Dave Wright Writes

  Saving Elmer by Dave Wright “Phil, was that the portage we were looking for?” shouted Jenny from the front of our canoe. I looked over my shoulder. We drifted past a narrow clearing in the woods with a pebbled beach. “Damn. That could have been it,” I said, and looked at the map between my legs. “There is supposed to be a small river next to the portage. You’d think they’d have a sign.” “It’s the wilderness,” said Jenny. “Maybe it’s still up ahead.” I took another couple of strokes from my seat in the back of the canoe. I admired Jenny’s muscular shoulders and trim physique. We had met at the gym about a year ago. The workouts had been far more effective for Jenny than they had been for me. My rear end fills the entire seat of the canoe while hers has space to spare. I looked beyond Jenny’s spandex-clad figure and felt the current pick up speed. Both banks narrowed to a gap between the trees. “That’s the river,” I shouted. “Paddle hard backward!” she yelled. “We need to