Beach Shabbat Shalom

Beach Shabbat Shalom

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Taking a Break

We are home for our compulsory break after three days. It’s necessary for feeding and watering our animals. Plus showers, laundry & restocking. Helps with mental fatigue too. It’s a lot of work fishing and setting up camp simultaneously, feeding all these people, & factoring in the disheartening lack of fishing time. We’ve had nets in the water a total of 4.5-5 hours over the past two days and netted 27 salmon. Total. It’s a lot of work for not so many fish.

Already done fishing but the tide is still coming in.

We got home late last night, it was after 9 pm but I’ve lost track of time to know for sure. Kids tended to the animals, I jumped in the shower. I had two days of Cook Inlet mud to wash off my legs and out of my locs. And that long hot shower helped to soothe some of my tired muscles. And I went straight to bed.

Mental fatigue is always a thing for us at fish camp. We love doing this, look forward to it all year long, but it is a lot of work. Even walking on beach sand all day, every day is tiring. And dealing with other people in close proximity is hard. I mean, we love all of our FC family but even loved ones can get on your nerves at times, amiright?? But it’s all for a purpose. It’s our “working vacation” to fill our pantry with fish.

So taking away that reward, or at least feeling like it’s being taken away from you, makes you question if it’s worth it or not. Plus the reality for us is that there isn’t another opportunity like this to get salmon the rest of the season, it’s a real mind #*@&.

Tequila always helps.

One of my kids were definitely showing that their overwhelmed meters were pegged yesterday so I was glad to be taking our overnight break.

Today we have a plethora of chores and things to load to haul back to the beach for the rest of our adventures. I just keep reminding myself of the purpose: to secure food and enjoy each other’s company. After all, we don’t get this opportunity but once a year, and with Niki here is even more rare.

Gathered around the fire at Basecamp Niki.

So it’s off to work and start getting stuff loaded up. I’ve already got a load of laundry going. Made Dean’s lunch and sent him to work. And paid my business bond renewal that expires next week. I think I need more coffee.