A lone canoe cuts the surface of the water with gentle oars in this
early morning hour. The dawn awakens the lake with its twinkling rays.
Kyle and Henry are paddling along the lake this early morning. The
haunting sound of the loons lingers in the air and pine trees decorate
the shores along with colorful boats and wharfs and cottages. It is
summertime along the lake in Maine. It is a time of vacations, visitors
and all the things that make summer sparkle.

The canoe is going nowhere in particular, just meandering here and there
along the pretty lake.

"Don't you just love it out here when it's so quiet you can hear silence
itself?", Kyle says quietly.

"Yes, the  early morning hours just after dawn are best. I adore
watching the shoreline, I always have. I never get tired of looking at
the pretty cottages." , Henry smiles.

Both men nod and paddle onward along the lake.

"I like the style of the Cape Cod cottages that dot the shores of this
lake.", the man comments as he paddles close to the shoreline. "They
are  so distinctive for this area of the country. It seems that
everywhere you go you can tell where you are by the architecture. These
pretty little summer cottages are popular with the Massachusetts
visitors who come like clockwork every  boast of the Friday, Saturday
and Sunday.", Kyle observes and they both laugh.

"Look over there at the speed boats, jet skis, and whatever snacks that
will sustain them for even a few hours." The two men paddle by one
small beach by the highway and point out the pricy but colorful speed
boats.

"Look at the mess these visitors are making of this beach! Trash, soda and beer cans. Come on, how hard is it to throw it in the
trash can only a few feet away!", Henry shakes his head as he paddles
by.

"It's enough to make me cry.", Henry says softly.

They paddle onward toward the center of the lake.

"You know, we should think of ourselves as visitors on this fragile
lake, here in Maine. A lake is a fragile environment, right?", Kyle
says as he touches the water's surface.

"These weekend visitors forget that a pretty lake is not something to be
taken for granted. It can be gone in a heartbeat.", Henry observes.

"I know. I know.", Kyle shakes his head as he points to the oil on the
top of the water floating by the marine gas station.

"The lake remembers who is good to its shores and who isn't. The seasons
take care of most of its trespassers and cleanse itself of the season
before but when the lake becomes overwhelmed with the cast offs from
careless vacationers, it seems to take its own sort of revenge in the
innocent life that inhabits its waters. It is a shame to see such waste
that can be prevented by just being careful and picking up after
yourself. Carelessness result in so much needless death and pollution.
The fish die off, bird fall into oil and suffocate in a cruel manner;
soapsuds from detergent residue on the shores pollute the lake
waters.", the two men take a net and scoop up a dead bird covered in
motor oil.

"Doesn't anyone care anymore?", Henry says, throwing his paddle into the
canoe.

"The lake can only do so much to cleanse itself but we have to care or
have this beauty gone forever!", Kyle replies.

"Weather alone can be fickle and can toss her wrath at any moment.
Vacationers are a rare breed. Arrogant, loud and proud. These are
determined to take back Maine as it was once there very own
"Massachusetts Bay Colony". With the attitude of brash loudness they
transform this quiet lakeside community into a Mardi Gras of sorts.

Jumping off bridges as boats pass under. Dumping gasoline in the lake
by "accident". And driving your boat too fast in an area with children
swimming is especially dangerous. Speed is a real killer.", Henry goes
on and on...Kyle knows this gets to Henry.

Paddling toward the center of the lake, a speedboat approaches.  Two
young boys are in the boat, drinking beer and driving.

"Drive faster!  I want speed! Go faster!"

"I can make this baby scream across the lake! Are you ready?", the
driver shouts as he takes a gulp of beer.

"Go for it!", the other boy dares him.

The driver revs up the engine to full speed in these early morning
hours, racing back and forth across the lake, cutting circles into the
water, defying speed for thrills.

Faster and faster, the boat screams around in circles. He turns the
steering wheel sharply, once again and this time both boys fall out of
the boat. The boat is circling them now almost like a shark.  There is
no driver and the speed is fast. Closer and closer the boats
propeller's gain on them as they flounder in the water trying to swim
toward shore, but they are too drunk to outsmart the boat. The boat
takes one last circle and pounces on it's victims.

One quick bite and its all over.

Ripped apart and mangled, the blood red reminder that nature is a
formidable enemy.

The lake has once again gained equilibrium.

Too far away to help, the men in the canoe watch in horror as this scene
unfolds before them. So quickly that even a phone call isn't quick
enough to save foolish acts on the lake. The investigation into the
accident is left with only two witnesses who witnessed two young men
speeding carelessly in circles, falling out, and being run over by
their own boat. Empty beer bottles float along the lakes surface along
with remnants of bloody clothes and the blood taken from its victims.

"So young and foolish, so young, so young"...