Keen beginnings share the love/show the love

Keen beginnings: share the love/show the love

 

My oldest daughter, Hannah aka Beezer, is almost 20 years old, and I can’t remember a time when she was so thrilled by getting a new pair of shoes  as she was her latest pair; purple Keen sandals. Maybe it’s because she’s living on her own and has developed some appreciation for the cost of buying things like shoes.

 

Let me back up a bit on this latest tale, and set the stage. Hannah & Erica are the absolute best of buds, and have been so throughout high school, steering  them to moving out of the house together to St. George to become two of the cutest Dixie Rebels ever (that’s another story). They are about a month from obtaining their Associates Degree, then planning on making the big move out of Zion into Sin City to attend UNLV. Erica’s dad, Albert aka Al and I decided to drive down and spend a weekend camping with the girls.

 

Watching those two girls together warms my heart, and simultaneously freaks me out. They have such a love for each other, and the way both of them takes care of the other one is astonishing. One morning Al noticed how tenderly Erica went into the tent, knelt down and started rubbing Hannah’s back. I know what you’re thinking…and why wouldn’t you, it’s not like we all haven’t. But if you knew these two, you would know how much they wish they were gay.

 

The rough plan is to continue the quest for trout in the slot canyon of the East Fork of the Virgin. We’re also thinking of investigating up hwy 89 past Orderville into the small town of Hatch or maybe as far as Panguich. When we get to Mt. Carmel maybe we will call “Little Dick” a local guide to see if he can shed some light on fishing in the East Fork slot canyons.

 

But all great adventures need to begin with some shopping, and apparently both girls have been Jonesing  for a pair of Teva’s for years—(no Teva’s aren’t Lezbo.) I actually came prepared with a pair for Hannah from her mom, worn maybe once. So we’ll swing by Dick’s Sports and get Erica all decked out with a styling pair. I don’t even know why I would say that, we all know we will be getting a pair for both Erica and Hannah. They picked two different shades of purple. The new shoe buzz lasted the entire trip; I don’t think 30 minutes went by that they were not saying something about the love of the new shoes—no complaints from us dads; it’s nice to see them so happy. Share the love; show the love, even if it’s for new shoes.

 

Once you get out of Zion’s Canyon on HWY 9 you hit Mt. Carmel, travel south and you are heading toward Arizona, Lake Powell, The Colorado River and Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park. The pics do not do that sand justice. It’s not just the stunning color; it’s also the finest sand I have ever felt.  All of us were compelled to fun fingers and toes through it over and over; the girls would not stop and kept poking at it over and over in their own little way. According to the little brochure it is the product of a wind vortex that has been working for millions of years to create the amazing Pink Coral Sand Dunes.

 

The girls were not very interested in fishing, but wow I have to vote Al the rookie fly fisherman of the year. He said it was the first time he has ever fly fished, but honestly I’m inclined to believe he’s wielded a fly rod before. I was baffled at how good he could cast. We worked up a section of Duck Creek right below the reservoir. Fish were feeding off the top and I thought it would be appropriate to tie on a Fat Albert for Albert. To his left was a mess of branches, to his right was a bank of weeds. He needed to get the fly up river about 20 to 30 feet without disturbing the water too much. The wind was blowing a bit, which makes it hard to cast no matter how good you are. It took a few casts, but he laid his Fat Albert right in the zone. It drifted down about 10 feet and wham! He set the hook perfect. It is so much fun seeing a grown man have that much fun catching a fish.

 

We drove on to the booming metropolis of Hatch, which thank God had a little place to eat lunch—good soup. The Sevier River runs right through town and we worked it for a maybe about an hour. It was a bit colder than we hoped for, and I think it sort of drove the girls away from fishing. But the trip was not about fishing, it was about an adventure together. So we decided to head back to The Barracks and check out an area that Erica likes, and see what the East Fork of the Virgin looks like. I do not think the East Fork slot canyons exist…but the group decided not to call “Little Dick” to see what light he could shed on the topic.

 

We found a really cool cave on the way to The Barracks, it was great exploring through it—see pics. We spent a little too much time just sort of driving and walking around and the sun slipped low into the red rock. I wanted to get back to camp before it got too dark, to make Hobo dinners—tough to do in the dark. We made a smashing team, with Al and Erica on fire duty, and Beezer & I cooking we rocked the camp.

 

Sitting by the fire, watching their faces, seeing the relaxation, feeling the love, sharing the love, it’s impossible to top that. Watching my big kid move into adulthood, and seeing the woman she has grown into, I am proud to be her father. I can sit at the fire, a fat contented cat and enjoy being with her. You are required to love your children, but not like them; I really like this girl! I see Al’s face and it says exactly the same thing. Further, I want to think that the girls tranquil calm faces is a mirror of some of the same feelings toward their dads—share the love show the love.

 

Packing up camp Sunday morning we all agree this should not be the end of our father/daughter outings; but rather this should be the first of an annual trip. I am all about annual trips; I do it with fly fishing buddies, all the more reason to do it with your kid. Here’s to 2013 being the first of a long line of the “Daddy/Daughter annual adventure.