Finally! after all the wet weekends etc, it rained today and I thought
"Oh boy. Here we go again" but while at work, I talked to a couple
customers and they said the water works were supposed to be over by
noon and it wold still be cloudy but no rain. I thought that was
encouraging, so about 11:30, i get a call from my wife's niece, and
she had both her sons home and they were bored to tears, and I told
her, Hey honey, how about going boating at Carlyle this afternoon? She
thought that would be a great idea. "I'll bring a tube and we bounce
the boys around a bit"

"Wow, I dont' think they've ever done that" ..."OK, well, I've got to
go home in a moment and I'll get stuff ready to go and meet you there
in a couple hrs.

Carlyle is about a half-way meeting point between us. so we kept in
cell phone contact a few times, and I told her that OOPS! I forgot, I
only had two adult life vests, and told her that Walmart in Carlyle
usually has a bunch of them seeing it's a lake town,a nd I told her to
go and pick a couple up for the boys. They did and we met at the lake
about he same time.

good to see her and the lads again and I got the boat unstrapped, made
sure all was in order, paid the Army Corps of Engineers their $3.00
extortion... er 'launch' fee got the boat in the water we loaded in
and headed out.

I took the 18 ft. Chris Craft because it's so much easier to get ready
on the spot and the tires on the 23ft'r need replaced, so it was a bit
cramped with two teenagers a niece and myself, but away we went.

gout out past the no wake zone, and hit the throttle, all was well. we
headed north and went cruising a bit. I usually run the 4cyl. 3.0 at
about 3-3200 rpm because its a comfortable speed and higher rpm, more
wear ont he engine etc, and sucks about twice the fuel and only gains
a few more mph.

Ok, stop throw out the tube. the oldest had never been on one but
volunteered to go first. I got him settled in and got the line tight
and hit it, hey the boat pulled a lot easier than I thought it would.
he was having a blast then I got him rocking and wake hopping a few
times till he was about wore out. got him in the boat and little
brothers turn. We firly well went through the same rehersal.
eventually he flipped. OK, so they talked their mom into going. she
was standing ont he boat cowl and said "I don't know... is the water
cold?" we all said no, and she said "Uncle Tim, don't push me in." I
said "I promise I'm not going t push you in, and I picked her up she
screamed, and threw her in.

OK. that's settled.

I pulled her about like I did her boys, and she bounced around but
hung right in there, finally she signaled she'd had enough, so we
reeled her in then took off further north. cruised around some, chased
some ducks, some, and watched out for other boats. I stressed to the
guys the importance of boating safety by always watching out for other
craft, almost to the point that you can about anticipate their route
by watching them and to adjust accordingly. The youngest boy asked me
if there were ever any boat collisions in Carlyle, and I told him that
possibly so, but that's why you have to keep an eye out and keep your
distance, and it's better to be the one to slow down and re-direct
course specifically to avoid such. After all, it's best to watch for
the other guy because he may not be watching for you.

Anyhow, after about three hr.s on the lake ti was time to pack it in.
Fortunately there wasn't a load of boaters at the ramp, because,
stupid me, I like the parking lights on in the station wag.. er ...
"Pull vehicle" and ran the battery dead, so back to the boat I go.
Pull the battery swap it in the car, and back to load the boat.

then to McDonalds, where the two kids ordered half the menu, and that
was OK, My niece and I sat there and had coffee, and chatted a bit.
time to leave. She took pics of the two boys and myself, and a pick of
the "pull vehicle" and boat to be sent to me later. Anyhow, lots of
hugs then we parted company. they headed West, and I went east.

Before I came home, I stopped at Salem to reload the boat with some
$2.47 fuel, and I was really surprised. after all that tubing,
stopping, throttling and cruising, the thing only burned 7.8 gal of
gas.

impressive.

Anyhow, the boys asked me when we could do it again. I told them it
all had to do with the weather and the timing.

Whew. what a day. I'm beat, but glad I could finally get some water
under me and enjoy a boating afternoon with the lads.

Well satisfied.

?;^ )