In the day light, everything is so beautiful but at night when the sun goes down over the hill; a beautiful sun set appears and another day on the lake is over.

It is really weird, you can wake up in the middle of the night and look out your window and you will see a beautiful array of lights. They seem to look like they float along the water. They glow like long white tubes, short white lights with purple small lights on either side and sometimes just a small white light with a red one behind it.

The best I think is one large light shining up at the sky and every now and then you see a face peering at you in the darkness. Of course they are lights on fishing boats.

You see sometime I sneak outside to watch them float by. You also see lights and sometimes hear voices. It depends on which way the wind is blowing.

I ask the Hubby, why in the heck are these boats roaming around on the lake in the middle of the night? Boats running up and down the lake like they are looking for something. . He merely mentions that it’s a “Fishing Tournament tonight”! Of course he states this like he knows everything. I told him how was I to know, I just learned to fish, why would I know anything about tournaments.

I hate to say this but I don’t think I am ready to be in a tournament yet, especially if it takes running around in the middle of the night trying to catch fish. I told the Hubby, “I’m afraid I need my beauty sleep too much”. He agreed with me when I made that statement. Guess what, that went over like a “lead balloon” with me. Sometimes I would like to love his neck so hard, his eyes would pop out! But then who would I have to argue with?

Men, we don’t know what to do with them and we certainly can’t do without them especially me, I can’t because I haven’t learned how to drive the fishing boat yet. I got a feeling I better be good to the Hubby or he won’t teach me either. Sometimes he let me know who owns the boat also!

Well, once again, I started wandering so I will get back to the subject. For a long time I could not understand why on earth the fishmen were in such a hurry. Nobody was going to take the water out of the lake and certainly there were enough fishing spots to go around for everyone who wanted to fish. Once again, the Hubby had to inform me that they needed to get to that favorite spot before someone else did because they wanted to catch the best and biggest fish. The Hubby finally informed me that “MONEY” was involved. Ask me if that “blew me away”. I couldn’t imagine winning money for doing something you enjoy doing. It seems like money always makes people rush. The hubby just looked at me rolled his eyes and got that expression like I might have come from Mars! You know how men can give you THAT LOOK sometimes. You just want to scream. He really hurt my feelings bad when he said, “you are such a city slicker”. I thought to myself, how are you supposed to know everything the minute you move to the lake? You see that is why I continue to write this column, I want all you ladies out there to know everything I know. Now that I have written that down, I have to admit I don’t really know everything. Sorry about that. Especially you that have been here a long time and have gained plenty of knowledge by learning it the hard way.

Have you noticed lately that it seems like I am writing this column to all the ladies, sorry men! I just don’t have a lot of experience in things men do around the lake.

I will get back to the subject again. One night I was washing dishes and I shouted to the Hubby to come see this car that seemed to be driving on the lake. You see those “head lights” coming across the lake? He just flat out said “you ding bat”, that is a boat with its “docking lights” on so he can see how to dock his boat but I told him he just went right on down the “freeway”, that is what I call the lake. He didn’t try to dock his boat. Of course the Hubby had to inform me that that is a NO..NO. You only turn your docking lights on when you are going to dock. Well, ladies, I am sure that is the very thing you wanted to learn today.

Then one night, I woke him up to see this boat in the middle of the lake that had a big “star” on the top and these small fireworks flying off the side. I asked the Hubby, “What on earth is going on out there”? This time he was really angry because I had woke him up, he said, “ the star was only a decoration and the fishermen on the boat were using floaters with battery generated lights in them so they could see if they were getting a bite or not.

Well, I sneaked out side again; I could hear just a little too much laughter for it to be a serious fishing trip. It seemed they were having a little bit too much fun rather than fishing. Do you get my drift? I am beginning to believe I might like to try one of those night fishing trips. But it just occurred to me, how are you going to concentrate on fishing if you are busy laughing and having fun. The Hubby always told me to “shut up and fish”, he had to concentrate. After discussing the “night fishing party” with him, he said “girl, you have trouble fishing in the day light. I really don’t think you are ready for night fishing yet”

I had a friend come by one Friday night just about dark and he fished until the early hours of the morning off our dock. You know he caught just as many off the dock as I’m sure all those guys out there did that were running up and down the lake ninety to nothing. Of course he wasn’t interested in a prize or money, he was just looking for some good old fish to take home and cook for supper.

Once again, nothing beats a great fish fry with lots of beans and corn bread. Well, that is one subject I have never touched on. Old Tulip Green can cook. Just ask me and I will brag about my cooking. That is one subject the Hubby has to say AMEN to. One of these days, I will just have to share a recipe or two with you.

But until then, live life as fast as you can!