It has been a busy summer. The first half evaporated before I realized it was gone, and it hit me this morning that in a month, the kids will be shackled back to a school routine. We have been running a lot of trips, about one a week, and while on those trips our focus is on introducing a new group of people to creek snorkeling, making sure people are safe and seeing the cool things we see, finding the right places to go to ensure an abundance and diversity of fish, making sure folks are comfortable, having fun and being amazed by our creeks. We aren’t necessarily there for our enjoyment, though I can’t think of a better way to spend the day.
We slid into Big Branch, and as usual, the group was loud and splashy, but soon they settled into the water and started to see things. First it was the bluegill then the fall fish. Soon they were spotting hog suckers, marveling at the abundance of common shiner, and making satisfying comments about how cool creek snorkeling is.
This was my sixth trip to this stream in as many weeks and it never gets old. Everything is different; nothing is ever the same except for the feeling of exploration and discovery. Some days the first hole holds a large school of large fall fish. Others it holds shiner. Yesterday the big surprise was a school of mixed sized hog suckers, no fall fish and a trout. It was a day of connection at Eden Mill Nature Center, sharing what I know and learning more. There really is no better way to spend the day.
