Not that I am necessarily giving in to our noisy neighbors (squirrels) but, I do crawl out early to join Ben by the lake shore to join him in praying the Rosary while we watch the sun slowly poke over the tree tops on this hazy morning. This morning Father Drew and Father Brandon have promised to cook their egg, cheese and Canadian bacon & English muffin breakfast for the crew. Of course, there’s still plenty of Betty’s goodies to tide us over while we wait. Breakfast is every bit as good as advertised!

Afterwards, Ben, Jason, Fitz and Father Drew all head out to do some more fishing. Here in camp, the board game “Ticket to Ride” is pulled out. I am not familiar with this game but, the reverence both Bill and Joe show for the previous winner tally sheet is on par with how a devout Christian would handle The Holy Grail. They delight in broadcasting the fact that Father Brandon’s tally is quite deficient. Sam is somehow an unwitting participant in the midst of all this afternoon showmanship & bravado.

After daily Mass we head out yet again for an evening of fishing. We change things up up a bit, while Father Drew and Fitz remain boatmates; Jason takes Joe and Sam, Father Brandon takes Bill and Ben and I partner up. Everyone is catching a good amount of fish but, no one has boated anything too spectacular size wise. Suddenly Bill’s pole doubles over; and by the way it’s staying down it’s almost certainly a walleye. Being the least experienced fisherman of our crew Bill struggles to wrestle this one up to the surface. However, his boatmate Father Brandon offers excited and free unsolicited counsel. As the leviathan continues the battle, the initial commentary goes something like this: Father Brandon “Loosen your drag Bill!” Bill, “What’s a drag? Where’s that?” At this point Bill opens his bail which of course straightens his pole out. Realizing what has just happened, this sends Father Brandon into about as demonstrative of a display as one could have in a canoe without swamping, as he throws his cap down. (I tell you if there was even an 1/8 ounce jig on that cap it would’ve gone right through the canoe.) Just as Father was beginning to emphatically scream, “That was our chance at the big one boys!” Bill (cool as a cucumber) matter of factly states, “No. It’s still there.” Game on!!! Ultimately, however, Bill is unable to figure out the drag and the unseen monster eventually snaps his line. I cannot say if the snap I heard was Bill’s line or Father Brandon, as Father lays into Bill. What Father Brandon said is probably best conveyed by relating Ben’s comments to Bill immediately thereafter. “Bill! Don’t pay attention to any of that. Always remember that you are a dignified human being, created in the image and likeness of God and we all love you.”

….As the proverbial dust is beginning to settle on this chilling episode there is a period of uncomfortable silence. Just then I have a fish on. It turns out to be a chunky 19” smallie that peels off some line before I am able to bring it in. As this is taking place, Father Brandon shatters the eerie silence and exasperatedly exclaims, “Bill! That!!! is what a drag is supposed to sound like!” A cacophony of laughter echoes across the expanse of a previously silent Friday Bay.

Later that night, after watching a gaggle of mergansers coast by our site, savoring Master Chef Father Drew’s grilled pork chop supper, we enjoy the warm ambiance of yet another picture-perfect starlit evening amidst long shadows and the ambivalent glow of a crackling campfire. For me, these are some of the most treasured moments of the whole trip. One of the Biblical quotes Ben is oft apt to repeat is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” And each evening around the fire, I feel there is a lot of ‘sharpening’ is going on. I’m not a real big conversationalist but, tonight, the Holy Spirit (or maybe it was the black box wine – fruit of the vine, work of human hands it will become for me a spiritual drink etc.?) prompts me to overcome my character flaw and I spend the better amount of the late evening getting to know and chat extensively with Father Drew. While we don’t discuss anything overly profound, the sense of Holy Joy that fills my soul in conversing with a like minded man on fire for our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed profound. And, I relish the experience of laying the groundwork of building a true Christian friendship. We are the last two to cash in our chip’s tonight.