Glynn Harris is a long-time outdoor writer from Ruston. He writes weekly outdoor columns for several north Louisiana newspapers, has magazine credits in a number of state and national magazines and broadcasts four outdoor radio broadcasts each week. He has won more than 50 writing and broadcasting awards during his 47 year career.

When It Comes To Children and Grandchildren, My Cup Is Full

I am no longer eligible to attend the “young adults” Sunday School class at church. If we had a “senior” choir, I would likely be the oldest one there, bifocals, hearing aides and all. My walking cane would be close at hand to prevent me from tumbling into the soprano section. I’m relieved that our church has an elevator; I can only look wistfully at those long stairs. Let’s face it; Father Time has caught up with me and he and I have become close friends.

Having said all that, one of the fortunate things old guys like me have is a vast store of memories we can take from the shelf, dust off and relive. Among my favorites are being dad to a pair of exceptional daughters, Cathy and Kayla. They’re grown and have children and grandchildren of their own. While they were growing up, my memories look back on those days when as little fellows, I introduced them to some of the things I love, and that includes taking them with me to the pond, baiting their hooks and watching their eyes grow wide when they caught a fish.

When Kay and I married – we’ll have our 40th wedding anniversary July 11 – she brought to our marriage a bonus daughter for me in 10 year old Melissa. It was the same with her, taking her fishing, teaching her to drive, everything I taught Cathy and Kayla.

As rewarding and satisfying as has been being there as these three daughters of mine were growing up, it’s a toss-up as to whether interacting, rearing and raising these girls was as satisfying or sometimes even more so than when they began to fill my coffer with grandchildren. Kayla has four; Cathy and Melissa each have three.

Ah, grandchildren. The Good Lord has blessed me with these ten and being a part of their lives as they have grown up has added a quality to my life that is hard to describe.

There, however, is a problem. Today, Kayla’s four are scattered from Missouri to North Carolina while one of Cathy’s girls lives in Missouri and the other is teaching school in Hawaii. Her special needs son lives with her and her husband near Baton Rouge.

I’m thankful for Melissa who with her husband, lives just 50 miles away near Minden and I have access to her three, at least for awhile until they grow up and head into the world on their own. Her oldest just graduated from high school and is headed for college in Texas. One will be a senior this school year while the youngest will enter seventh grade. I still have access to these three for a brief window of time and am soaking up the hours I get to spend with them.

Just last weekend, the three were here for a few days with us and I jumped at the opportunity to do some special things with them, things that Ruston has available I was sure they would enjoy. That included a trip to a blueberry farm north of town where I turned them loose in the blueberry patch where they filled buckets with blueberries.

Next stop was to get peaches and not only were they able to bring ripe peaches back home, they enjoyed sitting in the shade with peach ice cream.

While this is not my typical outdoors column where I write about hunting and fishing, it’s just that my heart has been full of late as I look back on my life and how God has blessed me with three daughters I had the privilege of mentoring as they grew up.

The cherry on top is having the same opportunities with their offspring that has allowed me to keep doing what I love to do, at least for awhile longer. Thank you Lord for kids and grandkids.

FISHING REPORT 

CANEY LAKE –Bream fishing is beginning to slow down as the weather and water temperatures are heating Bream up. Night fishing for bass has been fair to good on plastic worms and crank baits fished in deeper water around the secondary points. Crappie are best fishing jigs or shiners around submerged tops. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU –Lots of moss and pads. No report this week. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Summer pattern is starting and bass are scattered. Topwater lures best early and soft plastics later in the day. Crappie fishing has been good fishing around deep brush. Bream fishing has slowed. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER –Crappie fishing has been quite good fishing shiners or jigs in the sloughs. Some bream are still bedded in the backwaters. Bass fishing has been good fishing the mouth of sloughs. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass have been best early morning on topwaters fished around the edge of the grass with soft plastics, swim baits and crank baits working best later. Crappie are good on the flats and along the edges of the channels and hitting shiners and jigs. Bream are fair to good on the beds and taking crickets or worms. Catfishing is good fishing cold worms off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE –Bass fishing is best early mornings on topwater lures with night fishing best fishing dark colored plastic worms and spinners. Crappie have moved deep and are best around submerged brush on shiners and jigs. Better fishing has been late afternoons. Bream are fair around shallow bedding areas and hitting worms and crickets. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good with some crappie caught on the south end in 14 foot water on shiners or jigs. Bass are fair early mornings on topwater lures. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is at standstill but a slight rise is coming next week. Catfishing has been good; others slow. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.