It is Memorial Day weekend. It looked far away in January. Where did the winter go? I have never been a summer aficionado, but time has taught me to enjoy all seasons. Air conditioning helps my enjoyment. I did love swimming as a lad. Pounds Hollow was my second home. Neva J loved it too, so we went two or three times a week. The lake gave me countless hours of peace and reflection.

‘I am excited about our first trip to the Hollow,’ Jane exclaimed! ‘School is out and the teacher let the monkeys out,’ Jane laughed. ‘This summer I am going to focus on my tan…I have Coppertone in tow,’ Jane informed. ‘I have such a light complexion I burn first before the tan commences,’ Jane observed. ‘This year I am going to swim out to the far side of the lake beyond the rope of safety and search for the sea creature that Chet and Billy B speak of,’ Jane winked. ‘Chet has his marvelous mask of The Creature From the Black Lagoon, and I want to see if the Pounds Hollow bottom dweller has a similar appearance,’ Jane informed.

‘Well, he is there, and Billy B and I met him last summer,’ Chet assured. ‘He thought I was his brother,’ Chet laughed. ‘Today I am taking him some Oscar Mayer Wieners that I know he has a weakness for,’ Chet said. ‘Hollow Creature loves to sing the song, ‘I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener…that is all I truly want to be…if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener…everyone would be in love with me.’ Chet danced on one foot and then the other.

‘Has the Hollow Creature always been in Pounds Hollow?’ Billy B asked. ‘I have been hearing about him for many years,’ Billy B noted. ‘Remember when he took us to his underwater home and gave us nachos to eat,’ Billy B asked. ‘HC is a stand-up guy,’ Billy B proclaimed. ‘He told me last year that this year would be dangerous and 1963 would be remembered for the rest of our lives,’ Billy B somberly said. ‘He said we would lose our leader and unrest would come from the loss,’ Billy B reflected.

‘Welcome, friends, I have been waiting for you…it was a cold winter,’ Hollow Creature said with a wide smile. ‘The lake froze over and I was trapped for a long period, but now I am free as a bird on the wing,’ HC said. ‘Thank you, Chet, for the lovely Oscar Mayer Wieners, they are delicious and I will save some for later, or as you humans say, I will need a doggy bag,’ HC said with a grin. ‘1963 will bring change that will reverberate through the rest of your lives,’ HC said with assurance. ‘You will look back on this year as the pivotal year of your childhoods and your lives,’ HC said. ‘This is the beginning of the revealing of the Secret,’ HC said with solemnity.

‘There will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet,’ Chet said. ‘We are old souls in young bodies,’ Chet observed. ‘What will the world be in 50 years after our 1975 graduation?’ Chet asked.