16C mostly sunny

Local kids here my BD dinner last night. Thanks guys and gals.

We finally got the car back, 5 working days plus a weekend to do a minus 7 hour job. Suburban Motors not exactly a good example of customer care.

A brief flicker of disappointment crossed Bob’s face but he said, “Oh good, I guess we’ll get away this morning then.”

They ate a breakfast of canned berries then started preparing for their trip.

Bob had relatively nothing but the clothes on his back to take and Alicia decided to leave her sleeping bag and tent behind, they put Bob’s bow and arrows and the few things that they considered of some value down in the dug out beneath the floor and move the bed back over the trap door.

Bob said at one point, “I’ll go up on the roof and put the pee can over the chimney”

“Oh no, not with you still limping,” Alicia said. “I’ll do that and you can do what ever has to be done in the woodshed.”

Bob reluctantly let her clamber up and place the tin.

As Alicia climbed back down Bob went to the root cellar and picked up the remaining cod filet and after a moments hesitation, picked out a few of the larger potatoes.

They finished putting together two light packs, rechecked everything inside the cabin and out then shouldering their packs and Alicia carrying her rifle they walked to the edge of the clearing.

Almost as if on cue they both turned and looked back as they reached the trail head.

After a moment Bob half whispered, “I am going to miss this place and I want to tell you that I have really enjoyed these few days with you.”

Alicia, unexpectedly to them both, stepped close and kissed Bob on the cheek. “I know, me too, I’m glad it was here for you to find.”

Then she quickly whirled away, “C’mon hopalong let’s get going.”

They didn’t hurry, wherever the trail’s width would let them, they walked side by side.

The paused for a quarter hour at the spring, Bob pointed out to Alicia the various microclimates on her small island. She was quick to understand and as he had been amazed at the diversity in such a small area.

When they reached the beach the tide was high and on a whim they decided to pull Bob’s raft up as high as they could get it then tied it so it couldn’t get away

They didn’t discuss why neither of them wanted to see it drift away.

The stern of Alicia’s boat was just in the water so they bailed out the rain water that had accumulated, deposited their packs in the boat and pushed off from shore.

The outboard started on the second pull and they headed out into the shallow channel at slow speed.

As they rounded the end of the island, Bob called out, “Hey we left your fishing rod at the tree, do you want to pick it up?”

Alicia instantly altered course and they angled into the beach and the fishing reef.

As the bow grated on the gravel, Bob got out and hurried to the tree where the rod had been left, he scooped up the few lures that were there along with the rod and went back to the boat.

“Next time I come, I’ll bring them back,” Alicia said.