Hot Off The Press

Whilst enjoying an early morning coffee at work, I saw one of my regulars rocking a pair of white pants.

Naturally, I just had to say something, and after giggles and thank yous, she admitted to me that she was stretching summer out for as long as she could.

It was something I had thought, but never admitted to myself.

But here it is: summer is ending. And fast.

Already, there's a noticeable change in the air, a crispness that snuck in ever so silently. While I haven't seen trees yet changing their colors, I can feel it in the air.

Where has summer gone?!

Granted, I was gone a hefty amount during the month of June, but it feels like yesterday that I was bringing my shorts and tanks out of winter hibernation. I haven't even worn all of them yet!

Alas, there's no point in fighting the inevitable. While summer was short, it was sweet, and I'm continuing to make fond memories.

I mean, just this last weekend, I had one of the best summer nights at the annual Kenai Peninsula Beer Fest. Between catching up with friends, drinking beer, and being inducted as an official Alaskan by finally seeing Alaska's balladeer Hobo Jim, it was one memorable night, and it took to the middle of August for that to happen!

So, like my fellow friend, I'm donning white pants in the hopes of dragging summer out just a little bit longer.

Who knows what other memories I have yet to make...

I once made the colossal mistake of incorrectly correcting someone on an Alaskan fact.

We were talking about fishing (a subject as common as the Brits and their weather) and he asked if I had been fishing for Sockeyes.

I replied with a sassy"No, I was fishing for Reds."

Which, in case you don't know, are one and the same.

How embarrassing for me. And I call myself Alaskan?

Since then, I've enlisted the help of my dad in all fish vocabulary and common knowledge. Whether it has to do with names of fishing spots on the river, the difference between Chinook and King (again, one and the same), and how to fish for different types of salmon, such as flipping, back trolling, back bouncing, and side drifting (also known as dragging eggs), I've also sacrificed several mornings of sleeping in favor of fishing.

You know what they say! Early bird gets the worm.

Take this morning, for instance. Instead of spending my leisurely morning in the comfort of bed and with the company of one particular cat, I requested my desire to fish with Dad. And so at the crack of dawn, we meandered on down to the boat and anchored just down the bank.

We were one of three boats out there in the wee small hours of the morning, and about twenty minutes in, I caught my first silver of the season.

I struck gold! Well, silver.

Anyhow, in the many minutes of patiently waiting for hook action, Dad and I sat back with our coffees and enjoyed the scenery around us.

Let's see, there was the scrawny seagull whom we saw drag a carcass down the bank, there was a bald eagle who expertly swooped down to snag a Dolly Varden then take its prize to the eagle nest (where we heard a chorus of baby eagles calling out), and then the entertaining sight of Reds jumping out of the water.

So even when you're not catching, it's still fun to be out there!

In our case though, we were lucky enough to lure some salmons our way, having a suf-fish-ient morning on the Kenai River...

Alaska style.. I've got to dress for the occasion!