What a weekend! And it isn't even over yet :) (Hurray for Labor Day Weekend!) I have spent two lovely days at the river. I haven't spent hardly any time in the sun this summer so I am trying to make up for it before it's too late. I got a late start on Saturday but eventually made it up to the Salmon River to swim. It was a fun day with old friends and new at the best watering hole on the river. It used to be only the locals knew about this place but now it seems more and more outsiders are there every time.
We had a blast just hanging out on the rock, swimming, and having diving competitions. The river is getting pretty low at this point in the summer and since a small splash was a main aspect that we looked for, it got a bit dangerous. Luckily, when you dive, your hands go first so they stop your head from hitting the bottom. It still leads to jammed fingers and sore hands. I'm a shallow diver though so I am not speaking from personal experience.
My back is still killing me and my last dive off the rock didn't help. I'm not really sure what to do about it... I should probably be resting it but there are too many other things to do. Like fishing! After a delightful day on the river we all went back to my best friend down here's house and had a delicious dinner. Gotta love it when the men in the family know how to cook!
On my way out, I was warned to look out for deer and animals on the road. They like to come out once it gets dark and with all the blind corners on the windy road back to my place, you never know what might be around the next one. As it happened, I only saw a skunk, a mouse, and a whole lot of hitchhikers. There was a shocking amount of people on the road for so late at night. Even with my glasses on the sometimes came out of nowhere and surprised me. It was kind of scary.
Normally, after visiting over in Orleans, I say goodbye and am not sure when I will get to see my family there again next. It felt so good to hug everyone goodbye and be able to say "see you tomorrow."
I had big plans to head out to town and do some shopping but was peer-pressured into joining the crew again to go fishing down on the Klamath. I haven't fished since I was a little kid but I have been really wanting to recently. It was a blast! We had a bunch of Yuroks in our bunch so we were able to get a lot. My best friend's hunny knew exactly how many he'd need to get his family of seven through the winter (17) and we easily caught that many by mid-afternoon. I got to go out cruising in the boat up and down the Klamath and even pull in some of the fish in the net. I tried my luck with a pole but didn't catch anything and neither did most of the others out on the river trying with a pole. I learned all about bringing the fish in and how to clean them before putting them on ice. Unfortunately, I had to head back to my cabin before it got to time to fillet and smoke the fish, otherwise I would have learned how to do all of that too. Next time!
On my way home I saw something shocking and sad and really awful happen on the road. I was just past Weitchpec and following a little row of cars. The truck that was two cars ahead was pulling a trailer and had a bunch of little dogs in the back of it. I don't know if the dog jumped or fell but all of a sudden one of the dogs came out of the back of the truck and landed in the other lane. The truck just kept going without realizing what had happened but the car right in front of my pulled over immediately. I slowed way down too and let the driver run across the road. She looked like she was going to pick up the dog but it was just laying there and was either in shock or had broken it's back/neck and was gone. I decided that they had it handled for getting the dog out of the road and that I could catch up to the truck and trailer and let him know. Another mile or two down the road, he pulled over to let me pass and I stopped by him to tell him he'd lost a dog. It was so crazy and sad. I can't seem to get the image of the dog just lying there out of my head.
When I got back to the cabin, I took a much-needed nap out in the hammock in the garden. It was so serene and peaceful. If it wasn't for the cool breeze, I could have slept there all afternoon. Everything about it here is comfortable and heart-warming and good for my soul.
This evening I went out to look at the stars from the hot tub. There is nothing like the stars on the river. The air is so clear here (and normally is even clearer, but there is still a bit of smoke) and you can see more stars than you can anywhere else I have been. Especially on nights without a big moon, the stars just pop. Sitting out and watching the stars is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences you can have. It is one of my favorite things to do in the summer, but in Portland you couldn't really see many so it has been a while since I have been able to do some real stargazing. They were incredible up there and with the nights getting as cool as they are now, the hot tub was the best place to enjoy them from.
Tomorrow is going to be my catch up day for all of the chores, errands, and work that I had meant to spread out over the weekend. It was definitely worth it to put it off though. These past couple of days have been amazing.
The path out my backdoor that can take you around the property or down to the creek.
Sasi Bear teaching R how to clean a fish ;)
Yummy...
Ihaan learning the tricks of the trade from one of the best.
A real pro out there on the river.
Everyone learning how it's done.
Out on the boat.
Hammock time :D
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