Fire River II

Acrylic Painting 11" x 14"

As a kid (and still as an adult), I loved all things outdoors, so when the opportunity arose for 17-year-old me to try my hand at fishing with my uncle, I jumped at the chance. I did everything my uncle told me to as we fished from the banks…imagine my delight when I actually caught something! I landed the fish, and my uncle rightly insisted I be the one to take it off the hook. As I sought to corral the flopping critter, its fin caught my finger and drew blood. Now somewhere I had read that some fish could poison you if their fin pricked you. Naturally, my imagination ran wild with worst-case scenario outcomes from my dramatic sure-to-be-lethal first catch. I showed my uncle my hand, and shared with him my “knowledge”, to which he responded with a dramatic sigh. He shook his head sadly as he looked from me to his watch and replied, “Well, I guess you have about five minutes left to live.”

I’m still alive and kicking, but that was the first and last time I ever went fishing! Fire River II is for all the fishermen I’ve shared the wilderness with over the years. They are always friendly, with gems of local knowledge and suggestions for further explorations. This one’s for you!