blew a kiss at the marker, and rushed to her mother’s
arms. Ryce looked around. There was not a dry eye in the group.
Ryce poked Tanya and asked for a tissue.
When the ceremony was complete, John
announced that dinner would be served in ninety minutes on the
portico of the Sanctuary Hotel. Ryce smiled. He liked the word
“portico.” He was not really sure what it meant, but he liked
it.
John also mentioned that there would be a
fishing tournament at the lake after dinner. The grand prize was a
week for two in the Jill Memorial Suite at the Sanctuary Hotel. The
second prize was a three-day weekend for a family of six in one of
the cabins at the Sanctuary. The third prize was a coupon for a Big
Mac. Fishing gear would be provided.
As Tanya and Ryce waited for dinner to be
served, Ryce checked the large sign near the front door of the
hotel. He was looking for the Jill suite. It was the four-bedroom
suite at the head of the grand staircase. He counted the stairs as
he and Tanya walked to the top floor. He was extremely happy to see
benches on every floor.
As they waited for dinner, Ryce and Tanya
strolled many of the paths and trails of the Sanctuary. Signs
handcrafted by volunteers described flowers, trees, and even the
road used to drag the logs out to the drying shed. After four
years, the road was almost overgrown. Benches were installed along
the trails and in the groves for meditation. At one bench, Ryce and
Tanya sat in silence for several minutes, until Ryce looked at
her.
“Have I told you lately how happy I am that
you agreed to marry me?”
Over sixty people descended on the lake after
dinner. The rules were simple: The angler who caught the first fish
was awarded one point, the entrant who caught the largest fish was
awarded one point, And the entrant who caught the most fish was
awarded one point. There was, however, a three fish limit on the
lake. The first to catch three fish would be awarded the point for
most fish. If there were three winners, each would be awarded a
four-day weekend in one of the cabins.
John put Jill on the official’s table and
asked her to count to three as loud as she could. When she got to
three, the crowd all shouted “GO!” and began running toward the
lake.
When Tanya and Ryce found a place on the
lakeshore, Ryce pulled a slightly greasy napkin from his pocket.
Tanya was horrified to see the napkin covered the strip of bacon
from his bacon-wrapped steak. Ryce carefully trimmed a sliver from
the bacon slice, threaded it on his hook, and cast the hook and
bobber into the lake.
There was a collective “awe” heard from the
anglers near Ryce when a large fish hit the bacon and jumped. Ryce
quickly brought the fish to shore and hurried to the officials’
stand. John and Marge were standing near the table when Ryce placed
his fish on the tray. John turned to Marge.
“That is certainly the first fish of the
contest, and I don’t think I have seen anything bigger pulled out
of the lake since we have lived here. Ryce just may have won two
points.”
Ryce did win two points. And Tanya, after
removing the bacon slice from Ryce’s pocket, was the first angler
to hook three fish. John asked the participants to donate their
catch to the Sunday morning fish fry. Each donated fish would
receive a two-dollar coupon good at Barracks 5, the Ranch’s answer
to an upscale Wal-Mart.
Ryce was the first place winner, Tanya was
the second place winner, and Marge came in third with the second
largest fish. Since he and Tanya would be sharing the first prize,
Ryce suggested that the second prize be auctioned off. The money
would be donated to the Jill Pendergast Memorial Fund.
As they lay in bed, Tanya pulled Ryce
close.
“That was sure nice of you to donate the
$300.00 from those tickets to Jill’s memorial fund.”
Ryce laughed. “They were your tickets.”
Tanya gave him a long kiss. “But you did the
right thing with them. And someone got a deal. A three-day weekend
in a
arms. Ryce looked around. There was not a dry eye in the group.
Ryce poked Tanya and asked for a tissue.
When the ceremony was complete, John
announced that dinner would be served in ninety minutes on the
portico of the Sanctuary Hotel. Ryce smiled. He liked the word
“portico.” He was not really sure what it meant, but he liked
it.
John also mentioned that there would be a
fishing tournament at the lake after dinner. The grand prize was a
week for two in the Jill Memorial Suite at the Sanctuary Hotel. The
second prize was a three-day weekend for a family of six in one of
the cabins at the Sanctuary. The third prize was a coupon for a Big
Mac. Fishing gear would be provided.
As Tanya and Ryce waited for dinner to be
served, Ryce checked the large sign near the front door of the
hotel. He was looking for the Jill suite. It was the four-bedroom
suite at the head of the grand staircase. He counted the stairs as
he and Tanya walked to the top floor. He was extremely happy to see
benches on every floor.
As they waited for dinner, Ryce and Tanya
strolled many of the paths and trails of the Sanctuary. Signs
handcrafted by volunteers described flowers, trees, and even the
road used to drag the logs out to the drying shed. After four
years, the road was almost overgrown. Benches were installed along
the trails and in the groves for meditation. At one bench, Ryce and
Tanya sat in silence for several minutes, until Ryce looked at
her.
“Have I told you lately how happy I am that
you agreed to marry me?”
Over sixty people descended on the lake after
dinner. The rules were simple: The angler who caught the first fish
was awarded one point, the entrant who caught the largest fish was
awarded one point, And the entrant who caught the most fish was
awarded one point. There was, however, a three fish limit on the
lake. The first to catch three fish would be awarded the point for
most fish. If there were three winners, each would be awarded a
four-day weekend in one of the cabins.
John put Jill on the official’s table and
asked her to count to three as loud as she could. When she got to
three, the crowd all shouted “GO!” and began running toward the
lake.
When Tanya and Ryce found a place on the
lakeshore, Ryce pulled a slightly greasy napkin from his pocket.
Tanya was horrified to see the napkin covered the strip of bacon
from his bacon-wrapped steak. Ryce carefully trimmed a sliver from
the bacon slice, threaded it on his hook, and cast the hook and
bobber into the lake.
There was a collective “awe” heard from the
anglers near Ryce when a large fish hit the bacon and jumped. Ryce
quickly brought the fish to shore and hurried to the officials’
stand. John and Marge were standing near the table when Ryce placed
his fish on the tray. John turned to Marge.
“That is certainly the first fish of the
contest, and I don’t think I have seen anything bigger pulled out
of the lake since we have lived here. Ryce just may have won two
points.”
Ryce did win two points. And Tanya, after
removing the bacon slice from Ryce’s pocket, was the first angler
to hook three fish. John asked the participants to donate their
catch to the Sunday morning fish fry. Each donated fish would
receive a two-dollar coupon good at Barracks 5, the Ranch’s answer
to an upscale Wal-Mart.
Ryce was the first place winner, Tanya was
the second place winner, and Marge came in third with the second
largest fish. Since he and Tanya would be sharing the first prize,
Ryce suggested that the second prize be auctioned off. The money
would be donated to the Jill Pendergast Memorial Fund.
As they lay in bed, Tanya pulled Ryce
close.
“That was sure nice of you to donate the
$300.00 from those tickets to Jill’s memorial fund.”
Ryce laughed. “They were your tickets.”
Tanya gave him a long kiss. “But you did the
right thing with them. And someone got a deal. A three-day weekend
in a
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