Papa's Ponderings

Since I ereased the pictures of West Clear Creek, I am substituting these of Deep Creek, in California where I grew up. The area's are similar in many ways.

Mother's Day Weekend Deanna and I went with some of our kids and friends to the mountains. It was a little odd for me. I have never been out of the pulpit on Mother's Day in 40 years, but this time I turned it over to my very able son Daniel. Of course they loved him, they always do. An old preacher once told me that if I ever have to be out of the pulpit to leave someone in it who would make them forget I was gone. He was right and it works even better when it is your eldest son. On Saturday David and Aimee, Darin, Dustin and Michelle and fanily friend John Fletcher and I went into West Clear Creek trout fishing. It is in a designated wilderness area and can be reached only by droping of the side of a remote mountain. You know the mountain is steep when you can tie your shoes without bending over. The canyon looked very much like a favorite canyon from my childhood in California. It was so remote we often would spend days there and never see anyone else. Using some care I got to the bottom with no problem. The canyon was beautiful and the one guardian of the trail...a 3' black timber rattler let us pass uncontested. This was the best fishing water I have seen this side of my favorite trout fishing hole from my childhood. Everything was perfect. Streams, 25' deep pools carved from solid rock....a trout fishing paradise, except for one thing. NO trout. The stream has been taken over by a samll chub fish that I think is on the protected list in Arizona. Could be wrong about that. When it was time to head up the mountain, I left about 15 minuits early. I was figuring on a 90 minuite walk out, minimum. Of course the kids would do it much faster, but I am not a kid anymore. Of course they caught up with me before mid mountain. Aimee and Michell practically ran up the mountain, Dusty and David stayed with their wives, as I would wish. Darin and John hung back with me, mostly waiting. I urged them to go on, but Darin said since he was going to wait for me anyway, it might as well be with me than for me. That why he wouldn't have to wonder....it was that steep....I notice that as soon as Aimee was at the top of the mountain David secured a palce on a rock near the top where he could watch my assent. Funny how times change. I remember carrying both of them and their gear up and down mountains and now they are watching over me. That is a little humbling, but given the time of life, I would not have it any other way. It is something I am going to have to get used to because it is not going to get any better and I am not going to stop going. I have grandsons that I intend to see the bottom of some of those canyons with. I am so greatful that I can do it still, even if I am under the watchful eyes of my sons. I was 11 when I had to start watching over my father they way they watch over me now. He accepted it with grace and so shall I.