Fourth of July

Sorry I don't have any pictures to post from our fourth of July activities. We had mostly a quiet day, then Justin and I convinced dad to take us out in the boat, over to China Poot Bay, for dipnetting some salmon. I LOVE to go over there, ever since my friend Angie and her family took me years ago. Its so beautiful over there. Though I am kind of accident prone over there. Dad and I were figuring today that it might have something to do with hiking all this way up the river, then you have to pack out like 30-40 pounds of salmon in a gunny sack on your back, and it throws off your balance. Well, it does mine anyway......

So dad and I hiked up the river (Justin couldn't dipnet this year, since he isn't technically considered a "resident" until next year), to the first big waterfalls, I'm not sure how far it is, but its a ways. Then we waded across the river, and you stand about mid thigh in water, and sweep the net down river around this great big rock in the middle of the river, and the fish kind of "hide" at the base of it. Dad was dipping them out 2-3 at a time, but I only took one at a time, I couldn't have gotten more than one anyway, they were pretty fresh and wild. It only took us about 5 minutes for both of us to dip all 12 of our fish out, way longer to walk up there then get all the fish.

Then we loaded our fish into our bags, and started back out. Dad went a lot faster, so I was kind of plodding along behind, as I'm prone to do because I'm not big on balance when I'm hiking, its like I lose all sense of up and down, but anway, I'm walking along yesterday when SLIP down I went crossing the river, and before I could even think I was up to my neck in water, one hand gripping the 35 pounds of fish hanging off my back, and my other hand gushing blood from where I cut it on the rock.

Later then I thought about it, this was almost EXACTLY the same spot where I mashed up/broke my leg a few years ago. But anyway, I kind of scraped myself out of the river, and hobbled the rest of the way across, then had to try and maneuver my way down the river and back to the boat, over big slippery rocks and boulders, and some fast, cold water. By the time I got back to the boat I was NOT happy, my hand was still bleeding, and my other one was still carrying all the fish, and was so tired from not being able to switch back and forth between hands. It took me forever to get back to the boat, the guys were wondering what had happened to me, but I finally got back, and Justin and dad helped me rinse my hand, and put a bandaid on it. So today I've got it all butterflied together, it was pretty deep at the beginning. Then we decided to go halibut fishing to kind of cheer me up a little bit. :) It was pretty fun, no halibut, but I caught a pollock (pollock are what they use to make fish sticks, fake crab, fish sandwiches at McDonalds, etc.), and an Irish Lord (totally useless fish that have no purpose that anyone has yet discovered). So we ended up with 13 red salmon, and 1 pollock.

Today I've been canning the fish we got yesterday, two canner loads so far (30 pints), and still have some fish leftover, and dad went to get more today, so might have to do 2 canners tomorrow too. I did some special fish for Justin and dad, and put a dried chili pepper and garlic salt in a few jars to kind of mix things up a little. Should be good on sandwiches for them.

Other than that, not much has been going on around here except fishing, working, and getting settled into married life (well Justin and I have been getting settled anyway, I assume mom and dad are already used to being married after 30 years, hehe). Hope you're all well, and I didn't bore you with my bloody hand story. :) Love you all. Alicia