Maybe it is a result of being middle-aged, but lately I've discovered that I have developed a reluctance to try new things.

We started keeping honeybees last year and we are really enjoying our new hobby. I've decided that beekeeping is equal parts skill, luck, and art but both of our hives have survived the mild winter and we hope to harvest some honey this year. When we went to "Bee School", I was a bit overwhelmed at the amount of information we had to digest and I remarked that if I had known what I was getting into I might not have done it. Shame on me.

A lot of my friends who have read Soundkeeper have asked me when I started writing and are surprised to learn that I've been a writer for years. Like any craft, the longer you practice the better you get. As a person who has chronic issues with finishing projects, I am very pleased with myself to have written several books.

I think it is important that we finish our projects and keep starting new ones. For me, writing a book is no longer a project. Calling something a project suggests that it will be finished done day, and I don't think I will ever be finished writing.

Last year I bought a cast net. I'd always admired those who could throw a cast net and have it billow open into a perfect circle every time. I'm embarassed to admit that while I've been an angler my entire life, I never took the time to learn how to throw a net. But I did last year-and here's the proof:

And yes, I did catch some bait. Popping shrimp and shimmering minnows were in the net when I hauled it in. We didn't catch many fish that day behind Kiawah Island, but like any day on the water, it was a good one.