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This year was different. It was the first Canadian fishing trip since Celia's diagnosis that I didn't feel the need to escape. I looked forward to the trip, like every year, but the isolation is what I used to crave. No one to take care of but myself. I think any parent can associate with the desire to get away, but extenuating circumstances over the past few years made me yearn for escape from reality in a different way.
There was less guilt going this year, although there was still plenty, leaving my wife with a moody three year old and a moving 7 month old. But, for the first time since 2007, there was no anxiety about returning home. In fact, the return trip was filled with excitement. I always miss my family while I am at Scotia, but there was no around the clock nursing care to dread, no wondering about death surrounding my return.

Now, I know most of you don't come to the blog to see pictures of Canadian wildlife or to read big fish stories. So, appease yourself with this picture of one of the reasons I was excited to come home, and then show this post to your husband...

Tollie is actually wearing an outfit -with a fish on it- Adam and I wore when we were little!

This year, like many years, we were surrounded by amazing fauna:

  The resident black bear made an impressive cameo. We ran into him swimming across the lake. We were able to get crazy close, considering the bear was less interested in us and more interested in getting to the other side of the lake!

We saw a bald eagle cruising for lunch.

I don't know what kind of snake this was, but it didn't bite me.  I took this picture of it for Tucker.

 

Oh wait.  That last picture is a dead animal.  Smoked fauna, if you will.  Brisket, to be exact.  And it was amazing. 

I captured an elusive speckled trout in Laforest creek.
Poppy John, this one was for you - parachute adams fly on my brand new Fountainhead Rod under a canopy that made it difficult to cast. It was awesome! Thank you.

The bass and pike fishing was pretty good this year, too!

Not pictured:

1. The mother moose and two calves we saw running along a sandy beach.

2. Any northern pike, since the biggest one I caught I didn't photograph.
3. The perfect, drowsy smiles both boys gave me upon my return.

Andy