Worming Her Way In

This week while Trixie and I were fishing in the high meadows surrounding the San Luis Valley, I was reminded again how she was able to snag Ol' Dutch.

It all started so innocently three summers ago when as friends, we got so far afield that the call of nature came calling and the only facilities available was a tree in the forest. Having been married to a woman who only answered those calls on a porcelain throne, Trixie's ability to "get 'er done' while afield quickly caught my eye. Having said that, I wish now I hadn't as that just doesn't sound right. But, you all know what I mean anyway.

But regardless, it did allow us to spend more time together and that led to, well, more time together.

Fishing a high mountain lake this past week, fish were coming to my pole like fleas to a mangy dog. I had gotten separated from Trixie and the stringer so when I caught a fish, I walked over to where she was casting her fly. Now that sight alone is enough to drive any fisherman to distraction but then she pulled out all the stops. She took off my fish and put it on the stringer.

Ol' Dutch's heart just melted once again and my love for her flowed like hot fudge over soft ice cream. Dutch just can’t help but wax romantic at times like that folks.

Now I am no fool and have seen many a man tricked into some kind of commitment by a wily woman which usually leads to servitude. Ol' Dutch didn’t get foot loose and fancy free only to be herded into a corral by some conniving female wrangler. 

As a matter of fact that very thing happened to my dad. While he was dating my stepmother, she had boots and a fly rod and all the gear and went along with him UNTIL they got married. Then it all went south like the migrating cranes out of the Valley in winter.

But, back to me and Trixie. so, everything was going along fine and although highly tempted, I was still able to remain aloof enough to maintain my bachelorhood. 

Then it happened. The summer monsoons started and with it, days and days of rain which saturated the ground around the RV park. Hindsight being 20/20 what occurred next was really Cooper's fault. I always suspected he held a grudge against me for being left at home at the last wienie roast and boy did he get even.

Darkness had come and Ol' Dutch was snug in his chair and easing toward a horizontal position in his comfy bed. But Cooper had other plans. He decided that an outside tour with the bears was in order.

There was some growling involved and that was just from Ol' Dutch but finally I got up, grabbed my flashlight and off we went. In a short distance I spotted hundreds of huge fishing worms all over the ground. It seems the rains had brought them to the surface and I was so amazed I called Trixie to see the sight.

Unexpectedly, she pounced on them like a momma robin with a clatch of new chicks. Faster and faster she picked them up until her bucket was full to overflowing.

Now most of you know there is nothing sexier to a mountain man than a woman who knows how to handle a good worm. That doesn’t sound right either, somehow?

All of the things I had seen Trixie do like fishing out of a bass boat unassisted, peeing in the forest, taking my fish off the line had tempted Ol' Dutch almost to the breaking point but to pull the old “woman gathering worms ploy” was just unfair to the extreme.

I somehow made it through the night without any undue tender moments and subsequent foolish words being spoken but it was as close as a man can get to indentured servitude without going over the edge.

For now I am riding the wave again and can’t wait to see what trick she pulls out of her hat next to get Ol' Dutch under her thumb. I hear it has something to do with Peach Cobbler. Until then, I have a lasting memory of her trying to worm her way into my heart.