Grassy Island, Blewett Falls Kayaking
Gardening For The Impatient
While it isn't QUITE time to start the garden... it's really hard to wait and so some pre-preparation has begun! Billy's early tomatoes are taking off and it will be interesting to see if they do produce early after being inside for so long. I began some herbs, since they take a bit longer and can grow inside easier... Rosemary (trying AGAIN, last year's didn't do so good), Thyme, Basil (from last year's seeds), Dill (from last year's seeds) and Oregano. The parsley I left to die on my porch has apparently withstood the frigid temperatures and has started coming back out with the latest precipitation. Apparently it's pretty hardy! With the slight increase in temperatures this weekend, looks like we are hitting the kayaks and I can try out my new baitcaster!
Tomato seedlings... and a day later
Watering the peat pods for herbs
Ugly Stick + Ambassadeur = catfish waiting to happen
A bit of randomness here, but all of equal importance for obvious reasons...
ITEM 1: SNOW! We finally had snow yesterday! Actually most of it was during the night and it is a testimony to its recent scarcity that I got up at 1am to take pictures on my deck and eat it
off my porch. Yes. I ate snow at 1am. And then went back to bed. I was equally happy to shove it off my windshield in the morning. And NOW there is the possibility we may get 1 to 3 inches tomorrow! Yeah!!ITEM 2: The garden has begun on a small scale. And by small 
I mean a packet of seeds was purchased. But it's a start. Billy did decide he would go ahead and plant tomato seeds for an early harvest, and also purchased a bagFULL of onion bulbs... which leads me to believe his entire backyard will be available for grazing come summer. And finally some research was done on creasy greens (upland watercress) seeds.
ITEM 3: The biggest of them all... a new rod and reel! My remaining Christmas money (thank you Tracy & Jay) was spent today on a new rod and reel...For the reel I went with the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500
C. This is a level wind reel that can be used for heavy fish or small bait fish, and it has a bait alert, or clicker. This means you can lay the rod down, and when a fish takes the bait and pulls the l
ine, you hear it and can then grab and hook the fish before the fish lays claim to your rod. It took a little bit of work to locate the store which had a right-handed version in town, the last one in the display case, which resulted in a 20% discount (!!!). Being that this is the third (and final) type of reel, one I have not yet cast, requiring you to stop the cast with your thumb, I was informed I would be buying a cheap line to practice on before putting the 50lb spider wire on the reel. Yes, 50lb testline. Incidentally, my 30lb catfish was caught on a 10lb testline. This rod and reel ain't playin'. The rod, by the way, is an "Ugly Stick" which is supposed to be virtually unbreakable. You can bend the tip down to the base and it won't break. The previous informant also informed me in this case that I now have no excuse in the catfish realm. I'm ready to go tomorrow. Forget that it will be a high of 35 and snowing up to 3 inches. I'm ready.
Badin Lake, Narrows Reservoir
Sarah, Margaret and I headed to the Narrows Reservoir on Badin Lake Sunday on yet another warmer-than-normal January afternoon. After all the loading, packing and side-trips, we pulled on our fleece, hip waders, and coast guard gear and hit the lake. It was a great day to be out!
The successfully loaded kayaks
Sarah teaches proper paddling skills... group pose before heading out
Snack time!
Hanging out on the lake - it flattened out later in the day
Garden side-note... it's time to start thinking garden! Yeah! Grandpa Bill has suggested planting potatoes on his plot, which I think we will do. To use half for the plot for this he says will take about a 20-30lb bag of potatoes. Just like Grandpa Cliff, he says to plant on a dark night in March. According to his calendar which includes information on the moon phases, we will need to plant between the 12th and 20th! Grandpa Cliff is also planning on planting red potatoes this year. Seed planting for other produce will probably be started in February, earlier than last year's, and not too far away!
The Norwood Bag
Anyone who has taken a trip to Norwood, no matter what the intention, and especially under the leading of a particular local who need not be named as the answer is obvious, finds almost immediately that they are missing someth
ing which would have been particularly helpful for the conditions. Norwood apparently lends itself to instantly changing conditions, unexpected circumstances and a variety of unplanned activities. One may go to Norwood intending to hang out at a bonfire and later discover themselves traipsing through the brush on a night fishing expedition. Inevitably something is missing... matches... kayak straps... fish hooks... waterproof gear... cold weather gear, warm weather gear... pocket knife...extra headlamp... the list goes on. All these factors led to the creation of the Norwood Bag. At first I thought it was just due to my need to be prepared, until a conversation with Ciara confirmed I was not alone. Zach, the aforementioned local's long-time friend told me it wasn't long before he started packing for a variety of options as well.
This past weekend I discovered Ryan too was in the same situation when we prepared to head to Norwood. We stood there, both our car backs open and spilling out waterproof pants, hip-waders, tackle boxes, skinning pliers, noodles, Nalgene bo
ttles, snacks, straps, coats and everything in between. He picked through his gear, knowing full well he'd need something he left behind, before packing it into mine (the benefit of being the one who drives). Our intent on New Year's Eve was to do some kayaking with a big of fishing on the side. I emphasize "intent" because we knew full well going into the trip anything was possible. We stopped o
n the way to Norwood to pick up Billy, fishpoles, baitfish, and more gear, wedged everyone in and headed to the kayaks. Conversation circled around where to paddle due to the recent rains. Rocky River was up from half a foot to 6 feet and would be too swift to paddle up, Pee Dee was still low, due to the wheels on the Dam being closed while Rocky ran out a bit. We didn't have time to put in upstream and take out farther downstream. The other option was Badin Lake which would require a 40 minute drive and where we had not yet found the fishing holes. All this would be inconsequential as our plans were, as usual, about to change.
Standing at the front of the garage, we stared in at the kayaks which we could no longer use due to the lack of sufficient kayak straps to secure them to the car. (They were later to be discovered in a pile on Billy's porch.) Kayaking abandoned, we added extra chairs to the already full car and went down to Rocky River on Grandpa Cliff's land to fish from the banks. Unlike previous winter fishing trips, it didn't take any time until we were all getting bites. I pulled a small Channel Cat in on my brand new Zebco 33 reel and Ryan snagged his now-usual large Blue Cat. With unusual temperatures topping at 62, and full sun, it was the perfect scenario. While Ryan and I skinned and filleted the fish, Billy pulled in another to add to the mix. We took the fillets back, cleaned and froze some, and fried and ate some for dinner. Our final meal of 2007, and a perfect way to end the year.
Below: The fish... skinning and filleting, breading, frying, eating
a cheese-it 
that fell in the water"... etc. Adding to the eventfulness of the trip was the fierce bunny which startled Lauren (she was sure it was a rat), Grandma Bert's dog that also startled Lauren ten minutes later as he jumped out of a bush, and the dead deer which we didn't smell until we were right on it. 
