Memories

It was a cloudy, but mild day. Rick and I headed down to a little spot on the Anchor River known as Slidehole. Rick was determined to put his new $5 rod and reel to use in catching some of those sought after salmon. Sarah and the kids were to meet us a little later for a picnic. I decided to stretch out on the rocky shore and just relax. Making myself as comfortable as one can when lying on stones the size of my fist and bigger, I listened to the sounds of the river rush past and was transported to a kind of dejuve', to a time when I slept on the shores or Lake Superior on a bed of stones. **** My friends Lynn Pufall and Kathy Martin had made our way to the small rock laden beach along the shores of Lake Superior, in Saxon, Wisconsin. We carried only a guitar, a few sleeping bags, and some 'beverages'. I imagine we also had some food as I can't image going anywhere without some, but I don't actually remember eating any. The first part of the night was spent at a little bar about a block away where we sang for drinks. I was 15 or 16, and this was one of my first times to walk on the 'wild side'. With a good little buzz on, we headed for the beach where we were joined by Lynn's boyfriend and his buddy. We partied most of the night, and then "crashed" among the rocky beach. I have never been so cold or uncomfortable in my life. What a great memory! ***** It wasn't long before my thoughts were brought back to reality when Rick yelled over that he had caught a snag and broken his pole. We gathered up our things and headed to the car only to find Sarah and the kids had arrived. We drove to a nice little picnic spot and before long were greeted by an elderly gentleman. He had found a kid's pole he was certain it must be Auden's, since she was the only child to be found. Sure enough, a stray pole, just the right size for Auden. We took the pole home, and Jess tied a nut to the end of the line, gave Auden a few casting demonstrations, and handed Auden the pole. She took right to it, as did her kitten, Buzz. It was a sight to see. A memory in the making; Auden, Buzz, and that Spiderman fishing pole. I was lucky enough to get a little video footage of Auden trying to get untangled from the line, while Buzz was helping. As the commerical says, it was "priceless". A bit later, Sarah recognized Auden doing the 'pottie prance,' and offered to help her take care of the cause. Without missing a beat, Auden said "I go pottie in the woods." She bolted out to the edge of the lawn, pulled her pants down to her knees, and assumed the appropiate position. A minute later, she returned with a proud "I did it" face. Granted, there was evidence that she needed work on her technique, but this little Alaskan girl had mastered the concept. I got to see it firsthand. While I didn't get footage of this little event, it too, is precious and memorable all the same. So, what is about events and experience that cause a certain sector in a brain to hold onto it as a memory? It doesn't seem to have anything to do with everything going right. It seems more like it has to do with surviving adversities and experiencing something for the first time. That is what this trip is about; building memories and watching precious moments. Hopefully, I have enough space in my brain for all the memories.