Loving Life!
02 October 2011 | Albany Western Australia
Sue Watt
It’s drizzling outside and what might possible be called a dreary day but it’s funny – I don’t find it to be that at all! I just walked back to Argos thinking how much I love this life! I wouldn’t swap it for quids!
This morning a school of salmon swam into the harbour that the marina is part of. The first we knew of their presence was when the children called out that fish were jumping out of the water. We went out to have a look and sure enough lots of small fish were leaping and hurling themselves around. Peter suggested that some sort of predator fish was chasing them, scaring them silly around the waters and the boats. We watched for a while before wandering up to where the markets are set up on a Sunday morning. We enjoyed an hour or so of listening to some live blues music while sipping our lattes out in the sun that had emerged.
Liam had stayed on the marina, fascinated by the phenomenon and Erina had gone back to join him. We watched as they walked to the other side of the marina where some of the other yachtsmen who are keen fishermen were holding their lines. It wasn’t long before Erina began making her way back over towards us with what seemed a very purposeful step.
‘She’s got news,’ I announced and sure enough, as she got closer her face was beaming – bursting with something to tell!
‘They caught huge salmon,’ she burst out, ‘You have to come and see!’
She told us that Rob and Brian, men from yachts that had come in this week, had caught heaps of the biggest salmon. As I looked up I could see Liam walking back towards them, rod in hand, obviously hoping to join in the fun!
We finished our coffees, while listening to some really mellow music and then went over to check it all out.
They were massive – a dozen or more these guys had caught! It was amazing- and there was Liam with a hand line and hook Brian had given him to use – the same one he had caught his salmon with.
He’s still there now! He hasn’t caught one yet but he’s learning – persistence is often really worthwhile!
This is what I love – the languid relaxed pace of life, the latte’s, the live music, the time to enjoy it without feeling under pressure to be somewhere, do something, the children having the freedom to learn from others, the safety and security of the marina where the people they interact with are all friends, the imparting of knowledge and skills.
Five months ago this would have been a distant hope – a wouldn’t it be nice if sort of thing - it’s so much a part of our lives now.
The kids do their written school work but these lessons in life are priceless. Liam out there with these fishermen getting skills and ideas about fishing, ideas about life – it’s so much more than I would have expected or hoped for.
There are times when we get under each others skin but I’d have to say that nothing matters when you consider the richness of our lives, the time we get to have to just spend together.
I don’t think you could ask for a better first year of being married and learning to be a step parent!