Good tale I enjoyed it very much. Been there done that. I find that rising with the sun often finds me alone out on the small lakes I frequent. I am usually the only one out there for the first 2 or 3 hours and sometimes a flash of resentment will raise its ugly head at the sight of the 2nd person out there.
It's strange, but when given the choice of whether to go out alone or invite someone else to come along I always opt for the latter.
Gnu Bee