Diamond Lake 2014

The Sinn's have a tradition of going to Diamond Lake before harvest ties them down on the farm for the summer. Going anywhere, be it only a few hours away, with a dozen people is bound to be an adventure. We got down to the Lake in the evening & got out on the water promptly, hoping to set a fishing streak for the next day. We ended up with a few trout & a great sunset. I caught my first mountain lake trout (the first of many, right?) to my delight.

 

The whole family stayed in a two-bedroom cabin...12 people, 2 rooms, you do the math:). I think by now, I don't need to say how much the Sinn family loves to be together, how close they are, how blessed I feel to be a part of their family. Cramming into a small cabin is nothing, and the thing about mountain lakes is that they get downright nippy at night. So the more warm bodies, the better:). We had a little fireplace, drank hot chocolate, & played Scrabble. The next morning, we woke up to that lovely piney smell, with wreaths of fog drifting over the lake, & the excitement of fish just waiting to be caught. I'm not a fisher, but I do love to sit in a boat on a nice day & be part of the chaos that happens when a pole starts dipping. The more I learn about it, too, the more I understand the allure; it isn't about the fish necessarily for me. It's about taking time to focus on just one little thing & leave behind worries & cell phones & just be in the moment. As and the books & magazines I pack along don't hurt. I could get used to it.

Riley is such a sweet kid. He's a little camera shy (ahem, perhaps they all are...), but is so natural & unpretentious that I have to snap a few photos of him now & then.

We don't all fit in one boat, & unlike a cold cabin, the more bodies aren't the better on a boat, so we had to split between two. We fished all morning, caught a few, then Mom S. grilled brats & hot dogs on a portable grill we'd brought along. If the fishing isn't hot, at least the food can be, is the generally accepted motto.

It ended up being a warm, sunny day, & even though we came home with not as many fish as some would've liked, it was still enjoyable & worth the drive. I'm so glad they have traditions & that they take the time to do them, even if it's a lot of work. It will be fun to see how our annual fishing trips evolve as little ones join us (one coming soon! Not me, calm down!) & the family grows.