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| 2016 |
The advantage of living in the digital age is that I'm able to take a lot of photos and have plenty of room to store them all. As I was looking through my library of photos today, I realized I have over seven years of fish photos archived. Not that long in the big picture, but seven years in the life of young boy is a long time. Case in point is this All-American, boy next door, kinda guy, Lars Ohlin. From the photo above to the photo below I'm amazed how much he's changed since his first trip to Alaska.
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| 2008 Employee of the Year |
Lars' dad, John, and I have known each other since the 80's. An introduction by a mutual college friend and our shared passion for all things fishing and hockey have kept us connected ever since. Fast forward to 2008. John asked me if his youngest son, Lars, could spend a couple of weeks helping Jane and I out at the cabins. My response: ABSOLUTELY. Lars helped us by mowing the yard, cleaning cabins, and cleaning my boat. In addition, if I had an open seat he'd jump in the boat and be my deck hand for the day. If I didn't have an open seat we'd go out in the evening ourselves and fish until the sun set. The hours were long for a young guy. Some days he'd be up at 4am and he wouldn't find his bed until after 11pm. There were no complaints and everything was done with a smile. How great is that?
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| 2009 Employee of the Year |
After the first year, I asked Lars if he enjoyed helping us out. He said he did. I thought he meant it but I didn't know for sure until the following summer. His dad asked if he could do it again. My response was the same as the first time: ABSOLUTELY!
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| 2010 Enployee of the Year |
Wouldn't you know a second year soon became a third year.
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| 2011 Employee of the Year |
And a third year became a fourth year.
Helping Jane and I out at the cabins came to an end when Lars graduated high school and moved on to college. Apparently, free room and board and all the fish you can eat doesn't help with college expenses......Ha! Anyway, it was a great run for all of us.
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| 2016 |
Lars has been out of high school for awhile now and is currently in the middle of getting his college degree. This past summer he came up for a week to hang out and to see Alaska again. The first two years Lars was helping us, his dad came to visit him. This time it was his mom Cori's turn to join him. To commemorate his trip back to Alaska, Lars decided to do a little more than take a few photos with his phone. Something a little bit harder to delete.
If you're not familiar with the Alaska state flag, the Big Dipper is prominently displayed in the design. Lars decided that his bicep was a good place to honor his Alaska connection.
It's been a pleasure to watch Little Lars grow up to become Big Lars. He's what the hockey world would call a "character" guy. That would mean honest, loyal, and willing to sacrifice for others. A team player, if you will. And, he's a pretty darn good fisherman to boot.
I'll end with a quote from the great philosopher's Bob Utecht and Casey Kasem, "Keep your head up, stick down....and keep reaching for the stars." See you down the road, Lars.
Beaver Creek Cabins & Guide Service
