The rest of the family seems to follow in my example in this. They each have picked several businesses to sponsor, and unlike so much of the nation our little town seems to be turning around. Even some of this year’s graduates that had moved away for jobs elsewhere have returned home and found work. We’ve even help a few of those individuals start new companies right here in our local community.
Mom’s project with the theater took on a new turn when she partnered with the local restaurants. Two of the restaurants were on the same block as the theater. What started as Mom giving discounts for those who eaten at the local restaurants, transformed into a dinner and a movie. Mom converted the balcony to a dining area. Ordering from the restaurant’s menus, you get your food served right in the theater balcony. It makes for a more interesting dining experience. That is quickly becoming a tradition with some of the young people, with many becoming regulars on their date nights.
We took a cue from that upscale renovated neighborhood. We’re not going to compete with the major discount chains. We’re going to provide what they don’t. Misty is taking over one of the vacant stores for an art studio and gallery. I was surprised at some of the local talent we have here in this area. I and MC use our influence to get several magazines to feature some of her art and others.
Our main Street started becoming like an open-air mall, some of the more upscale retailers moved into the old storefronts. We were able to save most, but a few are too far gone and have to be rebuilt in the same style architecturally as the old storefronts, we will rebuild two now and two more will be replace later.
A notable high-end retailer wanted one a larger space took both buildings demolished the old and rebuilt new ones in the same style match the rest of Main Street. The amount of upscale retailers our little town quickly become a destination for shopping. We were closer than some of the major cities to a lot of people and we now provided nearly everything that you could get in one of the major cities. Our local mall actually is expanding as well, adding several new department stores on its edges.
We figured out which one was grandpa’s old grocery and we were able to save it. I think great grandpa doesn’t mind, it now holds a new clothing store, one of the upscale ones you would find in any high-end mall. It seems to fit right in with the store, and Kathryn and I actually get a good feeling when we shop there. One of our returning classmates is running the store, with us as his silent partner.
Michael to help his construction crew purchased one of the dilapidated farms at the edge of town and subdivided into very large lots for upscale houses. We are far enough away from the major cities of the area for him to create a weekend retreat community, not a major tourist trap but a great place to have some fun on the weekend. As long as we don’t let it get overly large we should be would keep a fairly good demand up and bring in some much needed dollars to the community.
Michael’s construction crews are busy building those and the homes for Marshall, Misty, Joan, and MC. Johnny, Joan and Alyssa are moving in with Uncle George in his home in town. The judge has a very large home and they can stay until Joan’s house is finished. Construction has begun on their houses. MC’s house is first under construction then Marshall’s and Joan’s.
Daniel is very busy nowadays; architecture weekly featured him and the floor plan of MC’s house. Several of the lots have sold and he is designing homes for our future residents.
One thing we seen, after doing some advertising suggesting this is a great place to spend your weekends, our three bed and breakfast inns now completely booked for months. Rumor has it two more are in planning to open in the near future.
Foot traffic on Main Street during weekends has gone up drastically; even if people can’t get a bed to stay overnight they’re coming for a day. The Marina is completely full, and plans to expand, considering it only had twenty-four slips this is a very good thing. People keeping their boats here mean that they will return several weekends a month for the entire summer.
Mary’s and Bobby’s restaurant is seeing progressively more profit and now they supporting lunch and a movie on Saturday and Sunday. They had hired an extra cook and more wait staff just for the weekends. The weekdays are still fairly slow, but that might change some of the B&Bs reporting their getting bookings for weekdays.
George and Alyssa had decided to use the boat house for their reception after our insistence. They chose September twenty-second first day of fall for their wedding. That will shortly be here. I’m not looking forward to losing Alyssa; she has quickly become part of the family. We may have to hire another person to take over her duties when she’s gone. It’s not like she’ll be totally out of our life, but Mom so busy with the theater she has little time to do some of the things Alyssa took over.
Marshall and Misty are here most days. Misty and Kathryn fix lunch and we trade when we find one too profitable to ignore. Most days we spent with Sam, like I said Sam is almost finished the first grade of her homeschool.
At the pace Sam is keeping with her schoolwork she will be graduating high school around her tenth or eleventh birthday. I insisted that she takes a week or two off between grade levels. I wasn’t sure what we can do, during those weeks off with Sam. We might just hang around the house, or take a small trip to let Sam experience some of the things she actually learned about.
The school year approaching and I will be training self-defense at the high school. When I talked to the administration about my classes I was to instruct, they requested I start doing two class periods a day. One for a beginner’s class and a second advanced class, I should be able to do that. I talked to Kathryn about it and she agreed. It was definitely something that was required and I can provide easily.
Like us swimming laps when we started doing our Karta again Sam joined in on those also. Her young body stretched easily as she caught onto the steps and movements of the exercises quickly. Sam picked up martial arts as quickly as she picked up swimming. Sam can easily go through the steps that would earn her third belt if I trained that way. Sam had the knowledge her body only lacked the size to allow her to do most throws. She did have speed on her side and her small fists left a few bruises on me before Sam learned how to pull her punches.
Sam seeing bruises almost cried before I told her, “My daughter, don’t you dare cry, you haven’t hurt me. I’m proud of every one of those. After all, who can say they bruised a man, who snapped his fingers and lightning not down the tree concealing the family fortune.”
Giggling Sam says, “Me. Daddy, but you said it was a coincidence.”
With a wink I say, “The second lightning bolt was the coincidence, Sam.”
Sam’s eyes get large and she asks, “Daddy, are you saying that you really did knock down the tree with a lightning bolt?”
Chuckling I say, “Sam I already told you about that.”
Sam giggles and says, “I know Daddy. But it’s more fun to think that you can call down lightning to knock over trees.”
Laughing I say, “Sam I’m not Superman or something like that.”
Sam hugs me before she says, “I know Daddy, Superman probably could beat me at a race swimming.”
Kathryn giggles rubbing my shoulder she says, “You’re my Superman even if Sam doesn’t think so.”
Sam had finished classes for today, Kathryn and I look over Sam’s work as always Sam had done outstanding 100 percent across-the-board. We graded them and took them downstairs to the refrigerator to post like normal. Just our way of bragging on Sam’s work, neither Kathryn nor I would do that for ourselves, but for Sam it feels natural to do.
Kathryn and I look at each other, it’s been a few days since we made love and I see the longing in her eyes. Sam is playing with her aunts in the pool. Mom is taking one of her rare days off from the theater. Kathryn and I ask Mom to watch Sam for us. We want to take a boat ride and will be gone for a little while. It’s still early enough in the afternoon for us boat out to the island in the lake and hike to the summit of it. There’s a large flat rock with a great view of the Lake. No one ever goes there this time of year.
We give Sam a kiss and a hug goodbye before we leave we tell her we will be back soon, and to have fun. Sam’s aunts giggle as I run to catch up with my wife as she walks away with a sway to her hips. I hear Sam asks, “What’s so funny?” To more laughs from her aunts.
I catch up with Kathryn at the foot of the stairs and sweep her off her feet. I carry her all the way to the boat as she giggles. We exit out onto the lake from the river it being a weekday we have the entire lake to ourselves. Kathryn turns the boat towards the island four miles across the lake. She turns to speak with me as we speed across the water. Kathryn says, “When I get you to the island you’re so fucked.”
Chuckling I return, “That’s funny, that’s what I was thinking.”
Kathryn turning back forward pushes the boat to its limit and it begins to speed across the water. She only slows as we near the island. Pulling into the secluded cove it has. A narrow opening nearly completely hides an area of nearly two acres in size. Trees completely cover the island all but the summit picking where she wants to tie off, Kathryn carefully approaches the shore.
As I tie off the boat to a decent sized oak tree, Kathryn removes a large picnic basket I had not noticed in the boat before. Reaching into the basket Kathryn removes some insect repellent and applies some to her body before handing it to me. It’s a non-toxic insect repellent safe for the baby.
We find the narrow path that leads to the summit, as we walk the gentle slope we look around. There are no animals on the island only thousands of birds and the woods are full of Birdsong. The birds serenade us as we hike. They seem to be every type of bird that is native to this area. Blue Jays, Cardinals, purple Martins, Goldfinch, I pointed each out Kathryn as we walk. At the summit we looked around, once sure we were alone Kathryn removes her top. I made of birdwatchers joke, “Oh look one a beautiful pair of great tits I see.”
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