Gone Fishin'

Spring break was last week and Lyndsay and I decided awhile back that it would be fun to do more out doorsy stuff like hiking, camping, and fishing. We had purchased a rod and reel and a few of the basic necessities to be successful at catching fish back in February. We then planned to go fishing during spring break after I worked the first 3 days of the week and Lyndsay worked the first 4 days of the week. So Friday March 19th we got fishing licenses and headed out of town toward Troy Idaho to Spring Valley Reservoir. It was only a 20 min drive out of Moscow which is really convenient but Spring Valley Reservoir is a drop of water compared to Lucky Peak. It wasn't to busy for a Friday morning but did have to hike around to a spot that was less inhabited as most people stake out the docks near the entrance first. After setting up camp I prepped the rod and reel and a out fitted it with a bobber and was going to try our luck with the classic hook and salmon eggs. I gave Lyndsay a great demonstration of what not to do, after I casted out I noticed the bobber floating away from my line and I realized that it had become an agent unto itself (although short lived it was recovered after it was blown back to shore.) as the wind and ripples carried it away. It was a great day for fishing though, sunny, no rain, and not to chilly. Since this was Lyndsay's first time "really" fishing I got to teach her how to cast (don't worry there were no mishaps here.) and she picked it up in a matter of minutes and she was off and going. And part of the learning experience was what the fish were biting on and what they weren't and we discovered that the fish here must not know what salmon eggs are because they weren't biting at all. So I then switched to a lure that I picked out and felt resembled my lucky lure from childhood and might have some luck with. After casting a few times with that I had a near catch and Lyndsay was shocked and excited that I had one so quickly. The hoot must not have been set well because this one got away as it was almost to shore and we saw it flip out of the water flip its back fin taunting us and slip of the hook and disappear back into the water. Then we didn't have anything else for awhile as we took turns on the one rod we have right now. Just as we were about to call it quits I casted a few more times and got bites every time. Then while Lyndsay was recording a video with the camera of me fishing and the heron the flew by I hooked one and the video speaks for it self. We caught one and we were planning on releasing him because it was only a 9 to 10 inch rainbow trout but I set the hook really well and after removing the hook started to bleed....profusely. I tried getting him back in the water to see if he was going to make it and he did swim slowly away but then went belly up. So then we had to keep him but getting the fish back out of the water was tricky because it would spontaneously come back to life and thrash and go further from shore. Then there were a few death throws that brought him closer to shore and I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants and waded out and grab it as it came back to life in my hands and I had to throw it to shore. And to make a long story short we BBQ'd the fish and at it. So it was a successful first fishing trip in a long time for me and fun and exciting for Lyndsay and now she is hooked and destined to become a hardcore fisher! Lyndsay enjoying the relaxation of fishing and being out doors and waiting patiently for a fish to bite.

This is Spring Valley Reservoir.Eric fishing

Eric baiting a hook and getting ready to cast out.

Video proof that this isn't just a big fish story although now I can't exaggerate how big the fish was.

Lyndsay showing off her pro fishing skills.

Beware the ides of March!

Finally back again! There's not a whole lot going on in good ol' Moscow, ID. March started out with glorious weather. And then it betrayed us all. :) Definitely chilly, with a hint of snow. Let's hope it clears up soon. February was a fun month. My personal favorite, but then I am a little biased. I turned a quarter of a century old. Gasp! I know. Starting to feel the age creep up already. ;) I received more flowers than I ever have before. I received these lovely hydrangeas from my boss, and got a rose plant from a co-worker, and of course some from Eric. :) I think it's a sign you're a grown up, getting plants and flowers. I like it.

And this is what Eric made me for breakfast on my birthday. Very creative. :D

This is a book I made in a bookbinding class I took here in Moscow. I had already taken a class at BYU, but I learned this new one. It's called a longstitch binding and I really like it.

And of course we have to add a few of Lil Bits on the lookout for mischief. He keeps us entertained constantly. Including being allergic to all the flowers I received for my birthday. Sigh. Thus, the flowers have all gone. But let's face it. I never was known for my green thumb. Something I intend to remedy throughout my life.

And Bits making friends with the mouse. Some cat he is. ;)

As for everything else. Eric is keeping rather busy with school. He had three projects due this week, including his really big one for studio. He also has his field trip to Seattle in two weeks. I'm rather jealous and wish I could tag along. (I'm sure it would be more interesting than the Tacoma trip.) Alas, it is not to be. But life goes on.

A more exciting note. We bought plane tickets to LA for May. We're going to Disneyland for a graduation/one year anniversary trip. Eric's never been to Disneyland so we're both really excited.

Unfortunately, that's about all I have to update for the present. But I shall try to be a bit more consistent. Have a happy St. Patrick's Day! :)

Finally! I have made an appearance. ;)

Alright, I finally decided it was time I contributed to this blog. Leaving my husband to do all of it is just unfair. (Aside from the fact that once school started, this blog became obsolete.) Not his fault, mine. Anywho. Time to update about our lives. Where to start? Well we had a great first married holiday. We put up our first LIVE tree. It smelled wonderful and was so beautiful and full. We got an awesome deal, considering my boss owns a tree farm. So we ended up with a beautiful Grand Fir that smelled wonderful and looked wonderful...and brought a nestful of spiders. Yes, sadly, it is true. We had never had a spider in our apartment until that tree came in. Perhaps it's because Little Bits was such a good spider/insect cat. However, all these spiders ended up on the ceiling where Bits could not reach. Except the one that crawled across the coffee table on our puzzle. Luckily, they were not very big. Otherwise, the tree would have gone before Christmas. :)

So we proceeded to decorate our tree in two parts. The lights first, here are a few pictures:

After we had put the lovely lights on, we gave up for the night. Several days later (sad I know,) we finally put everything else on.

The ornaments my mom gave us. They were very nice.

The ornament Eric's parents gave us. Our first Christmas. Very cute!

What tree is complete without the candy canes?

The finished product. The Christmas Tree of all Christmas Trees! (At least in our apartment.)

Now of course we decided we had to take some pictures of us in front of it. So family picture time! This included Little Bits of course. But first he had to get in the festive mood.

Isn't he so cute? He loved those little antlers. ;)

So we have our first family picture! Reindeer included! (Ignore the fact that we're in sweats.)

Christmas was great fun, we opened our Moscow presents early, which always makes for more excitement. We flew into Boise and had a grand ole time with family. This included gingerbread houses and the Lind household. :D I'd put up pictures but I'm sick of wrestling with them right now.

On Christmas Eve Eric and I attended Midnight Mass in St. John's Cathedral in downtown Boise. Eric had never been, so it was an interesting experience for him. The cathedral is beautiful and midnight mass is always fun to do every once and a while.

We received wonderful gifts from everyone and enjoyed ourselves. We also took a roadtrip to Soda Springs on Christmas day which included snow, cold and snowmobiling. But I shan't say anything more about that now. Pictures must be included and as mentioned above, I can't be bothered with them anymore. So I shall try and add them tomorrow and keep this blog more updated. :D

Farewell for now!