A couple of years ago, one of Jerry's friends gave us a boat (woohoo!). We (being Jerry) have not had the time to work on a couple of small motor issues until just recently. Jerry got the boat working over the weekend and wanted to take it to the lake to test it out. I must admit that the idea of "testing out" a boat makes me a bit nervous but the 85 degree day (hot for us here in the Inland NW this year) swayed my mind. (At this point I assume that all the people living under the heat dome are saying "give me a break - 85 - that reminds me of an icebox".) So we went to a small lake near our house to try it out. We decided to take the dogs with us. Sadie has been to the ocean before and loved it so we thought she would most likely enjoy the lake. Stella hasn't really been away from home as she is only about three months old - this was her first big outing.
We got to the lake and Jerry decided that I needed to help back him and the boat down the boat launch ramp. I would like to take this opportunity to go over what Jerry expects when someone is assisting him while he is backing up the truck with anything behind it. Jerry expects the person to know fancy hand signals - I'm not sure where he came across these and why he decided he liked them so much - but I sure as heck don't know them (side note: these hand signals are the same hand signals he chooses to attempt to direct me when I drive the tractor). My hand signals usually involve lots of arm waving and occasionally jumping if I feel the situation calls for it. So Jerry stopped at the top of the boat launch and asked me to get out, to take the dogs with me and direct him down. Sadie was on a leash and raring to get out of the truck - new territory to be explored. Stella was scared to death and was pretty sure the only place she would be able to survive was climbing from my arms up towards my neck - very cat-like I promise you.
Sadie drug me down the dock next to the boat launch and after a good deal of begging - on my part - she stopped. I was able to get her to sit and got Stella somewhat situated in my other arm. About this time Jerry started backing down the ramp. Oh crap! I had no free hands to signal with!! Jumping and hollering would just have to do this time around. Here I was, screaming and jumping and nodding my head in different directions, all while attempting to balance and calm Stella and keep Sadie sitting. The people who were fishing off the end of the dock must have thought I was nuts... The good news is that Jerry doesn't really "need" to be backed anywhere... ever... as far as I have seen. He is one of those people who could back a semi around a corn maze with one arm tied behind his back and not flatten any extra stocks of corn - it's ridiculous - that is why I don't understand his slight obsession with the hand signals - he doesn't really need them (hmm - maybe he thinks I need the hand signals when driving - nah).
In no time at all, Jerry had the boat launched, me and the dogs in the boat and we were off (I'll go ahead and take the credit for the wonderful launch - after all I did do some pretty amazing signaling!). The boat ran like a dream and it was such a wonderful evening. Sometimes I forget how beautiful the northwest is because I get so wrapped up in the everyday - this was a good reminder and I thank God for the time that he gave us together on the lake Saturday afternoon.
Here are the girls enjoying the boat - or at least Sadie is!!
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| Miss Sadie |
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| Sadie playing First Mate! |
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| Stella - still in my lap |
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