On the Waterfront

It is hard to explain exactly why, but most of the time when dads, daughters and water are part of the story, the ending is unhappy. Typically, fathers and female progeny are part of stories like the current one from Wales featuring the little girl who died in her daddy's arms at the bottom of a waterfall.

As a result, it is truly the rare pleasure to read of happy and wet times, such as when daughter Kass,12, gets "trout whisperer" Karl Seckinger to shut up long enough so she can reel in the first trout of her summer. Dad helps (and even gets a "thank you"), but mostly this is just DNA at work. Similarly, while gondolier pop Dante Boscolo questions daughter Giorgia's biceps, it is pretty clear how proud he is that his daughter has passed the test to become Venice's first female gondolier. (Her own rejoinder is that if he thinks this is so hard he should try child birth.)

We send thoughts of happiness (and a touch of envy) to two fab dads and our condolences to the family of the unfortunate father.