“I like radishes.”
“That’s a good thing,” she said, grinning at him.“I’m glad you like fish.I was trying to figure out if I would have to have fish for my lunches, which would be difficult with Belle hating fish so much.What can we fish for here?”
“Salmon.The river is full of them.I get a net and just fill it as full as I can.There’s pike, grayling, and whitefish in the fall or winter if you care to ice fish.”
“What’s your favorite?”she asked.
“Salmon.We have five different types that we can fish for from May through October.I like it smoked best, but I’ll eat it any way you want to serve it.”
“I may take an hour with a net and see if I can get some salmon tomorrow.I’ll mostly be harvesting and replanting.”
“I’d love salmon for supper tomorrow if you catch some.”
“You’ve never asked me to make a specific food.I’ll do my best!”She pondered for a moment.“Would you make me a smokehouse?It would help a lot if we had fish stored for winter.”
“Absolutely.I’ll do it this weekend on whichever day we don’t fish.”He looked at her.“It would sell well at the store as well if you can catch enough of it.”
“Then I will catch as much as I can.I’m so excited to have fish!”
“The river here is almost always full of them—except in winter of course.”
*****
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Sally found a net in the cellar where Tom had told her it would be.She glanced at the garden to see if anything was ready, and when there was, she decided to split her day.She’d fish in the morning, and then the afternoon would be all about the harvest.
She decided to let Herbert come with her, knowing she would keep the fish heads for the piglets.They would love it mixed in with their table scraps.
With Herbert at her side, she headed down to the river with her net.She talked to him as she cast the net, waiting a few minutes and pulling it out to see what she’d caught.It wasn’t a lot.Just a few salmon, but it was enough for supper that night.
She and Herbert walked back to the cabin, and after she secured the pig who had seemed to love the short outing, she went inside and slit the fish down the middle before chopping off the heads and setting them aside.
She removed the backbones and guts, adding the guts to the pail with the heads in it, and then she laid the fish aside.It hadn’t taken her as long as she’d expected to catch and clean the fish, so she went out to start harvesting.
She took half the fish she’d caught when she took Belle and Maggie their shares of the harvest.She put the fish in a bag made of oilcloth, so the smell wouldn’t be as bad, and she left the bag outside to avoid the smell lingering in Belle’s cabin.
She knocked once and walked inside, setting the two baskets down.“I know Belle hates fish, but do you like salmon, Maggie?I caught some this morning, and there’s enough for our supper as well some for you and James.”
“I love salmon!”Maggie said.
“I’m planning to smoke some for winter and sell some at the store.Do you want some when I do that?”
“Absolutely!”
“Oh good.I brought some with me, but I left it outside so Belle wouldn’t have to smell it.”
Belle pursed her lips.“I appreciate that.I want to try just a bit of your smoked salmon, if you don’t mind.I didn’t think I liked rhubarb until you made it, and now I can’t get enough.I think I should try it again and see.”
“Sounds good.It sounds like an almost endless source of food for winter.The river is so close, and Herbert liked fishing.I think I’m going to see if I can get Tom to set up a permanent net in the river that I can check every morning.”
“How will you smoke it?”Maggie asked.
“Tom is building me a smokehouse this weekend.This first batch that I caught today is for supper tonight.I love fresh salmon almost as much as I like it smoked!”
“Does he need help building it?”Maggie asked.“I wouldn’t ask Everett to join, but if we’re getting some of the fish, I think James should help.”
“It would probably help,” Sally said.“I’m so excited to have fish!”
Belle sighed.“I’m sorry if I made you feel like we couldn’t have fish.”
“I’m going to have it!Don’t worry.Tom said it would be good for the store once it’s smoked as well.”
“Another way to profit!”Maggie said.“I love our little industry.”
“Me too!”Sally agreed.
“And me!”Belle said.“Together we’re going to take over the world!”
