Enjoying Our Vacation

  Feeling guilty about digging the hole in the cemetery, Lucinda and I went back that evening and filled the hole in. I also happened to find an animal skull, perhaps a deer, while looking for rocks to fill the hole with. Without thinking about it I had put it on the fence post to the grave site.

  The next evening, the son of one of the people who were vacationing with us and two of his friends arrived. When they were told of the story they went up to see the hole for themselves. When they came back down and informed everyone there was no whole and the only thing they did see was an animal skull no one had seen previously just added to the big mystery surrounding the whole story.

With the awkwardness of the “gold problem” behind us, we no longer had to actively avoid my father and could just enjoy the rest of the week. Between Karaoke, canoeing, fishing, tennis and hiking, I really believed Lucinda when she told me it was one of the best weeks of her life, even though she called her husband every evening and seemed so sad afterwards.

  I have to say, I’m really glad Lucinda got me to go back to Vermont this time, even though there was no gold. Not only did she need a “break from life”, but it would end up being the last year we would end up going to the “Norse Lodge” for our annual trip. The new owners, now that they were in the midst of their divorce, did not continue with the upkeep of the property. The following year, they called us and asked if we would be renting this year, and like other renters, we told them we would not. Our ranks had grown over the years and the house was not really big enough anymore. We made do, but now with things like the clay tennis court not being maintained amongst other things equally in disrepair, the sacrifices wasn’t worth it anymore. We would find a bigger house with more rest rooms and more amenities.

   I saw the house one last time the following year as we drove by the following year. After that, it ‘mysteriously’ burned down in the middle of a cold night in February while it sat unoccupied.