fishing trip, 5-14-05

Last Saturday, May 14th, I took Trevor fishing. We have a few favorite spots that we go to that are close to home. 30 minutes drive and we are there. There is a certain stretch of the highway that we usually always see a few deer. Either going up or coming back, we are sure to see at least one. On the way there, we saw 3 crossing the road. One was taking it’s time (hard to tell gender this time of year because they lose their antlers in early spring) crossing the road so we had to come to a complete stop. This spot is on a hill and coming the other direction was a motorcycle. Imagine the kind of damage that could be caused to all involved! The rider could get killed and the deer might not, but have to die slowly. Fortunately, the rider was able to slow down, but the deer was still not worried for some reason. Finally, it moved off the road to the other side. Then, on the other side of the hill, there were more. We again had to stop. I counted 20! Never seen that many there at one time before! There was a big buck with them (without his antlers). He was on the South side of the road watching us intently as the others finished gathering on the North side. You see, we were able to tell not just any his size, but his actions. His job is to draw attention away from the rest of the herd, so he stood there hoping to attract us to him. It was great to see so many of them there! We must have sat there in the middle of the highway, watching, for about 10 or 15 minutes. The head buck never did cross, just slowly walked along the fence. We drove off and went to our first spot just below the dam. The creek, or stream as some of you may know them, is called “North Crow Creek.” The dam is used for a power source for the city. There are some nice little beaver ponds there. About 4 years ago, I got a huge Cut-throat trout there. He was bright red and orange and measured over 28 inches. That is my biggest catch to date. (I know, not much to brag about, but I was very excited) This day though, we would not have any luck. So, we drove off to another creek, “Lodge Pole,” that is just a few miles West. The Wyoming Game and Fish usually stock this area twice a year with fish they grow in “fish farms.” Just before we got to the main highway, we saw an eagle. It was a Golden eagle, common for this part of America. However, it is uncommon to see them. In fact, they are a very rare sight along the roads. It was eating something so we stopped to watch. I wanted to make sure Trevor saw it. It stopped eating and stared at us if to say “Hey, do you mind! I’m trying to eat here.” So, we drove off. Again, no luck at Lodge Pole, so we went back to the lake. The lake is called “North Crow Lake” after the creek. We had heard that people were catching some big one’s there. This lake is also stocked by the Game and Fish. I have no idea where the good spots are, so we just parked in the parking area and walked to a place that as close to the car. We got lucky! Within an hour, I caught 4 and Trevor 8. They were only 8 to 10 inchers (“stockers”) but they sure were tasty! We put most of them back. I like to take only what we will be eating that day. I know people take their limits and freeze them, but to me they are not as good to eat after they are frozen. Besides, it is only right for Nature to only take what is needed and not be greedy. They were good fighters too. It was fun watching them jump out of the water trying to escape the hook! So, that following Sunday morning, I dreamt about an owl. She was very big and brown. I bent down and she climbed on my arm. I began to pet her and she purred like a cat. Then, she rolled on her back in my arms and I pet her tummy. Then, I took her to a table and feed her. The Native American in me says that seeing these animals on this day has a message. Eagles of course are very sacred. They are viewed as the animal that is closest to God because it can fly very high. A good omen to see one like that. The abundance of deer might be a sign of good things to come, of prosperity. If it was the old days and we were hunting and saw that many deer, we could feed and cloth our families for a log time. Owls are viewed as very mystical and sacred as well. They are nocturnal and this translates to humans as being able to see “all” or seeing in the darkness and shadows. To have owl medicine means that person will be able to see any harm coming or any tricks that the darkness has in store. Some would say that I have an owl as one of my totem animals now. It has been a very long time since I had a good animal dream like that. Thank You, God!!! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!