Follow this closely.
Jess' parents live in a town that is the largest town within a 4 hour drive. The greater area of their town claims to have 250,000 residents. An hour from this town is a lake. There are millions of lakes in this area, but, an hour away, there happens to be one called Birch Lake. It's in the middle of nowhere. You have to spend 20 minutes driving on dirt and gravel roads just to get there. And, when you finally do, it just looks like trees because all of the houses are spread apart and way down on the water. On this particular lake, of which there are many, many more set up in exactly the same way, Jess' parents own a small, lake-side cottage that they call a "camp". Last summer, Jess and I spent a week or so at this camp. After that particular vacation I made published and make public posts showing exactly three photographs from that camp, only one of which is really identifiable.
"The Way Home":http://photos.revjim.net/nature/20040717_170218
"The View From Here":http://photos.revjim.net/landscape/20040718_164031
"Like Glass":http://photos.revjim.net/landscape/20040719_062839
This was almost one year ago.
Yesterday, Jess' parents were at their "camp" when the neighbor from two camps down approached them. This gentlemen informed Jess' parents that his son, who lives in a small suburb of Toronto, found a picture of their camp on the internet published by some Reverend.
He meant me.
First, what are the odds that this man's son would be searching the internet for pictures of Birch Lake? Secondly, what are the odds that he would see that picture of the doc and immediately recognize it as a camp two doors down from his fathers? Third of all, what are the odds that he would find this picture (which doesn't really show much of the camp at all) so compelling, that he had to tell his father? What are the odds that this man would feel motivated enough by this information to inform Jess' parents the next time he saw them? What are the odds that they would both be at their respective camps this past weekend, while there is still snow on the ground and camps are generally not open? Finally, what are the odds that all of these things would happen to a guy who would prefer that his internet identity remain unknown to his in-laws?
I have the worst luck. Ever.
I don't think they've bothered to punch "Reverend Jim" into a search engine yet, but it's only a matter of time. I think it's just about time to break this party up. Any suggestions?
