Heard any good fishin' stories lately? I've run across two that sound fishy

to me, but are supposedly real life happenings in the "truth is stranger

than fiction" category.

A Brazilian fisherman choked to death near the remote Amazon city of Belem

after a fish unexpectedly jumped into his mouth. Nathon do Nascimento was

fishing by the Maguari River, about 30 miles south of Belem, when the six-inch-long

fish leapt out of the river and became lodged in Nascimento's throat while

he was yawning. Two other fishermen tried to help him, but by the time they

arrived at a local hospital it was too late.

"The fish obstructed his throat completely and he couldn't reach the

tail," a doctor said.

Tragic. What can be learned? Good manners are always appropriate, even while

fishing. Cover your mouth when you yawn.

What else? Go to bed earlier and get more sleep, especially before you go

fishing.

What's the real lesson here? Life us full of difficult moments, and unfortunately,

not every danger can be anticipated or prevented. Life is uncertain, so make

every moment count.

Unfortunately, too many people are like the couple living in the Kansas

farmhouse that was hit by the tornado. The tornado came through before dawn,

tore off the roof, and picked up the bed on which the farmer and wife were

sleeping. By some miracle, it set them down unharmed in the next county.

The wife was sobbing uncontrollably. "Don't be scared, Mary. We're

not hurt."

Mary continued to cry. "I'm not scared," she said between sobs. "I'm

happy. This is the first time in 14 years we've been out together."

Go out more often. Just don't go fishing. Or maybe you should.

Another couple was fishing in the Florida Keys and reeled in a big one,

a leather bag with about $80,000 inside. The couple, visiting from Vero Beach,

found the bag floating south of the Seven Mile Bridge in the Keys.

"They saw a baseball cap floating out there, and they were going to

retrieve the baseball cap, and they found a little leather bag," authorities

reported. The couple called the FBI, who contacted U.S. Customs service.

"It's either drug money or alien smuggling money," a U. S. Customs

agent said. "It was soaked and had been floating in the water for awhile."

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is holding the cash. State seizure rules

allow people who find unclaimed property to keep it if the legitimate owner

doesn't come forward in 90 days. A haul of $80,000 for fishing out a floating

baseball cap. That's a pretty successful fishing trip.

The lesson? Keep your eyes open. Life is full of unexpected surprises, some

of which are real blessings. So keep your eyes open. You never know ...