Fourth Lake, Chapter 7

Tuesday morning Judy awoke wrapped in Phil’s arms.  They were naked under the sheets and a couple of thin blankets.  It had gotten a little chilly during the night on Fourth Lake.  She turned towards him and kissed him gently on his lips.  He opened his eyes and smiled. 

“Good morning, Judy.”

“I love you, my darling.  Sleep well?”

“Wonderfully!  And you?”

She kissed him again and again and again.  They fooled around in bed for several more minutes before Judy said she was hungry.  They both got up and together they fixed a breakfast of orange juice, scrambled eggs, link sausages, toast with strawberry preserves, and coffee with cream and sugar.  Judy showered first and then dressed in a tank top, a pair of tight-fitting shorts, and sneakers.  While Phil was taking his shower, Judy left the cottage to sit by the lake.  Almost as soon as she had settled in to her chair to enjoy the view on this sunny day, Joe Williams came up behind her.

“Excuse me, Judy.  Good morning.  Is everything OK?”

“Oh, good morning, Joe.  Sure, everything is wonderful.”

“I hope you don’t mind my mentioning it, but yesterday it sounded like there might be a problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, you and your husband were in the water talking loudly and then you got up and kind of ran into the cottage.”

“Oh, that was nothing.  You needn’t concern yourself.”

“That’s great.  But, like I said, if there’s anything you need, you just ask and I can take care of it.”

Joe walked away and returned to his cottage while Judy noticed his loose-fitting t-shirt and black Speedo swim trunks.  At first, she felt embarrassed that someone had witnessed their quarrel.  Then, she thought how sweet it was for him to be so concerned about her.  Finally, she started wondering if Joe was suggesting something more than just being a friendly neighbor.  He was a good-looking young man, tall and slender.  Judy started to fantasize a little.  She snapped out of it when she saw her husband coming out of their cottage.

“Hey, Judy, I have a great idea.  Let’s go canoeing on the lake.  Yesterday, I noticed a store in town which claimed to be New York State’s number one canoe dealer.  I think it’s called Mountain Man Outdoor Supply.  What do you say?  Why don’t we go over there and talk to them?”

Judy was stunned at first, never having been in a canoe.  She believed the same to be true for Phil.  However, it sounded thrilling, just the two of them out on the lake, like Hawkeye with his pioneer woman.

“Okay, darling.  Let’s go for it.”

So the two of them walked over to the store Phil was referring to.  They rented their necessary supplies and received a one-hour lesson in canoe operations and safety.  The woman there recommended a sixteen-foot long Mad River canoe, which, thankfully, weighed only about 60 lbs.  Their paddles were of very different lengths because of the dramatic difference in their respective heights.  The woman told them that the correct paddle, standing on its blade tip, should reach to about the level of your mouth.  Judy marveled at her paddle with its squared-off blade, seemingly extra long shaft and t-shaped grip.

Even though both Judy and Phil were good swimmers, the woman strongly recommended they take life jackets with them out on Fourth Lake.  In case of an accident, they would provide both warmth and buoyancy.  Technically, it was New York State law that they have them in the canoe.  It was up to them whether they would wear them or not.

While at the store, Phil and Judy heard more unpleasant news about Watergate on a radio that was playing there.  The House Judiciary Committee, by a vote of 21-17, passed its third article of impeachment against the president:  “President Nixon failed to produce, without any lawful cause or excuse, papers and other things, as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, thereby willfully disobeying such subpoenas.”

Phil claimed it was bogus.  He believed a president could always find a good reason not to answer a subpoena from some congressional committee.

Two additional articles, accusing President Nixon of illegally concealing the bombing of Cambodia and of committing tax fraud, were defeated.  Floor debate on the three approved articles was scheduled to begin in about two weeks, in mid-August, 1974.    

Another store employee transported their canoe by truck over to the parking lot adjacent to Inlet’s Arrowhead Park from where Judy and Phil could carry it to the water’s edge.  As instructed, with Judy in the front (bow) on the right side and Phil in the back (stern) on the left, they each held on to their respective deck plates as they carried the canoe until they gently placed it into Fourth Lake.  Before entering it themselves, they placed their provisions inside, especially their picnic lunch and their two life jackets.  Finally, Judy entered first in the bow and then Phil in the stern.  As they had been instructed, they were both in a kneeling position with their back sides resting against the edge of their seats and their knees flexed as wide as possible.  With their paddles in the water, they shoved off heading west from Inlet.

Phil and Judy had learned to paddle on opposite sides of the canoe and to rotate their bodies as much as possible.  They used the forward stroke which meant keeping the paddles in a vertical position while doing a sweep motion, then pushing down the grip hand until the entire paddle is in the water and finally lifting it out of the water when it reached their hips.  Both having come from athletic backgrounds, the two of them took to this new sport like the ducks that were swimming nearby.  Judy especially noticed that the canoe was light enough to be carried, yet it could support a tremendous amount of weight in the water without sinking.

It was exciting for both of them as they powered their canoe smoothly through the clear, blue water.  From this new perspective, Fourth Lake and its environs looked majestic.  Contemplating their new adventure, she laughed nervously as Phil tried to remain calm. 

“How are you doing, Judy?”

“Great!  I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Weren’t you paying attention during our class?”

“That was then.  This is now.”

“Well, you’re in front, so you’re in charge.”

So, where’s this church we’re supposed to be heading to?”

“On the north side of the lake, on our right, probably about a mile or two up.  The guy at the store said we can’t miss it.”

“Say, what’s that over there on the left?  I see a whole bunch of kids swimming in the lake.”

“It must be a summer camp.  There are a bunch of them in this part of the Adirondacks.”

Off in the distance, emanating from the site of the camp they noticed, Judy and Phil could hear children singing, “We welcome you to Eagle Cove, we’re mighty glad you’re here...”

Later on, they noticed, plum in the middle of the lake, an island, called Dollar Island, since it resembled a silver dollar.  They had been told at the store that it was privately owned and contained a rather large house.  They couldn’t see any sign of life on the island.

The more Judy paddled, the more tired she felt.  She couldn’t as yet see the church.  They had been told it was a ways off on the opposite side of Fourth Lake, but now the trip seemed to be longer than when they were talking about it at the store.  She looked at the shoreline, about a half-mile away, and could notice an occasional house or an inn or a restaurant right at the shore with a dock to accomodate boats.  Other than those, all she could see at the water’s edge were trees.  There was no sandy beach like on Long Island.  Finally, Judy saw the tall, white building in the distance they had been looking for. 

It took Phil and Judy another thirty minutes and all their strength and energy to finally arrive at the church on the lake.  Upon reaching a grassy area nearby, they experienced a sense of exhilaration that they had accomplished such a feat on their own with no prior experience.  They were not kids, but they proved they still had vitality.  When they climbed out of their canoe, they gave each other a broad smile and a well-deserved kiss as good shipmates should. 

Judy had made some roast beef sandwiches on kaiser rolls with muenster cheese, tomatoes, and mayonaisse for their picnic lunch.  She had also packed a couple of Macintosh apples and a bottle of Riesling imported German wine.  They each devoured the food with ravenous appetites.  After lunch, Phil sat on the ground with his back against one of the many trees nearby, with Judy next to him, her head resting on his shoulder.  He pulled her close.  They looked back toward the long distance from where they had come.  It was too bad that Dollar Island blocked their view of Inlet.  They slowly regained their second wind for the return trip.

When they finally arrived back at Arrowhead Park, Phil called Mountain Man Outdoor Supply on a payphone for someone to come pick up their rented supplies.  As Phil waited by the canoe, Judy walked back to the cottage as she couldn’t wait to take a nap before making dinner.

Fifteen minutes later, after the man from the store had retrieved everything, Phil also started walking back to their cottage.  As he passed the food store, he decided to stop there and pick up a six-pack of beer and some potato chips, peanuts and maybe, if they had any, some pre-packaged dip.  When he arrived at the check-out counter, May was eagerly awaiting him.

“How are you doing, handsome?  Did you lose the wife?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t mind me.  I’m just fooling with you a little.”

“Okay.”

“My name’s May.  Where are you from?”

“New York City.”

“I figured.  Big difference between here and there.”

“You been there?”

“No, but I’ve seen it in the movies.  I’d love to go for a visit.  I’m originally from Syracuse.  Ever been there?”

“Yeah, about twenty years ago, I played in a basketball game against the Orangemen.  I think we lost.”

“No kidding?  You were some hot-shot ball player?”

“I was all right.  Played three years at Penn.”

“I’m impressed.  I’ll bet you could still do good, one-on-one.  You enjoying Fourth Lake?”

“Yeah!  It’s beautiful.  We went on a canoe trip today, went over by that church on the other side of the lake.  By the way, we passed Dollar Island and noticed a big house on it.  Anybody there now?”

“It’s owned by some rich people from Rochester.  They usually spend about a month there every summer.  They left a week ago.  Won’t be back until next year.  I know because I helped deliver the groceries over there.”

“Thanks!  Good bye.”

“I hope I see you again real soon, handsome.”

When Phil arrived at the cottage, he found Judy fast asleep on their bed.  As he put the beer and the other stuff away, he reminded himself to tell Judy what he learned about Dollar Island.  Phil knew she would be interested.  He also knew that Judy would be too exhausted and sore to make love again tonight.