This morning as Allen got ready for work I asked him about his plans for the day and wondered aloud, “Do they know it’s your birthday?” Never one to crave attention he smiled and replied, “Nope. Let’s keep it between us.” So y’all make sure and don’t tell anyone, okay? *wink*
Last year we threw a big hoorah for my dear hubby’s big 3-0. I took lots of photos, but never shared them here for some reason. This year I wanted to do something special to commemorate his 31st year on this earth and give me a lasting memory of who he is in this very moment of time. So we went… fishing! To say that Allen loves to fish would be like saying that the sun shines. I have never known anyone who has such a passion for their extra-cirricular as him. And you know what? He’s really good — we have the trophies in our den to prove it. (I know what you non-southerners might be thinking, but no, not like fish mounted on the wall! Actual nice trophies that surprisingly match my home decor.) I can’t count the amount of mornings he has woken me up at 4 a.m. to say goodbye and head out for a day on the lake. I usually say bye with my eyes closed and roll back over to snooze my little heart out for a few more hours.
But Sunday morning as the alarm clock went off, I groaned. Why, oh why, had I agreed to go with them? By 4:30 a.m. we were in the car headed out into the pitch black morning. With my eyes half closed and my crankiness at a 7.5 we made our way up to Lake Logan Martin in Pell City, Alabama. We boarded the boat as the sun began to rise, and headed out onto the lake. A big thanks to our friend Chad Lynch for letting me tag along on his boat!
Allen and Chad got right to it, working a rythmic beat of casting and reeling. I kept it parked in the passengers seat shaking off the remaining sleep deprivation and waiting for it to get a little brighter. And with the first click of the shutter, I was reminded why I came…
There were three of us on a boat that couldn’t be much wider than your standard car, so I was really limited in where I could move and the perspective I could shoot. At one point the boys dropped me off on a dock so that I could get some better shots.
I love this one. This is a face I see all the time, but have never taken notice of until now. It is his concentration face and so very him.
Success!
Even though I groaned about waking up and pouted when I was denied my promised Hardee’s biscuit (turns out they didn’t open until 6 a.m.), I am so glad I tagged along. To watch my husband in his environment doing what he loves made my heart soar. I wanted a mental snapshot of him right now: young (ha!), active, passionate and happy, doing what he does on a lake he loves. And in this, his 31st year, it is exactly what I got. I love you Allen Pair! Happy Birthday!
In doing this, I inadvertantly marked another item off of my 38 in 365 project! #13. Go fishing with my husband. Before Allen sold his boat, we used to go all the time. When he became more active in tournament leagues, and my weekends became consumed with photography sessions, the opportunity for me to tag along became non-existent. It was a bit of a far reaching goal, but I am so happy to see it come to life and mark another off my list!
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by Amanda
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