Ninja Raphael, Batman, & Tigger Syndicate

Watch out, Joker, Shredder, and Tiger prey. These guys look like they mean bizness. Where are my Milk Duds?

October at Chicago Botanic Garden

The First Fish

By Xavier and Grandpa


The evening chill was about to attack, and the fish were hungry. Worms were in short supply. The fish kept getting away, but the intrepid fisherman Xavier wouldn’t give up. Anticipating a dark night and a clear sky, Xavier and about three other fishermen kept their rods zinging and their hopes high.

It was a hopeful cast, and a jerky jiggling reel of the line, when bam! The monster struck. Xavier fought the behemoth with all his might. It was nip and tuck. The leviathan did not scare Xavier, and it did not pull him into the murky water. The courageous fisherman prevailed, and he landed his prize fish quickly.

It was the first fish Xavier ever caught… ever. But, it was not the last. Within five minutes, with night threatening, Xavier landed his second lifetime record fish. It was a gigantic bluegill, struggling and flipping trying to leap back into the water. Xavier hung on valiantly until the bluegill relented.

And that’s the way we’ll remember it forever.