I almost didn’t get to this. I had a great excuse. I’m away this weekend before Thanksgiving on one of two annual fishing pilgrimages that I make every year. Right now, I’m in the Tailwater lodge having spent the first seven hours of the day coming up empty. No landed fish from 6 am to 1pm. Standing in the fast-moving, frigid Salmon River north of Syracuse, NY, is at once the most frustrating, and the most exhilarating of endeavors. Why do I do it? Why do I put myself through the trials of waking at 3am and freezing in the dark at our favorite honey hole while we wait for fo the sunrise? Because of merely the chance to see rainbows, or catch rainbows.
The Steelhead is a lake phase giant Rainbow Trout that migrates to the river to spawn. Thousands of people from all over the world come to this nondescript location every year to ply these waters for a chance to hook, catch, and release this piscatorial deity.
Thinking of my good fortune to have the health and the opportunity to challenge myself against the elements and the pugnacious Steelhead, I felt it a great chance to give thanks, for the great things, and for the little things. Today I give thanks for great friends. My fishing buddy Vic and I have gone on dozens of trips over the years, and we’ve shared amazing adventures together. I’m thankful for my wonderfully supportive partner Suki, who, too, shares her sense of adventure with me. She’s shown me a million things. I’m thankful for my clients, who inspire me daily. I’m grateful for my family. My children are the best people I know. They make me tremendously proud. I’m thankful for my health. Yea, I have my issues, but there is always a workaround. There is still a way around your limitations. I’m thankful for the love and inspiration I experience every day with everyone I meet.
In this season of giving and reflection, I am thankful for you. Thank you for giving me your time and your feedback on my work and on this BLOG. I wish you only the best as we enter this holiday season with a day where we can give of ourselves to everyone we love.
Happy Thanksgiving.
