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I laughed "The Netherlands?"

"It’s the best I could co the water with his paddle "Can we stop for a while, please I’ive up" He rested the paddle across his thighs, looking back at us

"I think dat’s a good idea," said Bodo froood pull-over spot you see, park your canoe, Peter We’ll figure out the rest"

Peter paddled with renewed energy, and five minutes later pointed out his choice "There! That’s where I’ now, trees co a canopy that started about fifteen feet up Peter had taken a fork in the river to the left about athe sns the canoe rental people had attached to nearby trees, but I was letting hi to have our picnic was spooky - definitely not the spot I would have chosen - but I kneas at his wit’s end, so kept led roots that belonged to a huge tree with branches hanging over the water to reach the other side Peter scraracefully out of his boat and balanced on a long narrow root, his sneakers bending in half over it,with its talons He was doing what he could to hold the canoe in place, so we could join hi a little with the effort of holding his canoe

Buster was the first to follow his orders He ju around a to paddle into any sort of organized parking spot next to him sinceall aroundat the mosquitos that had co that there were no hungry-looking gators in evidence, I got out of the boat and into the water, gru to myself the whole way "Stupid swaators"

"Stupid canoes!" added Bodo

I looked up at hi that at least for e is true - misery does love company

Peter held his hand out and helpedinin a swaular part ofthem

I shooed him away so I could use the chain and then the rope to secure the boats to our landing site without squashing hi out in the water like I had to corin on his face, "dat was exciting, wasn’t it?"

Peter looked at hi his head "Are all Ger happy about life is crazy, den yes"

"Bodo, how is it that you andering around the highway all by yourself that day thatyou?" It was a huge puzzle to uy like him, funny and so positive, had been alone It seeuy that would have a flock of people around hiht noant to eat All dat gator evasion hasshis biceps for effect, looking over to the boats that held our food

I studied his face in profile, trying to figure out if he was purposely avoiding uy -else I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt Eventually we’d learn his story I didn’t ever feel threatened around hi a I’uys want to eat?" I asked

"Nothing that has to be heated Too ested Bodo

"Beans and chips it is"

We dragged the boats over and busied ourselves with handing out food and water for everyone Gathering the water bottles to hand them out, I noticed that ere low

"As soon as we find our final spot, we need to set up a water catcher Or just later today, if we haven’t found soood stuff," I said, holding up o take care of business," he frowned at , Bryn Just because we’re swamp dwellers now, doesn’t ettin’ all fancy on us now, are we? What is that? French?"

"Shut up," he said, disappearing into the trees with Buster happily bouncing off behind hi Bodo and me alone

"What does dat word mean dat he said … déclassé?"

"It means common Don’t act rude, basically He doesn’t like it when I ask hi to doodle"

"What is doodle? Dat’s when you draw on a paper, right?"

I smiled "Yeah That’s what itIt’s not rude to draw I a myself, actually"

I tried to hid the smile on my face behind my water bottle "Oh, you are, huh?"

"Oh yes You would be surprised, I think I doodle all over da place when I’hed out