found drama

There is a house that A. and I are interested in buying.  It needs a little work but it’s all cosmetic.  We’ll rip out some carpet, tear down some wallpaper, that sort of thing.  At least it seems “all cosmetic” and so our interest is piqued but it isn’t long before our agent and A. start to find things that they find suspicious.  The current owners are there and A. asks them some specific, pointed questions.  They are reluctant to answer.  I’m about ready to just write the whole thing off but A. tells me discreetly that she has it under control and for me to just go do what I need to do.

QUICK CUT: My dad and I are scrambling to get our kayaks loaded up and into the water.  We have been waiting to take this trip for a while now and we’re both giddy that it has finally come time.  We cram an awful lot of gear into two relatively small kayaks and it’s a wonder that we don’t exceed their respective capacities.  We shove off and paddle down this quick-moving stream.

It isn’t until we have been paddling for about an hour that I realize that I’m not at all properly dressed.  I’m wearing a blue cotton button-down shirt and dress pants.  At least I’ve got my sandals on.

We paddle quickly but since it is with the current, there is actually very little paddling going on at all.  After a little while longer we break through to the end of the stream, the water rushing us out into a volcanic (??) lake.  It’s like something out of Middle Earth.  Huge trees grow in scatter patches along the upper rim of the crater, there are high, free-standing pillars of rock…  The sight is amazing and beautiful and I flag my dad down, waving him over to the closest one of the islands so that we can take pictures.  Also, I need to change.

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