We were both awake for no good reason just before 4:00 a.m., and that turned out to be a good thing. I made coffee, we chatted in bed, catching up. Soon, my daughter, sleepless as well, joined with her coffee and the three of us had a lovely, early morning catch up. And I had gone to sleep feeling sorry that I did.not have a poem for my morning poetry workshop. Thought I would cancel, or go empty handed. Except, I woke with a new title for this not-yet-draft. And before I knew it, I had a good draft of the watermelon poem, ready for workshop, and sent it off. Back to sleep. Which made Charlie moan for a long time by my bed for his breakfast. I got up, and gave him a fast walk, promising him more later. My poem was surprisingly successful at workshop. Time for my break: took Charlie and Suzi and walked in the warming sunshine through the woods to my friend’s dock. She saw me in the yard and spontaneously decided to join me. Both of her dogs, too, followed us down the path to the dock. She didn’t have her suit and skinny dipped. I said, let’s go around the island. She said, let’s swim to the pump house––twice the distance. Sure, why not? It was a gorgeous swim, one of my best of the season. We reached the pump house, turned back, and the sun filled my face when I surfaced for breath, and I was so peaceful and joyful–until I saw two animal heads swimming toward me. I was only a third of the way back. The dogs! I yelled to my friend. One of hers, Alby, and one of mine: you know who. Oh no! Poor Charlie seemed tired and I was concerned. So, he turned toward the nearest shore and I followed him, my friend and her terrier just behind. We got them up on shore for a rest. A nice woman offered assistance from her house; we assured her we had all under control. We decided the dogs might be able to walk back, along the shore, and we’d swim beside them. Charlie was game, Alby lagged. My friend said well, I could pick him up and carry him home, but I don’t have my bathing suit on! I forgot through it all she was naked! I laughed and laughed, and she did too. And she did carry him a bit of the way through the cove, and I was still laughing, and Charlie trotted along at the ragged edges of lake and trees and finally, the four of us made it back to her dock, safe and sound. Quite an adventure for what is likely to be one of our last swims of the season. At the end of his day, Frank went to water ski with his pal who lives on Lake Cochituate, and my youngest and I went with him to spot. And I wanted to seem him ski, as he’s been skiing most of the summer and I haven’t been with him. It was a thrill to see him out there, strong and skilled as he was in his thirties. And then he coaxed our daughter in; she hadn’t skied since early childhood. Without much trouble, she got right up. And we rode home to his friend’s dock at dusk, and for this fun-filled September Lake day, I was so grateful.