May 15

My dreams felt so real, I woke up with a start. Not sure if I was still dreaming I slowly opened my eyes. 5:38 my clock said. Fishing my brain said. My little kitty snowbee snuggled up close and I thought I would drift back to sleep. Sleep eluded me and my kitty left. I decided it was time to get up and go fishing. My truck was still connected to my boat.

A crisp breeze blew across the Okanagan Lake, a steady chop danced across the surface of the water. I launched the boat and fired up my engine. The lake was rough, it was a good day for a bucktail. I let my lines into the water and sat down to enjoy my amazing surroundings. I had only been sitting for a minute when my rod with the bucktail started bouncing. I grabbed my rod and felt the wiggle and the jiggle of a fish on the other end. I love fishing, catching is a bonus!

I circled around and continued trolling in front of Gellately bay. Forty minutes passed by and my line started shaking again. Excited I jumped up and grabbed the rod. The wind was pushing the boat and it became hard to keep reeling my fish and keep the boat going straight. I was missing a fishing buddy more than ever. I felt like a kid again when I landed my fourteen-inch rainbow. I quickly bonked it on the head and tossed it in my bucket of water. In celebration I did a little jig and raised my arms in the air.

Promptly I started letting my line back out. That’s when the realization dawned on me. I had my limit of two rainbow trout. I couldn’t fish for Rainbows anymore. It was only 8 o’clock. I was not ready to quit yet. I stopped the boat and sat for a minute enjoying the lake and the fresh air. The breeze was calming a bit and the sun was coming out from behind the clouds. I looked in the bucket at my prize. He was swimming! I could let him go and keep fishing. Grabbing the fish gently I went to pull it from the pail. He slipped from my grasp and started flopping on the deck of the boat. Cursing softly under my breath I chased the slippery trout around the bottom of the boat. I felt that was my sign, he wanted to be free.

I felt mixed emotions as I let my prize swim away. I was happy he would live, excited to be able to fish some more but was sad to let our dinner go. I am also curious what he will tell his buddies about his human abduction. After freeing my fish back to the lake I proceeded to let my lines out and continue to fish. In the pit of my stomach I had an ache… What if I don’t catch any more fish? My wife’s dinner is now swimming away. Swimming away to get bigger I told myself.

As my day progressed I saw no further signs of the elusive Rainbow Trout. The sunshine rose overhead and blue sky proceeded to chase the clouds away. I was feeling a peace and comfort that has sometimes been missing. I promised myself I will get back on the lake soon. Lunchtime had come and I resigned myself to heading in and cooking my catch. Sometimes Murphy’s law will bite me in the ass. If I had kept my second fish then I probably would have caught a monster trout afterward. As it is I don’t have dinner for tonight.

When I got back home my kid and wife were there. I miss the days that my daughter would love to come fishing with her dad. Now it’s all about seeing her friends. I managed to get Marijke to cut the grass, she negotiated a visit to her friend afterward. She wanted to go inside her friend’s place to play video games. When she promised they would be on two separate couches in the basement, I relented. Two metres distance she promised. I know she is in the same bubble as her friend and we all live on the same street. I hope that she can be smart about things. These are strange times for a teenager.

Krista and I went for another walk tonight. It has become a need almost, when one of us says that maybe we should skip the walk the other seems able to push on. I never thought a walk would become my daily routine. Now it is a comfort to be able to walk our peaceful street.

We stopped at our friends to get my kid. She didn’t seem to be there as the lights were out in their basement. Anger and frustration boiled inside as I found her in her friend’s bedroom. She pleaded that they moved the video game to the room and that she was maintaining six feet distance. How you can stay six feet apart in a small bedroom is beyond me. I am so conflicted inside. I felt betrayal at the fact she pushed the limits we had set. Telling her that we gave her an inch and she took a mile elicits a shrug of the shoulders and a lack of understanding. Part of me screams inside that it is not really a big deal! Our friends aren’t sick, there are very few cases in the Okanagan and this whole thing is a huge over-reaction. Most of my frustration boils up from the fact she abused the trust she was given. It isn’t all about Covid anymore it has become about power. Power struggles with teenagers is an age-old problem for parents everywhere.

I hug my kid goodnight, kiss my wife the same. When I sit down to write sometimes I doze and dream of simpler times. When I awake I realize in many ways these are simpler times. Keeping things simple is a good way to get through. The simplicity of a line in the water, and a walk on our road. With a deep-felt sigh I head off to bed. Comforted by my good fortune to have caught fish today. Comforted that this weekend we can see more friends. Comforted by simple things.