These pictures and poems started with my first visit to Gull Lake in 2007 and continued until my last trip in 2015.
A special thank you goes out to Jim and Elaine, Gary, Steven, and Vic for their friendship and all the hours of fishing, hiking, kayaking, cooking and eating delicious meals, watching football, western movies, and Jim making sure our wine glasses were never empty. A big hug goes to Tank. He was our constant companion and loved being at the cabin as much as all of us.
Giving Thanks at Gull Lake
In the morning
we started our walk
in search of beautiful lakes,
hiking along the Rock Creek Trail
Looking at the snow capped mountains
we followed the creek,
listening to her loving sounds
and discovered the first lake
Following the John Muir path
we climbed the steps,
up the mountain trail
of yellow leaves to the second lake
Looking at the mountain peaks
hanging in the clouds,
I took pictures of my friends
in front of the third lake
Passing fisherman
by Chicken Foot Lake
I reflected on the beauty of nature
and offered this prayer
“Wisdom be more precious than possessions without end,
Truth be more sacred than the pleasing of a friend,
Courage be with us in our search for being whole,
Love be the cleansing wonder of the soul”
(in memory of Phil Smith)
A Great Fisherman
the hidden sun is coming up
over the snow-capped mountains,
the early morning frost
chills the chairs on the fishing boat
the water on the lake
is as smooth as glass,
I take a deep breath of the crisp air,
because I am at the lake now
the afternoon sun is warm
the creek is cold,
the sky is blue,
all I need now is to find you
I am reminded how
life is like fishing,
you put your line in the water
and trust the great mystery
walking into our cabin
a pillow on the couch
catches my attention,
“A great fisherman lives here with the catch of his life”
Friendship and Fishing
driving up the long and winding road
excited with anticipation,
we arrived at our favorite Convict Lake Restaurant,
ordered my favorite Hush Cabernet wine,
that was enjoyed with vegetables,
wasabi mashed potatoes and pan salmon
arriving at the cabin on the lake
to unpack our food and wine
for tasty treats,
then turning on the electric blanket,
and crawling into bed
to warm my feet
waking up to fishing poles,
we cast into the “fish hole,”
getting a bite, reeling in a fish, taking out the hook,
putting it on a stringer,
then cleaning it in the Marina’s cold water
before bringing home our bounty
walking back to the cabin
to break out the crab meat,
cracking the shells
as the sun slowly sinks,
while drinking my Alaskan amber beer
preparing rack of lamb for dinner
over a rosemary pomegranate sauce,
to go with the Dry Creek Valley Cabernet,
making the salad exciting with
candied pecans, sunflower seeds,
apples, cranberries, and red peppers
after dinner, being treated to smoked fish
served with Laetitia Pinot Noir wine,
from Jim’s private wine cellar,
then toasting to our friendship
that brought us all here
Gull Lake and Gibran
kayaking in the early morning,
enjoying the solitude of being
with my own fears and feelings,
then taking a deep breath,
for I am at the lake now
with friends, fishing, and a warm fire
hiking to Deadman’s Creek,
listening to the creek
as we eat our lunch on the big rock,
appreciating the beauty of mother nature
who was here long before us
visiting the beer tasting room
at Mammoth Brewing company,
best root beer on the planet
and the amber ale named “The Real McCoy”
watching Django Unchained,
Roy Rogers and Bonanza on TV
with razzleberry pie and French vanilla ice cream,
and then sneaking a second piece of pie
drinking wonderful wines from Jim,
Tribunal, Raymond Merlot,
St. Francis Merlot and
Trader Joe’s Cabernet,
all enjoyed with a toast to friendship
breakfast with Jim’s eggs and sausage,
dinner with Gary’s smoked salmon poached in champagne sauce,
along with Tom’s salad of
raisins, pecans, apples, green onions, spinach
and Vic’s victorious trout
laying awake at night
thinking about the poet Gibran
who said it best,
“In the sweetness of our friendship
let there be laughter, and the sharing of pleasures,
for in the dew of little things,
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed”
Life is Better at the Cabin
waking up to a morning breakfast,
then hiking along the two mile loop
of the Gull Lake Trail,
wandering through four habitat zones
listening to the birds gossip and
watching the trout spring from the lake chasing insects
in the afternoon
playing Paul Bunyan,
splitting big logs into little logs
by attacking each one with my spike and sledge hammer,
so we have wood to take the chill out of the evening air
as the sun sets over the lake,
Jim works his cooking magic
by cutting Gary’s four pound trout in half,
rubbing in olive oil with a touch of lemon pepper
and cooking it with skin down for six to seven minutes
Gary breads the huge razor clams
that he caught in Oregon,
Tom prepares his special salad with
strawberries, spinach, almonds, and goat cheese,
while Steven opens a bottle of Pinot Grigio wine
for our five star dinner by the lake
getting up the next morning
and taking a wonderful hike
into the Yosemite National Park,
passing Lembert Dome
as we walk along the Tioga Road
on our way to the Tuolumne Meadows
walking along an empty riverbed
that was waiting for the melting snow,
I was reminded of the words by the poet Gibran
“like seeds dreaming beneath the snow,
our heart dreams of spring”
Photographs and Poems by Tom Yeager
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