Picking Nets
I had an uncle who was a commercial fisherman, working in the north Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia. When I was a boy, my family occasionally made the long drive from Michigan to visit on summer vacation. A child of the Midwest, I was far more familiar with woods and fields than the seashore, and I found the life there fascinating.
Foggy Memory
Two years ago, I took a trip with my granddaughter, Anastasia, to spend time together, make some memories, and connect with our ancestry. We visited a beautiful region of Canada where my mother—Ana's great-grandmother—came from: the coast of Nova Scotia.
Many Happy Returns
From the edge of the lake, I watched turtles, fish, frogs, snakes, and birds, all going about the business of living their lives, while the sun played hide-and-seek among fat, lazy clouds, and insects hummed, chirruped, and buzzed. Nearby, a woodpecker added rhythmic percussion to the skirl of a catbird's call. In the distance, musical voices of children, laughing and calling out to each other, made me smile, remembering moments long ago at this same park with my wide-eyed, two-year-old son just beginning to discover the amazing sights and sounds of Nature.