Name: Emma Miller
Instructor: Angie Biondo
Class: English 101
Date: January 31, 2013

A Fisherman's Tale Every summer in June or August my brothers and I head north to Smith Bay, Canada, for a week of pure, fresh, outdoor fun. We spend the trip fishing, boating, and swimming; enjoying the smells and the stark beauty of the dark green pines against the sparkling blue lake waters; and relishing all our well-planned out meals together. It is a wonderful time for family away from the distraction of phones, internet, and television, spent in a quaint little cabin accessible only by boats. Last summer was no exception. Two of my brothers, my uncle, my two nephews, my niece and I drove for approximately 20 hours and arrived at our destination. The days were happily spent either hiking through the beautiful forests and exploring lakes, or out in one of our two boats fishing, or just relaxing at the cabin. One afternoon our group decided to hike to a distant lake through the woods, and spend the afternoon trying to catch largemouth bass. The air was clear and the sun was shining warmly when we finally arrived at the lake. My uncle and my brother started fishing right away, while the rest of us found a lovely spot on shore for a campfire. One of the most delicious things to eat is a freshly caught fish cooked on an open fire, which is why that shore lunch was so particularly delicious. We fried bacon in a pan with leftover rice we had brought from the previous evening meal. Everyone ate to their hearts content, and even Lucky, the dog, was able to have his own fish to eat. I felt particularly calm that evening. The nearness of the trees and water with their natural soothing quality made us forget the time. We sat around our fire telling stories until most of the daylight was gone. To return to our cabin we had to go across two lakes; the first in a canoe, and the second in the motor boat. My brother and I took his two young sons in our boat and started across the first part of our watery voyage. The view of the sky from the center of the lake was absolutely breath taking. There were more stars in the sky that night then I knew existed. The milky way glowed with brilliance, and the constellations were as easily identifiable as road signs on a highway. I felt for a moment like a real sailor navigating by heavenly bodies. Our paddles rippled almost silently in the water as we crossed over the aquatic mirror in awe. The shore was reached and we, still caught in the romance of the starry night, slightly carelessly started unpacking our canoe. My brother claims that what happened was my fault, while I claim