Kids First
Uncle Bob’s and Aunt Ida’s house in Oroville, Ca was a popular destination for myself and several friends while stationed at MCAS El Toro near Santa Ana. We would spend time riding motorcycles, lake fishing, and traveling the local areas. Bob and Ida’s was my home away from home. Their four children had been close family to me most of my adolescent years. Their home was always a feel good place to me. Bob was working on a large project called Oroville Dam. His old working friend and partner Howard Fowler and his family were on the same project in Oroville.
Bob had an old Chevy Cameo pick-up truck with a camper shell on it. Howard and Bob both enjoyed fishing and everybody would load up in the morning and head to one of the good trout fishing lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We would spend the day picnicking, cooking, and enjoying the outdoors. The campgrounds and picnic areas always had a lot of people when the weather was nice. If the fishing was good it was hard to find an open spot to fish. Bob and Howard had figured out how to get the best fishing spots when they were ready to fish.
Bob and Howard would let the kids play around the picnic site. When fishing time stared getting close the two of them would decide exactly where they wanted to fish. They would give all nine of the kids a small fish pole and some bait. They would send the kids fishing in the place they picked. Off the kids would go hollering, yelling, and having a ball. The kids would crowd in between the people all ready fishing and start fishing too. It didn’t take long before the kids had the whole area all to themselves.
When Bob and Howard were ready to fish the kids were sent away and Bob and Howard had the best area to fish. They would laugh and joke about what a good job the kids had done clearing the area. Of course, the kids never realized they were the tool used to clear the area for Bob and Howard.
We always had fresh trout at the lake…………thanks to the kids fishing first.