Articles
November in Waimea
by Bill Jardine Nov 01, 2006
November is one of the best months of the year. It is the harvest in the northern hemisphere, the crops are in, the dead limbs have been cut into firewood, the alarm clock goes off in the dark, and for the first time all year people actually consider wearing orange. Can you arrive at the first day of November and not start thinking about Thanksgiving? Turkey, tarts, Jello molds, fat walnuts, and your aunt’s special pumpkin experiments – maybe this year they will even be good! ☺
This year Spring came late and the Summer lingered long. As a result, this November we still have Summer dragging her bags out the back door with Winter all ready coming up the front steps. Lately we’ve been languishing under quiet skies with occasional odd ball thunderstorms flashing well beyond our shores, where the white heat of the lightning is reflected off the smooth skin of the sea. It is so intensely good to live here, where even the air tastes like it should be served in a glass.
As you well know, I am a fisherman and happiest out on the sapphire blue swells with my hopes and skills trailing behind in the wake of our wonderful boat, Kakalina. In recent years I have been making an effort to teach the younger generation the complexities of big game fishing. This is one of the finest big game fishing areas on earth, and our children are both hardy and smart, so they take to it like … a fish ☺ On a recent trip we were surprised by a large marlin. Bear in mind that we were fishing in an area where marlin seldom swim, so we were prepared for ono, ahi and mahimahi … not a marlin!
The reel went off with an angry shriek as line shot out into the blue and the surface of the water erupted with fury as the huge animal, consumed with rage, fought to shake free of the little silver hooks caught in the edge of its bony jaw. My two young crewmen stood frozen in place, overwhelmed, and I thought about the challenge this fish could be and what a dangerous turn our little fishing trip had taken in just the blink of an eye. A marlin is the most violent creature on earth, designed to attack with incredible speed and power, and it does not have the capacity for remorse.
These young men looked up at the bridge as if to gauge my own reactions to the exploding scene, and some little inner voice told me to simply nod, and I did. They knew, these fine young men, that together we could keep our lessons straight, do our jobs to the best of our abilities and accept the outcome with pride.
Much later the great animal swam at the side of the boat with a bright plastic tag fixed to the base of its high dorsal fin and our hands worked hard to retract the hooks before setting it free to return to its violent world of endless blue and midnight black.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with Waimea real estate, aside from the fact that we have great fishing just minutes from town. Well, Waimea is a community, and our experience of living in this blessed place is so much more than the visual excitement of vivid green hills and snow-capped mountain peaks. We have also the deep satisfaction of watching our children grow and return, and then one day … take the reins from our hands with confident aloha.
If you know anyone who wants to have this level of meaning in their lives, encourage them to join us in Waimea while their eyes still see the stars shine bright in the night sky and their legs can rejoice in heart-stirring walks through our gentle pasture lands.
Imua,
William N. Jardine®
William N. Jardine
