A Morning at the Creek

© shoutingforha

The boy woke up Saturday morning in search of an adventure. After pondering his options, he invited me to take a walk down to the creek. He had one thing on his mind... hunting for crayfish. I brought along my camera to capture all of the excitement.

© shoutingforha

We spent several hours exploring every nook and cranny of the winding creek. I was surprised by the frosty temperature of the water, though it was a welcome contrast to the steamy July air.

© shoutingforha

The recent lack of rainfall meant that the water level was quite low. The rocks that were still submerged were covered in thick algae. Despite his best efforts to remain on his feet, the boy took several tumbles into the water.

© shoutingforha

I was secretly glad that he decided to wear dark colored clothing. Over the years, I have realized that bleach and stain removers are powerless against the greenish-brown slime. Many favorite articles of clothing have been reduced to rags after a fall in the creek.

© shoutingforha

When I was a child, my sister and I used to catch crayfish using liver on a string. We would easily pull dozens of the tiny creatures from the water as they latched on to the hunk of meat.

© shoutingforha

My boy prefers to catch crayfish the old fashioned way... by hand. There were numerous coves and pools in the creek that were the perfect hiding places for our unsuspecting targets. The outer shells of the crayfish were the exact same color as the rocks, making them nearly impossible to see.

© shoutingforha

After turning over countless rocks, we finally hit pay dirt. The boy managed to capture two of the tiniest crayfish I have ever seen. We did catch sight of a few larger specimens, but as in all good fish tales, the big ones got away.

© shoutingforha

An unexpected rain shower brought an end to our adventure. My boy loves to be outdoors, so there will, no doubt, be countless trips to the creek in my future. Anything that allows me spend more time with my boy sounds wonderful to me.