Joe and I are out at a school to teach fly fishing in Ferguson Falls MN. Now, ordinarily one might think, "fly fishing school!...who needs to go to school to learn how to fish?" but, you need to take into consideration who we are...two basically egghead academic-types who think anything worth doing must have a teacher attached to it somewhere. So, when we thought about the challenging idea of how to catch a fish on a tiny fly-like lure, we automatically thought about finding a school for it.
Our host and teacher is a real character. Ted does a lot of things professionally that earn him a great living and the chance to live in a wonderful lodge-like house on beautiful Long Lake, have a condo in The Cities, travel around the world, hunt big game, fly his own sea plane, run several companies, and (by the way) also become a world-class fly fisherman. He literally opens his doors to two strangers and makes you feel at home while he cooks a home-spun meal and regales you with stories from his life. Fishing is never far from the main story line and, whether he's talking about his frequent trips to Vietnam or his experiences owning a fine dining restaurant in town, he neatly ties it all together like he's tying one of his exquisite flies.
While we're sure to have fun here the next two days, the, point of this is not lost: There's much to be thankful for as my son and I enjoy the bounty of what has been given to us. We learn that there is value to using limited resources in creative ways that encourage us to be together to share good times. We meet and make new friends who share our interests. We gain an appreciation for the animal life around us and the fun you can have with sport. But, more than anything else, we get to feel the love we have for one another and express it by investing time with each other.
Life is good for us now and I know this is only due to the fact I am clean and sober. Joe knows and appreciates this too.
All the best, Roger W.
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