22 April 2013

a perfect day ~ posted by Melissa

 
Stretch.
 


 


 The early morning crisp air steals my breathe.  I yawn deeply to replenish my lungs. 

It's dawn on Pass Lake and so quiet I imagine I hear the fish waking after the stormy night.
















 
 
Here that brings bliss to my boy and his faithful companion.  There is no place else they would rather be, the two of them.
 
 
Today, my heart sings to be invited along.  To know, firsthand, why they disappear in early morning darkness, not to return til waning moments of daylight.  To see the rituals that begin even before the boat is gently lowered into the icy water.
 


 
 To hear the slap, glide...slap, glide...of the oars as we skim smoothly across the surface.
 
To witness the skill of a fly fisherman ~ casting, hooking, quickly releasing his catch in one deft, choreographed movement.
 


 
I close my eyes and I can still see it's beauty ~ this sixteen inch brown trout, with it's brilliant coppery gold skin and reddish brown dappled back.
 
For a moment it feels like the lake is ours, but the awakening day brings others to our private world.
 
 
Camaraderie replaces the peaceful silence, with calls of greeting and fish small talk passing between us and other anglers as we carefully navigate around each other.
 
The world is waking up.
 

 We notice everything around us...and everything around us notices us.

 
The wind picks up and ripples on the lake are now broken up with the patter of mid-spring rain showers.  The fish have decided on an afternoon nap.  We'll let them sleep.
 


 
We head back in and leave the lake to other boys and their faithful companions.
 
 
I set my feet on shore and stretch.  The dog and I watch our boy do his rituals in reverse, a secret smile on his face, pleased with his day.
 
 
He worries aloud that I have been bored.  I assure him otherwise.
 
I am happy to be here.
 
I am happy to be.


17 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh Melissa, this! your writing, your photos. What an absolutely gorgeous post, I think the most beautiful of yours I've seen. I was there, in the boat, feeling the cold morning, seeing the eagle, and the trout, your handsome husband...Thank you for sharing this beautiful part of your world. And I'm really glad you went, my husband used to say the same thing to me. But wasn't it awesome!? wow!

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    1. thanks for your encouragement, Lori ~ you made me cry this time

      I will be saying 'no' less ~ to adventures and to the self-doubt when it comes to jotting down some of this mumbo jumbo in my head :)

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  2. What a wonderful post. That fish is beautiful.

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    1. thanks, Eileen ~ kind of justifies the terrifying journey last weekend, don't you think? :)

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  3. Great story!


    Pass Lake is beautiful,drove by today on my way to Deception Pass Cafe,(they're closing):(.

    We are lucky to live so close for fly fishing/catch & release only. My husband tells me there aren't a lot of those kind lakes around.

    I do tease and say it's "fishing in a barrel", but I know it's not that easy.

    Tell Jason, nice fish!

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    1. thanks, Kelli ~ I'll tell him ~ he said it was good luck to have this be his first fish on the new boat (not sure why...I think he may have said that to any fish he caught!)

      bummer about the coffee shop ~ with the busy season around the corner and everything...that's too bad

      we'll have to plan a couples day on the lake ~ I've been promised rowing duties next time (very excited!) and some casting lessons...life gets even better :)

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  4. Sigh. Thank you for the vicarious fishing trip.

    Sigh. Seeing all those pictures reminds me of two wonderful summers working at a camp in the mountains; my time off would sometimes be spent alone on a rock in the middle of a stream watching the damselflies, or taking a nap on a large rock at the edge of a large pond... I love just being still. I think I was good at it; once while resting on the rock, a little boy mistook me for a dead body.

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    1. there's still and then there's too still ~ my husband & I both just burst out laughing!!!

      my husband wants to know if you were awakened by the boy or a coroner :)

      I love to be still, also ~ I don't think I've ever been lonely and I don't think I've ever been bored ~ you and I may be kindred spirits, Will

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  5. The pictures are stunning , great post. What a great morning and a fish to make it all even more wonderful.

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    1. thanks, Trudy ~ if you talk nice to your son he might take you out for a turn around the lake :)

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  6. What a great post! Loved being along for the ride and seeing what you saw through your lens :)

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    1. thanks, Karen ~ it's nice that we're able to see the places that each other live every once in a while

      I know I like taking walks with you and Frodo :)

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  7. Ah, what an amazing post! Thank you for sharing your wondeful experience with us.

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  8. I need to show this to Dave. We love Deception Pass, but he'll be impressed with Jason's amazing trout, the"pink" insect, AND especially the Eagle. Wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing. Almost feel like I was there.

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    1. I think that insect photo might be my favorite, Penny ~ there was a tiny speck of pink just up past where I could see even standing on my tip toes so I held my camera up over my head to get a photo so I could see what was up there and wow, isn't it a brilliant bug??!

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  9. Dave had not heard of Pass Lake, but he enjoyed your photos as well. Always a pleasure checking your blog, knowing you and others don't post trivia.

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