Coming to an End.
And just like that, summer was over.
As quickly as it took to cast a line, one season concluded and another began.
At first, I felt trepidatious.
I mean, to trust that the longest working summer of my life was actually coming to a close… well, that makes a girl nervous.
Work still felt busy, traffic in town lingered, and I couldn’t quite put my faith in the fact that the summer that tested my faith in humanity and made me reconsider the industry I was working in, was actually done.
But then I went fishing.
For the first time this year, actually.
And everything changed.
Usually an early afternoon activity I share with my dad, I hadn’t once yet fished on the river yet. I did have a few trips out on the ocean under my belt, but even those were unsuccessful for me.
The Kenai River though? The world famous salmon fishing capital where I usually spend many a lazy afternoon in the summer casting line out with my pops catching our limit of sockeye? August was my first time fishing its grounds.
(tells you just how busy my summer was)
The other day, however, I finally found the time.
And so, on a spectacularly sunny afternoon, my dad, gem, and I motored out to the gravel bar by our house.
Then, after just a few short minutes, my dad catches one.
A sockeye!
A sockeye.
So they’re still out there, I thought.
August, typically the end of sockeye season and the start of silver fishing, is also the month where summer seems to slow down and notes of fall start to settle in. So, it didn’t come as a surprise that word on the river was that sockeye numbers were decreasing.
Of course just as I was thinking this, I also hook one.
Keeping the pole cast at an angle, I slowly backed up to shore and then voila! fish was on the bank.
My dad, catching up to me with the bonker (the tool used to.. silence the fish) took one look at my harvest and informed me that I had actually caught a silver.
A silver!
A silver.
Holy sh**. Summer really is over.
Naturally, I started to notice fall everywhere during the rest of my day.
I saw it in all the new Halloween decor at JoAnne’s, in the red replacing the greenery outside, the blooming fireweed, and the ripe and plump wild berries ready to harvest.
Well I’ll be.
Summer is actually ending.
Just like that.
I’ve noticed that as things are starting to quiet down, I find myself enjoying activities I now have time for: garnering the fruits of the earth (rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries, crowberries), catching up on some suspenseful shows with my dad, home cooked meals with my gem, afternoon shopping trips with my mom, and more time spent with the cat.
It’s like, now that the busy season has passed, I can stop, look around, and appreciate what it is that brings so many people here every year. I take notice of the little things: like the yellow warbler perched on the tree branch outside my window, or the mom and baby moose crossing the street at dusk, or the satisfaction of eating dinner at 10pm, gathered from the ground by yours truly.
While most are disappointed that summer has already come and gone, I feel tremendous relief. I embrace the new season that’s upon us and thank God that work is slowing down.
And so, in the spirit of catching my first silver this year, I also ofishially welcome fall .
