LAKE PRETTY

Lake Pretty

Look before you leap

I would like to tell you about my introduction to Lake Pretty. I do not know if it was the name that caused me to fall in love with the Lake, or the pleasures I had in raising my two sons there. The ninety-nine-acre lake was surrounded by only eight houses and a small slave cemetery, left over from the civil war days, and countless acres of pristine wilderness. It was about an hour’s drive one way from my work, but I did not mind. When I finally made it home in the evenings and jumped half crocked into my eighteen-foot Ranger Bass boat it all became worthwhile.

I was recently divorced. The ex-wife had taken the house in town, so I bought this small cabin on Lake Pretty, where I hoped to spend lots of time with my boys. I had two of them and enjoyed them pretty near every weekend.

Shortly after I had moved in, I stopped by on my Ranger bass boat to visit the Masons. They were the family that lived the nearest to my location. There was a man, a boy, and a woman out in the cool water swimming about neck deep. If you have ever been in Florida, you know about the heat. My ex had taken the boys to Disney World in Orlando for the weekend. I felt like I needed a little company, so I popped a beer, cranked the boat, and began slowly cruising around the shoreline. I spied my new neighbors swimming quietly and enjoying the afternoon in the waters as I pulled around to the north-east corner of the lake. I edged the boat close enough so that they could hear me. I shut the engine and drifted.

“Hi there, I’m Dan Rogers,” I yelled. I just moved into the old Gillett’s cabin up around the small cove.”

They waved. The attractive young lady spoke first “I’m Nora Mason this is my husband Kirk and that’s Jamie our son.” Kirk nodded; Jammie waved again. “Kirk what I presumed to be a replica of Johnny Weissmuller the first Tarzan I remembered from the old movies spoke. “You want to come up on the beach we have got some cold beer in the cooler, not too many of them other lake owners ever stop to visit.”

I was out of brew on my boat, so I slid over the side and proceeded to follow him on to the beach. “You say people don’t visit much out here?” I asked. “I myself don’t have any desire in becoming a recluse.” I hope I did not reallocate in amongst a bunch of hermits. I do not really need that situation currently in my life.”

We continued talking as we made our way closer to shore. “I’m just recently divorced, and I can use all of the friends I can get.” We had not made it to the beach yet when I heard the young boy yell.

“Hey, Mister your boat is drifting away you want I should go get it.” I answered, “No Jamie It’s pretty heavy, and I don’t want you to get hurt, I’ll get it.”

“Go ahead Dan, get your boat,” Kirk suggested, “I’ll get your beer for you.”

“Thanks,” I said. It took a couple of minutes to swim out again and retrieve the vessel. By the time I pointed it back towards shore the whole family of Masons had made it on to the beach. There they stood patiently waiting for me as I dragged the Ranger to the beach head.

Did I mention that when I first saw them on shore and out of the water, I discovered that they were all stark naked? My first encounter on Lake Pretty was with a nudist family.

I am in no way a prude but if you have ever had that feeling of fight-or-flight you know what I mean. My anxiety soon melted as their it-so fact-o attitude made it all seem so right. I very soon felt included whether I wore a bathing suit or no, so I spent the rest of the afternoon with them. After about the third beer I forgot they were naked and swore I saw them fully clothed.

“You said you didn’t get much lake traffic?” I asked.

“Oh no,” Kirk answered. “We get an inordinate amount of traffic, it’s just that no-one ever stops to visit.”