Family Post: Artisters

Back in October I was in Indiana waiting for the birth of my grandson Elliot. While we waited I had lots of wonderful time to spend with his big sister Iris. One morning she painted pictures--and her hand.

We hung her art on the door to dry, and I asked if I could take them home with me. Iris was more than happy to let me have them.

Then, on the last day I was there, Elliot was born. In all the excitement I was unable to get the paintings before I left.

I got a big envelope in the mail last week, and in it were the paintings. They are now gracing the wall of my study. This is my favorite.  

Iris also painted a new picture for me, and this one is signed. Pretty cool. Her mother Laura made a video of Iris as she painted it. Iris explains that this is a "statue doggy." It's the best painting of a statue doggy I've ever seen.

In the video Iris said, "When I grow up I want to be a real artister!" Her Grandpa thinks she's well on her way.

Her mother, my daughter Laura, is already there. She has been an accomplished "artister" since college. In the envelope was a painting she had done for my birthday.

She writes, "I wanted to do something with one of the flies you'd tied and, scouring your blog, found the one you'd named 'February Thaw.' It was gorgeous and matches your birth month...win/win." 

Definitely a win for me. Thanks, Babe.

Ol' Cutty Himself...

Ah, I was just remembering that great day last summer up on the mountain when I led Laura through the forest to that deep volcanic pool in the tumbling stream where, through sheer persistence, the artist's touch, and a fly she fashioned on a bent hairpin out of red berries and wolf fur she found snagged on a branch, she managed to fool Ol' Cutty himself, the legendary Monster of the Mountains...

Actually, it was her artist's touch, utilizing photoshop, of course, that put this monster in our hands. She sent this to me for my birthday. When she had us pose like this up on the mountain last summer she promised to do something cool with it. And she sure did.

I can't tell you how much I love this picture.

The irony--humorous, I hope, Laura--is that when we actually fished together last summer we didn't catch a thing. Not even a little tiny fish.

The great thing is that she had this photo emblazoned on a nice, big coffee mug, so I can see it everyday right on my desk next to me.

Nice work, Babe! I'll tell my new granddaughter that first story about her mother, with embellishments--at least until she's old enough to learn about photoshop.

Father and Daughter, Together Again

Click on photos for full size image.

My daughter Laura and her husband Warren are with us this week. Of my three grown daughters, Laura was the one who most liked to fish. She and I had some great trips together when she was a little girl, but we haven't been able to fish with each other for a long time. I was pleased when she told me that was one of the things she really wanted to do on this trip.

Our first chance came on Monday evening. The whole crew of us had gone to Cutthroat Lake to swim. Everybody except Laura and I headed for home, and we stayed around to see if the big cutts were hungry.

The conditions were perfect: no wind, calm lake, and a good hatch of Callibaetis. But the fish didn't cooperate. There were a few rises but no concerted rise. We had a good shot at one cruiser, and were close enough to see it come up under the fly...and refuse it. Such is fishing.

But what a good time we had talking and fishing, father and daughter together again. The plan we made while we fished on Monday is to load up the canoe and make for Trout Lake on Tuesday.

I can hardly wait. And I predict fish photos before the week is out.