I will dig back into my memory for my very favourite time with my dad.
The age I was during the time of this memory is very vague to me at the moment.... maybe 7 yrs old? We were camping in our truck and camper, with our good friends the McKinney's. Jim and Linda were really good friends of my mum and dad, hunting/fishing buddies actually. They had 2 boys, Grant and Paul. G was my age and P was my brother Kelly's age, or very close anyway. My geographical memory is void of any particular point on the map, but the event is VERY clear.
We were trout fishing at a lake somewhere on Vancouver Island. Trout fishing had already become one of my favourite pastimes by the age of 7. It remains so to this day...close to 38 years later...oops, telling on myself again!
For some reason my brother was not out in the boat with us, the only people I really remember out their were Jim, my dad, and me. This may not be accurate, bear with me...the cobwebs also serve as clear memory blockers!
We had been out in the boat for quite some time, I remember this as I had had utilize "the coffee can"...yeah, boat lingo for "biffy"! A distinct recollection is being aware of how unfair it was that the males in the boat could so easily express themselves (smirk) by just standing at the front of the boat and letting loose! Today there is a phrase that resembles "***** envy" ...LOL...I think you get the idea.
As far as my memory serves, and on this I am POSITIVE...I was the only one in the boat to catch any fish. Darkness was falling, rain was falling, and I was slaying trout! WOO HOO! Good times.
Eventually we found our way back to ground zero, I felt victorious. What a great experience. In that moment, a stone was laid solidly in the foundation of my life.
Through out the years we spent a lot of time out in the bush, or at black powder rendezvous, climbing down the side of many a dirt road or highway to get to a potential fishing spot.
Those are the memories I cherish. That is the gold I store up.
My daughter is expecting my first grandchildren, yes that was plural. Twins, we know that one is a boy for sure, the other one was a little more discreet... so for now...baby A and baby B. I look forward with great anticipation to sharing that story and others with them. It is part of the legacy I hope will carry on. There is a very good chance of that happening since their mum's dad is also a great outdoorsman.
(this photo is a couple of years old...my daughter Julia (mum to be), Me, my daughter Chelsea, and my dad)Gratitude for those priceless moments, that have paved the way for other priceless moments to come~that is what I am thinking about today.
Thanks Dad, I love you.
