1937 Encounters With Nature
I think I have mentioned elsewhere, that I am blessed with an ability to communicate with animals. Here is a collection of reminiscing of some interesting times.1937 late summer, the family was all at the big summerhouse on Sunset Point, Squam Lake, NH. My dad spent a lot of time with me, being sure that I was doing all I possibly could to regain the use of my left arm. What better way than teaching me all he could about canoe paddling, Algonquin style, silent paddling, and last, how to make speed in a canoe without a paddle. More on that later. I was encouraged to go out on the lake, even at night, and by myself. This one warm evening, I was on the lake, watching the full moon, when I saw a big male moose enter the lake about 100 yards away. The moose began to swim towards the middle of the lake, and apparently either didn't see me or just ignored me. After he swam by, I silently paddled up from behind, and tossed the bite of the bowline over his antler, holding the bitter end, as I quietly sat in the bow. He completely ignored me and kept swimming. Then suddenly I noticed that he had his feet on the bottom and now could put all his attention on me. All I heard was a big snort. He was telling me to cast off. I did, and then to my surprise, he swam over to me, put his snout on the gunrail, and just looked at me. I felt no fear, just interest, in his demeanor. I rubbed his nose a bit thanked him for the ride, and, I swear, he pulled up the corners of his upper lip and smiled at me. At least it was a moose smile, given in friendship, and then he swam away. I thought about this wild encounter, as I paddled home. There was a lantern on the dock, and so were my parents. They wanted to know why I had paddled so far out on the lake, and I said, I didn't, a moose took me there and then sent me home. Still talking to animals, I'll bet I just held up my right hand and said, smell him. Now she believed.
