I sit beside him fishing, listening to the sounds of the river, and feeling safe and content. The sun glistens on the water. Of course, dad is a true gentleman and always baits the hook for me, his youngest daughter. We haul in lots of fish this day, mostly sunfish and blue gill and even a couple of large catfish. When we return to the cabin, dad cleans the fish while my sister and I watch in pretended disgust.
Mom is in the kitchen frying potatoes and corn cakes.
At dinner, we sit around the table and talk and eat until we can't eat any more. After we girls help mom with the dishes, it's time to watch our TV shows until we fall asleep. The next day my sister and I take a long walk on the country roads with Uncle Ray. Hand in hand, we sing songs and listen to him tell us stories about his own childhood. Another week at school is about to start, and I'm already looking forward to our next weekend retreat in the country.