Horse Lake, Wednesday Morning

It was a combination of heavy rain on the roof, bursting bladder and Gilbert whimpering to be let up on the bed with his love Laura. I had to pee.  The rain was like someone running a tap.  I let Gilbert up.  Then I peed. Then I was awake. Not happy. Awake. It’s pissing rain outside.

I know the fish are most likely biting.  I just don’t want to get wet and love the cozy comfort of my Adventurer camper.  

I’ve had two cups of espresso coffee but my mood isn’t improved.  It’s pretty now outside. All green and happy grass and forest looking. I walked the dog and it was squishy but smelled lovely. I am thankful to be back inside.  Laura says that it’s supposed to be sunny later.  If I go back to sleep I might wake up  less crotchety. I used to go hunting and fishing or assist in surgery in this state of mind.  Functional.  But why. I’ve got steaks in the fridge. It’s warm inside. I didn’t bring foul weather gear. This is my summer vacation. I have bathing suits and sun tan lotion. I’ve done my share of winter sailing. I’ve gone through the ice twice in the north, one on a skidoo and once on snowshoes.  I don’t like cold and wet. I’ve caught hundreds of fish and shoot moose. I’ve nothing to prove. 

I just don’t like on one hand that I’ve become a whimp and on the other hand I revel in it.  Apparently this is  allowed in older folk. It’s part of being older. 

I understand why the gods went into nursing homes for the clean sheets in  Douglas Adam’s, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.  I’ve become a hedonist or epicurean with age. I was such a good Stoic when I was younger. I so admired Marcus Aurelius 

Yesterday I made it out on the lake with my new skookum Colorado XT pontoon boat.  I had the Motorguide Energy  electric motor on and was trolling but couldn’t keep the rudderless boat going straight so was doing S curves ,passing my rod back and forth, such that other fisherman later laughed about the Slalom Trolling Technique.  Theoretically it would work, but it wasn’t intentional. I did a lot of donuts too trying to sort out the rudderless boat. Finally I ran out of battery power and had to row myself back at noon with winds coming up.  A few hours of entertainment and some fishing even.   

I rode the KTM 690 enduro motorcycle into town to get a battery charger from Lordco. I’d bought the  the battery the day before without thinking I’d need to recharge it.   Sometimes I don’t think things through. 

This morning I saw that my battery charger had recharged my battery. The instruction manual said the green light was ‘good to go’.  It took hours.  I’d thought of getting an electric quad for hunting but I’d only get a few hours use then with my generator needing to charge it all night. I don’t have the high speed generators that folk plug into in the city.  So I’m still loving gas.  I could have brought my Honda 2.5 outboard but I thought this lake only allowed electric.  Not true. I love my little Honda and all I’d have needed yesterday was a little tank like we always take when we go fishing for back up.  The oars worked.  I needed the exercise. But my shoulder’s are still hurting today.  

What I really want to do is ride my motorcycle into the back woods to try out my new Chiappa Double Badger, a 2 barrel, over under 22 LR and 20 Guage shot gun. 2 separate triggers for the single shots.  It’s folding so I can carry it on my motorcycle on the back trails. I usually see the grouse in the woods and shoot them with a head shot with the 22 but if I miss, it flies up or a second flies up ,I have the 20 guage.  Nothing I love more than grouse hunting.  Delicious little chickens. I cube the breast and slow fry it in butter and marmalade. Mmmmm.

I also bought Merrel waterproof sandals. They are like the Teva’s I had white water canoeing.  I’ve Keen’s leather sandals which I love but they’re not suited for the wet as much as the Merrell and Teva.  I bought Laura a pink Swiss Army Knife and Gilbert some pepperoni. For a guy who wanted to be in the wilds I’ve sure enjoyed the exhilarating high speed back roads motorcycle rides to and from 100 mile House. I love 100 mile House.  Great town. Great people. Everything a person could want in the middle of God’s country.  

I’ve been enjoying photography.  Bonaparte Gulls, Bank Swallows, Mallard Ducklings and Greater Scaup family.  The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is turning out to be the best little bird camera I’ve ever had.  I loved the iPhone camera for city, people and architecture photography in India last year.  I remember my first Nikon 500 telephoto lens.  At the time I liked writing and sitting in outdoor cafe’s in foreign countries snapping pictures surreptitiously of people going about their normal routines.  I have some especially memorable shots from Mexico, a group of children getting water in a bucket from the village wel. .  Another memorable shot was in south France, a man shoeing a donkey attached to a cart beside a new black mercedes.  That was when I was interested in publishing photography and stories nationally and internationally. 

 That was before I joined the Canadian Author’s Association and discovered the blog. I enjoy this writing and putting photographs up on the same day. It’s like the crack cocaine experience for writers and photographers. I’ve joined photographs together with my thoughts, a journal of sorts mostly. It’s in someway reminiscent of the  newspaper column my mom wrote, her thoughts on gardening, raising kids, community events.  She wrote. Dad took pictures and the sons and grandson’s continue to be photographers. 

I really have enjoyed the bird photography here.  I just take my camera along when I’m walking Gilbert. He’s enjoying it here and loves our walks together.  It’s peaceful.  Even today, a rainy overcast day, it’s beautiful. I love looking out the window of the camper at all the green and nature.  The mist is rising over the lake and clouds are hanging in the hills. I’ve begun an exciting western and figure I’ll climb back in bed with Laura and Gilbert to read, maybe even nap.  Gilbert got me up, made me walk him and now he’s back in bed asleep.  Typical dog.  

Bonanza Cariboo Resort, Horse Lake, God’s Country

Another morning wakening in paradise. I’ve just had the taste of childhood summer holidays. That endless time of infinite possibilities.  Then  I’d wake to explore on my bicycle. I’d catch shrimp in ponds for my tropical fish. I’d hike with friends. We skipped so many stones on lakes. I hunted sea shells, identified rocks, and trees and birds. We fished. Mom was always there at noon and night with wholesome food.  She was smiling always except in the rain when I’d be home “underfoot’. I read so many books.  She and my brother and I made weekly excursions to the Fort Garry lending library bringing home a half dozen books each. The Springer Spaniel  was always happy. Dad was working during the week but on weekends we’d go fishing. Then there’d be the annual 2 week road trip.   We travelled once to the Atlantic and with Aunt Sally along once made it to the Pacific.  Lots of song and laughter and night time family conversations around the campfire roasting marshmallows.

Now here I am an adult and it’s just like summer holidays. Laura and I are big kids with a little cockapoo Gilbert.

The weather is perfect. Sunshine with occasional showers. We watch the weather roll in across the lake.  There’s RV’s and campers about but everyone is self contained, non intrusive, respectful. Old people, young people, little children.  I chatted with my neighbour from White Rock yesterday.  His partner looked like Cher.  He liked making fires. I’ve yet to make a fire. Perhaps I’ll get wood today.  

Yesterday I unloaded my KTM 690 and took a scoot about the park. Then I actually addressed the new Colorado XT I’d bought myself as a birthday present early spring. I called it an IKEA inflatable boat. The delightful salesman at the factory said it took about a half hour to assemble.  For me it was more like half a day. 

The first stumbling block was that  I didn’t have the hose for my pump.  So I tried the electric air compressor and that didn’t work after taking every cupboard apart looking for the hose.  I managed to half inflate the pontoons with the pump and a duck tape jury rig. I next encountered problems with which was left and which was right. Then it was which was the front and which was th back. I seem invariably to ‘choose’ the wrong side or direction and had to dissemble parts and reassemble them.  Eventually I got out the Ipad and found the assemble instruction on PDF at the Colorado XT  site.  Things moved along  much better when I had adult supervision.  

Finally I had it all loosely together when I concluded I’d need a new pump or pump hose to inflate the pontoons fully late afternoon.  All I had to do was ride the KTM 690 to the Lone Bute Hunting and Fishing store 9 km away.  But I’d left the keys in the ignition with the light on that morning. The battery was dead.  

For the life of me I couldn’t find how to get the seat off.  I knew there was a pull tab to unlock it. I’d changed the seat a couple of years ago with Mack and Dave as perplexed as me about how to release the seat.  Finally I phoned Holesport in Langley, the KTM dealer, and asked again..He walked me through finding the tab which had retracted and could only be found by feel.  Thanking him again and feeling by his tone of voice I wasn’t the only one who had had difficulties accessing the battery, I set about charging the battery with my truck. Admittedly I felt pretty proud of myself when the bike started. 

I had just enough time to ride at high speed down country roads to the skookum little well outfitted outfitters.  They had a pump. I also bought another reel.  I”m sure I have one but I didn’t want to be ready to fish but unable to find the reel. Besides it was a very pretty shiny one , the young guy said was made from Titanium, which sounded good.  I also bought some ammo for target practice and discussed the Nazi in Ottawa with the politically astute blond and beautiful clerk. These handsome young adults could well have been brother and sister. 

Another great rush of a ride  back to the trailer beating the rain clouds that had begun to sprinkle.  I completed the full inflation of the pontoons and the final assembly of the Colorado XT   Angels sang hosanna. Laura took pictures of the conquering hero. Again I was very pleased. 

Laura, when she wasn’t called upon, to make appropriate remarks of great adulation,   had been reading in the lounger or doing crosswords, when not walking Gilbert.  We all were thoroughly entertained by  a  duck mother and ducklings gathered in front of our camper to eat the green shoots along the lake side. Blind Gilbert leashed to the picnic table watched them all afternoon with his nose and ears.  .

With evening I barbecued tenderloin and boiled potatoes.  With butter and sour cream the tats were delicious. The tenderloin melted in our mouths.  

I was too tired to go fishing. I walked Gilbert.  Read.  I’m enjoying this exciting science fiction thriller.  Going to sleep in the fresh country air was tremendous. Laura had gone to bed early and warmed it up.  Comfort. 

When I took Gilbert out late at night to pee I stood for a while looking at the stars remembering times my father and brother and I had identified constellations. I only saw the Big Dipper last night.  Gilbert was tugging on the leash. The sky was beautiful. There was still some campfire fragrance in the air.  All was well. God is great all of the time.

Now I’m up and ready for my second coffee with a whole blank day to paint with color and joy.  Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus.   

Now a new day has dawned. Laura told me it’s Father’s Day and I’m Gilbert’s daddy.