Hunter Gatherer

So it occurred to me recently that although my blog is entitled Maternal Tales from the South Coast, I haven't yet made any reference to the fact that we live by the sea. You know how it is... when you wake up every day to the cry of the seagulls and the sound of the waves, you just sooooo take it for granted darling! Add to this the fact that my husband has been badgering me to mention him in a good light and not just as the long-distance object of a daily rant, you'll understand why this post is my little homage to the South Coast and a wonderful husband.

So a couple of years ago when I was pregnant with Edie (sorry - don't think I can write a whole post without mentioning pregnancy or childbirth - it never quite leaves you, you know?!), I had a little bit of a nesting instinct and decided that we absolutely, more than anything, needed to move. My criteria - more bedrooms and a larger garden. My husband's criteria - to be close enough to the sea that he would (a) be able to hear it and (b) be able to carry his kayak to it. Funnily enough, not actually that easy. I'd like to say that my husband is a sea man through and through, but he's not. He's actually a mountain man, from the Alps. But in the absence of any mountains larger than...well in the absence of any mountains at all, he's very much a sea man (when he's around, that is)!

Anyway, without boring you with too many details on gazzumping and gazzundering (yes I didn't know the word existed either until it happened to us), or moving with a 2-week old baby and toddler (good timing hey?) - we did indeed find our perfect house with a bigger garden, more bedrooms, and...you've guessed it...a proximity close enough to the sea so my husband wouldn't collapse under the weight of his kayak before his feet were even wet.

And now with temperatures rising just a little above freezing, hubby (or JP - let me introduce him) is a happy Frenchman because after months of waiting he can finally paddle off into the sunset. But paddling is not all he does in his bright yellow sea contraption. No my dear friends, hard as it is to believe, he is a male multi-tasker! He is also able to fish from it! So imagine my delight when over the past couple of days he has returned, laden with the scumptious delicacy that is Sea Bass. On the first day he managed to catch 3 rather fine specimens and I was impressed enough with them for it to warrant a Tweet. The very next day he returned with 7. And, please believe me when I tell you this - they were not tiddlers. They were enormous. If you want stats, I can give you this. The largest one weighed 4 and a half pounds and measured 55cm from nose to tail. I have to say I almost swooned with pride, although it could have had something to do with the fishy odours, it was hard to tell.

So that's about it really. I may moan about my husband not being around most of the time, but when he is around, he certainly makes himself useful. And if the damn recession ever hits us even more than it has done already, at least we'll be safe in the knowledge that we will never go hungry. I therefore dedicate this post to my hunter gatherer and living by the sea. Two things which make it all worthwhile.

PS - the Sea Bass was divine!