Last week my husband phoned form work at 7:30 A.M and said “start packing.” I didn’t question him I just threw a few suits of clothing into a suitcase along with the laptop and camera, gathered up the dog’s bare essentials and waited. He had been talking about heading south when October’s first cold front came through to do a little fishing but his work schedule did not look agreeable. Apparently something changed and he seized the moment.

“Carpe diem!” I said. “I don’t care for Carp – I’m after a Redfish.” He replied with a wink.

I think know he dreams of catching a trophy Red.

Within thirty minutes he has his 16 foot 1957 aluminum boat hooked up and ready to roll. We have a skiff but he likes that old dinghy. Anyway seven hours later we are standing in the salty breeze assessing the conditions. The tide, the wind, the weeds and the water temperature. Fishing is very serious business, that’s why I usually leave it to him. Thank goodness a cousin showed up to keep him company on the water while I undertook the tasks of reading and snapping pictures. All in the name of research of course.

Taking off on a whim is something we haven’t done in a very long time and you know what? I loved it!

These are the rewards of spontaneity

Hopefully he laughed himself to death

No, those are not Redfish but they will do.

The “cold front” brought some awesome clouds

I’d like to think they never knew what hit `em.

Trophy? No but by golly they are Redfish!

The birds gather as the tide goes out. I was so excited to catch a few shots of these elusive pink birds.