Week 10 was a rare opportunity where Tall Pines Camp was full of entirely our friends and family from back home. Though exhausted like never before, it has been a tremendously fulfilling week. The thing is, we used to spend our entire summers with these guys. So we tried to cram an entire summer’s worth of activities, laughs, and of course fishing into one week. Kids ran around until late in the night with flashlights catching frogs and playing hide and seek while adults played bean bags until the last touch of sunset disappeared into the darkness. The guys drank beer and whiskey while telling priceless fish and life stories in the fish cleaning house.
This group was up for doing it all: Smores, ice-cream, fish fries, bean bags, cards, byomeat nights, kayaking and swimming, blueberry picking, hanging with Earl, and lounging in the hammock filled the gaps where we weren’t fishing.
Earl has become officially part of the Taylor clan. He fit right in and was immediately embraced by all of us. From helping Dad into the boat, to his patience with Max and Sam as they were SUPER excited for their perch loot to fillet, golf cart rides when he had a minute, and everything in between, Earl’s mastery of his craft allowed Ryan and me to also enjoy moments this week .
Here Earl and “Uncle Opie” give educational entertainment to some of the nieces and nephews on fish filleting:
It will take months to sort through all the pics taken from this week, but here’s just a few:
Some of the fish caught this week:
Perfect weather for yoga on the dock:
Fish fries replaced traditional potluck a couple afternoons:
This is Earl’s Inspirational Pic of the Week (he says this is what Ryan looks like in the morning):
The nieces and nephews exploring islands, our shoreline, and enjoying boat rides:
We unintentionally had a serenity type dock and a more lively dock this week:
Everyone is exhausted as they pack up (as well as us) but the memories of times spent together are so worth it. I get now why so many families that have moved away from each other choose Tall Pines as a place to re-connect, a reunion of sorts. Whether blood related or not, this group here we consider all family, and is one of a kind, and we are touched by their support of our dream and whirlwind of a life.
To wrap up, some great moment’s that Bridget’s mom captured from last week:
A few more pics from week 9 where these three collectively caught fish in the triple digits:
For those coming up soon, know that fishing has been great for most, water levels still normal to high, weather has been fantastic (70’s-80’s has been a relief to those with heat wave back home), skeeters and ankle biter flies are definitely out and about, and there are still tons of fish to be caught, even with warmer water temps. Ryan personally got into some nice walleye and all the others this week so he will have some specific hot spots to share with you at welcome-checkin if you like
