My Birthday Trip

Well today the Riverkeeper turned 39 years old, or young I mean. So as tradition holds in our family we all got together and fried halibut and razer clams while drinking high balls and laughing at the jokes my wife made about my age. Later in the evening after things wound down a bit her mom pointed out that my wifes dad turns 60 next year, and I turn 40, and that Tom and I should go on a big fishing trip somewhere. I smiled and said it was a nice thought. Later I found myself out on the deck, elbows on the railing staring down on the columbia river a few miles away, looking at a double rainbow, new zealand, northwest territorys, patagonia, argentina.... nice, all very nice, but if I could go anywhere on my 40th birthday its to a place that is gone forever... the past, a Time machine to 1982, Deep lake in nothwestern washington state.. I would be 10 again, and I would take my son, and he would be 10 again aswell... 2 shakesphere flyrods, graphite reels and level lines, leaders cut off of spools of blue tinted eagleclaw line.. and a coleman scanoe.. and 5 pound native cutts just after an april thunderstorm.. I can still smell it, I will always be able to smell it, and mabe just mabe, my son will finally be able to hear the words, like I can-