LUCKY CAL
Calvin was sitting alone on a damp, cold Sunday afternoon. He reclined back in his cozy chair holding a hot chocolate and then setting it on an armrest while he glanced out the window only to be mesmerized by the melting icicles dripping off the roof of the front porch. Being very sleepy put Calvin in deep thought about several of the very many fishing adventures he experienced.
Cal got the nickname of "Hubby" by his one and only.
With spring in the air, there was one particular trip that fed his mind. It was a trip that was etched in this mind forever. It was a warm day while fishing out of Fort Niagara in Lake Ontario.
He tried his luck and did well catching and releasing his catch at the mouth of the Niagara River while trolling the bar in Lake Ontario when he saw a nice sandy beach area away from activity.
The afternoon sun shone down on his back and warmed him up enough to give him thoughts of taking a break. Being extremely hungry, he remembered he had the fixings for a shore lunch in the boat left over from another trip. Making a 'U' turn back to catch some fish for a satisfying shore lunch located at that sandy beach area. Catching some fish, Hubby headed for that beach partially shaded by trees with tiny leaves growing in the spring warmth.
Beaching the boat onto the sandy area, Calvin gathered up some dried driftwood scattered along the shore. A nice neat fire pit was made especially for cooking a shore lunch. To get the fire going, paper was needed! In a panic, he found an old newspaper rolled up neatly in the boat. Instead of being or showing signs of relief for the paper, Hubby thanked the guy upstairs aloud. Neatly surrounding the dry driftwood with paper to get fire started, he realizes there is nothing to start the fire with. Saying a few choice words that are not found in Mr. Webster's dictionary Calvin went back to the boat. Finding absolutely nothing to start this fire he realizes he is leaving hungry.
Looking at the beautiful fillets of fish, he decided to try his luck by starting the fire with the magnifying glass on an old rusty Swiss army knife found in the corner of a storage compartment on the boat. Climbing out of the boat and walking over to the unlit fire, Calvin twisted up a piece of paper to make a desperate attempt to light it using that magnifying lens. Aligning the lens just right so the sun can luckily get things cooking, there was smoke and then with a slight blow he had fire!
Finally the fire was just about at the right height and it was time for the frying pan. OOPS! No pan. Remembering maybe, just maybe, there might be a piece of tin foil in one of the compartments of the boat. Cal found a small but dirty piece of foil. After washing it off in the lake, some rocks were arranged around the fire to place the foil wrapped fish on.
Time to eat. Whoops, no utensils! Cal thought, oh well, I got this far and God made hands before he made spoons and forks! There was salt, there was pepper, and that was just the finishing touch that was needed.
After the hunger pangs subsided, Cal thought to himself, "Boy, am I lucky!" There is nothing, absolutely nothing, better than a shore lunch you have to work for and while preparing, never knowing if you are going to get it!
THE END
Cornball humor corner from David
"A man appeared in a newspaper office to place an ad offering $1,000 for the return of his wife's cat. "An awfully high price for a cat", the clerk said. "Not for this one" said the man. "I took it fishing with me yesterday and drowned it".
Fishy says, "Always practice good
catch and release"
And if you click on him he will take you back to my Fishing Short Stories Home
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