Good morning. It’s Saturday in Minnesota! From what I seen on Facebook this morning it was also snowing earlier. SNOWING. 😯 I think I may have slept through it. After two incredibly busy days – work, library fund-raiser, work again, Mankato son hang out lunch and rollerblading and a board meeting for camp last night… I just wanted to stay still for a while. SO I did. 😀
Today in Minnesota is also fishing opener which is the oddest opener ever as our lakes are still icy. Al (hubby) and I are not fisher people so it doesn’t really affect us but the weird weather is still annoying.
In honor of fishing opener and Alyce’s Saturday Snapshots. I thought I would give you an honest to goodness Fish Story…
and here it is.
In 1979 while my dad was in Alaska visiting relatives he caught a King Chinook Salmon. The salmon weighed 62 pounds and 4 oz and 52 1/2 inches. When he returned to Minnesota he left the fish there to be stuffed and mounted to be sent home at a later time.
In January of 1980 my family went through a house fire that took the lives of my father and 5-year-old sister, Tara. I lost my dad and sister and our entire home and everything in it in one swoop. My mom and I were the only ones who made it out.
Now – I don’t tell you this to make you feel bad, I tell you, because it is a part of this story…
When my uncle Dallas came to the funeral, he brought the fish with him. Dad had never seen it after it was mounted but it was in our new home from that day forward, hanging on the wall. When I was married, mom passed the fish on to me and to this day it hangs on one of my walls. It fits no decor in my home but it is not coming down and as you can imagine it is quite the conversation piece as no one believes that it is real. 😀 It makes me smile as I have hardly anything that belonged to my dad, it was all lost in the fire…
but I have this humongous fish…. and the story. And that works for me.
This post was made for Saturday Snapshot and is hosted by Alyce and At Home With Books.
*pictures of dad with the fish are saved from a partial album that was in the house during the fire. Several photos survived and while they are burned on many of the edges, we still transferred them to another album that I have to this day.
Today I am hoping to get in some reading time – I have the weekend to read the book club book, The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman.
Book Journey 
What a great fish story! Thanks for sharing….and enjoy your weekend!
Thanks Laurel – it is a memory… hard, yet a memory…. and I have a big fish story 🙂
Thanks for sharing that wonderful story. So Sorry for your loss But so nice to have the fish.. What a great story my friend. God bless
Thanks Don.
Definitely the most amazing fish story I’ve ever heard! Thanks for sharing it with us.
I really like the way the fish is mounted–usually mounted fish have a plaque behind them; I like how yours is just sailing (swimming?) through open space.
Well – it was a 1979 mounting… lol. Its actually on a hook that has worried me that what if some day it just wears through and my fish flies to the ground! 😀
I am sorry about your father and sister, but what an amazing story , and what an incredible fish – do you realise it’s taller than I am?! My Snapshot is at http://goo.gl/JyyYT
Thank you Christine. It is taller than you? wow!!!
I would keep that fish up on the wall forever, too. I’m so sorry for your loss, but glad you were able to save some photos along with the memories of your dad and sister.
Also: I can’t believe the lakes are still icy in mid-May!
The cold here is insane…we actually started out wood stove again today because the house is just too cold!
Wow. I can understand why you keep that fish on your wall… even though it is quite a scary looking fish.
Thanks Leslie – it is really out of place as it is sooooo not me… but you know. I love it 😀
Thank you for sharing such a poignant story.
It reminds us all to cherish the times we have with those we love now.
For that one day when all we have left is our memories and our stories – let the memories be good ones, happy ones!
Right. 🙂
Wow. What a fish and what a precious story. I am so sorry about the fire and the death of your father and sister, though, and I’m glad that you have the fish AND the pictures.
Thank you Anne… the fish makes a good story and a good connection to memories 🙂
The fish and the photos must be a warm remembrance of the life your dad lived. Here’s Mine
They are 🙂 Thank you Paulita.
I love your fish story. It’s the best I’ve heard. Sorry about the loss of your father and sister, but what a unique memory you have. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you Allison.
Amazing fish catch and touching story about how you are able to have the fish on your wall and the photos too. Whenever I think of your story of what happened to your family with that fire, my imagination falls short. It just can’t encompass the enormity of that tragedy. I’m so glad that you shared more of his story with us.
Thanks Alyce. I lost dad at a young age but I still have my memories 😀
I can’t imagine how painful that must have been, to have lost your sister and dad and home in a fire. So nice that your uncle gave you that amazing reminder of your dad.
I think it had to be hard for him (my uncle) to bring the fish on the plane with him coming back for my dad and sisters funeral. It was a crazy time in our lives… now that I am older I can only imagine what a hard decision it had to be to bring it.
Thanks for sharing this and for all the great things I read on your blog!
Thanks Fran 🙂
That’s one great story, Sheila. And that’s one scary looking fish. I bet it was a chore to land. Wow! It’s so great that you have something like that to remember your dad by.
I wish I could remember all the details of him seeing what he had caught and trying to get it in the boat without losing the fish!
Great post, Sheila. A good story always has happy parts and sad parts, but few of them end with a fish like that! I like to think that you Dad is in Heaven looking down at the fish and smiling.
True… very few have a big fish….LOL
What a tragedy that fish represents, but a lovely memory too, and a link to your father and sister. Thanks for sharing your fish story.
Not to me… the fish is a memory of my dad fishing in Alaska. I imagine what is must have felt like to catch this 😀
That’s a huge fish! I can see why he kept it!
Wow, what a fish!!!
Your fish story is a whopper! So sorry for your loss but am glad you have this to share.
That is a “fishy” story with a sentimental ending.