Each year I patiently wait for the ice to leave the lake so that I can put the pier in the water and each year the lake residents gage the arrival of spring with the day our pier goes in. So anyway today is a bad day. My wife left me and I woke up late. Prior to driving Rachel to school I walk down the sidewalk to check the ice. Bummer, the ice is about 4 inches thick and 20 feet from shore. Then I look east and west...what the heck the only ice on the lake is in front of my house! It must be a conspiracy of local home owners to prevent me from putting in my pier. Anyway the sun comes out the temperature reaches 68 degrees, I race home from track practice and the ice is gone. So first thing I need to do is pick up sticks. You can't drive over them or they embed themselves for ever. So I race to get that done. Walk through the garage put the hitch on the Jeep, back up and neighbor Joe Westendorf comes running over. (His doctor "Erin" may not approve.) Anyway Joe asks, in jest, if he can borrow a wrench to put his pier in. I respond with sure Joe no problem. He chuckles and says oh I was just kidding, you know the neighbors are wondering when you're going to put the pier in? I respond with, "well Joe funny you should ask, I am on my way back to pick up the pier and put it in right now." The look of disbelief on Joe's face was a memory that will last a lifetime." Yes, the pier is in and spring is here......God Bless us all.
Oh by the way my wife left me to go on a medical mission's trip to Guatemala with Sarah too! Rachel and I will try to survive without them but it will be tough. Sarah talks about being premed in college so this is a good trip. Premed, that would make us proud. But of course we are proud of all our children no matter what they choose to do in life. just don't make me a grandpa too soon.
Real Spring