Symphony of Sound

We wake before the sun does. 

The unzipping of tents opens my eyes and signifies our preparation for the morning rise 


We whisper even though 
we are the only ones here. 

Even hushed tones echo 
from the mountain side in this place. 

Jackets buttoned up to the neck, 
the air is still cold and the sky is still dark. 

Only a speckled dash of fading stars light our way.

We trace the gentle path around the lake. 

Stepping on soft ground, our boots sink into the yielding earth. 

Testing the ground in front of us for quagmires, we hike over rocks, under trees, around the reeds encircling the pristine water. 

We come to a stop and each find a large rock to rest on as we prepare for our first cast. 

Stillness rests all around us. 

Slowly the light rises behind the ridges of the mountains, standing like a conductor above us, preparing for their symphony. 

The sun begins to warm the air and water in overture. 

A gentle sonata of gnats and mosquitoes tickle my ears. 

They skip and float, suspended, God-like, on the water’s surface. 

Beetles and flies join in the concerto, rising and falling through the air.  


Ripples emerge in adante, encircling the wing’d creatures in mid flight. 

The buzzzing bugs slowly crescendo into a minuet of click and pops as hungry rainbow trout leap from their basin to consume their breakfast. 

Our time has come. 

We cast our lines, baited with hand tied flies, into the circular ripples appearing on the lake. 

In a sonata of movements, we slowly draw our lines back toward shore, skipping in irresistible insect imitation. 

Even the Osprey perched in his towering treetop interjects in solo and dives in for their meal. 

With the bright sun now rising high above, 
birthing thousands of new lives in this small parcel of our universe, a full symphony of sound has arisen from within our sanctum. 

In finale of buzzzes, clicks and pops, whirling casts and joyful cries the symphony of sounds begins to slowly fade as each creature finds their fill. 

We gather our gear and trek back around the lake to our camp with the dragonflies and butterflies, accompanying us. 

We capture icy water from fresh snow runoff cook fresh trout for breakfast. 

We rest in the sun’s rays for the remainder of our day, preparing again, for the evening rise.