Enjoying the joy of July 

By: Jim Brown

Here we are welcoming the arrival of one of my favorite months, the month of July. When we flip the calendar to July, it means the year is half over; we have experienced half a year already with another half to go. 

Why do I find joy in this month? Much of what I remember about July has to do with my growing-up years back home in Goldonna. Not only were at the halfway point of the year, but it meant we still had another two months before it was time to head back to school. 

July meant the fishing hole down on the creek was a busy spot for country boys like me. There was a spot on Molido creek that was the focal point of my interest. Just across the L and A railroad tracks a bend in the creek with a deep hole waited for boys to strip down to nothing and take the plunge for a swim. 

Not only was this particular spot important for swimming, the creek was home to a variety of fish, including bass, goggle eyes and chain pickerel we knew as jack fish. Before taking the plunge, we would often cast a Hawaiian wiggler into the depths of the creek and if we were lucky, a big old goggle eye or a bass would attack the lure.