i'm on the wood river right now, just outside of dillingham, counting spawning sockeye as they swim by. basically i sit in a metal "tower" perched 25 feet above the river, and click a little button with my thumb for each fish that swims by. yesterday afternoon - in one ten-minute time span - i counted over 1,900 reds. it's insane. it's like watching a river marathon from above, and i can't help but cheer them on. these are the survivors. they've lived a life at sea, escaped commerical fishermen, and are coming home to die.
the "camp" i'm at is also totally plush: running water, laundry, and as you can tell, nearby internet. (blogging! it feels kinda silly . . .)
cool things that i'm learning:
1. how to drive the skiff FAST (oh yeah!) and then pull up like a professional at the gravel bank;
2. how to botch a good skiff landing even when i thoroughly rehearse the steps in my head beforehand;
3. how to set the net for beach seineing (my favorite!);
4. how to tie a clove-hitch knot;
5. how to fake that i understand when science people talk science talk;
6. how to make betty crocker meatloaf;
7. how to spend entire days reading books and eating soup and taking naps;
8. how to say "roger that" over the side-band radio; (simon's favorite quote from my training: "i want to say 'roger, roger'. when do i get to say 'roger, roger'??")
9. how to fully appreciate the virtues of the dillingham radio show "open-line" - which is similar to "bush lines" on kbbi only you get to call in yourself and talk on air. (it is mostly a lot of happy birthdays, but sometimes a real jaw-dropper will come along. my partner, graham, said he once heard an old man call in ordering his wife to come home. it went something like: "charlene. YOU.COME.HOME.NOW. you're married, and i'm your husband." on air . . . can you imagine? painful and funny at the same time, and very alaska.)
10. how to dive into a moving skiff while standing off-shore in a foot of moving water. snippet of conversation from yesterday's boat pick-up:
me: (half in boat, one leg in, other trailing in water, butt in air, face planted on bow seat)"hi."
graham: "i could've pulled in closer."
me: "pretty gazelle-like, huh?"
graham: "yeah. sure was."
anyways, all is well - alive, and happy, and learning.
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3 comments:
how are the 30 swims commin'??? can you count that river as one? miss you lots.
ugh. i know, i know. i'm real good at starting stuff, and not so good at finishing . . . but it is sweet swimming off the dock!
camp sounds so fun...i want to go to an "adult' camp full of betty crocker cooking!!! how long are you gone for??? still dreaming of a vacation in Alaska..one day it will be a reality..when everyone quits drinking coffee then we will have to be free to travel!hahahah
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