> Hello all just wanted to pass along some somewhat random thoughts,
>
> I am very active in the aquarium society scene here in Erie PA (and the
> surrounding areas), and I often get asked from my "tropical" aquarium
friends
> why I keep, and especially COLLECT native fish. For me the keeping is the
> extension of the collecting, and the collecting is just a very good excuse
to
> get outside and enjoy God's creation. I often collect alone, and while its
> always nice to have a buddy to collect with I often REALLY enjoy the
solitude
> and peacefulness of doing it alone.
>
> I had one such magical experience tonight along a rocky creek in Warren
County
> PA. This creek is in the foot hills of the Allegheny Mountains, very
remote
> and stunningly picturesque. I had spent a few hours collecting and was
pretty
> worn out. Dragging a 4x4 seine all alone through heavy current will do
that. I
> was ready to had back to the car when I noticed it was going to be a
stunning
> sunset. So I decided I would watch it. I sat down on a small gravel island
in
> the middle of the creek to observe. As I was watching the colors fill the
sky,
> I noticed that the air was filling with huge mayflies. They too had picked
> this night to come out and see the world. I felt sad that this night was
also
> going to be their last, but if they had to pick the perfect night THIS was
it.
> From my island perch I could look west across 20 feet of water and then a
wide
> open field leading to woods and hills. As I watched the sun begin to dip
> behind the hills the water would splash and boil from time to time, it
seems
> the creek chubs and smallmouth bass were happy about the mayflies too.
Just
> about then I saw a huge doe and her now large fawn come down to the creek
for
> a drink silhouetted by the fire in the sky. I was being so quiet and still
> that they had no idea that I was there. Then I heard a scamper on the
other
> side of the creek it was a large raccoon just waking up, he was hoping for
a
> crawfish and mussel dinner. About then behind me in the trees I heard the
> cackling and beating wings of a flock of wild turkeys settling down for
the
> night.
>
> Before long it was getting quite dark, and an hour had past. (an hour
without
> phones, fax machines, deadlines, email, or voice mail) So I began to walk
> across the waist deep water in the dark on my way to the car, I could hear
my
> friends say "so why do you keep natives" I looked around at the last bit
of
> light sinking behind the hill and thought "for times like these".
>
> Wally
>
> "The Heavens declare your glory, the Earth the work of your hands"
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