Sunday At The Lake

     Back in the sixties when I was around 13 years old, my family used to go canoeing on a local lake on Sundays during the summer.  I had two older sisters, Donna and Jen.  Donna was one year older than me and Jen was a little older.

    On one, cool and drizzly Sunday morning, my mom announced that we were going to the Lake, so get yourselves ready."

    "What?" I exclaimed.  "It's raining!"

    "Never mind that,"  my mom said.  "Your father said we're going, so we are going."

    So that was that.  I went off to my room to get whatever I thought I'd want for a cool, drizzly day on the Lake.  Us kids were responsible for getting our own stuff together while mom and dad took care of the towels, food and getting the canoe on the car.  I decided that I'd go fishing.  So I grabbed my rod and tackle box, wearing my jeans and a sweat shirt. 

     Soon we got the call that they were ready to go, so I made my way to the back seat of the car with my two sisters, and of course my dog Ginger.  I loved my little dog more than anything.

     Usually, my sisters and I didn't interact much as I was mostly a bother to them and their social lives.  But when we went to the Lake, we all got along really well.  We actually played and had fun together.

     The drive was about 50 minutes.  Once there, mom and dad got the canoe in the water while the three of us kids put out stuff in the canoe.  It didn't take long as we've done this a few times before.  Interestingly, the drizzle had stopped and the sky was brightening.  We climbed into the canoe.  Mom paddled the bow;  Dad paddled the stern, and the three of us sat in the middle.  My two sisters together facing me.  Ginger usually sat in my lap.  She was a medium size dog.   Did I mention that I loved Ginger?

     The lake wasn't huge.  Big enough for motor boats and water skiing.  Along the shore there were various camp sites for picnicking and swimming.  The picnic sites were very private - not next to each other at all.  We had our favorite site where there was a good rock for jumping into the water and fairly easy to climb out of the water.  The rock wasn't high, maybe 2 feet - just right for me and Ginger.

     After the short paddle, we saw that no one was at our site.  In fact, no one was on the Lake at all because of the early drizzle.  But now, there was some blue sky and the sun was starting to come out.  It was going to be a hot summer day.

     We all got out of the canoe.  Mom and dad took care of it and got a fire started for cooking hotdogs and marshmallows.  Our job was to get playing and having fun.  With the the temperature rising fast, my sisters got busy blowing up our air mattress that we used to play with in the water.  Soon it was ready and my sisters were in the water playing.  Ginger was confused why I wasn't in the water too.  I was fishing - in my jeans and sweatshirt - I was hot!

     After a bit I hear my sister Donna calling, "Hey Ralphy, come on in.  What are you doing any way?"

     I came out onto the rock and yelled back, "I can't.  I didn't bring my swim suit.  I'm going to fish."

     "Ralphy, it's HOT!  Come on in."  Jen yelled.

     "I can't.  I don't have my swim suit."

     "Ralphy - come in in you underwear.  It'll be fine.  We won't care.  Come on in.  It's more fun playing with you."

     "No way,"  I yelled back, but walked away thinking about it.  Ginger by my side looking up at me wanting to jump in the Lake with me.  I looked into her big brown eyes and decided to do it.

     "OK - I'm coming in,"  I yelled.  Then pulled off my sweatshirt, and my pants - slowly.  I never went around the house in my underwear - never.  I was very shy about my body.

      Standing on the swim rock, I took a deep breath and dove in.  I was a good swimmer.  Ginger jumped in right after me.  She splashed around for a bit, then swam back to the rock to rest.  Then she'd jump in again.  I on the other hand, discovered that it wasn't a good idea to dive in the water wearing your Fruit of the Loom whitey tighties.  As soon as I hit the water, my underwear were around my ankles.  I reached down and struggled tp pull them up, then swam out to my sisters on the air mattress.  I had to swim with one arm as my left hand had to hold the underwear up.

       Once at the mattress with Donna and Jen, we started our game of King of the Mattress.  The name is self explanatory.  One of us gets up and sits on the mattress while the other two try to pull them off and claim the seat on the mattress.  Jen went first on the mattress.  Donna and I tried to unbalance her,  she hung on.  I slipped around - swimming with one arm, and came up and grabbed Donna's shoulders and pulled her off.  I needed two hands to do that, and in my effort, my underwear went back down to my ankles again.  I struggled again to pull them up while in the water before climbing up on the mattress.

      "Ralphy?  What's your problem?"  Donna asked.

     "These stupid underwear won't stay on.  It's a pain in the ass,"  I said softly so my parents didn't hear me use the word, ass.

     "Ralphy, take them off.  You can't have fun like that.  You're under the water.  We can't see you, and skinny dipping is fun.  Take 'em off,"  Jen suggested.

     "No way,"  I exclaimed.  "Let's play."

     With that the two of them attacked me and soon had me toppled and falling into the water.  Again the underwear went to my ankles and off one foot.  This was getting to be a real pain. I wanted to play and have fun. 

     "OK - OK,"  I said.  "I'm taking them off."  I let them slip off my foot, grabbed them and swam in toward the rock holding them in one hand.  When I got close enough, I gave them a heave toward the rock.  They landed just at the water's edge.  Half in the water, half on the rock.  I thought, 'Good enough'  and swam back out to play with my sisters.  Swimming naked felt absolutely great.  I was experiencing a new feeling, and I liked it.  I felt liberated, and surprisingly, I had this feeling of freedom.  After all, I was under the water and no one would see me naked.

       Back to our game, King of the Mattress, the three of us got really into it.  I quickly forgot about being naked in the water, and did my best to de-throne whoever was up.  After a struggle, I pulled Donna off.  It was my turn to get up and without thinking about it, I pulled myself up and sat in the middle of the mattress.  I glanced down for just a moment to notice my little weiner floating at the surface of the water.  I didn't have time to consider it when my sisters were after me to pull me off.  It didn't take them long - I was easy being a little guy.

    Through all of our physical interaction, and there was alot of touching each other, neither of my sisters said anything about me not wearing anything.  I never noticed them looking at each other and smiling or giggling.  Nothing!  They didn't care.

     Getting tired of the game, Donna says, "Wanna get all three of us on the mattress, and see who can knock the other two off?"

     We all thought that would be fun.  We never did that before, mostly because getting all three of us on the mattress was hard to do.

     Jen got up first as she was the biggest.  Jen helped Donna up and she sat facing Jen; Then it was my turn.    They both grabbed one of my arms and pulled me up laying me on my belly between them, getting a good look at my butt.  I didn't care at this point.  And then without any discussion, they rolled me over so I could get a leg over and straddle the mattress.  It all worked and we were all on the mattress.  In the process, I'm sure they had a nice look at my little dick - for a 13 year old in 7th grade.   Donna was sitting behind me and had her arm around my shoulders and chest holding on to me,  and Jen was facing me with my little dick flopping about in the water in front of her.  I didn't even see her glance down to see it.  She didn't care.

     Just then mom calls, "The fire's ready - come on in now."

     All three of us fell off the mattress and swam in.  Donna pulled the mattress in.  My sisters got to the rock first and climbed up and went to the fire.  I got to the rock and stopped, remembering that I naked.  I looked for my underwear that I threw up to the rock.  They were not there.  I looked around.  Nothing.  Then I yelled, "Mom!  Did you get my underwear on the rock?"

      "No honey.  I didn't.  Get on up here, everything is ready."

      I considered - and didn't move.  The underwear were gone - probably to the bottom of the lake. Then Donna came over to me, still sitting in the water.  "Ralphy, come on.  What's wrong?"

      "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, Donna, I don't have anything on,"  I said.

      "Oh Ralphy.  Forget it.  No one cares.  Come on up,"  she said reassuringly and reached out her hand for me to take.  I hesitated.

      "Come on.  Really, no one cares Ralphy."  And she wiggled her hand to encourage me to take it.  I did.

       Slowly she pulled a little and I came up and out of the water.  Donna's eyes never left mine.  She didn't smile or glance down at me.  She just helped me out of the water and up the rock when she let go of my hand.  I walked with her to the fire. I didn't use my hands to cover myself.  I don't know why;  I just didn't.  I did however glance at my mom and dad to see their reaction.  There was no reaction.  They were busy doing whatever they were doing.  The warm fire was feeling good on my body and I moved closer to help my drying.

      Mom noticed and asked, "Would you like a towel honey?"

      Without thinking about it, I said, "Naw, I'm fine."

      "OK,"  Mom responded and went back to what she was doing.

      'What!'  I thought to myself. ' I'm standing here naked in front of the fire with my two older sisters, and it's OK?"  I struggled trying to process this, while at the same time, really liking what I was feeling.  This was great!  I can walk around naked with my whole family and no one cares!  How great is this?  I thought.

     At this time, the three of us went to the edge of the woods and found a stick to cook our hot dogs.  Dad believed in self-reliance.   

     Back to the fire, mom handed each of us our hot dog to roast.  We settled in and did that, got a roll and ate.  I was absolutely stunned that what was happening was actually happening.  Ginger came over to me and I gave her a piece of my hotdog.

     When we were done eating, I usually went into the woods to a big rock that I liked to climb.  It wasn't far, and you could actually see it from the picnic site.

     "Anyone wanna go climb the rock with me?"  I asked.

     "Not me," responded Jen.

     "I'll go," Donna joined in.

     So the two of us started up the little trail that led to the rock.  I led the way - that's what boys do.  At the rock, we both took a look at it.  It was maybe 25 feet up at an angle that can be friction climbed, but you had to be careful.  There was a great view of the Lake from the top.  That was the point of climbing it.  I went first with Donna looking up at me as I climbed.  That must have been an interesting view of her little, naked brother.  Donna followed and we were both soon on top.  We sat next to each other, touching elbows, and enjoyed the view.

      Then Donna said softly, "I think you are amazing Ralphy."

      "Why? You know I'm a good climber,"  I responded.

      "I'm not talking about your climbing,"  she answered.

      "So how am I amazing?"  I asked.

      "At home you wouldn't ever walk around in you underwear, and here, today, you're walking around naked as if it as normal as could be.  I am amazed!  And I'm so glad you're my brother.  I love you."  And she leaned over and kissed me on the side of my head.

      I pulled away quickly - I wasn't big on getting kissed by my sister.  Donna looked me in the eyes with a big smile.

      "So how does it feel to be doing what you're doing?  You can tell me the truth Ralphy.  How does it feel?"

     "Well, the only way I can explain it is, you'd have to try it to find out."

      "Not a chance could I EVER do what you're doing as if it's nothing."

      "We better get going,"  I said.  

      We took a path around the rock back down to the site.  Mom was waiting with marshmallows, after which we were all back in the water.

      When it was time to go, we all got in the canoe for the paddle back to the parking lot.  I stayed naked.  No one cared.  As I mentioned, I sat in the middle facing my sisters.  At this point, I didn't care that they had the full view of me.  After running around naked with them all day, there wasn't much else for them to see.  They didn't care.  And that is the most wonderful thing that happened that day.  My sisters and I bonded in a very personal way - a way that lives in my heart to this very day many years later.

     "Ralph,"  my dad said from behind me in the canoe.  "We're coming to the parking lot.  There are people there.  Think you could find something to pull on?"

     Mom reached down into her bag and pulled out my jeans that I had taken off so long ago.  She handed them to Jen and she gave them to me.  Being small, it wasn't hard to get them pulled on while in the canoe.  They felt heavy, hot and restricting - but I knew I needed to wear something.

    As the summer wore on, we continued our Sundays on the Lake. and it became our tradition that I would be naked.  I didn't go around the house naked - ever.  

      There was one very interesting Sunday trip to the Lake when Donna invited one of her friends to come along with us.  Remember that Donna's friends, like Donna, were only one year older than me.  I was in 7th grade and she and her friends were in 8th.  We all knew each other from school.  It was an interesting day and that will be another story when I'm in the mood to tell it.

     Thank you for reading.  It was a great awakening for me.