In February, the Inland Northwest said goodbye to an extraordinary soul who left quite an impression on many of us who play and live on and near Lake Pend Oreille: Captain Wes Jones. This is my tribute to a man who showed me wonders of nature on the lake, shared his poetry, and brought more color into my life.
The loss of you runs deep and cold
like the waters you loved
to chase and pace
through rain, sun, wind, snow.
The lake drinks our tears
as we seek to reconcile
your leaving us
with our lustrous memories
of a man who wove
words and wildness and wonder
into everything he did. // (S. Michal Bennett)
Editor’s note: You can read S. Michal Bennett’s 2017 article about Captain Wes Jones and the Lake Pend Oreille water shuttle service he ran with his 22-foot Duckworth he dubbed “The Liquid Limo” at Outthereoutdoors.com.
