Monday, June 6, 2016

Rain, Rain Go Away...At least for Today


“The rain to the wind said,
You push and I'll pelt.'
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged--though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.”
Robert Frost

           This week at Wine Lake we had no choice but to learn how the flowers felt. As a child I quite enjoyed the rain. It would flood our front yard and make it look as if we had our own lake. There are times when I remember that I was able to swim in it because the water would get so deep. Other times, my sister, my neighbors, and I would get together and play soccer; we would take advantage of the mud and rain so we could slide around easier. Unfortunately as I grew older the rain grew colder. It lost it's appeal, and became more of a burden than something that brought fun and excitement. It is only now that I permanently have a lake in my front yard that these memories come to mind. I watch the people here come down the ramp wearing rain gear from head to toe still happy to be here. They hop in their boats, then take off, and it reminds me of those times I would swim in the front yard. Just like my younger self, the rain did not stop them for they had something bigger on their mind: fishing. And let me tell you, they fished. No matter how much rain they ran into, these people endured. It paid off though. There was one group that caught close to a thousand fish last week!


        That is not an easy thing to do and takes much time and dedication. Now something I have learned while staying here at Wine Lake is that no matter the weather something interesting is always bound to happen. For instance, this year we decided to put journals in the cabins. Now I know this is something that has happened in the past, but this time we decided to give little prompt. By doing so we hoped to get all kinds of creative subjects, and to let each person express themselves in their own way. Well they have, and upon reading one I learned some tips which I would like to share with you.

Rules to Live by at WLC
By Jay Dorsey and Bill Burns
  1. Come as often as possible!
  2. Look out for low flying seagulls and over zealous loons.
  3. Over think the amount of cookies and bourbon you need to bring!
  4. Northern Pike have very sharp teeth and NO sense of humor.
  5. Rule of thumb on mosquitos: If there are 10 outside the outhouse there will be 30 inside!
  6. Don't shake hands with a guy just returning from the outhouse!
       Now I don't know about you, but I would say that is stellar advice! Now writing is not for everyone, but I appreciate the ones who participate for there is not always time to share all your stories while you are here. As I continued reading I found note about how many fish were caught, and who caught the biggest fish in the group. There were ones that made you laugh and some that just summarized how the week went, but there was a story that especially warmed my heart. There was a group this past week that comes all the way from Texas. Due to the distance they only come every other year. Among this group was the Peterson family who takes a liking to fly fishing (along with their friend Chad Lorenzen).


While reading the journal I came across a section written by Garner Peterson:

"Both of my sons ( 8 & 6 years old) love tying flies at home. I told them each to tie me a special fly to take on the trip to Wine Lake. They tied me a bunny leech and a wooly bugger. I used them at the falls and caught a smallmouth on each of them. I will frame a picture of each for the boys rooms. They will get to come to Wine Lake when they are 10."

        The way he included his boys in his trip even though they couldn't come just goes to show how Wine Lake is able to bring families together even when they are apart. Those two boys were part of their dad's adventure despite the fact they were so far away. I feel honored to experience the closeness of families that have been coming to our camp for years, so thank you.

        Now, as you can expect, the fishing was nothing to disappoint. Many Northern, Walleye, and Perch were caught along with a nice Lake Trout.




          I captured a snake, there were moose sightings ( as well as some very close encounters ), and I rescued a bird who flew into our window.



        Now although it was dreary most of the week there was a wonderful day with some sun that allowed the camp to come together and have a fire! It was the perfect opportunity to relax and share some stories!





          It was quite the busy week here at Wine Lake Camp, but our campers endured. They may have gotten wet, but it sounds to me like it was worth it! The smiles say it all.



          As the week again came to an end and everyone was packing their belongings there was peace around the camp. I was able to sit on the porch and watch the rain. To my surprise it became less of a burden. Without rain, without water, there would be no life. There would be nothing to cool you down nor something for the sun to reflect off. If there were no rain there would be no struggles, there would be no snow. Think of the songs that would not exist. Flowers would not grow. There would be no stories with a romantic kiss in the rain. Rivers and lakes would not swell and grow, and they would dry up. Fishing would no longer continue, for there would be no fish. While, now that I am older, the rain is still colder, and wet clothes are no fun, but it is no longer a burden. Rain is the very thing that brings us here and brings us together. With that I leave you with this: “Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.” ― Vladimir Nabokov