SOMETIMES A SQUIRREL WILL miscalculate the jump from one limb to another, scramble about the sky for just long enough to realize he’s not a bat, and hit the forest floor with a thud. Without exception, he’ll right himself, look both ways, and run, as if he’s embarrassed to climb the same tree again. I’ve seen this happen on maybe a dozen occasions, and I laughed as hard the last time I saw it as I did the first time. The outdoors is full of simple entertainment that doesn’t cost you anything more than being there. Some of it might seem forgettable—until it brings a smile to your face a year later. ¶ You can’t head afield planning to see a squirrel fall from a tree, of course. But for simple folks like you and me, there are plenty of cheap thrills to be found outside that you can plan for—especially in the summertime.
SURF FISHING
Make a Scene on the Beach
My son, Anse, won’t swim in the ocean. He’s afraid of stepping on a stingray or getting stung by a jellyfish, like his uncle Matt did at his age, or, worst of all, “Ending up like that kid Alex in Jaws.” Still, he loves the beach—so long as he’s fishing, and that’s why we take an annual summer vacation to the Flora-Bama coast.
We like to do our fishing right on the beach, among the drunk and squinting tourists. Today, we create a blood-and-shrimp-spackled perimeter around Michelle’s beach umbrella.
She looks at the sandcastle equipment she brought in the beach buggy and says, “I’m