Summer Fun

[bellcon]

I love June
It is the month I was married 23 years ago and the month my first son was born.

It is the start of summer!
As we get older we need to be wary of letting the beginning of summer loose its magical touch.
We “grow-up”, start working, pile on the responsibilities…and the start of summer becomes just another day.
I have fought this loss, I have stubbornly refused to let the magic of summer slip away, even if I don’t get to do the “summer vacation” from school thing anymore…
I will be damned if I am going to ever completely “grow-up”

Having a wife who loves summer and the outdoors, along with 4 kids who have been raised to spend more time outside than inside, makes it easier for me to set aside time to be a kid.

Sure I could make more money if I just worked through summer and kept my nose to the grind stone, but I was always taught to Work Hard and Play Hard.

After I had started my own business, my father saw how hard I was working and pulled me aside one day, I will never forget what he said: Don, you know you can never get back all those Saturdays you are working.

It was a couple years before I felt comfortable taking off work on Saturdays and I still find myself working 7 days a week at times, but I’m always working on a plan to PLAY HARD, and I always will.

This summer has just started yet the end of June is already here…
The Bell Clan is not wasting anytime though, we have already camped at San Elijo, and New Brighton Beach in Santa Cruz, this weekend we will be in San Mateo with a week in Catalina coming up around the corner.

I encourage you guys to get out there and grab the magic of summer, Work Hard and Play Hard. A wide open squid bite is always a fun way to spend the day (or night) and a “slam” is one hell of an accomplishment, but at the end of the day it is really all about did you have fun?
Did you play hard and have fun?

Some highlights from June 2011:


Fishing off the Palos Verdes Coast in an area doomed to close when the MLPA takes affect... yes we sometimes have WSB up north too:


Not the bait I was looking for, but a pretty little Senorita:


A nice butt from San Pedro Bay:


Some More June Fun:











Playing Hard in LJ:






I highly recommend getting up to Santa Cruz, New Brighton State Beach is one of a kind, Oh, and take your kayak!
we camped there for a week 6/19-6/26, cant wait to return:























Took a little WSB with us for taco night, thank you La Jolla!:


All good things come to an end... time to hit the road:



Like I said
all good things come to an end and June 2011 is just about over,
looks like the elusive "slam" remains elusive for me this month.
But as one good thing ends it leaves room for another good thing to start.
I was going to try and get that Yellowtail I need manana but it looks like I will have to wait until the weekend, and who knows what will happen then.

If you have stuck with this long post this far, then I hope your a little inspired to get out there and make the most of this summer...
We can still find that magic and play hard if we just allow ourselves the time.

It was said recently that I "asked the same fishing questions less than 2 years ago" as a certain newbie.
that person has his dates messed up
but it is true, I still love learning new things, experimenting and don't mind asking the silly questions.
Playing Hard and having fun is the greatest "Quid pro Quo" I can experience.