Frozen in time

The month of January can be many things to many people. To some it could mean downhill skiing, cross country skiing, ice fishing or even traveling by snow mobile. I have tried all except for the ice fishing and that was not exactly how I wanted to spend my only free afternoon off from work.

I used to be much more adventurous when I was younger and have only gotten much more cautious and that is a fault I was currently working on. I had several friends who talked me into fishing and decided, why not? I tended to freeze quite easily and wasn't too game to try, but it was something I have never done and wanted to give it a shot.

The view outside my living room window was vast and it showed the exposed trees in the middle of winter, the beauty of the snow glistening on the ground and when the sun hit it just right, it sparkled like diamonds.

I rather enjoyed getting all bundled up at times to take a brisk yet quick walk to keep the body moving and knew that when I came back, I would treat myself to a hot cup of cocoa with marshmallows. I really loved that as an incentive. I have a slight gait when I walk due to an old injury from a fall many years ago and walking outside in snow and ice terrified me. But, I persevered and wanted to keep pushing myself to conquer that fear.

I was getting myself prepared to go ice fishing, but since this was my first time, my friends just said to dress warm and bring lots of hot coffee and a few other reminder I read on a blog which were:

1) One of the first things mentioned is to have a valid fishing license, which I was assured would be taken care of.

2) Put on warm clothes. Once the essential items are on, make sure you put on some of the warmest clothes you own.

3) Research the ice conditions and fishing reports.

These are just a few of the many important tips given and I was trying to be very aware of what I was getting myself into.

I was excited, yet a little scared about this, but knew that I had friends who had years of experience and they promised not to be out too long and had taken extra precautions as well. I was ready to go when my phone rang and gathered up the gear I had assembled and hopped into the truck and we were on our way.

We drove almost an hour our towards the lake my friends indicated was the best prime spot in the state of Minnesota. I was ready for anything and wanted to explore this with eyes wide open. It was a very cold day even for Minnesota when the temperatures can dip as low as -4 degrees which was beyond cold! I was used to it, but when any type of wind picks up, your face and any extremities can freeze in minutes. I was hoping for a good day for all of us and was ready to try to bait the hook and see if I could reel in a fish or two.

It was reasonably early when we arrived and there were a few other groups of people out on the lake. I pulled along a sled which I was told would be great for pulling the tools along on the ice instead of carrying them. I also had a bucket which could also be used for a seat. I didn't expect to like my experience as much as I did, but just sitting around listening to stories from my friends was fun, more than I would have guessed.

After a few hours, we were more than ready to pack it in and get off the ice and get warm. It was getting close to lunch time and we all worked up a pretty hearty appetite. I actually pulled in a fish, which was a Rainbow Trout and was so proud of myself. I asked to have my picture taken for my growing scrapbook at home. We were exhausted yet thrilled to have a pretty good day on the lake and looked forward to the next time.

We finally arrived at the local restaurant which was loaded with other fishermen and women and felt right at home instantly. We took over a big table and invited others to join us. We gave the poor waitress a hard time, but she handled it well and was used to a rowdy bunch this far up North. We talked about fishing, cars, local sports teams and life in general. I knew that I would always be thankful that I accepted the invitation to join them and wondered what was next in store?

Once I finally got home, it had to be around 2pm or so, I took off the many layers of clothing I had on and took a very warm bath and got myself all bundled up on the couch sitting in front of a small fire and was happy. I will never forget the time I had today and better yet the picture of me smiling ear to ear with the fish I caught. I will definitely plan on another winter sport soon, but for now wanted to lie on my couch and sit curled up with my cat and dog and dream of another escapade.