Haines Alaska

We have just returned from a wonderful 'mini break' to Haines Alaska. The weather was fabulous and this time for the first time we brought our canoe! I'd decided that if the canoe didn't get used this year we should sell it. It was wonderful to have and paddle on Chilkoot Lake. Ever since I first saw that lake I've wanted to paddle it. Each morning it is still as glass. You can see little concentric ripples caused by the tiny fish fry as they come to the surface to devour unlucky bugs. It is just like being in a picture post card as bald eagles cry, salmon jump and mergansers shepherd their young. As I always say, I'll post photos when I can.

The fishing was the pits sadly. Not one nibble. Except Christoper. He caught himself. That was fun and dramatic. He managed to sink one of the barbed hooks of a trebble hooked lure into the flesh of his right arm. He sank it past the barbs, which meant it had to go through the other side to come out. He was more embarassed than hurt, although his capacity for embarassment seems rather large ... After much frantic searching I found a pair of wire cutters in the truck's tool box and proceeded to cut the barbs off the other two hooks. Then Chris says; 'don't watch'. Well, hell, I couldn't help but watch and hold the skin as he pushed the hook through. Then I had to cut the barbed tip off so he could pull it back out. All that drama and surprisingly little blood. After it was all said and done, two small puncture wounds and a bandaid was all that was needed. Along with a bit of restorative elixyr.