HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN

TODAY MY FAVORITE FISHING SPOT OPENED FOR THE SEASON AND WHAT A DAY. IT STARTED OUT KIND OF DISSAPOINTING. I GOT UP VERY EARLY THIS MORNING AND HEADED OUT THERE SO THAT MY DAD AND I COULD GET OUR FAVORITE SPOT THINKING THAT I COULD BEAT EVERYBODY ELSE. BOY WAS I WRONG. WHEN I GOT THERE I WAS AMAZED THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAD THE SAME IDEA AS I DID LOL. THE NERVE OF THESE PEOPLE GETTING UP EARLIER THAN I DID. IT WAS STILL PITCH DARK AND ALL I SAW WAS LANTERNS AND FLASHLIGHTS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE LAKE. WELL I WAS ABLE TO GET US OUR 2ND FAVORITE PLACE TO FISH. SO I UNLOADED ALL MY GEAR SO NO ONE ELSE COULD GET THIS SPOT. THEN PROCEEDED TO WAIT FOR MY DAD TO SHOW UP. WELL IT STARTED TO GET LIGHT SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GO AHEAD AND PUT A LINE IN THE WATER. THIS IS WHERE MY DAY CHANGED. I CAUGHT MY FIRST FISH OF THE SEASON AND IT WAS A GOLDEN TROUT. HURRAY THE FISHING GODS HAVE SMILED UPON ME. THEN DAD SHOWS UP AND WE GET ALL SET UP. WE START CATCHING FISH AND IT WAS GREAT. THEN I CATCH ANOTHER GOLDEN. AGAIN HURRAY. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR THE PEOPLE LEAVE FROM OUR FAVORITE PLACE AND WE MOVED THERE. I CAST OUT AND LOW AND BEHOLD GOLDEN #3. OK NOW I AM EXCITED. THEN DAD CATCHES ONE. WAY COOL IT IS TURNING OUT TO BE A GREAT MORNING.WE CATCH A FEW MORE SMALL RAINBOW TROUT AND EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL. THEN WHAMO THE WIND STARTS AND IT GETS FREEZING COLD. BUT NOT TO WORRY I AM PREPARED FOR THIS AND SO IS DAD. WE PUT ON OUR COLD WEATHER FISHING CLOTHES AND CONTINUE TO FISH. YOU CAN'T KEEP A HARD CORE FISHING GUY DOWN WITH JUST A LITTLE WIND AND COLD LOL. THINGS GET A LITTLE SLOW AND WE SIT. BUT THIS IS PART OF FISHING "PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE". IT IS PATIENCE THAT BRINGS ME GOLDEN #4. ALL AND ALL DAD AND I CAUGHT MAYBE 24 FISH BETWEEN US AND BROUGHT 8 HOME. NEXT WEEK MY AUNT KERRY AND UNCLE BUTCH ARE COMING UP AND I CAN NOT WAIT TO TAKE UNCLE BUTCH FISHING SO HE TOO CAN CATCH SOME OF THESE BEAUTIFUL FISH. HURRY UNCLE BUTCH AND AUNT KERRY WE SAVED YOU SOME.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

THE USS NEW YORK
It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"