Ol' Loud and clear ... a fish tale

Had an interesting day at the new farm yesterday. I planned for a day of fishing and relaxing and feeling all the wonderful new possibilities ahead. Had some friends over to join us and all was set for a splendid birthday eve day.

We were catching (and releasing) fish left and right, big mouth bass and small perch. I caught two fairly big ones. I will say, I am very inexperienced at fishing. I think this may have been my fourth time with the pole. I was across the pond from where Linda, a much more experienced fisherwoman was when I caught the one who I now call ol'loud and clear. A huge bass with a lot of spunk and very pissed off. Linda usually will unhook my fish for me and throw them back, but she was far away and I wanted to step up to the plate and not be such a girl about it. I pulled the big fish out of the water it was fighting hard. I grabbed it and proceeded to try to get the hook out.

"I'll get it for you" Linda yelled from across the pond

"no,no, I got it". "wait, no I dont got it, the hook is in its mouth and I do need your help"

Right at that moment the fish thrashed hard several times which then lodged the hooks on the other side of the lure into my fingers in such a way that one hook (barbed) had gone completely through my thumb and another hook directly in my third finger.

"Uh, I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP "

"be right there"

"I'M HOOKED I REALLY REALLY NEED YOUR HELP"

Well, I have to say after Linda's initial shock and horror she managed to get the hook out of the fish. I will say it was a bit painful, IT FRIKIN' HURT! the fish was very alive and well and thrashing about which helped the hooks go deeper and deeper. Finally, the fish went back in the water. and I was left with a fishing lure stuck properly to my hand.

Walking back to the truck to find wire cutters we were met by T who had a bit of a panicked look on her face.

"we have a big problem" she said
"really"? so do we"

"J" has a hook stuck in her finger" she tells us

"hmm, so does Lisa"

So now all four of us are back at the truck, two of us with hooks in our fingers. What to do? This is the strangest thing ever. J has been fishing since she was 6 years old and has never encountered anything of the sort. Her fish was just a little one, and they were fishing three ponds down. Linda had never seen anything like this either in all of her years of fishing.

This was not reassuring to me at all.

What to do? there must be a solution. We needed wire cutters for sure, which we didn't have. So I called the other friends that were on there way over and told them the situation.

The short of it is we successfully and pretty painlessly got the hooks out.

But, for me to see this as purely coincidental doesn't seem to make sense. One friend who showed up shortly after the "incident" and was moral support while we were waiting for the wire cutters to arrive, pointed out that I may not have introduced myself properly to the land. I've been coming and going. Moving this and that, in a hurry every time and then fishing and using the land when I saw fit.

There is no doubt to me that this land is sacred and there is no doubt to me this was a message that stated very loud and clear that I had work to do. I had a responsibility and I needed to become aware of my role here as care taker. I'm listening.

We had a fantastic dinner of smoked brisket, vegetable tatin, everything in the garden salad, watermelon gazpacho, cantaloupe and then, Mississippi mud pie and peach custard pie, lavender truffles, wine and laughter. And... happy fingers thanks to Carsten who was the one who skillfully removed the hooks from the two ladies.

Today I will return, this time to make amends and to properly introduce myself and state my intentions. I'll ask the land and all of its residents for blessings and protection. I will look at fishing in a completely different way and see the sacredness of the fish and their meaning.

Or Ol' loud and clear may need to send me another message. I will do everything in my power to avoid that.