Oct 5

A golden red sky rippled over the Okanagan Valley. It was another amazing sunset in a year I have watched more red skies than I can remember. My beautiful wife and I sat in the stern of Serendipity and breathed in the sights before us. It was a vista of deep reds hovering over a line of gold that caressed the mountains above the Okanagan Lake. We have seen many sunsets the past six months, this one was stunning in its breadth and depth of colour. It was a fitting end to a great day on the water.

My day began like many other days in the last six months of the coronaverse. With strange dreams. Dreams of my past life haunted my brain, dreams of window cleaning, and being a boss. I think these dreams would be classed as nightmares. I awoke to a better reality and shook off the feeling of anxiety that clung to my consciousness.

I was meeting the boat mechanic at the dock and verifying the repair that was done. Martin Motorsports sent their mechanic to meet me and ensure that the repair they did was complete and give me the peace of mind I was hoping for.

We powered up the 200hp Evinrude and left the dock. Everything checked out, the only thing we may need is a new prop. Some dumbass (me) had grounded out the propeller in Osoyoos Lake and now the boat wasn’t moving at top form anymore.

I dropped the tech back at the dock and proceeded back out onto the water. I lowered my fishing lines and sat back waiting. The lake was like a sheet of glass and the sun beamed down upon me. It was another amazing October day and I soaked in the moment. Blessed to be on the lake I let my mind drift.

I thought of a dear friend that I haven’t seen since April. She has been like another mother to me and I was wracked with feelings of guilt over not seeing her since the spring. Time has rushed by and I wanted so much to see my long-time friend and customer. Yet for some reason I delayed the call, something always came up. Today as I trolled across the glassy waters I decided it was time to make the call.

It was like time had not passed. She answered the phone with joy in her voice. I felt an immediate connection and was very glad to have finally reached out. At 87 years old, time is ticking for her and I felt relief at the sound of her voice. She lives on the lake and it would be easy for me to stop on her dock and say hi. In an instant, the decision was made and we agreed to meet after lunch.

When I ended the call I looked at my rods. One of them began to wiggle and shake. It wasn’t big enough to scream out line, but I had a fish on and excitedly grabbed the reel and began to bring it in.

It felt strange that at the very second I chose to make the call I have delayed, the fish gods decided to reward me.

I brought in my catch. It wasn’t that large, but it was big enough to keep. This one was staying on board; it was Donna’s fish.

When I pulled up to her dock I felt a moment of comfort. I felt at home at her place on the water. When she saw me there was no social distance possible, she grabbed me and embraced me in a big hug. A hug that felt magical. I knew I shouldn’t be hugging an 87-year-old, but I think hugs are a way to keep alive. It is certainly her way to stay connected.

I smiled at my friend and presented her with the fish I caught. We all laughed at the irony of catching a fish right when we spoke. I told her it was a sign and it was hers to eat. I had cleaned it and we both enjoyed the idea she would have a nice fish dinner courtesy of the fish gods.

I invited her and her caregiver on the boat for a ride. She was glowing with excitement, ecstatic to see me, and to get a ride on Serendipity. I was thrilled to see her, to connect, and to feel the joy of her company. I ignored the feeling of regret for waiting so long; life is like that sometimes. I could only be grateful that she was still in such good shape and was so happy to join me on my vessel.

We cruised across the water, the lake smooth as newly fallen snow. It was like carving fresh tracks as we accelerated across the lake. The sheer joy and excitement on their faces lit the boat brighter than the sun that shone down upon us. Donna declared that it was a piece of heaven and time slowed down in the moments of our contentment. We spent the next couple hours connecting on the water and in each other. It was like time had stood still, she is one of those people in my life that our souls are in sync with each other.

We returned to her dock as the sun slipped into the clouds and towards the horizon. I was fulfilled with the joy and connection of our time on the water.

As I cruised back out toward the middle of the lake I saw the sky above. I knew it would be a spectacular sunset. I wanted to share it with someone. In the past few months, with the chaos of being busy with life, my wife and I haven’t had many moments to connect alone. This night was a good one to stop and make that effort.

She met me at the Westbank boat launch and we proceeded to cruise across the lake back towards the Eldorado.

The sky above began its transformation. Yellow and orange gave way to a deep red. The clouds rippled over the mountains above the lake. We could see the glow of the setting sun below the horizon as it lit the cloudy sky. It was breathtaking in its colour and the whole valley felt alive with the red hues as they transformed our world.

We trolled across the lake toward the dock. The only way to perfect the moment would be to catch a fish. In some way that would have been too much of an interruption in our reverie. As we pulled into the boat slip the colours of the sky faded from red to pink and then to black.

At Smack Dab restaurant on the waterfront, we toasted an amazing day. We were grateful for our connections with our world and each other. After all the challenges we have faced, everything felt ok in the world.

It will be days like this that get us through the difficult times that will inevitably come.