Introducing my first, self-published children's book... "A Spider's Secret Talent"
Now available on Blurb.com in 8"x10" or 7"x7" sizes.
https://lnkd.in/e-4yCksH or https://lnkd.in/e3JTBpEb
The book is printed in the USA, printed on demand.
I hope you enjoy my first published book, "A Spider's Secret Talent" as much as I do.
I'd like to thank my Illustrator, Richie Williams for creating my characters as I imagined.
And a special thanks to my husband, for being there since the beginning of my idea.
When I'm not at my full-time job, you might find me bass fishing with my husband.
#spider #spiders #childrensbook #Secret #talent #inspiration #dontlaugh #experience #creative #writing
please like, share and follow me on Instagram @bassgirlfishing and on Facebook as BassGirl
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I soon learned to bring a book, then learned to put the book down and cast a line. My boyfriend was extremely patient with me and slowly taught me to fish. Eventually he bought a boat, and we were able to fish more places. We traveled more too.
]]>I didn’t really fish much when I was younger and had unpleasant experiences saltwater fishing as a young adult. I wasn’t really interested in learning to fish for Bass. I did, however, want to spend time with my boyfriend. He grew up as an outdoorsman fishing for trout and bass, and hunting for deer and turkey. I was a country girl in other ways, but not an angler. Now I’m a BassGirl and I love fishing! How did he change my mind?
How can you get your wife or girlfriend to like bass fishing?
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The sun, the sand, the surf. The sights, sounds and scents of being at the beach. The sun on your face, toes in the sand. The scent of sunscreen and saltwater. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach. For most people this is a place to be to get away and relax. A sense of calm, a place to destress.
For me it was the same…until I had friends that went saltwater fishing. Going to the shore no longer meant going to the beach, it was going to the marina. The marina near the shore, but in a sheltered cove, with old wooden docks. The Sun was warm, the sounds of surf were now the sounds of water slapping against boats. Boats that were covered in algae and water lines. The smells were now of seaweed, baitfish or chum.
My friends liked to fish for Stripers, Bluefish, sometimes Mako. At first it was fun to go boating with the warm salty wind on our faces. We searched for the birds above the baitfish and watched the water boil as the bluefish chased their dinner.
We’d often pull up to the dock at a waterfront restaurant for some fried calms or lobster rolls. We like to see who else was there and compare boats and motors, and also to be seen by others.
Being experienced boaters and anglers, my friends loved to fish in about any conditions. I on the other hand still did not know how to fish very well, had no fishing license at the time, and often got seasick. The waves were too much for me but going back to the marina wasn’t much of an option after traveling for miles to the fishing hole. The constant up and down in the waves with the smell of baitfish and seaweed were no longer rocking me to a relaxing state of mind or into a nap. I was “turning green” as one guy had put it. He said, “you should be fishing, and you wouldn’t be sick”. And then I lost it, my lunch went overboard.
The group thought it was funny and all laughed at me. I did not think it was funny.
Later in the week they were going fishing once again. It was supposed to be a calm night on the water, so I agreed to go for a sunset cruise. Little did I know they were planning on staying out for hours and hours. I was not prepared for the temperature drop or the bug bites. And it was a weeknight, and I was to be at work for 8am. I have never been a night owl, so I was not happy feeling deceived by my “friends”. I was new to the saltwater fishing life, and so far, I was not introduced to it in a good way.
Needless to say, I am no longer friends with those saltwater anglers. I gave saltwater fishing and boating a chance for a few months that summer and I no longer have good associations with the sport. Knowing what I know now about fishing, there might be a chance I’d try it once again. But with my love for Bass fishing and having fished on some of the best waters in the Northeast USA, I don’t see a need to try.
There’s a sport for everyone and I prefer fresh water. Fish on saltwater anglers.
]]>I liked sharing my first memories of fishing on the farm pond in my first blog so much, that I decided you all need to read more. You’ll like my stories, if not today, then in the future. You’ll catch on…pun intended.
For years, our elementary school system had the 5th grade science class study crayfish. I remember the science teacher, Mr. Slavinski, sending home permission slips for a field trip to the local park. In the park was a brook where we were to catch crayfish. The Park was also for playing baseball, softball, football, tennis, and had a playground consisting of a swing set and slide that had a red and white candy stripe dome over the landing. A section of the brook ran parallel between Main Street and the park. It was named after a woman in town, who to this day I still haven’t researched who she was and why the brook was named after her. I guess that is my next history assignment for the week, researching Ellen Doyle.
The small brook was maybe 15’ wide at the most, consisting of rocks the size of Tonka trucks and smaller and not much deeper than a foot on average. This was where we were supposed to catch crayfish.
Back then our parents carpooled students on local field trips. My mom had a green, 1970 Ford Torino Station Wagon, and yes, it even had the wood sides. My classmate’s mom had a giant Chevy Suburban, I can’t remember how many kids climbed into that vehicle, it seemed like a lot. There were probably a few other parent and teacher cars there too, but who remembers all those details when you’re with your friends and classmates playing in the brook?
For the field trip we were asked to wear boots and bring a container with a cover. The boots were so we could walk in the brook and keep our feet dry, obviously. The container was for keeping the crayfish that we caught from the brook. My container was an old Cool Whip container. We reused and recycled items long before it was a thing. Our assignment was to overturn some rocks and to catch a crayfish by hand. I don’t know about you, but ten-year-old me didn’t mind playing in the brook, getting wet, dirty, or turning over rocks looking for crayfish. What I didn’t like was when the crayfish moved so fast when my little hands got close to them. They sat still in the water, trying to be camouflaged, then were on the defense with claws up ready for attack. I had a plan to reach in the water as fast as I could and grab the crayfish from behind. But when I finally got brave enough to do so, the little bugger was faster than I could have predicted. It swished its tail and was out of sight so fast. All I could do was jump and scream like a little girl… because I was a little girl! I was nervous and excited. I couldn’t be the last one to catch a mini lobster. I had to keep trying. Just a few more handfuls of water and BAM. I finally got one.
I remember it being small and wiggly and as quickly as I snatched it up, I dropped it into that empty Cool Whip container. That creature was finally mine! I put a little bit of water and a small rock in the bright white bowl to make it comfortable. With a few small holes in the cover, I was able to take it home and feed it fish food, or whatever the teacher told us to give it.
The Crayfish, which I don’t even think I named, went home with me on the school bus that day. I had it in that Cool Whip container for a few days. I remember the crayfish looking very sad in that small, white, round room. My sister and I decided we were going to the park to release it back into the brook. It wasn’t an easy task to carry that vessel in hand, while riding a bicycle downhill a mile.
My experience was slightly different from my sisters. Two years earlier her class went to the same brook to hunt and gather crayfish. She ended up stepping on a bee’s nest and getting stung multiple times. To this day I don’t think she even goes near that part of the park.
What are these water animals called anyway? Crayfish, crawfish, crawdad? I guess it’s all where you’re from. In the Northeast of the U.S., we call them crayfish. Were they native to the brook, or were they stocked just for our classroom experience? I believe they are native, as the CT DEEP has them mapped and listed on their website. What my 5th grade class was looking for were, I think, Spiny-Cheek crayfish, or Faxonius Limosus. I only know the name of it now after doing some research. I could be wrong about the name of them or if more were stocked for our class, but as a kid, you don’t usually pay attention to those details. I just knew we were going on a field trip about 1 mile from our school.
Nowadays the only Crayfish I like are the Z-Man Ned Craws on a Ned Rig for smallmouth bass. These crayfish don’t bite, make me jump, or make me scream like a little girl, unless I’m catching a big bass.
Cool Whip® is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods.
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Welcome to my first blog with BassGirl. Let's start off by stating the obvious that it might not be the best blog ever. To some, blogging may come naturally, others not so much.
The same goes with fishing. Some people may be naturals at it, others might not be so lucky. I can't really count the few times I went fishing with my brothers down at the farm pond as me going fishing. They fished, I watched and said "eew". They mostly caught sunfish, or better known to me today as bluegill or pumpkinseed.
The night before we planned on going fishing, my oldest brother would go into the front yard with his flashlight and a bucket to look for earthworms. I remember looking out the front window seeing his light move back and forth. Mom always told him to look in our compost pile for the huge worms. I think at that time of night he was scared to go 100 yards out back behind the barn to look for them.
The next morning was an adventure walk for this six year old. We hiked down through the farmer's hay field, past the raspberry bushes and woodchuck holes, through the cornfield (after 4th of July) under the powerlines, past the manure pile, onto the tractor path around another cornfield, through an opening and finally to the small round pond. The boys had their poles and container of night crawlers and a bucket to carry the big fish back home in. We circled around the pond until the boys could spot fish near the edge. They threw their hooks and worms in the water and quickly caught some innocent little fish. They may have dropped the sunfish in the tall grass before throwing them back in the pond. (catch and release before we ever heard that phrase). I remember the fish flopping around and a brother daring me to pick one up. Nope, I didn't do it. I think the boys were hoping to catch a bigger fish. I only remember them teasing me saying they were going to catch an eel or catfish and bring it home and put it in the bathtub. Again, "eew".
After that is was the long, tiring, walk back home, and yes, it was all uphill, in the summer, in the heat. Back then we didn't carry water bottles like people do today. My brother, the boy scout, may have had his canteen strapped over his shoulder.
That is my first memories of fishing. I was definitely not a BassGirl back then. What I did like back then, was to follow my brothers around or play with Barbie dolls with my sisters. My like for fishing was not immediate as it is for many people. It was a long gradual process as I was not exposed to it very often.
Maybe, just maybe, if I had designed my BassGirl tee shirts back then, I would have worn it everyday, as if it was a super hero cape. Then I would have began my adventures of being a BassGirl a long time ago. If I only knew then what I know now.
BassGirl promotes the love of bass fishing through apparel and accessories. We practice catch and release. We believe every day is an adventure, whether you're out fishing, or just in your backyard.
Stand out from the boys with BassGirl apparel and accessories.
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