Momentum

Today I got to fish with a wonderful couple from near Chicago named Jim and Elizabeth Tarantino. They stayed in the Campground last night next to the river in a spanking new 30 foot motorhome that they drove up from the factory in Iowa. One of the bigger RV rental places here routinely gives people 10 days and free miles to transport their new stock north. Pretty hot deal I'd say and a great way to see Alaska and Canada.

This morning there was still few boats on the river so we're in no hurry. Jim has bought a LamiGlass Alaska Anniversary commemorative rod and I rig it up for him. So by the time we get to Fall-in-Hole theres already 6 or 7 guide boats with lines in the water. I idle down below them and almost to HoneyMoon Cove we drop the lines in . Because I'm a bit late I make sure I give a good 200 feet or so between any boat and Liz asks me what to expect. I tell her the rod seems to fish best in the holder and generally she'll see the rod dip a bit and sometimes stand back up a second before the fish really gets it and its slams down....."JUST LIKE THAT !" The fish rolls on top real good and splashes announcing itself. I look upriver and even from 100 yards I can see guides eyes rolling around in their head. The fish runs, jumps once and Liz pulls him to the boat, we're on the board again. Liz's fishing day is over after only 3 minutes, it was still so dark that the the pic I took on board didn't turn out.

The rest of the day was highlighted by two things. The sunny warm weather and this collection of Eagles we saw at the head of Stewarts Island. The cottonwood they're sitting on used to be in a grove of 5 or so but the beavers being industrious like they are have knocked them down. This one tree remains because MP and I wrapped chicken wire around it 10 years ago. The Eagles love it.

Tomorrow is MP's 55th birthday, double nickels. Here at mile 14 we're not hyper superstitious but we do believe in the ebbs and flows of life, karma, momentum, kizmet...So we figure the stars are aligned for gambling tomorrow, after all theres just to many suggestions to ignore. She's 55, born in 55, the 5th child born in the 5th month. The highway to our house has a speed limit of 55 and the dirt road has a 5 mph limit and her I.Q. has been tested above 55. So its plain to us what we have to do....gamble. The only legal gaming in Alaska is charity pull tabs so tomorrow evening on our way to the Soldotna Inn for a lovers supper we'll stop at the Rippie Parlor and turn $55.00 into....let ya know later....Oh, in the pic notice she's playing 'Arctic Ice'. How cool eh?