Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Reflections of a Fisherman

Northsidebloggr has been encouraging me for months to post to the blog more often.


Most of what I know how to do on the computer I have learned on my own. That should give you an idea of how limited my computer skills are. I'm still learning the difference between a blog and a post. And I'm being Twittered to death.


A couple of weeks ago, I attempted to write a post on our Spring fishing trip. I was away from my computer, so I vigilantly typed at my tiny BlackBerry keyboard for over an hour.


Feeling confident my two thumbed typing was improving, I attempted to kick it up a little and mistakenly hit the back button. I lost all my work.


After regular encouragement from Northsidebloggr, I'm making another attempt at sharing moments from our Spring Fishing Trip. But this time I'm playing it safe. I'm at my laptop.


Over the past weeks, I've been busy instructing on the Pistol Range, leading a Ropes Challenge Course refresher at Camp Huntington in Raquette Lake, and attending a wedding, along with my regular duties at the Police Center. I was beginning to wonder whether we were going to have a free weekend to make this trip.


To make matters worse, we're low on funds, thanks in part to my last letter/blog post telling folks not to feel compelled to donate to every event, since rotating donations generally manage to meet our financial needs. That was a mistake I won't ever repeat, and should I have another lapse in judgment, the blog editor has assured me that she has my back.


We managed to make the trip in spite of the lack of adequate funds. To do so, we had to reduce the number of children we took with us. We were unable to purchase any new fishing equipment and needed to cut back on fruit and snack foods. But we felt the chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers needed for S'more's were mandatory. We spent more than we received in donations.


Here's how the trip went. On the Friday before Memorial Day, Officer Dave Ware and I rounded up nine children right after school, loaded them into the DARE van and started on our journey northward on 81. Renee drove behind us in my pickup truck loaded with gear. My mother and her companion, Jim Gates, headed out from Palermo.


About an hour into our trip, we were nearing the Mannsville Rest Area where each long holiday weekend the volunteer fire department sets up a coffee stop. I can never drive by. It's not the coffee that draws me in. It's the dedication of these fine folks who give their time to benefit weary drivers. I knew the volunteers would be pleased to serve a DARE van full of children.


We pulled in, the kids piled out of the van, and we were promptly greeted by the smiling faces of the volunteers. The children each received a package of cookies or crackers and a cup of hot chocolate. As the volunteers chatted with the children, I admired their patience in answering each of the numerous questions the kids threw at them. Believe me they can ask a lot of questions.


As Officer Ware gathered the children back into the van, I dropped a twenty into the collection jar. Although I felt they deserved more, the weekend was just starting and I knew we were going to need the dollars.


We didn't travel much further before the "Are we there yet's?" started. After what seemed like a hundred or more "Almost's", we were driving down the driveway to camp. All three vehicles arrived at camp minutes apart.


Renee settled the girls in their bedroom while the boys brought their gear into the camper. We fired up the grill and Renee cooked hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner. After we ate, the children gathered up wood for a campfire and a gooey dessert.


It was a challenge to keep the marshmallows, which were flaming on the end of nine 3' forks, out of the kid's hair before they could be squeezed between the chocolate and graham crackers being prepared by Renee and Dave.


Although one of the boys was quite small, we had to set a limit on the number of S'more's he was allowed to consume, as cooking marshmallows all night long was not part of the plan.


Around 11, Renee and Dave brought the girls inside. While Mom, Gates and I sat a bit longer around the fire with the boys, I conceded to their requests to hold long sticks in the fire.


Once the sticks were glowing red, the next concession was allowing "The Waving of the Glowing Sticks". The boys insisted that the circulating smoke would keep the bugs from biting us.


By midnight, I had inhaled more smoke than any passing bug and insisted it was time for bed. Although the boys denied being tired, they were asleep within 30 seconds of being tucked in.


The smell of bacon awoke me the next morning. The boys were out on the dock fishing with mother and Gates. Soon the girls got up and we all ate together. Renee likes to treat the children to a hot breakfast of bacon, hash, eggs and toast. We serve cereal as well, and most kids eat everything we offer them.


We were happy to find that none of the beds were wet. This is a problem we sometimes encounter, but thankfully, everyone rested well at my camp.


After breakfast, we loaded the kids in the van and drove a half mile down the road to the local bait store where we signed them all up for the "Tagged Fish Contest". Several hundred Panfish are caught, tagged and released back into the lake each Spring. If you purchase an entry form and later catch a tagged fish you win a prize. Prizes range from fishing poles to $5,000 cash.


During the weekend we must have caught and released 1,000 Panfish. Unfortunately, none of them were tagged. In past years, I have caught a couple of tagged fish and won $25.


It was a challenge dividing up the nine children between three rowboats and one canoe, each powered by an adult. Two of the boys who were assigned to the canoe had gone out earlier that morning with Dave in the rowboat. They told him they preferred the rowboat, which allowed them to move around inside much more than the canoe, which required them to sit still.


As Dave shared this fact with me, I pictured the canoe tipping over with all my gear floating to the bottom of the lake. So when it came to a choice between paddling a loaded canoe or rowing a loaded boat, I felt it was a better idea for me to deal with the canoe. This was Dave's first trip to my camp, after all, and I wanted him to come back.


At one point while anchored and fishing with two of the boys, a gust of wind blew across the lake. We watched Dave 100 yards away rowing for about 15 minutes against the wind, and it seemed as though he was hardly going anywhere.


Our days included fishing and swimming. The children were, of course, constantly on the move.


Still. whenever night came they had plenty of energy for S'more-making, stick-burning and bug-smoking until eventually I'd outlast them and put them to bed.


The weekend was a great time for all of us. You can view the pictures here.


To all of you folks who contribute to the Police Center, thank you for your support.


Until next time,


Officer Clarke

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