Annie

Annie

I can remember the first salmon I caught. It's a foggy memory, but the Polaroid picture pinned up in my parent’s bedroom for the last 22 years brings it all back. I can taste the saltwater, see the misty morning, and feel the tight life jacket around my waste as I hold the prize fish half my size in my tiny hands. I was 5 years old and my dad took me down to McConnell’s boat house in Mukilteo which has since been replaced by a hotel. We didn't have our own boat, at first, but shortly after Dad acquired a boat and trailer.

He spent many nights fixing the fiberglass 14 footer. It seemed like years, was probably closer to weeks, but before long I had a boat that was named after me. Well, that's the way I like to tell the story. Dad put all of our names next to her name-ANNIE. That's the way he is, fair. We climbed inside on cold mornings, bundled up with sleeping bags, books, chocolate milk, fresh herring and donuts. We never had time to get sick or be uncomfortable or get bored. He let us talk or not and it became our special dad and daughter time.

We grew up on the Puget Sound. We learned about the surrounding area, we watched the destruction of oil spills. We saw sea lions, scary lightening storms, dogfish out at Possession, lost dodgers, TOO MANY BOATS, and lots of fish. As a little middle schooler I helped launch the boat and catch the King salmon. I hadn't loved the idea of downriggers when we first got them. It felt like cheating! But, after I watched Jenny catch all the fish on them I was soon converted. Every Christmas Dad would get 10 new squids, lures, and dodgers. In high school I would sleep for about 3 hours and then roll out with some coffee, my sleeping bag and some chocolate milk. I guess some things never change. We tried to go after I started college, but it was tough, but year after year Dad spent the money to insure and license Annie. This hand made boat couldn’t just go to waste. And with all the salmon she brought in we ate like kings and felt like kings and ate the kings. We made many memories in Annie.

This past August Dad and I took Annie out for a fishing trip. Once we were out on the placid water Dad broke the news that he was thinking of selling our little leaky boat. It was a perfect day for fishing, partly cloudy with sun breaks. A brisk morning but not too much with the extra clothes I have always piled on. After a few hours Annie began to take on water. As Dad bailed water I soon agreed that it might be time to make that craiglist ad. We didn't catch anything but a few last nostalgic moments and surprisingly for the first time I watched dad bring in some crabs.

If you are interested in seeing pretty Annie, here’s I just posted.


I love you Dad.