One of my most favorite things is to go out on my pontoon boat. I haven’t been out this summer as much as I’d have liked…it was too hot, it was raining, I was too busy pulling weeds and taking care of many cats…
We went out for a boat ride in June and suddenly the Canadian wildfire smoke filled the air and we got scratchy throats and went back in. The power went out the next day for five nights. The next time we tried to boat, we’d been out for only a half hour and it was suddenly about to rain even though it wasn’t forecast. We rushed back to shore and escaped that storm.
Sunday evening, though, I had a lovely boat ride with Mom and my friend Amy. Just as we were starting out, Amy’s mom called to say that there was a tornado watch. I checked my phone and it was supposed to rain later in the evening and we figured we’d be fine.
We went under the Vachel Lindsay bridge and stopped the boat so I could jump in the water. It was refreshing and fun, and Amy said, “Do it again!” so I ended up jumping in four times. Delightful. After that I had Mom drive the boat, and we went under the railroad bridge to look at the still-toppled power poles and marveled that there was a big stretch of power line submerged. Hmm, are they going to fix that at some point?
We kept going, then under the I-55 bridge, and I decided I was hungry. We had no food with us for once, and I suggested we try the little Mexican restaurant that’s next to the marina. It’s really just a little hut with outside seating. I’d never been there.
Because I’m so wishy-washy, I couldn’t decided if we should really go. Plus I had no money with me but both Amy and Mom had plenty so we finally decided to check it out. We pulled up and docked and there was this fabulous pink swan. It’s a paddle boat. I want one.
We ordered our food, it arrived quickly and we sat down at a picnic table to eat…and I looked up at the sky to the west. Black. Completely black. I couldn’t see the forecast on my phone so Amy looked it up on hers and said “It’s going to go north of us,” but I said “We need to take this to go.”
We hurried back to the boat with our food and drinks but stopped for a selfie. This is the sky to the east, all blue.
We roared away from the marina and I barely slowed to go under the highway bridge, then the railroad bridge. A guy in a boat was speeding in the other direction and he honked at us, I assume because he thought maybe I didn’t see the black sky. But there it was…
It was starting to thunder as I pulled into the dock and the rain started and was soon a deluge. I didn’t mind getting wet since I’d jumped in earlier and was still damp. This was good because we were got completely soaked as Amy and I hurried to pull the cover over the boat. Whew.
We did have a nice long boat ride anyway, and the ending was certainly dramatic and I didn’t get struck by lightning even though I was inside the boat putting up the metal poles that keep the cover up high and taut so the rain doesn’t get in.
Later that night after the rain stopped I walked down to the dock and saw a rainbow.
Now that it’s August I’m trying to make up for not going on the boat so much. Kevin and I went out last night and I was thinking about going again tonight…but it’s suddenly too hot…
But there’s plenty of time. The rest of August, September, October…
The summer has been kind of odd, and it’s suddenly moving really fast. Must keep up…
ok then,
G.H.