Dip Netting...sort of

I LOVE dip netting, but have only been able to go a few times in my life. It's so fun. You take a huge net, five feet in diameter, attached to a 10 to 12 foot pole and push it out into the water while wearing breathables/neoprenes. You stand in the water up to your chest and wait for the fish to get in your net. Sounds boring and lame, but it's so fun! Promise. And it's subsistence fishing, so our family could get 65 fish and stock up....when the fish are in, that is. Well, we have been back in Alaska for four years and we were able to go the first year, but not since then. So, I had David plan months in advance by taking a week off work so we could join up with friends in Kenai to dip net. It was all planned out and we had tons of family joining us. It was going to be great! Then guess who got sick? I NEVER get sick!!! We had to go a day late so I could go to the doctor, who did nothing for me. I was determined to go no matter what. Then I started coughing along with the fever and chills. It was survivable, but camping just wasn't the same. Sunday, our first day there, was gorgeous, but of course no one went dip netting. Monday morning we packed up our stuff and headed out to the beach where the Kenai river opens up to the ocean. It's nice and sandy so the kids came along to have some fun on our Alaskan 'beach'. When we got there, it was cold and windy!! But we won't be stopped. We were bundled up and we weren't leaving. A few of the guys braved the water and got in with their nets, but nothing was happening. It didn't help that there were five foot swells with all the wind and the boats going in and out. It was impossible to go out very far or you would get soaked. Then is started raining!! We started a fire, but by the time we got it going we had decided to call it quits for the time being. It's way too hard to nurse a baby on a beach in the wind and rain with five layers of clothing on! But before we left, David caught two fish so we weren't going back empty handed. Although he did get soaking wet and ruined his cell phone, in case you're wondering why he never answers anymore.

The boys did go back later that day, but people weren't catching much, so they didn't stay. The next day they went halibut fishing instead and caught their limit, two each. Except David got sea sick, something that has never happened, and now the guys won't let him live it down. So much for dip netting. We even went down to the beach on our way out to see if the fish were 'in', but nothing was happening. We decided to cut our losses and head home. There is always next year.

David, not able to go in too far because of the waves. He made our nets this year, by the way, and saved us about $75! They are great nets too. Go David!

Grandma trying to get warm by the fire with the kids. At least Bohdan is smiling. ;-]

Bohdan trying to help daddy play guitar back at camp.

When we got home I went back to the doctor and he said I had bronchitis. He was about to give me a bunch of great drugs until I reluctantly told him I was nursing. He said, 'well, I can still give you the antibiotics'. Oh well. I'll have to wait for the good stuff some other time. It's been almost a month since we went dip netting and I am still trying to get rid of crud in my lungs. Such is life. I've even managed to pass it on to my kids. :-) Even Bohdan is on an inhaler this week...poor guy. But we shall persevere. A friend once said, 'it came to pass, not to stay.'