Easter Picnic at Frosty Reef

Family tradition each year is that we go on an Easter picnic--typically my dad expertly hides the eggs we have dyed in whatever picnic spot we have chosen... yes, even up until last year I was hunting for them.  This was the first year we have broken that part of the tradition, but we did get to take a boat out to a neat spot and have our Easter dinner of ham and "Au Gratin" potatoes warmed in a dutch oven and enjoyed some romping around.

 

This year the herring fishery overlapped with Easter -- Here's a character-filled fleet moored together.

 Troller and Lund skiff
(I love this picture -- so glad I was able to capture it the way I wanted to)

 One happy dog -- Kruzof was selected from the bunch to come along this time...

 Dad paddling in on the inflatable raft after anchoring

 We didn't bring any wood this time, so collecting began as soon as we reached the beach...

 Happily munching sea weed

 Summoning the Dutch oven spirits... not really... she doesn't need those!

 Sphagnum Moss -- Easter basket lining blanketing the whole forest... 

 

 Gathering limpets for us off the rocks as a little appetizer...

Does this not look like a Japanese painting?

 See me?  I love this funky tree rock.  (It's a rock, right? Then why are there branches coming out of it?!  Also, that huge bulge above my head is entirely composed of generations upon generations of moss! Not to mention the berry bushes and at least three species of trees growing on it...)

This kind of reminds me of the "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" painting. 

 Got a little artistic with the cutlery... isn't that nearly the most beautiful knife and fork you've ever seen?  I dropped them in the water to wash them off, then loved the way the old metal and flowers looked with the black rocks...

 Whale watchin' -- one of my favorite pastimes. I love me some Humpbacks.

 Mom.

I was very glad that even though I had to work my 12-hour shift the night before and the night of, I still got to enjoy a little quality time with my family and, though I didn't get to go to church, seeing all the signs of Spring in the forest and on the water helped me ponder and rejoice in the life after death that is ours because of Jesus Christ.