On Thursday May 3rd, the Hobart and William Smith DreamCatchers club took Skip fishing. The club piled into cars and drove out to Penn Yan to meet Skip and his significant other. They welcomed all of us into their home and proudly showed us their very own dreamcatcher, as well as the one Jan (Ontario-Yates Hospice volunteer coordinator) had given them. We grabbed all of Skip’s fishing equipment and drove down the road to a local fishing spot and set up camp. The club had shopped earlier that morning, bringing sandwiches, chips, fruit, and cookies to make a picnic while we fished. A member of our club was generous enough to lend us two fishing rods so we could fish alongside Skip. While we were fishing, Joe shared stories about his life. He explained how to catch bullhead and other fish all over the United States. Skip even said he once used poodles as bait for shark fishing but we couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Either way, Skip had a great sense of humor and loved to talk about the fish he’d caught or the lakes he’d been to. We also talked about food and Skip said he has eaten kangaroo, octopus, and more. We spent the afternoon fishing, having lunch, and enjoying the beautiful weather with Skip. He seemed to really enjoy the time outdoors in the fresh air and was glad to be back on the shoreline with a fishing rod in his hand. Jan DiDuro, the Bereavement and Volunteer Coordinator at Ontario-Yates Hospice which is a of UR Medicine Home, has been working with the DreamCatchers Club. She was kind enough to accompany us on our trip. She has also found a friend and volunteer who will be taking Skip fishing again.
