Reminiscences

When I think of salmon, I think of the ocean or a fish hatchery.  But I never thought of salmon in Covington.  Yet, they are here. 

Not far from my house is the Little Soos Creek.  Every year salmon, up to two feet long at times, make their way up the creek and spawn.  Sometimes there are just a few, sometimes many.  But to see these creatures of habit returning year-after-year to their breeding grounds to lay fresh eggs is amazing. 

The salmon love to hide out under the edges of the creek bed where there are brush overhangs as well as where the bank is undercut due to the flow of water.  The splashing of water catches your attention.  As you cautiously walk up to the creek you can spot these fish in the water.  Some are swimming, others are using their fins to dig in the gravel and sand to lay new eggs.  Later in the year tiny salmon are seen swimming around and then they head downstream where they will start their journey again.

Sometimes the salmon are at the end of their life cycle.  They make their way up the creek and lay their eggs, but then they turn dark red and die.  Raccoons sometimes make their way into the creek at night for a salmon snack and other salmon just rot.  So goes the cycle of life. 

So, now when I think of salmon , I think first of Covington.  Then I think of the ocean and fish hatcheries.  Pretty amazing though!