No Service, part 3

For part 1 click here, for part 2 click here.

The little store with the pay phone, minnows, worms and lures, and a variety of diet-busting snacks was quaint and woodsy as could be. It reminded me of my youth where I spent summers at Milacs Lake in the upper central part of Minnesota. My great uncle has a cabin there. That is where the movie, Grumpy Old Men was staged. This place was that kind of bait shop. We bought some water and Pepsi and I chug-a-lugged that Pepsi down. Ahhh, ice cold.

The guy that ran the place knew it was going to be a while before the tow truck came and told us we were welcome to get out of the sun and go next door and relax under their large shade trees in front of one of the cabins and kick back in their chairs. We told him thanks and mosied over to a big tree. I really didn't want to intrude on their personal territory so I sat down on the grass under another tree and played with a caterpillar that was making its way across the grass.

A few minutes later we were joined by the family that ran the place. There was a break in business and they spent their breaks out under the biggest tree. There was a fresh, cool spring that ran just past where the chairs were that made a soothing trickling and bubbling sound and there was a thick canopy of old growth trees over head. Again he asked us to take up a chair and join them and this time we did. My leg had gone to sleep sitting under the tree and I gimped over to the picnic table. It must have been 10 degrees cooler there next to the stream. I thought what a dream come true to be able to have such a nice place in the woods like that. Boat rentals, canoes, cabins.

Sometimes there is an awkward silence when you are suddenly among people you don't know. I don't remember who started talking first but it was if we knew these folks. Conversations flowed and the benefits and drawbacks of running such a place brought laughter and smiles. The conversation only paused when their land line portable phone would ring with affirmative replies that they had this and that and yes, you can rent boats there. We were having such a nice time and I was truly enjoying the relaxation when the quiet sounds of nature were abruptly interrupted by the sound of a large engine, the squealing sounds of brakes and rattling of large chains.

You need towing?.............to be continued