CHAPTER FIVE

After being in the water a minute or two, Joe's body adjusts to the temperature, and he stops shivering. He tries swimming a few strokes, and finds that he hasn't forgotten how. He swims a bit, and treads water, just enjoying the coolness.

"Well, what do you think?" asks Bill, "you enjoying this?"

"Yeah, it's really nice. The water's not salty at all."

"That's because it's not the Ocean, Joe, lakes are fresh water."

"I knew that, just never experienced it before."

"Sometimes I think you read too much, Joe."

"How's that ? I like to read, what's wrong with that?" Bill often criticizes things that Joe does.

"Nothing at all wrong with it, Joe. It's just sometimes you experience too much of life through a book, instead of actually doing. Admit it, you would probably rather have stayed at home and read about camping instead of actually trying it. Am I right?"

"Well, if I had to go alone, that is probably what I would have done, yeah. But this is nice. Doing, can be better than reading, sometimes. Some stuff I'd still rather read about, than do, though. I mean, I might want to read about a safari, but I don't think I'd care to actually go on one."

They were both just treading water and enjoying the coolness and the conversation.

"You know, Joe, we've had a lot of conversations over the years, but never in a better spot than this. It's really relaxing."

"Yeah, the only thing missing is my cigarettes," Joe jokes.

"They'd be kind of hard to carry with no pockets, and probably hard to keep lit." Bill laughs, but he wouldn't put it past him to try to figure out how to manage it.

"I wonder how the boy's camp out is going. Hope they are having as good of a time as we are.

"OHH!" Joe splashes at the water, "something just brushed my leg. What's in here anyway?" Bill laughs at his startled reaction.

"Probably just a fish Joe. He's curious about you. You're new in his territory."

"What kind of fish, and how big are they?" Joe is looking around the water, trying to locate what touched him. He looks down,

"Hey Bill, I can see my feet!"

"You sound surprised, did you think they were gone or something?"

"No, it's just the water is so clear, I can see the bottom." he keeps looking in the water, kind of fascinated by it all. "There's a stick floating by," he comments as reaches out to grab it, when it suddenly coils, then darts away. "Yikes! That was a snake!" Now he is really looking around, trying to figure where the snake went.

"You're not afraid of a little snake, are you Joe?"

"No, not afraid, but I could do without them. I didn't know they could swim. Think I'd like to stick to reading about them, too." He still is looking around for it.

"Don't worry Joe, he's long gone. Probably more afraid of you, than you are of him."

Don't bet on it buddy, he thinks. Joe finally relaxes again, and just enjoys the lake, but still keeping an eye out for that snake or it's relatives.

"What kind of fish will we catch tonight, Bill? I'm looking forward to that. Guess it really is my day for new experiences. Hope the canoe will work out, and not tip over! Has that ever happened to you?"

"Sure, lot's of times." replies Bill.

Lot's of times? Great, well I hope this won't be one of them, Joe is thinking. At least now he knows he remembers how to swim. Hope I can swim with all my clothes and boots on though. I'm not fishing naked no matter what nature boy here thinks!

Something brushes against Joe's leg again. He tries to see what it is, but can't find anything.

"Bill, do snakes swim under water too?" He's sure hoping that snake didn't come back.

"Not that I know of , why? Something bothering your legs again?"

"Sort of, it kind of tickles." He looks but still doesn't see anything. He splashes a bit, then moves a few feet in the other direction. It seems gone now.

"The water seems colder here," he comments.

"Move a little bit until you find one of those warm patches."

Joe moves about until he finds one. It almost feels like a warm spring in the water. He tells this to Bill.

"Yeah, I know," he says. "Not sure what causes that."

Suddenly Joe jerks in the water again, just about losing his balance and falling down.

"Now what's wrong?" asks Bill.

"Just those damn fish, wish they'd leave me alone. I think they like these warm spots, too." He looks into the water again and this time see's a whole lot of little fish.

"I think they're babies Bill, and there are a lot of them."

Bill paddles over to where Joe is and looks in the water.

"Those are minnows, Joe, they aren't babies, they don't get much bigger than that."

"Wish they'd go away, they're starting to get personal" Joe complains, continuing to splash at them, they move a little, then come right back. "How come they aren't bothering you?"

"You're the one standing in the warm spot, I'm in the cool. Besides, maybe they just like you." Bill laughs at Joe's discomfiture.

"I'm starting to have a closer relationship with a couple of these than I've had with most women! He splashes again and shouts 'shoo' into the water. Bill laughs and tells Joe,

"They're not cats Joe, I don't think they can hear you, anyway, just move over. Find a cool spot."

He moves around until he finds one and waits. Ok, this seems good. He relaxes again, but would still rather be in the warmer water. The fish must like the warmer water too, because they are not bothering him now.

"This is nice Joe, cool water, warm sun, I could stay out here all day." Shutting his eyes Bill allows the current to pull him along, just drifting.

"You just might get your wish, Bill."

"What do you mean? You want to stay here too? We can stay for a while yet, but I was just kidding about all day. We'd get pruney if we stayed that long!"

"Yeah, well, plan to get pruney then."