Oh hail to May Day--formally observed by the Communist with great fervor

However, being a non-political sort of fellow, I remember one wonderful bright gleaming May day morning. The world shone like a polished apple and I was over come by the desire to do something Spring like.

There were three of us, a young lady, her sister and me. The sister was supposed to participate in a May Day fete at her exclusive girl's college. We had a few hours to waste before the great event. So being a good thinking chap, I suggested I purchase a couple of bottles of May wine. I did! We drove out to a bucolic park and toasted May Day and toasted May Day and toasted May Day and soon we were toasted.

We drove back to the campus where a very large May pole had been erected with long white streamers hanging down. The girls were being led and assigned a spot and a faculty member shepherded my girlfriend's sister to her position.

All was in readiness. The family assembled. The music was ready to start. The head of the college was beaming and the rest of the staff was beaming. A Straus Waltz floated over us. The May pole started going clockwise, the young ladies floated to music clockwise.

My girlfriend's sister, being made of sterner stuff, decided to go anticlockwise. Visualize the magnificent chaos--parents gasping, the head of school blanching, the staff unbelieving, me and my girlfriend running away.

In short, the sister was pulled away and hidden. She graduated, nothing ever mentioned at commencement.

Never trust a May Pole.

Enough of that. Let's talk about a delightful taste treat!

Poached Rock Fish

4# Rock Fish, 1 1/2 tbsp flour or 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 cups water, 2 or 3 tbsp butter or margarine, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 bay leaf, paprika, 2 slices of onion, minced parsley, and juice one lemon

Dress & scale fish (filets are fine). Place in pot that just fits. Simmer water with salt, bay leaf, onion slices & 1/2 of lemon juice for 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Pour liquid over fish. It should be barely covered. Poach fish with liquid just below boiling for 5 - 10 minutes or until fish flakes & fish is opaque. Place carefully on warm platter. Boiling poach liquid rapidly, reduce to 1 - 1 1/4 cups thicken with flour or cornstarch diluted in 2 tbsp cold water, add remaining lemon juice, butter, salt & pepper. Spoon sauce on fish with paprika & parsley.

Serve with small red bliss potatoes boiled to tenderness with small peas. Crusty bread & a good white wine and you're in fish heaven! Serves four.

Recipe by Mrs. BW Fairbanks.