![Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Night Sky Stars Facebook Post.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/wrestlingdesires/EonjyFztzqsqgSJHdKtKgv773KVWUmtWSCcZZmkwTEX6KEdP2UFE3qPTbwENJZJYnKh.jpg)




"Let's go to the real moon this summer, Dennis. Then the other kids won't be able to tease us about living on Moon Drive when we have to go back to Washington Elementary in the fall." suggested the Paul eagerly, as he looked at the brand new toolkit he had just received for his seventh birthday.



"That's too hard, Paul. We don't have a spaceship, or any fuel." frowned his brother, Dennis.



"Well we can make the spaceship with my new toolkit. Let's ask Dad what we will need for fuel." suggested Paul.



"That's a good idea." Dennis said, brightening at the idea of getting advice from their father. He would be able to convince Paul that this would never work.



*****

*****



Dad sat in his recliner, and raised his newspaper to hide his amused grin. "A trip to the moon... Now that takes a lot of really expensive things. The fuel you asked about, for example. It would cost much more than all of the money you ever got from Grandma, Aunt Velma, and Nana combined! And then there's still a lot of other things to get."



Paul hung his head. If he had to do chores and odd jobs all summer, he would never get the spaceship built in time. Dennis had been right after all. He started to walk away, fighting the urge to cry. This summer was supposed to be special.



"Why don't you plan on a trip somewhere a little closer to home? Earth can be really cool too." suggested Dad, still looking at his paper.



"What do you have in mind?" Paul asked, trying to sound like he wasn't upset.



"How about a week's trip down the Dragonfly River? I've always wanted to explore that country. But I never had a boat, or anyone to go exploring with."



"I can make the boat, Dad!" replied Paul, suddenly excited about being on a river, in his own boat. This might be even more fun than going to the moon!



"I've always wanted to build a boat... Maybe we can both do it? And Dennis could help too. It's a lot of work. Too much for one man." suggested Dad, getting genuinely excited about the project. A summer of building a boat, culminating in a wilderness adventure, sounded like just the thing.



*****

*****



 The spacious old workshop was filled lumber, nails, power and hand tools, odds and ends, and even an outboard motor! Unfortunately it was always locked unless Dad was around.



 Outside there was a smaller pile of lumber, and a piece of paper indicating the length each needed to be. It took a lot of concentration to do the job. The measurements had to be perfect, or the boards were useless.



"The sooner we get these cut, the sooner we can go exploring!" exclaimed Dennis, who was just as excited about the adventure as his dad and brother.



*****

*****



"She's beautiful!" declared Dad, beaming with pride. He and his sons had worked hard to build the sleek craft. The Lady Of Moonlight was light, maneuverable, and watertight. It was time for her maiden voyage.



"Let's get her on the trailer, Dad." suggested Paul, trying to contain his excitement. In minutes the three of them had her loaded and secured.



Soon they were at the edge of a river, which to the boys looked huge. In reality it was small, compared to the mighty rivers which they had studied in school, but they didn't know this. Once the boat was in the water, and the supplies loaded, they were off!



With brand new life jackets gleaming in the sun, they floated lazily down the river. Dad's fishing line whizzing overhead made them think about perhaps catching the famous old trout, Splat. Soon the boys were trying their luck too. At the moment the outboard motor was lifeless. Its time would come later.



Splat didn't make an appearance, but a few of his smaller cousins did. They would be joining the three hungry campers for supper.



"Let's make camp here." suggested Dad, when he saw a place with a wide, smooth beach. The large spruce trees would be perfect to pitch the tent under.



That first night was the best! Or so the three explorers thought. Each night was filled with good food, stories, songs, and games.



"There's Turkey Creek, boys. There's supposed to be an old mining trail, which turns off into the hills after a couple of miles."



"Can we go??? PLEASE!" yelled the children excitedly.



Dad smiled. He was even more excited than his sons, because he already knew that the trail led to some abandoned gold mines.



"That's what explorers do - we explore!" declared Dad.



"Hellloooo!!!" They hollered into a cave-like opening, and laughed when their own echo greeted them.



"Is it safe to go in?" asked Dennis?



"Probably not, but if we are careful not to cause a cave in, and stay close together we can have a quick look."



The three crept in quietly, flashlights on. They didn't find any gold, but Dad found an ancient pick. Paul found an old hardhat. And Dennis discovered an old rifle casing. Had there been a fight with claim jumpers here?!?! He would hang it on a chain, and wear it to show and tell.



On the way back, they heard rustling in the bushes.  They stopped, and Dad whistled shrilly. It was so loud, both boys jumped. A bear with shiny black fur streaked across the trail, vanishing in seconds.



"Wow! A real live bear? This really is better than going to the moon!" exclaimed Paul.



*****

*****



Describe what you see

I see two young boys, very intent on what they are building. It must be something really special!



Describe what you feel

I feel like they consider whatever they are making is very important. Maybe it's even their ticket into a whole different world.



Use #pic1000



[Image source - and an opportunity to create your own entry in this week's A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words](https://ecency.com/hive-161155/@freewritehouse/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-12302021)