In the beginning of this week, my phone has been off the hook

"come Sing here.." 

"Bring your drum..."

(I've gone out fishing last night, beautiful time...in the rain mist, and cloudy night...I've reached into the sky and counted the stars...my nephews and I set out a net...and packed home 65 sockeyes...split it all between the three of us, and spent most of monday cutting and hanging them to dry....it was almost festive...)

We were watching our net, every now and then the floats would dive under rapid like...sudden current come whooshing through...was our guess...or a big hit...meaning stourgens are running; and those things are freakin HUGE...one night..a steourgen caught up in our net..which was weaved strong...and when it ripped through, the stourgen  took the entire net, the pole it was hanging off, and the rock the net was tied to... so with eager, and quiet apprehension; my nephews...my boys and I were silently hoping no stergen come running through...

"If you see a large shark like tail..cut the net...and just let the rope go.." we would warn each other.

"Dont fight the net..if its heavy..dont fight it..let the net go.."

"No reaching for stray rope...you drop your knife..let it go..." we would say as we watch a full net complete with floats, rope, floaters..attached..floating downriver. Kind of scared to look harder..afraid we might see some fisherman...hanging for his life...

This is my second year..going down to this river..with my nephews..

Our stories..repeated..from the yrs before. This was our time...my nephews and I.

Stories of their women, their work...their silly buddies..the way life treats them...

Stuff you wouldnt hear them speak anywhere else...

I am sure; that if there were a picture moment..caught..

it would be me..standing near the top of the fish area...with my nephews down riverside...holding the net

and me telling everyone what to do...occassionally crossing my arms..as though I were thinking my way through a complicated chess game...

It makes me feel wise.

Always...the first case of fish we can..goes to single parent families.

To students who are uprooted from our land here..and tacked down into some university..

I was in UVIC the other week

I had a tour through the Faculty of Law

Met some really nice people...

Still..I found a home in the history department...

and with casual "What is your life..."

I was hit..every now and then...

"What is my life..."

occassionally crossing my arms..as though I were thinking my way through a complicated chess game...

I have two weeks off.

One more fishing trip...and two more hunting trips...

and hopefully the rest of the time, I will be in Juliet Creek with the land there...

I now know..what it is I must do...

I find that it will take me about four yrs to get there...