Ice fishing + Big bro.

So I had a chance to go ice fishing with my big bro this past weekend. He's got a sweet bob-house (that's ice shack to you non ice-fishers) on Lake Umbagog in northern ME/NH. Matt + I left Friday night, stayed at a tiny little motel in a tiny little town called Errol, NH. This town, after 9pm is like Barrow, Alaska, from the movie 30 Days of Night.
Seriously, it's like driving through a completely empty town. There is no, I mean not at all, absolutely zero cell phone service. I have Verizon wireless, and no you could not here me now! Seriously I had to use a fucking pay phone to call my wife! Anyway, I digress... We met early on Saturday morning to head out to the lake. Big bro has all the right gear. We loaded up his snowmobiles, went out to his bob-house to get the set-up done. He's got the power auger, and all the tip-ups, the skimmers, the bait, everything we needed. Sweet. We weren't even done setting up when the first flag shot up (81! 82!). We caught a couple pickerel, and probably 20 perch throughout the course of the day. Big bro even had breakfast, + lunch for us. Sweet. And beer. mmmbeer. Sweet.

We got to hang out, shoot the shit, get caught up, etc. It was great seeing him and his boy Zach too. We don't get to see each other often enough, what with each our own busy lives going on. Each of us have full time jobs, wives, kids, always busy, busy, busy. The cool thing though is that when we do get together, we can just hang out, enjoy just being together, no pretensions, no hang ups, just brothers hanging out. I guess that's the good thing about family...

Big bro's bob-house is directly across from where our Mom + Dad, with us, as little ones, rented a primitive little cottage in the dead of winter one year for a week. I still vividly remember that vacation. My poor mother FROZE all week, had to use an outhouse, and I don't believe enjoyed it a whole lot. She was a trooper though. We all rode snowmobiles, and ice fished, and Big bro + I got to keep riding the snowmobiles after Mom + Dad were done for the day. Those little cabins are now gone, since replaced with fancier little camps (electricity + running water!!!), but the lake is still the same. My youngest boy got drive a snowmobile for his 1st time. This is a trip I know he won't soon forget.

After we packed up Saturday, we went back into Errol. Wow, the town is alive now... with snowmobiles! No kidding, I filled up my truck at the local gas station, and I was the only wheeled vehicle at the pump, with 7 sleds filling up at the other pumps, and at least a dozen more waiting in line. This little town is a snowmobiling heaven! After we said our goodbyes, I headed for home. A long drive after a long satisfying trip. Thanks Big bro!

...of course now I'm shopping for snowmobiles... ;)

Carl Genius