~*I'll Be Back Soon...*~

 ©primitivebettys 2014

Hello Dear Friends!  I do hope you have been enjoying your summer.  My summer has been very memorable... and I do honestly feel it has been quite wonderful!  Yes, it has been busy... but then, aren't they all?

As you may recall, I took a summer job at a bait shop ~ here at our local lake... Lake Wabaunsee.  We moved in our new home last October.  While I have always been familiar with the area... I didn't know anyone here and I had not spent a lot of time around Eskridge or Lake Wabaunsee.  When I was offered this job, I was a little excited.  It doesn't pay beans (not even minimum wage!)... but I was looking forward to it.  Now as the job is nearing an end... I can honestly say it has been worth it and so much more!

I have made memories and new friends!  WARNING... This is a wordy, windy blog post.  It just shares my joys of summer.  <3>

My job has had its not~so~great moments like cleaning the public restrooms, picking up gobs of trash left by campers and fishermen, cleaning up what dozens of geese can leave behind (if you know what I mean... ewwww!), getting up before dawn so I can be there by 6am, and sitting alone in a quiet, stinky (very stinky!) bait shop when times are slow.

But really... the good outweighs the bad!  Here is my list of good...

* Beautiful Flinthills sunrises... In my normal life, I am not a morning person.  I can usually crawl out of bed early, but not so early to see the sun rise and brighten the sky.  The sunrises this summer have been truly amazing!  They are so full of color and so stunningly spectacular!!!

* Lake Wabaunsee itself has been truly amazing!  When the summer started, the water was low from the last few years of drought.  We have had rain this year and the water has now risen to where it should be.  I love to watch the water sparkle with the winds.  I love to see the morning fog when the temperatures are cool.  When I've been there during the rainfall... that is beautiful too.  The smell, sounds, and sight of rain on the lake is something else.

* The wildlife at the lake is special too.  While the geese can be quite messy, they are great to watch.  I have been able to walk within feet of them.  They do honk and hoot loudly, but it is great to hear.  When they begin to fly away, their large wings flap and splash the water.  It is fun to watch.  There have been deer, ducks, and cranes nearby too.  It is quite peaceful to see them all.

* I pass many cattle fields on my drive to the lake.  I thought it interesting when I had to call the sheriff's office on a bunch of cows.  Well, when they can, they will get out of the fields and walk along the ditches and the roads.  Someone needs to be notified to round them up again before they cause an accident.

* Seeing grumpy, grouchy ol' men smile when they tell their fish stories made me realize these grumpy, grouchy ol' men can smile!

* Seeing cheerful, sun-kissed faces when kids are enjoying summer fun ... fishing or building sandcastles on the swimming beach is priceless.

* When my son tagged along with me a few times... and even brought a few friends with him... was priceless too.  He decided early in the summer that 6am was not really 'his thing'... but I loved to watch him fish, I loved to see his face light up when he caught one, and I loved to just sit and visit with him.  At the bait shop, I was able to get him away (me too!) from the cell phone, computer, and TV.  It was just us and some good quality time together!

* All that time alone at the quiet, stinky, bait shop... meant I could craft and craft!  Each day I took along a project or two.  My stack of pieces waiting to be finished in~to something is huge now.  Soon, you will see what I have created.  I must say it was funny to hear ol' men comment on my work.  I would be sitting there cross stitching, rug hooking, or needle punching when they would walk in.  Several asked me what I was knitting.  Hmmmm.... guess they should stick to fishing huh?

* One of my favorite summer memories inspired the doodle above.  A little boy, maybe 5 years old, came into the bait shop alone one day.  He was camping with is family.  He came in with a dollar wadded up in his small hand and was looking around.  When I asked what he was looking for, he replied, "Worms."  I told him, "We sell them by the dozen and they are $2.25... $2.43 with tax."  I asked, "Do you have enough?"  With a frown on his face, he said, "No."  Well, I am a sucker for little boy frowns!  I'm sure he could have gone back and asked his parents, but they might have said he couldn't have more money.  I grabbed my wallet and made up the difference so he could go fishing.  He was happy and the smile on his face proved it!

Later, I saw him fishing (alone still) off the end of the wood dock.  The doodle shows how he put the worm on his hook.  That, of course, is not the right way to do it... but he was having fun and I didn't correct him.  I asked if he had caught any fish yet.  He told me he had a bunch of bites, but no fish yet.  He was happy and excited.  He may have been happier if he caught one... but he was having a good time.  That is all that mattered.

Feel free to play with the doodle.  It is simple, but maybe it will inspire you to create something.  Soon I will be back with lots of finished goodies to share.  My time at the bait shop will end in a few weeks... and so will summer vacation for my son.  School starts here on August 21st.  

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty