Our family loves to eat fresh seafood! Fresh Alaskan seafood! We only like fresh and turn our noses up at anything else. Admittedly snooty. We lived in a town/area where lots of folks made their living by fishing.
3 of our 4 sons were, at one time or another, working the boats. One son went on to get his Masters license and was Captain of a fishing vessel out of Dutch Harbor. He has stories to beat any you've ever seen on TV! A very dangerous career and we were relieved, after many successful years of fishing, that it was no longer a part of our boys lives.
Our petite daughter, lovely and talented enough as hostess on Royal Caribbean, summered as a deck hand on one of the local charter boats. She could fillet a halibut right along with the best of the men. We have a video of her astraddle a 220# halibut and making quick work, of a tough job, as tourists watched her work.
And Hubby worked on the diesel engines of the local boats and sometimes he'd get a bonus of fresh seafood, then our boys would bring some home, our daughter would sometimes bring halibut plus we had friends that had boats. We always had banquets with all sorts of fresh seafood. King Crab, and I mean KING crab, so succulent and delicious. Over-sized!! We'd have a huge bowl on the table! Alaskans never grow tired of fresh seafood nor do they take it for granted. Clams, salmon, crab, halibut, cod, shrimp....all sorts of types, kinds, varieties.
Our 3rd son, 4th child, was born with an addiction to adrenaline rushes (really, I believe this!) he was born a dare devil and has scared the life out of me more than once with his antics. We have a picture of him, that is terrifying but so typical of him. A vessel pulling a gigantic bag of fish behind it and he is standing on the bag of fish!! In the water!! being pulled by the fishing boat!! Could have easily been his ruination but he just loves daring adventures.
Sometimes bags of fish when emptied out will yield catches beyond the goal fish. Strays of other species get in and are tossed back in.
There is a most ugly worthless fish that is frightening...It's called an Irish Lord. Gigantic mouth, bulging eyes, prickly spines sticking out of it, inedible. downright disgusting to tangle with one. It's monstrous looking.
If we liken the Gospel net to a bag of different species of salmon, all with the same quest, despite their individual differences, to return home....then we have to acknowledge the Gospel net catches all sort of other fish also.
In that light it's typical that each Ward will keep company with some fish that are unique and often troublesome and quarrelsome. They swim right alongside us, as we are frolicking with the dolphins and enjoying the eye-catching beautiful tropical fish. Haven't we at times felt we are swimming with the sharks, fleeing from a killer whale, have a pesty piranha nipping on our heel, dared to approach a stingray and almost get zapped, reach to touch an innocent gauzy looking jelly fish and get stung? Don't we all know or act like an Irish Lord at times?
No Ward is immune to this mixed bag of characters with their distinct characteristics. The challenge is to make it work, as we all figure out how to endure to the end, and endure each other to that end, as we overcome our weaknesses!
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