What is a grocery store?

Exactly what is a grocery store? For most of you in large communities it is a place to buy food, maybe get in on some good sales or a place to pick up a quick supper on a busy day. You have several to choose from and have your favourite places to shop. So the answer to my question is a simple one.
For a community like Temagami our grocery store is so much more. It is of course a place to buy food. But when the next closest store is 40 minutes away you appreciate the convenience of having options close by. A grocery store becomes a place to pick up something to cook for supper, fresh buns to go with the chili you just made, ice cream that will never make it home on a hot day. It is also the place where the owners and cashiers all know who you by name and ask how your little girl is doing. It is where you can order the things they don't have in stock but you need. It is where you can get your meat cut just the way you like it.
It is the center of the community. It is where you see your friends and neighbours and find out how they are doing. It is where you find out about everything going on in town at the bulletin board.
Grocery shopping is about so much more than groceries in a small town. When I first moved here I got to know the people who worked at the grocery store and the post office first. They knew me by name before I knew their names and they were always interested in how I was doing.
With the grocery store closed last winter it seemed like we lost touch with one another. It was harder to find out what was going on in town because there was no one spot to check for coming events. It seemed like the winter was long. For me personally with a new baby last winter it was also a lot more work to have to plan a whole day out so we could have food to eat. Grocery shopping meant a long day away from home instead of a walk with Abby in the stroller to pick up the things we needed. I know that I was not alone in missing the grocery store. For the seniors in our community who don't drive it was also a long winter trying to figure out how to get out of town to get the supplies they needed.
For our business and for many others in the area a grocery store is essential. Visitors to our community need to buy groceries while they are here and they would rather not take the better part of the day to buy them. So many items don't travel well and it seems like you always forget to bring something.
It has been so nice to have our grocery store open again. I am thankful for it every time I need to buy groceries.
Our Daily Bread held an open house last Friday complete with baked goodies, and hot drinks. It showed off what it had to offer: the shelves are full with an excellent selection of everything you might need. The fruits and vegetables continue to be fresh and tasty. The bakery is now open and it is so nice to walk into the store and smell fresh bread baking. It's a real treat to be able to pick up fresh buns to go with supper when we want them. They are also stocking almond and soy milk for those of you who need non-dairy milks. You will find Udi's gluten free bread in the freezer section if you are limiting or eliminating your gluten intake. There are rotisserie chickens available Thursday and Friday which are always a tasty treat after a long day of work. There is a nice sitting area set up to enjoy coffee and a muffin with your neighbour and catch up on some of the news or enjoy some  homemade soup and a fresh bun which are available at the store.
I hope our community has learned how important our grocery store is. Unfortunately we live in a seasonal community and many people are unemployed in the winter. As a result there is not a lot of extra money to go around for groceries that cost more than they would at a bigger store and I understand that. But I hope our town will support our store throughout the winter so that we don't lose it again.

Houseboating with baby

It was with much anticipation that we planned for our first houseboating adventure with our little Abby. There were a lot more 'things' to pack and to think about. Should we bring the high chair? How much food will she need? What toys are most important to bring?or should we just bring them all? Before Abby's arrival it seemed like we emptied our entire house into the houseboat for our five days away. This year it seemed even more like it!

Another couple with a baby only four days older than Abby went houseboating not long before us so I asked what they wished they'd brought and what they were glad to have with them. They were very helpful and so I thought I'd share some of the things I learned with anyone else who might be thinking about houseboating with baby.

1. Vacationing with a baby is not relaxing. Don't expect it to be. Most of you are laughing at this because you learned it a long time ago. Somehow this was a revelation to me. We have always looked forward to this time as a getaway to really relax. But the sleepless nights came with us, and the dishes, and the diapers...

I will admit to one morning where I decided that no one in their right mind could possibly houseboat with children for fun. The real problem of course was my expectations not my baby. Our little Abby had a great time and once I changed my expectations I had a lot of fun too.

2. If you have a little one who is eating solids a high chair is very helpful. For most of you space in your vehicle is an issue on this one but it was great to be able to put Abby in the chair to eat. Booster seats can't be attached to the benches so if you hope to use one of them you will want to bring a lawn chair to attach it to.

3. Bring as many of baby's favourite toys as there is room in the car (once you have the essentials packed). You are going to be spending several days on the boat and you will want to have all the favourites handy for your little one to play with. Abby loves her books so we brought them all. She also has a bucket of little animals that she loves to play with so we brought them all. I didn't regret packing a single toy. She played with everything.

4. The pack and play is nice and we used it for nap time but at night I ended up sleeping with Abby most of the time. The different routine and surroundings just made it too difficult for her to get to sleep on her own and she still wakes up often during the night. We all got more sleep when I slept with her. That means you should plan to bring extra blankets for the front bench or other bed. 

The pack and play is also nice for letting baby travel on the front deck to see the sights. It was too cold when we traveled for Abby to really enjoy being on the deck but the other mom I talked to said her little guy loved it.

5. Plan to eat supper early so you can get the dishes done before baby goes to bed. You're living in pretty close quarters and if the dishes don't get done I find it's really hard to get breakfast ready the next morning. In the past we've eaten after fishing in the evening but that really doesn't work with baby unless yours sleeps through anything. Our little girl doesn't want to miss a thing so sleep is hard come by at times.

6. If you enjoy hiking bring a carrier along so you can get out and enjoy the outdoors. We used our carrier in the big boat while we fished. It's a Kelty and stands up so Abby played with some toys and watched us fish. She loved it and was quite excited to see the fishies up close.

7. Choose a spot to park where you can get out and walk around. Our spot was beautiful and very protected but it wasn't at a campsite and had a very steep hill right at shore. We were glad to be so protected when a storm came through but I but because of this I was nervous about taking Abby off the houseboat since it was a bit of a drop if I lost my balance. And there wasn't really anywhere for us to go once we left the boat. 

8. Bring a baby monitor so you can go fishing after baby is asleep. We rigged up our walky talkies so we could monitor Abby in the boat one evening. It was great to be able to get out for an hour or so and fish together. We were never out of sight of the houseboat and we knew Abby was safe so Mike and I were able to relax and enjoy some time together.

9. Make sure you bring a life jacket for baby. We provide one size keyhole life vests but not infant or children's life jackets. You'll definitely want one for swimming. If you are stopped by the safe boating team you need to have life jackets that will fit each person on board.

Highlights of the trip for me were watching Abby learn to stand up by herself at the windows, seeing her excitement over fish and worms and water and having so much time to spend with her. While Mike and I didn't get to have nearly as much together time as other years we made the most of the time we did have and I think we had a great first vacation as a family.

Riding the Dreamcatcher Express

The last two weekends have been busy but fun. The Dreamcatcher Express comes to town at this time of year and brings people to enjoy the fall colours during their trip from North Bay. They get to spend four hours in Temagami and then ride the train back to North Bay in time for supper.

We have had the privilege of driving our houseboats to provide a cruise on Lake Temagami during the Dreamcatcher for the past seven years and it has been a lot of fun. We have met so many nice people and had the chance to share what we love about our town. It's busy but a nice change from cleaning houseboats since right now we are busy getting them ready to come out of the water for another year :)

This year the fall colours have not been as spectacular in Temagami as other years but there was a nice showing in North Bay which made the train ride quite scenic.

For the first time we had the opportunity to ride the train and I have to say I was impressed. The dome car is beautiful and gives a great view of the scenic beauty you are traveling through. We saw four great blue herons on our trip back to North Bay and on two other mornings the travelers saw a moose. The entertainment car is spacious and the music had everyone's feet tapping.

Little Abby loved her first train ride and it made us want to travel by train again. It was so relaxing and we could all take in the view instead of keeping our eyes on the road and watching for dangers along the way. We took Abby for walks up and down the aisles and it was easy to amuse her. She made friends with a little boy on the trip. They played peek-a-boo between the window and the seats for at least 45 minutes. It was so cute to watch. Abby's ears perk up now whenever she hears the train go through town.

Abby and I go geocaching

I've been looking forward to trying to find a cache for months now. I was going to go in May but first it snowed, then it rained and then things just got busy... Today I decided that we were going to go no matter what. And then I realized why I hadn't gone before now as it got later and later in the day. When my little girl decided she was not going to nap this afternoon I seized the opportunity.

I wanted to try what looked like a nice easy cache for our first one and went to the picnic area at Net Lake. Believe it or not I have never stopped there before. I was surprised by how busy it was and I quickly wished I'd brought a little picnic for us to enjoy. We always went on picnics with my family and I have lots of great memories of enjoying the outdoors and family and great food. As Abby gets bigger I'm sure we'll head back here for a picnic or two.

I got out our little yellow Garmin Gecko 101 and Abby was immediately interested. Yellow is her favourite colour and there were buttons to push! As we followed the arrow to the cache I

discovered that the pipeline passes through the area and there is a well used ATV trail on it. We followed the trail until the GPS showed us that the cache was off the trail. Now this was something I was not prepared for. Carrying an eight month old baby and wandering through the bush was not an easy task. I was worried about the branches hitting her face so I was moving slowly. Unfortunately, our little Gecko needs movement in order to work properly and in the bush it just didn't go very well. Judging from the comments on Geocaching.com I spent a bit too

much time in the bush and overshot it. I know I was close. I could see where others had also searched for this cache. I probably almost stepped on it.

We did have a lot of fun. Abby discovered leaves

and needles and tree trunks and ferns. We also saw a family of almost grown grouse. I'm sure they thought we were chasing them as we went round and round looking for the cache. We had to give up because it was supper time and almost bedtime for a little girl who hadn't wanted to nap. Maybe when Abby is a bit bigger we'll try this one again when she can help me search for the cache and I don't have to worry about her so much. I can see this being a lot of fun with our little girl in a couple of years!

Grocery News

We are very excited that our grocery store has reopened. It is now under the name Our Daily Bread. As with most new beginnings it takes a while to get everything running smoothly, however things are coming together nicely.

If you went grocery shopping in town the first few weeks after the store opened you may have been surprised by what you didn't find. The stock was quickly bought up by our enthusiastic town visitors. It was great to see how quickly inventory could be turned around in our little community.

All of the basics are there: bread, milk, eggs, meat, ice cream and ice (in the middle of summer when it's 30C these are staples), and dry goods can all be found on the shelves. You won't find three different brand names of each product for comparison shopping but you will find what you need as you shop the aisles.

There is a good selection of fruits and vegetables which are grown right here in Ontario making them nice and fresh when they arrive. The meat is also grown and processed locally either in Warren by Creative Meats or by our butcher, Norm Lacroix.

Nine months without a grocery store in town certainly made us appreciate the convenience of being able to run to the store to pick up what we need. We hope that Our Daily Bread has a successful season and will be around for many years to come.

Hike to High Rock

A few years ago my sister and I had a chance to take a trip on one of our houseboats. We have lots of special memories from those few days. We swam and fished and roasted marshmallows and laughed and explored. All in all it was a great weekend.

It was my first experience houseboating without my husband who has grown up on Lake Temagami and driving boats. It was fun to get to be a tourist for once and explore somewhere I had never been.

We decided to go to Cross Bay to a campsite that turned out to be perfect for one houseboat and two sisters to have a weekend getaway. We dubbed it 'Sisters' Sanctuary'. One of the reasons we had chosen that location was because I wanted to hike up High Rock. We towed a 14' boat behind the houseboat so we could easily get to the landing for the hike since I didn't know my way. While we were there someone came along with a pontoon boat so I'm sure we could have driven the houseboat right there. The dock was a bit worse for wear but maybe someone has fixed it up a bit since then.

The hike itself was not too hard. There were a couple of spots that were steep but it wasn't so hard that we couldn't visit as we walked. This is a well traveled trail so you don't need to worry that you might lose your way.

The big boulder was along the trail and left us wondering what had made it stop there instead of continuing down the slope. The other two pictures give you an idea of the view from the top. High Rock is located at the hub of Lake Temagami and in one picture you can see some of Temagami Island and just a few of the many island that dot the lake. I would highly recommend this hike because it doesn't require you to be a great athlete and because of the fantastic view. Bring some water to drink and even a picnic if you want and definitely bring your camera.

Night skies

Ever since I was a kid I've enjoyed watching the night sky. I grew up in Northern Ontario on a farm. With the lights of the nearest town miles away we had the perfect location for seeing the night sky in all its beauty. We used to take our sleeping bags out on our front lawn for the night just so we could watch the stars until we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer.

Now I live in Temagami and we don't really have a lawn to sleep on but I still love to watch the stars in the night sky. Really I don't think anything compares with a clear sky on a moonless night on Lake Temagami. Far from the bright lights of the city the countless stars shine brightly. Something I never had a chance to see on the farm was the reflection of the stars on the water on a calm night. I think those calm nights are now my favourite to be watching the stars move across the sky.

Mid-August is a great time for stargazing with the Perseid meteor shower peaking Aug 12-13 this year. There can be up to 50 meteors an hour during this time. Unfortunately this year the full moon is on the 13th but the weeks leading up to it should have a good showing of meteors in the hours before dawn.

If you want to watch the planets bring along your telescope and check out which ones will be in the sky while you are in the area. www.nightskyinfo.com or www.stardate.org might be helpful to you if you don't already have a sight that you check to see what is interesting in the night sky.

Also keep your eyes open for the Northern Lights. If you are on the lake shortly after a solar flare you may get the treat of watching them dance across the sky.

Campfires and water levels

It's funny that just last week we were starting to talk about how dry it was. Now it feels like the rain just keeps coming although we certainly haven't had as much as southern Ontario or Manitoba. All this rain is good news for a couple of reasons.

For starters it means there is no fire ban yet this year. So when you are thinking about your houseboat vacation plan to relax around a campfire while enjoying marshmallows and bannock or hobo pies. There are fire pits at most campsites and dead falls and branches which can be cut up for firewood. Make sure your water buckets are ready to put out any flames that may escape. When you have a campfire please be sure you put it out ... and then put it out again so that there are no coals to flare up and cause problems after you have left.

A lot of people have been asking how high the water levels are this year. Lots of rain this spring means that the water levels are normal for this time of year. That is good news since last year was so dry and many shoals were surprisingly close to the surface. For those of you who have been coming for years this means that you can go to all of your favourite haunts without worrying about what surprise rocks might be lurking just below the surface. For those who are new to Lake Temagami this means that the shoal maps are accurate, making navigation easier.

The rain combined with cool nights means that the water has taken longer to warm up and the smallmouth bass spawn is later than usual. The little guys in our boat ramp have just risen up off the nest. So although bass season opened on Saturday it would be wise to not fish the shorelines for them just yet since they are still protecting their little ones from predators.

Of course lots of rain also means that there are some bugs around but bring your bug jackets, citronella and bug spray and you'll still be able to enjoy being outside.

Gearing for Spring - Hook, Line, and Sinker

This is probably the top necessity for my tackle box - a snelled hook, a small sinker, swivel, and a small bobber that is just enough to keep the gear afloat without giving too much resistance when a fish comes along to bite and start swimming away. Likewise, the sinker should just be enough to do the job, while not giving the fish too much to think about when they are biting.

I use this setup extensively, sometime with a bobber for bass or for hunting the sides of weed beds with a worm or minnow, and often with a bobber just to cast and let the worm sink to the bottom, then holding my rod high to discourage snags, and giving a slow and steady pull to let the worm jump off the bottom before letting it settle back down and reeling in the excess line created by the pull.

This method works great for bass and pickerel. I've often found a hotspot while trolling, and then hanging around that spot casting worms. It also works well around beaver huts and weedbeds, or when you are getting busy with BBQing supper on the houseboat. Throw out a line with a bobber and watch for those bass to come along.

With this combo, you are always ready to fish. I've dropped the weight and just let a minnow swim around on the hook by a beaver hut with great results too. Change up your methods and try different techniques to hook those fish.

One tip, if casting with worms, check your worm after every 5th cast or so and make sure it isn't about to rip. Often I've watch worm land in one spot and hook in another because the casting was too hard on the worm's body. I like to leave a lot of the worm to trail behind the hook so it looks like a leech swimming through the water. Cast as smooth and gentle as you can and your worm will last a long time, with a few adjustments on the position of the hook. When I get back into fishing, I'll make a video of the worm hooking method I use. Fishing season is only a couple weeks away!

Gearing for Fishing - Williams Wobbler

The Williams Wobbler is a classic spoon that can be used a variety of ways. I tend to pull mine out in the summer when fishing weed beds and want to see what is around. They are successful jigs, can be used for casting, and used as a substitute for live bait behind trolling rigs like hammers or "Christmas Trees" when trolling for trout.

Although I've focused mostly on spring gear and I use this mainly in summer, it deserves a mention as one of those lures I'd like in my box if I had to choose my top ten. Casting off the dock has netted me whitefish, pike, bass, and walleye. Casting by weed beds often bring a pike in if there is one around. Sometimes I'll use a Williams to bring fish in, then follow up with a minnow or worm on a hook. One thing is for sure, that flashing attracts fish. There is no reason why trolling a Williams in spring wouldn't net a trout as well while they are up high. Once they go deep, you'll need lead core or a downrigger to get down to them.

A quick tip on use when casting - you'll have to give them some time to sink towards bottom. When you reel in, some of the best action is to jerk them forward, then reel in slowly as you bring your rod back, letting the lure flutter back down towards bottom, then jerking again to bring the lure in. This jerk-flutter-jerk-flutter action mimics a minnow that is injured and shooting forward, then sinking, then shooting forward. Nothing attracts a fish like an injured minnow. You can get fish just using the slow and constant reel in method, but adding the jerk and flutter gives the lure that much more action and some of those lazier fish.

Gearing for Fishing - Hot N Tot

Today I want to look at another lure that might find its way into several tackle boxes, the Hot N Tot by Storm Lures. I first tried one of these out last year and found it well liked by most species of fish. It does have a deeper range than the previously mentioned Rapala and is not suited well to very shallow shorelines. The depth range on the box says 8-15 feet, and given I bounced bottom when trying it in some 6 foot trolling territory, I would say it is fairly accurate, unless you keep it reigned in and your pole raised.

I pulled this one out in late spring when fishing the real shallow spots for walleye became too difficult with the numerous smallmouth bass nests and weeds starting to infest the area. Other anglers that fish slightly deeper areas than I do in the spring start out with the Hot N Tot right away. I know when I tried one at the end of June for walleye I caught two pike within minutes. My father-in-law

used one I got him for his birthday in about 20-30 feet in the early spring and caught lake trout simply trolling around.

Overall, the Hot N Tot seems to be an all around go getter. I'm not sure if there's anything available in Lake Temagami that wouldn't take one. As with the Rapala lineup, there are many different color options. I have used my silver and black mostly, while my father in law has a silver and blue with some red that he was getting his trout on. Mine has seen walleye, pike, bass, and I believe a whitefish. Once again, don't be afraid to switch up colors if one isn't working.

The lures by Storm can be found at Walmart, as well as other tackle shops. Walmart doesn't carry as much in the line of colors, at least the one I was in. They tend to be cheaper than a Rapala, but they also don't have the durability. Mine still works, but as you can probably see by the picture, the paint has worn, both from hooks scraping it and from fish teeth. Still, it performs, and might be good if you are looking to hit that 8-25 foot range on a budget.

I did pick up a Storm Thunderstick, rated for 2-7 feet, which I look forward to trying this spring to see how it compares to the Rapala. It is similar in look, and I hope it has the same attraction that the Hot N Tot has. Until next week!

Geocaching in Temagami

I won't lie, I have not as of yet actually been geocaching. Until two weeks ago I had only heard of it but never considered trying it. I guess I didn't think there would be a lot of caches around and we didn't own a handheld GPS the last time I heard about geocaching.

I was very surprised to do a search and discover that there are 29 of them within 20 miles of the town of Temagami! I enjoy doing things outside and hiking through the bush. I've always loved a treasure hunt so this has me quite excited for nice weather and spring to come so I can try finding them. Imagine, a treasure hunt that anyone in the world can find. Someone had a really good idea :)

There is one quite close by on the way up to the fire tower somewhere so I hope to try looking for it this week if the weather cooperates. Unfortunately they are calling for wet cold weather for the next few days so it may have to wait. I'll post my adventure here once it happens and let you know if it really is as much fun as I think it will be.

A lot of the caches are located on Lake Temagami itself and would be a lot of fun to try finding while houseboating. I wish I'd known about this earlier: so many 'treasures' I could have already found!

If anyone is reading this who has never tried geocaching and thinks it sounds fun check out www.geocaching.com. You can create a free membership and find the coordinates and clues for caches in the area of the lake you are interested in traveling while on vacation.

If it really is fun I hope that we'll be able to do a bit of caching when we go houseboating in June. Abby loves being outside so as long as the bugs aren't too bad I know she will love the walk in the bush even if she is too young to know what we are doing.

We're tossing around the idea of creating a series of caches for our customers to find in 2012. If enough people are interested we'll put something together. We're thinking of making it a series of puzzle caches where you need to find all of the caches to get the pieces to the puzzle. If you return to base with the puzzle solved then you get a prize. Does this sound interesting to anyone? Let us know!

Rapalas - Colors and Models

There are many, many different colors in the Rapala lineup. You can browse colors and they've even got a nice video of the lure action you can see on the product page here : http://www.rapala.com/products/lures/original_floater/

As I said before, I've used these lures over a long period, and they continue to perform very well. If I'm trolling shallow shoreline, most likely that is what is on my line. I tend to stick to black and silver, but I've had very good luck with blue top and chartreuse, especially in darker water. I've been to lakes that are cloudy and you can't see bottom easily in 8 feet of water on a sunny day, and had good luck fishing walleye at that time with a chartreuse Rapala. A friend of mine always seems to end up with a pike when he puts on blue. Just like jig heads, feel free to test out different colors - you never know what mood the fish are in, and often one color will perform better than another on a given day.

Likewise, Rapala offers different models with regards to size and number of treble hooks. I tend to like the bigger two and smaller three hook models. I don't like fishing with huge lures, because I've never had trouble getting big fish on smaller bait, so why limit yourself and risk not catching a smaller fish as well? The smaller fish taste better usually anyway!

If the fish are slow, you might want to try something with a rattle or maybe a jointed. I've swapped between jointed and straight floater and found them equally performing. Both provide good action, although the jointed tends to have a bit more pull on the line while trolling.

Regardless of spring, summer, or fall, the Rapala always gets wet at some point when I'm fishing, and has netted me many walleye over the course of my years fishing. They do great with bass and pike as well, and I've caught the occasional surprise whitefish while fishing a 30 foot bay too. Don't think of them as just trollers either - I've used mine to get bass from out of structure by just playing them on the surface of the water close to shore while casting. They can be ackward to cast though, and tend to snag your line in the air, so it can take some patience and failed casts.

One last thing on Rapalas. They are durable. Yes, they will get mangled in time, and I have a couple that have seen pike and walleye aplenty, and show it in teeth marks, but the paint is still good and doesn't scratch off easily. One thing - don't let them dangle in the water as you go from spot to spot at high speed - you will tear off the plastic dive scoop. Treat them well, and your Rapala will likely serve you until a fish or underwater structure steals it.

Next week I'll visit Storm Lures Hot N Tot and discuss some pros and cons for walleye using those.

Spring Fishing Gear Tip - Rapalas

Every fisherman has their set of "must haves" for their tackle box. Sure, they might be hidden among the other tackle that piles up over the years as gifts, fads, and experimentation... But these lures are the ones that, if the tackle box was lost to the bottom of the lake by accident, and you had to replace tackle on a budget, they would make the first round of lures and gear from the tackle shop.

I have my go to lures as well, and I will attempt to show a few of them to you each week leading up to the start of the spring fishing season, when I hope I can bring a bit more "live action" tips of the week to you as well. Hopefully I'll be able to bring you a new tip each week of the year, but please understand, things do get busy and I might miss a week here or there in the process.

This week I want to look at a lure that has been around for a long time, the Rapala. I remember fishing with these 25 years ago, and not much has changed in the design since then. But then, why change something that works... The floating Rapala is one of my first lures to get wet in the spring, hunting for the Walleye along the shorelines in the bays where streams present a spawning site that they will have gathered weeks before to lay their eggs.

I usually hunt for a 6-8 foot depth along the shoreline and strive to keep that depth by weaving further or closer to shore. Sometimes with a sudden rise you'll hit as high as 4 feet. A small boat really helps in these types of areas, easy to manoeuver where you need to go.

The floating Rapalas offer the ability to stay shallow. If you hit a sudden rise, you can easily lift your fishing pole high and have the lure climb to a shallow depth usually before your lure reaches it. If you figure your target is close to shore in shallow water, the floating Rapala will hug it for you, and offer some great natural swimming action to entice your prey. Having a medium-light action rod and lightweight (6-8 pound test) line will help you feel bottom during darker fishing hours and react to those times when bottom reaches up to grab at your lure. I've found often a quick lift of the pole will save your lure from a snag, and it helps to let your pole drift back as well, lowering the speed your lure is travelling while minimizing the chance it will grab something with a hook, and letting it rise both with line lift and its natural floating ability.

Next week I'll talk a bit more about different color and model options within the Rapala family.

Announcing our new arrival

It's been a while since I've posted anything on our blog. But our lives have definitely been a little busier than usual. It's amazing what the arrival of a baby in the family can do to change your whole idea of what must be accomplished each day. For me, computer time has definitely been low on the list of things that has to be done. I'd much rather be spending time with our little honey or doing the things that simply must be done so we can eat and have clean clothes to wear :)

On November 22 we welcomed our baby girl, Abigail Joy into our family. It's been an exciting two months of getting to know her. She's a very social little girl who doesn't want to miss a thing. Even on her first day in the big world she was awake almost the whole day. It seemed like she didn't want to miss any of her visitors. She simply cannot fall asleep as long as there are new things to see. She does not like to be alone and easily falls asleep in her crib as long as

someone is holding her hand. When we talk to her she smiles and it lights up her whole face. We wouldn't trade her for anything. We are very thankful that she was born at this time of year so we can enjoy so much time with her.

We all enjoyed Christmas together with Abigail being the center of attraction of course. Peter and Annemarie had a hard time leaving for Florida this year but with the wonders of modern technology they can see her almost every day via Skype.

For those of you who are reading this blog and planning to come houseboating this summer I'm sure you'll get to see our little bundle of joy either in the office or out around the houseboats somewhere. We look forward to seeing you and introducing you to our little girl.