So, here's the question??  I have lived in the mountains for for almost 3 years now, and in 3 years I have witnessed 3 albino animals. The first was a white black bear, the second was a white-whitetaile deer, and then the other night this albino sparrow hopped onto my finger.  In each case the encounters have happened after I have been at the scene of an untimley death.
Is this a sign???
 The first was an accident where a semi rolled over on a passing honda.
 The second was a fake game of Russion Rulette with a real 44 mag. gone horribley wrong, then last week after attending a nasty highway accident, I was looking out the kitchen window when I saw what I thought
was a white butterfly fluttered by, it turned out to be an albino sparrow. Is it a coincidence?? Or a sign??
 Are we in control, or is there a higher power involved? Does my conection with death attract a mystical element?????

Finally my last night on call! It's not been another great week, more carnage on the highway. A couple of days ago I had to go to one of the neighbouring towns to meet a family. I had to pass by home on the way so I picked Erica up and grabbed the camera, planning to take the back road and hopefully see a bear. on the way home we came around a curve and 50 yards ahead on the side of the road was a good size blackbear, I slowed right down and snuck up to 20 yards, at which point the bear ran. I stopped the truck and jumped out after it with the camera. Of course the bear was gone, but what I hadn't noticed was the pick up coming towards us with a couple of good ole boys who witnessed the events. They passed as I was climbing up the bank, looking at me like I had three heads. As I got back in the truck I realized I probably looked a little odd chasing a bear in my suit. This morning I took the Quad up in the back and saw two more bears, one was a nice shooter, he was only about a 100 yards, but on the other side of a raveen, and I just didn't have the energy to deal with him. Tomorrow night We are taking the boats somewhere, as yet undecided, I'll try to shoot some video to post. This picture is last fall.

Echo Rainbow

I have felt this sense of withdrawal lately, the day job and weather have been cramping my style, in the last week I've only been able to get out twice.

The first time, Erica and I went out looking to get a picture of the Brown Bear and her 3 cubs we have been following for 2 years, didn't see them, but had a cool encounter with a young black bear, unfortunately we were too slow with the camera.

Next night we took the pontoon boats up to Echo lake. Had the whole lake to ourselves. I worked everything, from cronies to leeches but only had any action with mayflies.

Echo lake can make you really work, but it can be very rewarding!!

Cast away my worries

It was a long winter, I looked through a hole in the ice a few times, but just couldn't seem to see any fish. Once the Kootenay river thawed, I hit a few of my favorite spots,got a few nice cutts, but hadn't got into any big bulls, until last week. After a terrible week at the day job of dealing with the aftermath of a double murder, teen suicide, and a nasty train accident, I needed to slip into my happy place. I took my 5 wt. sage down to the river after work, tied on a big white streamer and began to cast away my worries. On my third cast I felt the big pull of a Kootenay bull, after a 45 minute battle I had the honour of holding a 14lb. beauty. It seemed to make the chaos of my work week melt away. It is now only two weeks until most of the Kootenay rivers and streams open up. I hope I don't have to deal with the same kind of carnage, before I hook into some Skookumchuck cutties.
I'll let you know
FFM.