June 30 – “Norway to Galveston”

I went fishing again for a while yesterday.  Chris insisted I go.  I must have been staring longingly at the beach on our way to water exercise. That or she thought I needed to do something to get the smoke smell out of my nose from helping the Geswenders.  Can’t beat the smell of the Gulf to take away all others. 

The  fishing itself went much better this time.  The water was flat as a lake.  The seagulls were working the water like crazy.  The only negative … no one had any live shrimp.  The first place I went to sold his last few to the guy just ahead of me, and he was taking down his live shrimp flags.  Everywhere else had sold out long ago.  Guess I should have skipped water exercise class.  Sigh.  I picked up some fresh dead and headed out to at least catch some whiting.  And I did.  Catch some whiting, I mean.  None of them were huge, but they were big enough to fillet up and add to the family fish fry coffers. 

I met a guy while out there who told me he was from Norway.  He said he was a fisherman of sorts up there, and he was just wondering what sort of fish we caught here.  I showed him and his son my catch so far, and I asked him how he ended upcoming to Galveston from Norway.  Seems he was visiting some friends in San Antonio, so he took his kids “on the pilgrimage to the sites there.”  That turn of the phrase caught my attention.  This guy at least has some Texas roots in him.  He continued on.  “We went from there to College Station.”  There it was.  Why in the world would any tourist go to College Station?  “And now we are spending a few days down here so my son can go to the beach.”  He finally got around to spilling the beans about his origins, though.  Seems his Dad had been an Aggie, so he was born in Texas and had lived in College Station some growing up.  That explained it all.  Once you get a little Texas in your blood, it’s hard to get rid of that innate desire – no, demand - to go by the Alamo at least every so often and pay your respects. 

Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

Father, fly with that Norway family as they head back in a day or two.  Amen.