June 25: David and Sarah are here!

First, the catch: it was a very calm day which usually reduces a catch and anyhow we had 2,870 lbs on this morning's tide. It was pretty evenly divided between the flood and the ebb. And the crew did most of it without me (I was on my way to the airport).

Now comes the part that I'm embarrassed to admit. First the good part of it: the New Boat is now in service!! The embarrassing part: it wasn't the CDI - it was that we hadn't remembered about the safety clip that the outboard operator is supposed to attach to himself/herself in case s/he is thrown from the boat. In that case, the clip goes with the operator and the two pieces come together telling the engine to stop. The clip keeps them separated so the engine will go. It wasn't installed. Boy, did I feel dumb. I know that patience is always a virtue, but I think it is especially a virtue in people who end up helping us with mechanical stuff. Here are Trevor and Jake who volunteered to go with me to bring home the New Boat.

Another piece of good news: the Grayling is also in service. David and Sarah have arrived; we are ready. We picked up the outboard today. And with David here, we are bound to get the little 2 1/2 hp outboard running to make it a little easier to get to and from the skiff when it's anchored out and we're in.

In another piece of news today, Trevor changed jobs and bunk locations - he is now working on a drift boat. This was the goodbye (until the end of the season when he'll come back and we'll go to Katmai together). He came up with us even though we didn't have a crew position available, we did have bunk space and I was willing to give him a place to be, some exposure to commercial fishing, and a phone number for people to call who wanted to possibly hire him. He posted some information about himself at the two main fishery supply stores in town, starting with 6'4", 250 lbs. He has received three calls so far. In several ways, the setnet job he initially secured would have been perfect. It is with the people who fish the site just at the foot our stairs, so he could have stayed with us (we like his company) and kept an eye on their net when they're not there. But they haven't started fishing yet and he was becoming worried about how well that would work out. Meanwhile, a couple of drifters called, he went to meet Mario, and they hit it off. Mario has been fishing here for 27 years. This year it's him, his 19 year old nephew (also new), and Trevor. He fishes in Naknek in this traditional Bristol Bay gillnetter made of fiberglass. So we went up to SeaMar to get him outfitted as a drift boat deck hand. I met Mario (I was in full "Mom" mode) and it turns out that he is from Monterey and has long known and worked with someone I know well and think highly of, so I think it'll work out well for him.

Today's crisis occurred when I dawdled getting Hannah to the airport. It's a small airport, the plane heading into Anchorage would not be crowded, so I wasn't awfully worried about the time. We took the time to clean today's kings but when I looked at my clock, we had only a few minutes before David and Sarah's plane was to arrive (the same plane that would take Hannah back to Anchorage) and it's about a 15 minute drive. We hurried then, arriving at the airport something like 45 or 50 minutes before flight time. By the time we got to the agent, she said Hannah couldn't fly. Hannah was very disappointed - she had been looking forward to seeing her mom. I think they made some special adjustments and got her on the plane, though not her luggage. It followed on the next one.

Trevor and I made a second trip to King Salmon (air freight came in) in the same trip drop him off at his new home for the next few weeks. On the way, we saw a person on the side of the road dragging a bag toward King Salmon. We offered him a ride and it turned out that he had just arrived from King Salmon, having finished the school year at his college and leaving his job at the factory in Indiana, and his younger brothers with his grandparents - to come to Alaska in the hopes of making some money to allow him to continue in school. He was heading back up to the airport (15 miles) to sleep, to walk back to Naknek tomorrow to look for jobs. Wow. I thought about what it would be like to be that 20 year old. I told him he could sleep in our bunkhouse and eat with us, and we'd help him while he looked for a job. His name is Kyle.

We fish on Sunday from 7:30 to 4:30. The wind is building; we may have a few...