Today brought back some fond memories of my dad. One memory was sparked by some Lapsang Souchong Tea...it tastes a bit like a camp fire…weird but very good. This took me back to some great times camping up at Ross Lake, as well as in Eastern Washington during our annual fall and winter dear hunting trips.

A little later in the day I had the chance to do some fly fishing in a little pond here somewhere in the middle of Colorado...which again took me back to the countless times we went fishing on some of our family outback adventures. I never really liked fishing much as a kid, but it’s grown on me in my old age…I think it’s the nostalgia, and the ever so rare instance when I actually catch a fish.

My dad always loved to tell the story of when he was fishing and he was the only one catching fish. People were migrating towards him, thinking he’d found the secret fishing hole, so he’d move to another spot, and again be the only one catching fish. Finally, he walked out a few feet into the lake when suddenly a fish jumped right in front of him and he somehow managed to catch it with his bare hands. Not a bad day at the lake...and a story I loved to hear him tell every couple of years.

Today is my dad’s 57th birthday and I’m so glad I had the chance this day to do something he proudly taught me how to do over 25 years ago...fish.

Happy Birthday Dad!