For years I’ve gone to Alaska with my husband; Soldotna, Kodiak, Prince Edward Island, Petersburg, Anchorage, Denali, King Salmon and Cordova. We’ve brought boxes of salmon and halibut home to stock our freezer. This last trip, to Cordova, was our 13th year there and perhaps my last. It rained, as it usually does, even in August in Alaska, for 3 days and since it was heavy rain, we stayed in the bed and breakfast, reading and my husband watching football and other programs. It was not much of a vacation and I felt I could do these same things at home! Finally, on the 4th day, the rain let up and I took the car for a drive to work off my cabin fever. The river had subsided and fishermen were out so I went back and got my husband, helping him with his waders, and we went down to the river to fish. Frank can catch fish when no one else can, so it was a surprise to fish for 3 hours with no luck! We went to a lodge nearby and rented a boat thinking we would fare better out on the main river. After getting all equipped, we headed out of the inlet where the boats were beached, about 600 yards down the main river and as I was throwing out the anchor, Frank turned and had a back spasm. He’s very strong and managed to get us back to the boat landing. The lodge owner and I helped him out of the boat, into the car and I drove him back to the B & B to rest. The next day, feeling better, he went out to fish again, catching 2 small salmon that had to be thrown back, and two larger ones which he also threw back as there was no time to process them as it was late in the day and we were leaving the next morning. For the first time in 13 years we came home with no salmon! I considered the week and the 3 planes it takes to get to Cordova, and decided my fishin’ days were done. Frank will go with friends in June back to Petersburg for halibut (all fishing done by boat) and with his son and his family to Cordova in August. I might mention that my husband is nearing 90 and he still enjoys fishing, I want him to go as long as he can. I will stay home, tend the dog, the 3 chickens and 30 homing pigeons, and write!
I will be going to Alaska again, but my trip (also in June) will be on a Disney cruise when I will take my youngest grandson on his special trip (he’s 13) to the Inland Passage! We’re going zip lining in Sitka, hiking the Mendelson Glacier in Juneau and will visit the animal sanctuary and raptor center in Ketchikan. Now that’s a vacation!
