..............A railroad had built a good sized dam across a natural drainage area to make a lake, the idea was to have water for their steam locomotive.

the railroad had disbanded years before I was born but the lake became a great swimming pond and a good fishing hole. I really can't remember when I couldn't swim. It seemed as natural as walking.but, grandma made me take one of those ridiculous orange bulky life preservers when I rode my bike to the lake. When you wore that thing you weren't swimming, you were floating half out of the water. I quickly learned to throw the preserver in the lake so it would get wet then go retreive it , toss it in the bicycle basket. Grandma was satisfied.

I often took a bamboo fishing pole with me and usually could catch a few sunfish, bluegill, crappie or sometimes a few bull head. Often enough for dinner..

One time riding my bike back from the lake with my life preserver in the bike basket a buckle from the preserver fell through the bottom of the basket and locked on one of the spokes on the front wheel. I had been pedaling fast and of course the bike stopped instantly, I went flying over the handlebars and skidded on the gravel road on my chin, elbows and legs. A gravel road rash is not pretty. After grandma dug out all the gravel and painted me with iodine she decreed that I didn't have to take the silly life preserver with me anymore.

I went swimming and fishing as soon as grandad fixed the bent spoke on the front wheel. When I got to the lake I caught a grasshopper , baited the hook with it and tossed it toward the water. the grasshopper landed on a water lily pad and I was just about to move it when the biggest fish I ever saw came up and grabbed the grasshopper off the lily pad. I jerked the pole and the fish went flying clear up in the weeds far from the water. Here is the picture, a boy of either nine or ten with a large fish, he is wearing wool swimming trunks, thats all and he is a mile and a half from home.

I despararely wanted to keep that fish alive so- I quickly took off my trunks soaked them in the lake, wrapped the fish in them and pedalled as fast as I could go home. The ride was very uncomfortable butt I was so excited I didn't care. Grandma was in the front yard when I got home and after seeing the fish and hearing my story she had trouble scolding me for riding nude But then I noticed she was almost doubled over laughing. I was a little upset, the nude ride was incidental. The big fish was the whole point of the adventure..

Later a neighbor identified the fish as a 21/2 lb largemouth bass Anyway, It was delicious.

granddad later said, you actually rode your bike all that way without your trunks on? That must have been very painful. H wrote MEDAL on a piece of paper an taped it to my chest. A real high point and the fish was really good, I think.