Silver Lake Fourth

We had a great day yesterday.  We loaded up the canoe and headed back to
Silver Lake (the trip we tried but were snowed on for Memorial Day).  It's
about an hour drive.  The weather was beautiful and the young grass and wild
flowers were out. 

We launched the canoe and paddled to a large island in
the middle of the lake.  There was a tiny shady beach just right for us so
we pulled in and spent a few hours swimming in the clear cool water.  Soren
and Svea practiced in their life jackets - Soren didn't trust his vest to
save him if we capsize - and they both made several comments on how fun and
beautiful it was.  Soren called the beach "a perfect paradise".  This was
after wanting to stay home and watch tv all day and complaining the whole
drive!

Poor Liv would have been swimming if it wasn't for her cast!  She had to be
satisfied with splashing her feet and her good hand in the water.  She was
also very happy in the canoe this trip - a great contrast to the constant
screaming of our other trips - trying to touch the water and just quietly
checking out the scenery.

After our lunch on the beach we walked a few steps to a little rocky point.
There were lots of baby trout swimming in the crevices between the boulders.
Erik and the kids fed them some bread, then Erik decided to pull out his fly
rod.  It was so funny, the little fish were attacking his fly but most of
them were too little to fit it in their mouths.  After he caught a fish, it
was my turn to try.  I've never fly fished before, so it was awkward but fun
to try and learn the ropes.  I managed to get the fly in the general area of
the fish and I got one!  It made for a funny first trophy fish picture.

We launched the canoe and paddled around the island.  What a beautiful
place.  More wild flowers, Canada geese, spiky crested ducks, huge boulders,
and pines with their scent filling the air.  We finally pulled into a cove
that Erik had scouted out while swimming across the strait before lunch.
Erik got us all set up to fish with worms off the shore.

After waiting for awhile with no success we decided to try another spot for
fishing.  We canoed back over closer to the boat ramp, put down our anchor
and let down our lines by a huge granite shelf on the shore.  When we drove
up there in May the ranger told us that was a good spot.  Sure enough, I
caught one fish and Erik caught at least four.  Too bad they were once again
tiny baby trout!  The kids weren't getting any action and it was getting
late so we decided to load up and head home.

On the way home, Erik convinced me to try out fly fishing again and took us
to the creek he had fished the night before.  After a few practice holes and
a bunch of mosquito bites I managed to catch two fish, a six inch brook
trout and an eight inch rainbow.  I'm afraid I'm hooked - it was so fun!
Too bad I won't get many chances to practice until the kids are a little
older.  Erik also pulled a fish out of the same hole.  It was a beautiful
area to be in and I can see why Erik loves to get up there as often as he
can.

As we finally drove home the sky over the mountains was filled with a
beautiful  sunset of white and pink clouds over the exquisite pine covered
mountains.  God's own firework show.  I feel so blessed to live in this
beautiful nation and so thankful for my life here.  I'm blessed beyond
words.

Ashley