Into the Light

Against my better judgement, Charlie and I sped across the lake towards the rice, the remnants of a stormy night still hanging low overhead.  The lamplight from fellow water fowlers darted in out of view as they sought concealment from the coming dawn.  

We were running considerably late for opening morning, but certainly not for lack of effort. While Charlie and I had decided the night before to be the first on the lake, lightening and thunder had kept us close to shore.

With the rain at bay and the looming thunderhead behind us shifting to the west, we ventured out into the darkness.  Nearly across the lake, the sky exploded with the whitest and brightest light that I’ve ever witnessed.  

In that moment forever frozen in my mind, everything before us went from darkness to light.  The rice, the hunters, the trees, all of what we are when we are in the blind was shown to me at that moment.  And then it was dark.

Reaching the edge of the rice, and seeing that other hunters had beat us to our niche, we took refuge in a familiar corner near the mouth of a small river.  The water was thick with rice as well as birds.  Startled by the noise of our engine and our proximity, they erupted to the skies above.  

I cut the engine and lifted it out of the water, assuming my position at the bow with push-pole in hand.

Our mornings journey concluded with a half dozen decoys spread out in a small clearing before us, the boat tucked gently into the bog, and my son and I with shotguns in hand ready for our next adventure to begin.