The "Marilyn S" has been hauled out of the salt and is on the stands awaiting new injectors and a cleaned out after cooler for next season. The Christmas Lights have been dug out of the attic and placed in the trees in my front yard. Its a chore now, as my trees have grown and they are much taller, but my daughter loves it and it cheers me at this dreary time of the year. It is a slow time of year and having recovered from the hectic pace of my summer and fall fishing seasons, I can now reflect upon my good fortune. I’m thankful that I get to fish all summer long with GREAT people in a beautiful marine environment. I get to share the excitement and fun of catching great fish on light tackle with friends and families that tell me at the end of the day that I am a “good boy” ! Wow !!! I feel incredibly lucky and I am grateful. I just want all of you to know that. I appreciate the ability and good fortune to be located where I am on the Cape, and to be able to fish with you. Without you, I would not feel the way that I do. Sure, I could go fishing by myself, but its different when you share it, and that is the feeling that I'm talking about.THANK YOU ALL !
Merry Christmas & Best Wishes in the New Year,
Bruce & “Marilyn S”
With all of the last minute shopping is done, I have wrapped all the presents. My son Taylor is here on Cape, is working, has a girlfriend and is happy. I hope he makes it over here for a dinner or two. My daughter Aimee is working here as well, and is also in a budding, blooming, rekindled relationship and is happy. The inherited house cat Daisy, purrs beside me on the couch, the wood stove is generating its pleasing, drowsy warmth throughout. All is good this evening in the Peters hunting cabin.
I decided to drive down to the Chatham harbor at the Fish Pier for a look and to check the remaining boats.
Pulling into the deserted December parking lot, under the street lamps at dockside, I noticed there wasn’t a breath of wind to ripple the waters surface. The moon rising over the dune to the east, completes the serenity I feel here tonight. In the beautiful clear stillness, I watch the remaining commercial boats tugging to and fro at their mooring lines with the ebbing tide. I hear a vaguely familiar splash at a distance, … and then again. Alarmed, did something fall in ? No, it wasn't that large, it sounded a lot like the slurp of a feeding fish, or perhaps a merganser or sea duck, but at night ?? Then again I heard it, definitely a slurp and a splash, closer this time. Was it a seal ? It seemed quite large. I heard it again, and this time, I saw the boil at the outskirts of the dockside lamps glow, and halfway into the channel. “Holy cow” ! What the heck is that ? A striper ?? “No way” ! - It was HUGE !, it couldn’t be - it was at least 5 feet long !!!
Then I saw her swimming slowly into the current under the radiance of the lamps glow. WHOA - She had to be 80-100 pounds or more, at least ! As the huge striper swam by, it rolled slowly over on one side and I swear she winked at me as if to say......“ AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT ” !
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!
Capt. Bruce & “Marilyn S”
