fishing with peanut butter worms

sometime in the middle of november, jacky and laura took a short, well-deserved leave of absence from their new roles as parents.

they may have also taken leave of their senses by asking us to be in charge while they were gone...

the first thing we did was go fishing at the fish pond at ashe county park.

we forgot to bring any worms, bread, corn or other bait, but we did have peanut butter-filled pretzels. it's a little known secret that fish-pond-dwelling catfish absolutely can't resist peanut butter, especially when it's been fashioned into the shape of a worm. with careful instruction, alexis learns to cast
more or less safely
and now we just wait for the fish to climb up our line looking for more peanut butter worms
and wait... most of fishing is waiting, you know...
the next day, we went to the little red cabin to see the waterfall and go on a hike around the lake. here we are resting near the grave marker of someones beloved dog.

as we hiked around the lake, alexis said that she wanted to go swimming in the lake. we decided that it would be fine for her to swim in the lake, but she would have to do it naked as it was rather cold that day and she would need warm dry clothes after swimming in such cold water. no worries, said alexis, who upon approaching the lake immediately commenced to completely remove her clothing. i suggested that she try dipping her naked toes in first to be sure that was what she really wanted to do.no problem, she said. and quickly decided that she wasn't interested in further experiencing the water on her bare skin. wise girl, that one.here, maribeth alexis and rio pose in front of the waterfall on our way back to the cabin.back at the homestead, alexis shows off her skills as a domestic laborer...

what a great weekend we had! thanks alexis, laura and jacky! oh, and by the way, that little secret about pond-dwelling catfish is apparently so well-kept that the fish don't even know about it. we didn't even get a nibble.