Dear Editor:

Thoughtfulness – consideration of others. Think of the other guy and hope he does the same. Unfortunately, when some people head for the outdoors, they forget to bring good manners along.

Outsiders have often heard me brag that the options for fishing in this area are so numerous, that if I find anyone else on one of the nearby, small lakes on a week day, it feels crowded. Imagine my disappointment upon arrival at one of my favourite lakes recently to find not one, but a pair of parked trucks. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. One of the trucks was blocking the only access to the water.

Fortunately, I was able to muscle my canoe around the truck and down to the shore. But instead of the usual delight at being on the water, I felt grumpy. A thoughtless person had put a damper on my outing.

Oh, the day improved, even though the fishing wasn’t as good as I hoped (is it ever?). And I did have a chance to exchange words with the errant truck driver. He seemed quite chagrined when I pointed out his error. I’m sure that his thoughtlessness wasn’t intentional. He just hadn’t thought about the other guy.

Later on I noticed where fish had been cleaned in the shallows right below one of the two campsites on the lake. It’s an excellent decision to put the offal back in the lake, but an effort should be made to drop the guts in deep water, not where some camper comes to draw water for washing or whatever. Think of the other guy.

Thoughtfulness isn’t just helping little old ladies across the street or holding the door open for another person. It’s an attribute that you should also carry along on any trip to the outdoors. Think of the other guy.

Oh, as far as the name of that special lake, let me just say that it’s within a day’s drive of Invermere.

Bob Hahn

Juniper Heights