The Boating Party

My husband and I returned to Bald Eagle State Park on this day, for the first time since before the floods that closed everything down for weeks. The weather's been a bit cooler in the past few days and it's been a welcome break from the typical August heat and humidity, and especially from the endless rain.

As we were sitting in our chairs getting ready to jump in and swim, I spotted an Amish man sitting on a small boat, very contemplative, obviously waiting for someone. As I watched, a woman walked down the hill to the boat with a halting gait. They put on life preservers and got in, and floated all around the lake!

Of course, I made up stories to go along with what I saw. (Why not? It's harmless fun.) They were childhood sweethearts, and on this morning he said, "Hey, my little love, it's a fine summer day. Do you want to go out on a boat on the lake, like we used to?"

And she smiled her sweetest smile and said, "Why yes, my darling. That sounds like such fun!" And so they did. And what an adventure they had! And it was the land of always-summertime, and they were young again; just two hearts dancing upon the open waves.

I have two songs to share with this story. One is for the Amish man, sitting waiting for his girl: Foreigner, Waiting for a Girl Like You. And the other is for the boating expedition: Little River Band, with Cool Change.