SlaterChance: Blog

The story takes on a new twist. Up to this point, it has been a fairly gentle story. Now a new element comes in. Angie is terrified. She doesn't know how to deal with the current situation. Chase is the only one who can help her. It's tricky. There is only so much Chase can do. Will Angie get some closure? Will Chase be up to the challenge? You will have to read Chapter 8 to find out.

We had temperatures of -30 F to deal with last week. It's helpful to think back to the days when the sun was warm, and I could be outside without having my moustache freeze. I got sidetracked last week, but should have a new chapter next weekend. I have little idea of what my readers think...I would appreciate some input. On occasion, I have incorporated reader's input into my stories. Thank you to those who are following Canoe,Canoe. A good part of this story is true. I am humbled that you will take the time to read my words.

My new story does have some basis in reality. I did have a favorite canoeing partner and we did take many trips together. He was tall and slender and had a powerful stroke. We functioned very well together. We not only went on canoe trips, but we backpacked and took bicycle trips together as well. I recall times when we would take a break from a rather strenuous stretch of terrain. We would lie down on a flat rock, or maybe a wooden bridge that traversed a marshy area. There we would take a short nap, allowing that soothing warmth of the sun to funnel energy back into our weary bodies.
We rarely disagreed. Both of us were hard workers. He worked with me at one job I had while in college, and played with me on many softball, football, and basketball teams.
He is now fighting Parkinson's, and our days of strenuous activity together are over. I did take him out on my boat recently, and we shared a good time together. We traveled to the secret lake mentioned in the story, and we did a little fishing. Another friend of mine, who has spent most of his life on the Amazon, told me that the channel back to the lake reminded him allot of Brazil, except for the fact that the trees were much smaller.
It took my friend a few days to recover after the boat trip, but we did make another memory.

Finally…finally…the snow is beginning to melt. There is still a ridge of snow, two feet high, on the north side of my house that will probably be there for some time. I skated on the pond, on good ice, on April 2. That has never happened before. Oh, how I long for the time when I can sit out in my boat and soak in the sun. I have actually reclined out on my lounge chair when it has been in the 50's. It felt really good.
Last Friday we received nine more inches. They re-opened the ski hills. I heard and saw a dozen swans flying overhead that day. They seemed confused. After the long winter, I hope to be spending as much time as I can outdoors. It is on those occasions that I feel fully alive. Watching the wildlife is such a treat for me. I just hope that the fish kills are not too bad this year. With the thick ice, and the huge amount of snow, the prediction doesn't look good for the lakes that don't have springs.
Today, we are going for 70 degrees. It has been six months since we have had temperatures that high. You can bet that I am going to enjoy every minute of the day.
I wrote this on the 9th. Yesterday, the 16th, we received another 10 inches of snow. I have a fear that depression may set in.
Lately, I've been getting about one email per chapter on a Southern Warming. I don't know what to do with that. It's always nice to hear that someone has enjoyed something in the story. "Thank You" to all who have taken the time to write.
I guess what I'm really looking for… is a Northern Warming.

I went on a winter hike today…the first day of 2014. I followed a deer trail as it wound itself through the six foot cattails. When I came out on the lake, I found it covered with a maze of snowmobile tracks. It has been a good winter for the snowmobilers. I spotted a beaver lodge on the other side of the lake and headed in that direction. Once there, I checked around the structure with my walking stick, just to make sure there wasn't any thin ice. I climbed up onto the frozen pile of sticks and mud and found a nice flat place to sit. It was a good four feet high, so I could see for a quite a distance. The sun was setting behind the clouds, and I spotted a few yellow lights twinkling in windows off in the distance.
It was the silence that I found most rewarding. The temp was below zero, but I was comfortable. The snow muted the sound and I was surrounded by quiet. Nothing moved or sang. No birds flew. No flickering computer screen or HD TV. I enjoyed a very peaceful setting as the light began to give way to darkness. I was very content as I sat on my elevated perch. It was a good start to the New Year.