"FISH" DREAM SENDS MEMORIES RUSHING BACK TO OTHER TIMES
By OLIVENE GODFREY
I recently dreamed that I was fishing on the shore of a lake and,to my surprise, I caught a large bass, my favorite fish to eat. For some reason, in my dream, I was fishing alone and then I woke up. I was confused and when I got up I told son Barry about my dream. He reminded me that I haven't had any fresh caught fish to eat in about ten years and he said I may be craving a bass dinner.
I had never liked to fish and then I married a man, my late husband, Ralph, who was an avid fisherman. He was too ill to fish for several years before he died five years ago. Barry inherited his extensive fishing gear and has a large collection of fishing gear himself. But, Barry has been too busy with all of his responsibilities to go on a fishing trip. So, it has indeed been a long time since I have eaten any bass, my favorite food fish in the world. As the day went on, memories of all the fishing trips Ralph and I took during the 55 years we were married rushed back into my mind. We fished in Georgia and Tennessee and North Carolina and Florida.
One winter, in the 1950s, Ralph who had "magical talented hands" built a small boat on our large enclosed back porch in Dalton.
In the spring, he launched the little motor boat at one of the TVA lakes in the area. Meanwhile, Ralph and Jeanette's husband, Charles, went fishing a lot and always caught a mess of bass which we ate at one of our fish fries. Jeanette and Charles bought a boat and they and their children and Ralph and I spent many enjoyable days at a TVA lake in Tennessee. We would go boat riding and eat picnic lunches and Ralph and Charles would fish and show off water skiing. One day, the men decided to "teach" Jeanette and me to ski. I was an immediate flop and refused to try again. Jeanette came up out of the water and she said later she had never been so scared as she was when Charles sped across the lake with Jeanette screaming a few choice words to Charles. Finally, he stopped the boat and we never tried that sport again.
I remember some of the crazy things Ralph and I did, such as the time we took the little boat out in the Tennessee River oblivious to the barges and large boats that travel the river and could have caused our boat to capsize. In the late 1950s Ralph and I moved to Florida. Ralph and his sister, Agnes's late husband, Alvin, fished often in the Gulf of Mexico and always caught a lot of fish which Agnes would fry in a large cast iron pot. Later, we moved back to Georgia and Ralph bought a larger motor boat. Ralph's late brother, Ray, owned a cabin on a northeast Georgia lake, and we spent many enjoyable times then with the Godfrey family. And, sometimes, Ralph would go over to the cabin and fish with Ray. When he was too ill to be able to drive, he asked me one day if I thought he was well enough to go over to Ray's cabin to fish. Gently, I reminded him that he could no longer drive. I saw the sadness in his eyes and he never mentioned fishing again.
I hope Barry can find time to be able to go fishing in the spring and summer this year. And, perhaps he will bring home a mess of bass for dinner.
Se you next time.
By OLIVENE GODFREY
I recently dreamed that I was fishing on the shore of a lake and,to my surprise, I caught a large bass, my favorite fish to eat. For some reason, in my dream, I was fishing alone and then I woke up. I was confused and when I got up I told son Barry about my dream. He reminded me that I haven't had any fresh caught fish to eat in about ten years and he said I may be craving a bass dinner.
I had never liked to fish and then I married a man, my late husband, Ralph, who was an avid fisherman. He was too ill to fish for several years before he died five years ago. Barry inherited his extensive fishing gear and has a large collection of fishing gear himself. But, Barry has been too busy with all of his responsibilities to go on a fishing trip. So, it has indeed been a long time since I have eaten any bass, my favorite food fish in the world. As the day went on, memories of all the fishing trips Ralph and I took during the 55 years we were married rushed back into my mind. We fished in Georgia and Tennessee and North Carolina and Florida.
One winter, in the 1950s, Ralph who had "magical talented hands" built a small boat on our large enclosed back porch in Dalton.
In the spring, he launched the little motor boat at one of the TVA lakes in the area. Meanwhile, Ralph and Jeanette's husband, Charles, went fishing a lot and always caught a mess of bass which we ate at one of our fish fries. Jeanette and Charles bought a boat and they and their children and Ralph and I spent many enjoyable days at a TVA lake in Tennessee. We would go boat riding and eat picnic lunches and Ralph and Charles would fish and show off water skiing. One day, the men decided to "teach" Jeanette and me to ski. I was an immediate flop and refused to try again. Jeanette came up out of the water and she said later she had never been so scared as she was when Charles sped across the lake with Jeanette screaming a few choice words to Charles. Finally, he stopped the boat and we never tried that sport again.
I remember some of the crazy things Ralph and I did, such as the time we took the little boat out in the Tennessee River oblivious to the barges and large boats that travel the river and could have caused our boat to capsize. In the late 1950s Ralph and I moved to Florida. Ralph and his sister, Agnes's late husband, Alvin, fished often in the Gulf of Mexico and always caught a lot of fish which Agnes would fry in a large cast iron pot. Later, we moved back to Georgia and Ralph bought a larger motor boat. Ralph's late brother, Ray, owned a cabin on a northeast Georgia lake, and we spent many enjoyable times then with the Godfrey family. And, sometimes, Ralph would go over to the cabin and fish with Ray. When he was too ill to be able to drive, he asked me one day if I thought he was well enough to go over to Ray's cabin to fish. Gently, I reminded him that he could no longer drive. I saw the sadness in his eyes and he never mentioned fishing again.
I hope Barry can find time to be able to go fishing in the spring and summer this year. And, perhaps he will bring home a mess of bass for dinner.
Se you next time.
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