An Ocean Tale

With Summer here these thoughts come to mind about going to the ocean with my dad and my brother. My family had come to the U.S. from a stay in Germany for two years. My dad, being in the Army gave us the opportunity for that visit. Now stationed at Fort Ord, Ca., we were off for another adventure. My father loved the outdoors and one thing in particular was...Fishing. We had settled in a rental for a few short weeks until my parents found housing at the base. Once settled in, my dad was ready for a trip to the beach. My brother,11 years old and I, 9 years old were invited to go along. I know in my heart, dad wanted one of us to pick up a fishing rod and fish with him. That wasn't going to happen for me, as I did not, first of all, want to put bait on a hook and then catch the poor fish...... me being the animal lover; still as of today. I remember being so excited to be with my dad and my brother. We packed a lunch and got up, leaving for a day at the beach. Once we got there, I was all over the sand. Running up and down the beach, looking for treasures, like special, one-of-a-kind shells, finding seaweed to throw back into the ocean and making a LOT of noise. I've always been the, "Mouthy-One", in the family! My dad was very patient with Tom and I. I'm not sure if at this point he was glad to have me there...... making all that noise! He had his tackle box in hand and sat down to start the procedure of taking out the perfect bobber and fish hook, to catch a fish. I can see him now, casting out the line and reeling it in some and waiting patiently for a tug of the line and a catch. Tom and I were waiting for the water to go out some and we would run out, dig a hole and try to get sand-dabs. Of course, I had to throw mine back in to save them! Back and forth, up and down the beach, making a lot of noise. My dad at one time stopped, looked at me and told me I had to be quite or the fish wouldn't bite. I stopped immediately and sat down....to remain quite for a good while, as I truly believed what he said......He was my dad! I'm sure deep down inside he got a kick out of that! Here I was, 9 years old and so gullible... I loved that day; just me, my brother, my dad and All those fish!