The parallel swim gets easier....

Please look at the bottom for the best ever photo of Nelson with his first catch from the Persian Gulf. Yesterday we traveled again with our Irish friend, Richard, in search of surf, sand and FISH. :) In spite of a very brisk wind which meant we had to monitor visibility to make sure we could find out way out of the dunes, it was a very pleasant day. Plenty of sun, plenty of waves and plenty of fish, even though Nelson and Richard went 1-1. Nelson caught a nice queen fish, while Richard caught a nice king fish. That made a nice pair! The awesome part of the fishing was just about dusk when the big fish starting coming in to shore literally riding the waves as they made their charges on the schools of fish which, by the way, make the water look as it's boiling. The big fish lined up in the waves to make their rush and it was a sight to behold. They are absolutely beautiful, especially when the sun glints on them just right. We were almost ready to leave when another group came in and Nelson tossed out his line. They seemed to disappear and then suddenly, there they were again and Nelson reeled as fast as he could. The fish took a good hold, hooking itself deep in the throat and, despite plenty of splashing and flipping and jumping out of the water, Nelson was able to land him. I jumped up and down and cheered him on to success. It was just as exciting watching it (however, I want my own fishing pole now!). :) It was a fabulous day with plenty of reading and relaxation and a brief snooze in my chair. I even got a chance to get in the water, swim, and ride the surf a bit which was awesome. The waves were strong enough to knock me down. The nearby dunes are reminiscent of Lake Michigan, especially around Sleeping Bear Dunes, but the salt water I swallowed quickly reminded me of the difference. However, the waves are nowhere near as magnificent and large as the waves we get on the Big Lakes. Another trip is planned for this weekend. I'll hope to have some more photos to share. I may have to go back to Live Journal as I can't post a series of photos here and can't figure out how to use the Slideshow feature. Keep in touch, write or call! 61 days to home!!
Maggie