activities—more so than the speed boat. It’s like the difference between driving in a car and riding your bike. You’re an active participant instead of just a passenger, and it can be both peaceful and exciting at the same time. When you catch a breeze and really get going, it’s thrilling.
As they round Owen Point and the trees of James Woods come into view, Marcie has another feeling of
déjà vu
, and the urgency from her dream returns. This is really creepy! Maybe her subconscious is trying to tell her something, but she has no idea what. She must have jumped or look startled, because Al calls out, “Marcie, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She turns around and sees Al watching her intently.
“No, I’m fine. Just a little
déjà vu
when we entered the bay.”
When she turns forward again, the Swyndalls’ “cottage” is directly before them. The house definitely wasn’t in herdream, because she would have remembered seeing it. The face the house presents to the road is impressive, but the side facing the water is really enormous and surprisingly beautiful given its size. River rock forms the lower part of the house, rising up to red painted clapboard trimmed in white. A wrap-around porch extends across the entire back of the house, and there are multiple gables, windows, and even a round cupola with a weather vane at one end.
“Wow,” exclaims Eric.
“It’s something else, isn’t it?” says Al.
“It’s big, but I like it,” says Marcie. “It’s not like it’s the only big house on the lake.” As she says this, Marcie wonders why she is defending the Swyndalls.
“Not this big!” says Eric. “It’s a monster! I wonder how much time they will actually stay here. Those big summer homes are empty most of the time.”
They are passing by the piers in front of the house—three piers, no less—where they see a professional ski boat, two brand new wave runners on docking stations, a pontoon boat, and a racing class E scow.
“They have a lot of toys, too,” adds Eric, stating the obvious. “Those are top of the line Sea Doos!” referring to the wave runners.
“What’s wrong with that?” retorts Marcie. Lately she seems to want to argue with everything Eric says. He can be so irritating.
“Who was criticizing?”
Before she can respond, a figure rises up from one of the lounge chairs on the pier, and they see it’s Kaitlyn. Al honks the horn at her and they all wave. After blinking in the sunlight a few times, she recognizes them and waves her sunglasses in return as the boat passes by.
“Why do they have three docks?” asks Drew when they turn away.
“Because they can,” says Eric sarcastically. “Actually, I heard Mamaw and Poppy saying that the Swyndalls were trying to discourage people from anchoring their boats in the shallows in front of the house.”
“But that’s a tradition!” says Drew indignantly. “They can’t do that!” Drew is big on traditions and family rituals. Marcie has to agree that it doesn’t seem right to take away something that used to be available to everyone.
“You’re both right,” says Al. “The Swyndalls can put docks into the water from the shoreline that they own, but they don’t own the lake or the water in the lake, so they can’t tell people not to anchor in the shallows. If you noticed, the piers didn’t do much to stop people from anchoring there.” They look back and see that, indeed, half a dozen large boats are anchored just past and around the docks.
“Still, it’s kind of selfish of them not to share the shallows, even if they do want privacy,” concludes Drew. Theothers don’t say anything. Drew said what they all thought, too.
They negotiate the boats pulling kids on inner tubes and skis in the bay, and aim for the quieter marshy area by the shore. Once they agree on a good spot, Eric drops the anchor and Al kills the engine.
Even though Al’s tackle box is full of lures and flies he
As they round Owen Point and the trees of James Woods come into view, Marcie has another feeling of
déjà vu
, and the urgency from her dream returns. This is really creepy! Maybe her subconscious is trying to tell her something, but she has no idea what. She must have jumped or look startled, because Al calls out, “Marcie, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She turns around and sees Al watching her intently.
“No, I’m fine. Just a little
déjà vu
when we entered the bay.”
When she turns forward again, the Swyndalls’ “cottage” is directly before them. The house definitely wasn’t in herdream, because she would have remembered seeing it. The face the house presents to the road is impressive, but the side facing the water is really enormous and surprisingly beautiful given its size. River rock forms the lower part of the house, rising up to red painted clapboard trimmed in white. A wrap-around porch extends across the entire back of the house, and there are multiple gables, windows, and even a round cupola with a weather vane at one end.
“Wow,” exclaims Eric.
“It’s something else, isn’t it?” says Al.
“It’s big, but I like it,” says Marcie. “It’s not like it’s the only big house on the lake.” As she says this, Marcie wonders why she is defending the Swyndalls.
“Not this big!” says Eric. “It’s a monster! I wonder how much time they will actually stay here. Those big summer homes are empty most of the time.”
They are passing by the piers in front of the house—three piers, no less—where they see a professional ski boat, two brand new wave runners on docking stations, a pontoon boat, and a racing class E scow.
“They have a lot of toys, too,” adds Eric, stating the obvious. “Those are top of the line Sea Doos!” referring to the wave runners.
“What’s wrong with that?” retorts Marcie. Lately she seems to want to argue with everything Eric says. He can be so irritating.
“Who was criticizing?”
Before she can respond, a figure rises up from one of the lounge chairs on the pier, and they see it’s Kaitlyn. Al honks the horn at her and they all wave. After blinking in the sunlight a few times, she recognizes them and waves her sunglasses in return as the boat passes by.
“Why do they have three docks?” asks Drew when they turn away.
“Because they can,” says Eric sarcastically. “Actually, I heard Mamaw and Poppy saying that the Swyndalls were trying to discourage people from anchoring their boats in the shallows in front of the house.”
“But that’s a tradition!” says Drew indignantly. “They can’t do that!” Drew is big on traditions and family rituals. Marcie has to agree that it doesn’t seem right to take away something that used to be available to everyone.
“You’re both right,” says Al. “The Swyndalls can put docks into the water from the shoreline that they own, but they don’t own the lake or the water in the lake, so they can’t tell people not to anchor in the shallows. If you noticed, the piers didn’t do much to stop people from anchoring there.” They look back and see that, indeed, half a dozen large boats are anchored just past and around the docks.
“Still, it’s kind of selfish of them not to share the shallows, even if they do want privacy,” concludes Drew. Theothers don’t say anything. Drew said what they all thought, too.
They negotiate the boats pulling kids on inner tubes and skis in the bay, and aim for the quieter marshy area by the shore. Once they agree on a good spot, Eric drops the anchor and Al kills the engine.
Even though Al’s tackle box is full of lures and flies he
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