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Lessons From The Creek Adventure
Retreat Leader
And just in case you want to
hire me for a coaching/fishing adventure, you
can find me hanging around...  Cameron Lake Fishing Lodges, Inc.  Ituksum Wilderness Camp |
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Portage
 August 2011 Newsletter In This Issue...
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| Welcome Welcome to my Portage Newsletter. If you find value, please pass this along to others you feel might appreciate my writing. You can subscribe to this newsletter at my website, Portage. Or, stop by my Lessons From The Creek Blog where you can subscribe to these posts and more. I am motivated by excellence, not perfection. So I tend to contradict myself. Sometimes while writing, I look to my notes and see I've backtracked and about to cross my own path going in a totally different direction. Other times, I just flat out trip over my own bootstraps. Excellence demands that I enjoy the moment I am in right now and share that truth today, even though the same may not be true for me tomorrow. Striving for perfection freezes me up and keeps me from writing anything at all. So please enjoy my words if they work for you and discard what does not. I won't mind a bit. A quick look back at the last time I sent out this newsletter tells me I've been inactive since March. It does not seem that long. I have been caring for Mom and getting some major work done around the house, not the least of which is a wood stove installation. I have decided to go back to using wood as my main source of heat so I'll also be firing up the chainsaw as soon as these Summer temperatures break. And, as always, some of my absence is due to fishing. Back to Contents A Fish Tale A remote Northern Ontario lake Alone in the boat Alone on the lake I cast Drat! My lure hits a beaver! Splash! Slap! My line screams out And out And out Do I cut the line? I hang on Little line left on my reel But, wait! I'm reeling in I breathe I reel in My line screams out I reel in I am hopeful... ...to help that beaver ...to recover my lure ...to keep the boat upright Will I be lucky? Will this be a disaster? My line screams out I reel in Dare I play this out or cut line? Do I want that beaver near the boat? He won't be passive I ponder inconsiderate acts of fishermen I'm tired I reel in A stiff drink and the warm camp, more than an hour away I reel in Big and heavy, under the boat The water swirls Can I recover my lure? Can I rescue that beaver? Can I save myself? Wait! A fish head at the end of my line? Wait! A fish tail on the other side of the boat? Yes! Drat! No net Drat! No camera I release the Northern monster Drifting back down Out of sight now 70 feet of water shrouds the giant An hour back to camp A warm campfire A stiff drink A clear night sky The wolves are howling And I feel alive! "Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after" ~Henry David Thoreau "I love fishing. You put your line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there." ~Robert Altman Back to Contents The Adventure and Retreat Leader Training Live Teleclass Series  Twice
each year, Patt Osborne and I offer our live Adventure and
Retreat Leader teleclass series.
We're offering the series again in October,
2011. If you've been waiting for this class, now
is your chance! Register before Labor Day if you
want to take advantage of the Early-Bird Special.Originally designed for coaches, this class is appropriate for Speakers, Authors, Holistic Practitioners, and all Heart- and Nature-Based Entrepreneurs who want to offer Outings, Adventures and Retreats. Let us help you Take It Outside! You will learn:
The Fine Print A Note About My Recommendations Occasionally I provide links in this newsletter to products and services I am offering or have personally found valuable. If you are ever disappointed with one of these recommendations, please let them and me know. If they don't make it right, I will. You can subscribe to this newsletter by visiting the subscription box on my home page at Portage. If you find value in Portage, please pass it along and ask friends to subscribe. Thank You. Help me stay with you. If your email address is about to change, please visit Portage and subscribe your new address. And if your email service automatically deletes large broadcasts like this one, let them know that you want Portage from Deb Martin to come through. Portage is published about 12 times a year and distributed monthly by email. Comments, submissions and suggestions are welcome. Although this material is subject to copyright, you may reprint this publication in whole or in part in your company publication, presentations, training, or wherever you feel it may be valued. This also holds true for members of the media. All I ask is that you include the following: Reprinted with permission from Deborah Martin of Portage at http://www.portagecoach.com If you would like a short bio, I am happy to provide one. Copyright© 2011 by Deborah Martin. All rights reserved. |