Worm Hunting

For the past two weeks Texas has been nothing but rain and hot. I guess April showers do bring Mayflowers. But with each night more thunderstorms roll into town bringing memories of the past to life. An Earth worm lay confused in the man made domain of the parking lot.


As the black Wisconsin air lit up with the force of thousand flash bulbs while god finished his last round at Ledge view Lanes. Misty hid behind the toilet shaking, praying in doggy language for god to get his perfect 300 game over with already, Jennie and I had work to do.

“Quick Jennie go downstairs to the fishing room and grab the worm box, its sprinkling out now, I'll get the flashlights”......
“Turn on the outside lights so we can see better”.....

The air smelling of mold and water, only seemed to encourage us on our Ultimate Endeavor for the Ultimate Bass Bait. Working around the red sandbox home to more castles and tunnels then Europe, at the feet of the swing set, digging in the rose Garden and finally the cloths line hole. The cold mud seeped through the gaps between our toes as there was no point in getting our shoes all dirty and get in trouble for tracking it all through the kitchen.

Still flashing through the slim slips of the red fence the storm passed on creating more fish bait for all children everywhere.
“I bet I have more then you”.......

But the best place was on the edge of the driveway and the back yard, where the the brown snakes wondered from their dirt caverns to the man made rock. Makes for easy picking by the mentally superior Human. Plus in the grass you had to be fast those slippery slimes could easily escape down the whole they came. Dad had thought us a trick, get as close as you can before you try to grab them. Still somehow when Daddy would join us on the hunt he always seemed to get the most even if we did know his tricks.

“If you turn your flash light off and then turn it back on quick you can get more”...

Heads down focusing on our narrow flashlight beams, feet covered in mud, and soaking wet one by one our small styrofoam boxes soon crawled with big fat juicy fish bait.

Its amazing how the simple things in life when you are young can mean that much, standing outside in the rain with you sister picking up germ infested night crawlers. Sometimes I think the world would be a better place if adults listened to their kids.