Baja Pals

Mom says Dad’s week-long surf-fishing trips to Baja California first started in late 1950s. She knows because my sister (probably the best thing to happen to our family), who was born in 1958, was an “accident” that happened after his first trip. There was always a group that went, consisting of Dad, Gene Rogers (the minister at church), other assorted men, and eventually when he was old enough, my brother Andrew. They were serious about it. Called themselves “The Baja Pals”. They had the name printed on caps and windbreakers. They had a great time doing guy things there on the beach and they always brought home coolers of wonderful fish – ocean perch and halibut. Unfortunately, the 40+ year tradition finally drew to a close: Gene died, both of Dad’s knees had to be replaced, and he was no longer able to cope with the rough terrain at the fish camp. The Baja Pals were in good company when, on Aug 5, 1994, they laid the 35 fish they caught on the beach and took a photo. About 2000 years ago, another group of men went out in a boat with their nets but didn’t catch anything. Then they were told to put the net on the other side of the boat, and suddenly it was filled with fish. “Jesus said to them, ‘bring me some of the fish you’ve just caught.’ So Simon Peter got into the boat and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 156 altogether (John 21).”