"I didn't drive all the way from Hartford just to sit around watching football and discussing interest rates with your Dad," he had told her last summer. "Let's go fishing!" Without another word, he marched out to her Mom's garden, where he taught Tina how to dig for worms.

What a wonderful time they had that day at the lake! Uncle Marvin drove out to a beautiful little fishing spot where huge trees reached out over the sparkling blue water and vines, berries, and flowers grew everywhere.

She saw so many animals that day... birds, squirrels, rabbits, and even a deer... she began to think that the wildlife must enjoy Uncle Marvin's company just as much as she did.

Curiously, when they arrived at the lake, Uncle Marvin told Tina he had forgotten to bring any fishing poles. "Silly me!" he exclaimed. "Oh well, we didn't want to handle any smelly old fish anyway!"

So they just sat beside the lake all morning, holding a couple of long sticks, laughing, and pretending to catch "invisible fish." Then, they dumped the worms out onto the ground and tried to guess which one would be the first to wriggle its way into hiding.

She often wondered if Uncle Marvin had really intended to bring fishing poles that day, or if he had "forgotten" them on purpose.