Let the Sunshine In...

It gives me immense pleasure to know that Avery will have the sort of summer experiences I had throughout my childhood. There will be hours upon hours spent swimming and playing in the cool, crisp water, steps away from the family cabin, where you could find grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins playing friendly (but VERY competitive) games of cards.

Each morning, just as the sun starts to creep into the sky, the fishermen and women will rub sleep from their eyes, remembering dreams of reeling in "The Big One." If you stand still for a moment, you'd just be able to make out the occasional slam of someone's screen door from across the lake - probably starting their own fishing adventure. You can also smell coffee being poured from a thermos that never seems to get emptied. If you're really lucky, and you woke up early enough, there's enough time to have a breakfast of fresh cinnamon or caramel rolls from the local gas station/grocery store/bakery, which would be all gooey and coated in melted icing from the humidity. Even after you guzzled your orange juice, loaded all the fishing necessities into the boat, and claimed your seat, there would still be delicious icing to lick off your fingers as the boat pulled away from the dock.

The sound of the boat motor is deafening against the quiet hush of the still lake. As you pull into the first fishing hole, hoping Wally the Walleye spent the night here and is waking up hungry, the motor is shut off, and the only sound now is the rush of waves left in your wake. As you bait your line, making the important decision between minnow, worm, or leech, you can hear my dad forcing air between his teeth in the rhythm of a song that's likely older than you are.

For the next many hours, few words are exchanged. You can hear the hiss of the line leaving the reel as you cast, coffee cups being refilled, bait containers opening and closing, and the occasional, "Agh! I've got one!" followed by my dad's, "Hey! Hey! It's fish for supper tonight!" If you're fortunate, you may even hear the sound of the metal stringer clanging against the side of the boat, reminding you of your success.

And later, on your way in for lunch, as the boat speeds across the lake and your eyes start to droop, you can weave your fish story in your mind, and dream of an afternoon of tubing, skiing, and more fishing.

Ahhhh...now that's the magic of childhood.