Family Ties
- Tall Pines Camp
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
The snapshots of family ties have been abundant lately... A young family coming here for the first time navigating the newness of everything & learning to tie knots together; Grandpa-father-son sharing a boat and heckling one another on who caught more fish; a yearly family reunion of fourteen from three states meeting here and sharing fish fries, daily meals, and sitting on the dock; The uncle bringing nieces this year cause the nephew already had his turn; the friends that are so close and go so far back that they feel like family.
With any family, there are unique dynamics. Some all want to share a cabin while some need their seperate space; some can fish all week together, while some need a moment to themselves. Within a family, each has their own schedules- some like to sleep in cause its vacation, and some want to be the first out cause you won't catch fish just watchin. Some may want to eat at the cabin, some may want to eat on the boat, and yet some may not want to stop to eat at all.
What we also see though is the methodical rituals that act to diffuse any family tensions. The time you spend setting up your rigs is priceless. Whether you do it on the boat in the evening, on your porch in the morning, or while waiting for the gate to open before check-in, tying those knots can be like gardening- soothing for the mind and soul. The morning coffee taking it all in before you set out can set the pace for a peaceful day of vacation. The Dad sneaking out early for some solo fishing time and is back just as the kids are beginning to wake up. And the evening sunsets, or stillness on the water invites great heart to heart chats with Pops or your spouse or a buddy. These family ties are wrapped up like braided line to keep you connected, grounded, and ever mindful of your roots.
Let's take a look at some of our recent families that sent in pics doing just this:
The Haan Klan came together from three states for their annual family vacation. Bruce not only caught his PB 25.5" walleye, but he also caught and released his PB 44" muskie on the first day of the week:
Scott's nieces Olivia and Elise had a ball on the water:
The Radke's were a blast! The grownups took turns with the little ones so they all had time on the water as well as being part of camp activities. Sarah said the kids never got bored the entire week while the boat got fished out of a lot:
Ryan's been taking the smallmouth category to a new level:
Ryan and I had some more family up too and the week flew by playing Molkky, exploring islands, hanging out at camp, and fishing of course:
Lots of blueberry picking outings these last 3 weeks:
Tall Pines fishing buddy Oliver and a lonely fox hanging out:
And of course more water and potluck fun:
So plenty of fish caught, though not as many fish pics sent in yet to share. The weather these 3 weeks were some of the most pleasant days of the season, when one wishes summer would simply stand still. Water temps in the low 70's, and water level has dropped considerably since the last blog. With so many species to catch, and the energy and positive vibes of all our campers so contagious, no one wanted these weeks to end.
And here's the leaderboards for weeks 11, 12, and 13:
It is also in these last three weeks, that Pete Claggett passed away. For those not familiar with the name, Pete and Donna owned/operated Tall Pines for fifteen years (1989-2003 I believe). Pete had many family ties, and during his tenure the Claggetts, Kenneys, Seeleys, and extended family came to visit; many have reached out saying how special Tall Pines was to Pete and Donna, and the fond memories while here.
And so many of the guests in the 90's and 2000's got to know Pete as well, and became like family. As daughter Sarah wrote in his obituary, "[You] will remember his stories, his humor, his adventurous spirit, and his ability to make people feel welcome". She writes that Tall Pines was perhaps his favorite chapter with Donna. "There, his love of the outdoors, hunting, fishing, boating, and entertaining others came together in a place were countless friendships and memories were made."
Sarah writes that one of his greatest legacies was "the example he gave [his children]: that if you love what you do, it never feels like work. Pete lived those words. He pursued the things that brought him joy and shared them generously with others".
Pete is forever engrained in the Tall Pines Family Tree. He combined his passion for the outdoors with his skillset as an entrepreneur to truly make Tall Pines the one of a kind gem that it is. We hope to do right by Pete's family in carrying his legacy on, and he is an inspiration to Ryan and me. If you have a story of Pete, please share it (either in the memorial guestbook online through the link or feel free to comment here in the blog).
This blog is dedicated to Pete Claggett and all those that he had family ties with.
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