A touch of humor on a very interesting day

Melissa and I enjoyed a wonderful day yesterday that was chalk full of quirky events. Some of which could have really spoiled the day.

The day began with a tour of the local garage sales and estate sales in our neighbor hood in search of a couple dressers. To no avail our seach brought us back to Melissa's Mom's house where we proceeded to enjoy a little fishing time by the lake.

Melissa bought me a new pole just before my latest trip to California and I hadn't had much of a chance to use it, so in the lines went. It was a beautiful day and not as hot as I expected it to be.

Joy, Melissa's mom, was cleaning debris out of her boat slip that had blown in over lord knows how long a period, branches, trash etc. etc.. and I decided to jump in and drag the contents out to be hauled off. While in the lake we had noticed a canoe that was half sunk in the tulees over on the side of the lake.

Me, being the adventurous type, decided to take a swim over and check it out. Low and behold it was perfectly intact. So, I emptied it and brought it back to Joy's slip, being all clean now, and tied it up. We called the people whose name was on the side of the boat to let them know we had found it. They weren't home so we left a message.

On with the day, the neighbor who is offering a boat for our use was down with a number of friends and attempting to start his other boat, to no avail, so I offered my assistance and eventually was successful in helping him start his boat. This is the same boat I fixed the prop on just a week ago because he had found some rocky shallows and chewed up the prop. It happens... So now the boat is running and he offers to take a us for a spin on the lake. As we go to lower the engine cover, the cover breaks free and is no longer attached to the boat. We remedy this and continue with the fun part.

Melissa's daughter is the first in the water to be towed on a wake board which was fun to watch Next is the boat owner Marco... he decides to try some boat surfing instead and does quite well. One other friend on the boat needs to use the potty so back to the dock we go.

When we return I notice the fishing pole I had left strung in water is no longer sitting on the dock, and being the sharp witted fisherman I think I am, I quickly deduce it must have been pulled into the lake by a giant fish...lol

Melissa, being somewhat saddened by the loss of her gift to me, was quickly consoled by my jonnie-on-the-spot certainty I would go swimming and find my new pole. But first I had to have some lunch.

Next comes the chicken and it was good too. while cooking on the grill, we watch Marco and friends hop in the boat to ferry his guests for some fun in the sun and more wave action, as they slowly motor out of the no wake zone ....Bam... The prop hits an under water rock in the same location as before and chews the prop again.

Limping their way back to the dock Marco notices he is now missing his eleven thousand dollar Rolex!!! It was probably lost at the time of his previous wave running...not good.

Now lunch is over and and I must make good on my Rebecca of SunnyBrook Farm promise to find my pole.

Off I go, shuffling around the north end of the lake with my toes searching for anything that feels like a pole or line or faxsimile there of....rapidly loosing my certainty with each new step of mud and broken branches...not to mention the leeches in the lake hitching a ride on my toes and ankles...

Then all of a sudden, a new feeling brushes my ankle amidst the blood sucking leaches.... It's fishing line and ....wait for it.... it's my weight on the line... It's my pole... and Oh my frickin God ...it's got a three pound catfish on the end of it.... Holy shnikies!!!

Now having this perfectly good canoe sitting there next to a boat with a broken prop, it pops into our heads that this situation requires some paddles and our lake enjoyment would be complete so off to Wallyworld we go to find some paddles. Back to the lake we go, all set for our romantic canoe trip on the lake.

We venture over to an Island in the middle of the lake fighting against 20 mile an hour winds but we make it there... and it was lovely... we had the island all to our selves and found as we walked the perimeter of the island a white crane feather in each of the four directions, which Melissa was certain we would, and we did!!! While the island did was not very large it did offer a pretty view and very pretty wildflowers for opur enjoyment, along with a nice bench seat where we sat and enjoyed one another's company for a spell.

The winds started to pick up so we thought it best to return to our port of origin and off we went.

Next was Joy and the two daughter's turn, so Joy in the back, Sarah in the front and Chelsea in the middle with her guitar looking like some Venice gondola throw back, venture out into the lake. Twenty minutes or so pass and here they come being chased by a pontoon boat hell bent on catching the thieves that stole the canoe ! Shortly thereafter followed the association president and the local watchdog and her husband to retrieve the stolen property. Then came the present owner and her sons looking for some payback on the thieves whom they surely would have strung up if they could by their toe nails had they gotten the chance.

As luck would have it the president was a resonable sort and understood we had rescued the boat from a watery grave and demanded a thank you from the new owners which they reluctanly gave.

Into the night we continue to fish and reminisce on the day's events with laughter and cheer and a bit of song played on the guitar by Sarah....

So I says to myself, "Self...you should play something for your honey," and I ask for the guitar.

I begin to play a song which I thought I had fashioned in my late teens and is one of the few I remember because I strung these particular cords together ( quite pretty I might add ) and Melissa begins to look at me with an astonished look on her face. I continue to beguile her with this serenade and ask her what was the matter.

She replies "Did I teach you that" "No", I answered.

"I made this up on my own".

"No" she says, "I made up that song"...

"Well so did I. "

"How old were you when you made it up?"

"I was 19. How old were you?"

"... 19..."

Melissa is on the verge of tears as we both recognize the synchronistic theater that is taking place and has been for longer than we both were aware. It was a loving moment that we both will cherish in our lives for very long time and are blessed to have shared with one another

True story and no we have not found the vanity watch. Marco tried with scuba gear with no luck. He said he was just going to claim it on his homeowner's incurance. We haven't looked yet, but we will......
Two

Baby, that day will go down in history as one of the funest, weirdest, craziest days ever! My two favorite parts were you finding your fishing pole with the fish attached (funniest thing I think I've ever seen) and our island excursion. Mmmmm mmmm good!