A Summer of Mischance on the River (Part I)

The Wapsipinicon river, or Wapsi, ('a' as in 'what') as it is locally called, is a tributary, beginning in southeast Minnesota and draining into the Mississippi river in southeast Iowa. It was early Summer and the water level was high due to rains. I remember I was 10 years old at the time and waist-deep in the river, pushing floating sticks and logs away from the boat dock so they wouldn't get tangled in our fish lines while we were fishing. That was our excuse anyway. In the back of my mind, I remember we were more so doing it to cool off on this sultry afternoon; stopping short of swimming since we weren't allowed to swim in the dirty river. 

I doubt that we were splashing about and having fun. After all, we were serious about fishing and the task of moving the driftwood away from our fishing spot. Then, something bit me. It didn't really hurt bad as I recall, but I knew it was something I needed to exit the river to check out. My right knee had a gash in it and doing some pretty serious bleeding. Being the Boy Scout that I was, I tied my 2 socks together to make them long enough to wrap around my knee to stop the bleeding. The following period of time is vague. My memory is saying my mom was busy doing something so she asked a family friend to take me to the doctors. The doctor put 7 stitches in my right knee. Now here's an honest twist to this event that I do remember clearly. The gash in my knee was likely caused by a half-sunken log or stick and in the shape of the letter "J". That very next morning, after I woke up and was making my bed, I found a fish hook in my bedding. A fish hook as you know, in the shape of the letter J. About the same size as my gash....Things that make you go "hmmmmmm".