling in one of the catfish. But it was fun to have a tiny little
companion sitting on my shoulder.
The second somewhat unusual event came when
several of the Hawaiian Islands were making their way toward shore. Again I paused to wait and marvel at the
sheer extent of the seaweed coming toward me.
That’s when I noticed two dolphins surfacing between me and
Honolulu. Carefree as ever, gracefully
making their way through and around the floating islands. And a heartbeat behind them came two
more. None were in a particular hurry. They were simply making the most of a
seaweed-y situation. Gotta be a
spiritual lesson in there somewhere, right?
I ended the trip with four or five whiting
that I kept – a good start toward our next family fish fry, I guess. I will remember the dolphins’ visit, though. And the butterfly. I do like fishin’ with friends.
2 Peter 1:5-8 says, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”
Father, help me to develop perseverance like
the butterfly and peace like the dolphin.
Amen.
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