She thinks we're just fishin'

At least once a year at Earth Sheep Farms, I get the awesome opportunity to spend a half day fishing high in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies. Eva, my 10-year-old daughter, spends much of her summers with me, which includes weekly riding horseback and camping for 3 days and 2 nights high into the mountains to bring supplies to the sheep herders, dogs, and sheep. On one of those special trips, we take fishing poles, bait, hooks, and sinkers, and we go fishin’. We love to fish in one of the many high-altitude lakes where mountain trout flourish, swimming in shallow waters and hitting the surface at sometimes incredible frequency.Eva ALWAYS out-fishes her dad, ofttimes doubling my catch. She demonstrates athleticism with accuracy and timing and she casts a near-perfect line far into the lake. She is patient and has a knack for reeling in the hook at a speed that seems to hook these beautiful trout quickly and surely. Pride swells within my chest, not for anything I’ve done or do as a father, but for the fortune I have in being the father to this amazing, smart, beautiful, and incredibly tough young woman who stands before me pulling in yet another colorful mountain trout, and for the deep feelings of thanksgiving and gratitude that settle on my heart and soul.

My soul sings praises of joy and thanksgiving each moment I’m with her. Trace Adkins best described this experience in “Just Fishin’”. Children need time with their parents or caregivers and teachers. Whatever your passion, children will flourish by spending time with you. Some of my passions are riding horses, caring for livestock, and enjoying nature. Moments like these are what keep me grounded, keep me focused, and help me to realize that connecting with ones we love is one special thing that makes this life so very sweet. Growing up in America and having children in this great country humbles me to the core. Having the freedom to spend time with Eva high in the Colorado Rockies is unique and not shared by many in this world. Let us always remember those who sacrificed for us so that we can be free, and let us act accordingly.