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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2021 43 Writers' Club Aquarium Adventures When I was in fourth grade, I salvaged a forty-gallon aquarium that had a broken glass pane. After getting my dad to "lend me a hand" fixing it (he did all the work), I filled it with tap water while praying successfully for no leaks. Fancy tropical fish were difficult to buy then, for there were no pet shops in my home town. Fortunately, being in the Venezuelan Andean mountains meant that fish abounded in the nearby creeks and rivers. Therefore, for me, fishing became the main activity at family picnics. Someone taught me how to make a snare from a large bottle with a bottom dimple that could be turned into a funnel. Corked and filled with water plus some meal leftovers as bait, the snare soon attracted the fish. Once inside the bottle, they bumped against the glass and could not find the opening. It worked like magic! A few years later, my fishing mania got me into big trouble. In junior high school, during mid-year exams, we were allowed to go home early after the tests. On the last day of exams, I had permission from my parents to go fishing with some classmates at a nearby river. We all arrived home carrying a few live fish. As we entered the classroom on the next school day, the loudspeaker blared, "Will the following students line up in front of the Principal's office," and the voice called off the names of the fishermen. The half- dozen detainees were asked to each stand by one of the columns that lined the inner courtyard. I was last in line. When my turn came, the priest asked me angrily, "How dare you go to the river without parental permission?" I responded that I did have permission. On the phone, my mother confirmed my claim. After hanging up, the principal stated, "So, you are the leader of the pack!" and accused me of leading my buddies into temptation. None of my friends had permission, and one parent had complained to the school. I was then directed to return to class. On the way, I saw my fellow truants still standing by the courtyard columns. They looked like convicts about to be shot. I refrained from suggesting fishing expeditions again. ~ Ricardo Suárez-Gärtner For more info or to join us, please email andreazehner20@gmail. com or mlarchibald@mac.com. ~ Andrea Zehner While everyone continues to struggle with the pandemic and associated social issues, the Rainbow Group remains optimistic that we will soon be able to resume much of our lives as before. There are sure to be differences, but we will still support the Four Seasons LGBT community and our neighbors as best we can. We have been reminded that our friendships are vital to all of us. We have enjoyed a couple of Zoom "virtual" meetings. We will update the Rainbow Group Facebook page and email list with any late breaking developments or announcements of a Zoom meeting. Since it is unlikely that we will be able to meet anytime soon, we may schedule another Zoom meeting in March, so stay tuned for that update. We hope this finds our members, friends, and families safe, healthy, and doing well. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon. For any information, please contact Dale at (951) 797-0364. ~ Dale Beckes Rainbow Group

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