May 23, 2022

Brettster and his better half Dawn left their Shuswap getaway and drove the winding road to meet with their friends Barrman and Kaydee. Dark storm clouds hung ominously above and the pair of Calgarians looked to the sky hoping the clouds would part and the sun would brighten up their world.

A visit with their old friends in West Kelowna would brighten their day no matter what the weather was. 

Brettster had been to Barrman’s home at the mountain for his birthday at the end of the ski season and he looked forward to connecting with him again. The promise of a boat ride lured Dawn to join him and they set out on the road from Salmon Arm to West Kelowna around 11:30 in the morning. 

Westside road was an invigorating experience for the couple who hale from the flatlands of Alberta. They were both excited to be on a road trip after two years of being cooped up at home. 

Dawn stared out the window at the passing scenery, the lake had a coating of whitecaps and dark clouds hung on the horizon. She looked up the mountainside and smiled, “look hon, there are goats. I can’t believe they can stand on such narrow out-croppings.”

“I better keep my eyes on the road, it keeps twisting around those rocks,” Brettster grinned. 

Fifteen minutes later he pulled into the driveway of his buddy he’d known since grade twelve in high school.

Barrman opened the door, his grin beamed from his face and he grabbed Brettster in a bear hug. “Dude! It is so awesome to see you, thanks for coming.”

Brettster’s face lit up in return. He always liked to see his buddy and the welcome they received filled his heart. “Barrman, great to see you too. I’m glad we could come.”

“Hey Dawn, it’s great to see you too. Thanks for coming.” Barrman said to Brettster honey as she walked up the stairs. “I wish the weather was a bit better.”

 “It’s ok, we had a nice drive. And we saw goats!” Dawn giggled and they came in the door. “Quick I have to go, you know what a long car ride does to the bladder.”

Kaydee laughed as she came into the room and said, “I thought that would be your first stop.”

The two friends let go of their embrace. It felt as if they’d never been apart. The two fifty-year-old kids felt an immediate uplift in their spirits. They had a connection built up of years of friendship.

“What do you guys want to do?” Barrman asked his friends as Dawn came back into the room. 

“What are the options?” Dawn replied.

“Well, we can just hang here or go to a pub for a bite and some bevy’s or we can go downtown to the lagoon and take out Serendipity. We could also take the pontoon boat with the roof and the cover and go fishing. The weather looks a bit sketchy so not sure about downtown.” Barrman shrugged. “I’m just really happy you are here.”

“I promised Dawn a boat ride, so let’s go on the pontoon boat. That way we can shelter from the rain if we need to,” Brettster said.

The four friends met at the boat launch and set out on the water. Within minutes of departing the dock, the pontoon boat was bathed in warm rays of sunshine. 

Barrman steered the boat into the lake and let the vessel coast on the rippling water. The wind had died and the sun was pushing the clouds at bay. “It looks like it is going to be a nice day after all.” The captain said as he turned to the back of the boat and began to prepare the fishing lines.

“Barrman, this is so nice to be on the water. A fish would just be a bonus.” Brettster face was lit up in a glowing smile as he reached over to help steer the twenty-five-foot boat.

The fishing lines were set, they cracked a beverage and shared a smile.

“Oh hey look, a fish just jumped,” Dawn pointed to the back of the boat and laughed.

“That’s because it’s on the line!” Brettster pointed at the fishing rod as it danced in the rod holder.

: Woohoo, fish on!” Barrman grabbed the rod and began to reel in the prize.

“That’s pretty awesome, usually we are waiting a while for any action,” Kaydee said. She turned and looked at Dawn and they both smiled brightly.

A few minutes later a flash of silver broke the surface and Brettster grabbed the net. Barrman pulled the tip of the rod up and pulled the rainbow trout to the boat. Brettster scooped with the net and a cheer rose into the air.

“That’s great, I never thought we’d see a fish today,” Dawn laughed and smiled. She stood up and laughed again. 

Brettster was surprised at how excited Dawn was. What a great day it was, the sun was shining and there was already a fish in the boat. They’d only been out less than thirty minutes.

How could it get any better?

Fish on!

This time Barrman grabbed the rod and handed it to Brettster. He started to reel in the prize and felt a rush of excitement as the tip of the rod bent. He could feel the wiggle of his fish pulling on the line.

“Another one! This is great!” Dawn looked like a kid at Christmas watching Santa hand out presents as Brettster reeled in the trout. 

A few minutes later the twin of the first fish was in the net and on the boat.

“Well, Brettster she’s your catch, do you want to keep it?”  Barrman looked at his friend, the grin on his face beamed in the sunshine.

“Do you? We can’t take it home but you can have it.” Brettster shrugged and handed it to Barrman.

“I think we should keep it, food is so expensive these days.” Barrman smacked the fish on the head and dropped it into the bucket.

“Ya those two fish are pretty costly,” Kaydee said. “By the time you put the gas in the boat and all the other expense, each fish is worth a lot of money.”

“You’re right honey, but it’s worth every penny,” Barrman smiled and high-fived his buddy. “and having you along for the ride is even more worthwhile.”

“Thanks, brother, it’s been awesome. After the last couple of years, it sure is great to be together again.”

“And the fish is a real bonus!” exclaimed Dawn. 

The four friends spent the next couple of hours cruising the lake. The sun stayed overhead and kept the clouds at bay. The fish was the bonus. But what was better yet was how normal everything felt.

For one afternoon on a gleaming lake, everything felt as it should.