Two Stories from Zac and Zeb

Fish in the Mud Hole

When Zeb was about 13 years old, he and his friend decided that they could convert the back yard creek bed into a pond. He worked or days digging out the creek bed and building a dam. As luck would have it, right as he finished, a strong rain cam through and filled it up. The creek was in the back yard and was the water drainage for the whole neighborhood, so it just filled up with brown muddy water. But Zeb thought it would still be a good idea, so he and his friends went to a nearby pond and caught about 50 small perch and were bringing them back with the intention of “stocking” this pond. Dan saw what they were up to and like always recognized that his son could use some constructive advice. But Zeb, if you don’t him, is a bit head strong. So he insisted on proceeding with the misguided attempt to stock his new pond. Dan noticed that the fish were all gasping on the surface of the water for air and within a couple weeks the smell of rotten, floating fish was almost unbearable. Dan never told him “I told you so” at that time, but years later when Zeb was unwilling to accept the advice that he was attempting to provide he started a saying that was a single line that always reminded his sons to stop and reconsider what they are doing… “Fine then… don’t listen to me; go throw those fish in that mud hole”.

Gypsies in the Attic

Donna has always had a habit of confusing dreams with reality. On one occasion, she awoke around midnight and thought she heard something in the attic, “Dan, someone’s in the attic”. Of course Dan knew better than to think that someone would have any interest in getting in the attic when all of the valuables and people are downstairs. However, knowing that Donna was clearly shaken up, he didn’t even hesitate. He got out of bed, got a flashlight and went into the living room and told Zac, “Get you shoes on, your mother thinks there’s someone scootin’ around in the attic”. While Dan was in the attic, Donna, still worried, decided that she needed the additional protection of the gun. Of course, nothing was in the attic and Dan came back down to find Donna and Zeb loading the family gun. The family always joked from that day forward that Donna was going to start unloading the gun through attic at Zac and Dan, thinking of course that she was protecting the household from a family of gypsies that had taken residence in the Zanowiak attic.