Some Family Stories told by Crispin Vessell
Rebecca and the Mudhole
When I was a little boy, we used to go fishing at Lake Chatuge in North Georgia. Each year our family would go to stay at the Farmer and Lynch Cabins there at the lake. It is now know as Lakeshore Cottages. The cabins would hold our entire family which took up about 6 cabins. Our family is a fishing family and every morning Cris Surls and Rebecca Surls Vessell would get up at about 5 am and get into Cris's boat and go fishing.
One the particular morning in question I went with them fishing and the day started out as any other normal fishing trip would with the fog setting in and the fish screaming "Bite me, Catch me!" There is a particular spot in the lake that we like to fish known as "The big island", it is located near the dam.
Now, one thing is certain, after fishing for hours in a boat and drinking tea or soda to refresh one's self inevitably someone will have to use the restroom. Cris and I had the convience of standing over the side of the boat, my mother however did not share that ability! We asked her if she could hold it till we got back to the cabins, with the distance and all she said that it would be impossible. Cris and I started looking for a place to shore the boat to let her get off and relieve herself. We could not find a place. Mom looked as if she was going to be sick. With pain and suffering she told us to just park it on the shore and she would go into the woodline. Cris and I told her that stepping onto the shore in our current place was not good because she would most certainly sink in the mud. She laughed and said park it anyway.
Mom got out of the boat and stepped about two feet and sunk waist deep in the muck, It was hilarious! Cris and I nearly fell out of the boat laughing at her. She was mortified. Whether or not she got relief we never found out. One thing is certain though, she never jumped out of the boat again!
-Crispin Vessell
Christie and the Green Hair
On another of our fateful trips, Christie went with Mom and Nana and myself to Chattanooga Tennessee, to the Choo-Choo Hilton hotel there. We stayed in the parlor cars which were located close to the pool. One night we all decided to go for a swim to the pool and the jacuzi, the smell of Chlorene permeated the air and you could tell that the pool had just been serviced and treated. Christie and everyone else jumped in the pool and had a great time, she had had a perm or something put in her hair. When the night was almost over and it was getting late, we all went to sit in the Jacuzi to warm up before going back to the room. After a good nights' sleep we all awoke ready for the next day-All except for Christie who awoke to a scream...And Green hair, from the chlorene in the pool. She stayed in the room until a color treatment was provided to her. To this day she still cringes at the mention of that bad hair day.
-Crispin Vessell