Monday, August 31, 2009

 

I'm On a Boat!



On Saturday evening, for the first time, I ventured out onto Lake Waco.

I'm from a place inhabited by sailors. You go out onto the big lake (during the six weeks of temperate weather), hoist the sails, and go as fast as you can. Frankly, it is a lot of work, and there is usually quite a bit of yelling involved. You can actually get in pretty good shape doing it, actually, if you are given the task of handling the crank for the main sail.

In Waco, it is nothing like that. People venture out onto the lake on barges, which are big rectangular vessels with an outboard motor which are designed according to the motto of Viv Savage, keyboardist for Spinal Tap: Have a good time... all the time. Good food and good drink is part of the deal. There is no yelling involved, at least of directions. It was, in fact, a great time, and I very much appreciated the invitation.

Plus, I was not attacked by a swimming bear or a copperhead snake, both of which had been mentioned as possibilities.

Comments:
I have always wondered how I grew up on Lake St. Clair but almost never went boating or even knew people with boats. I think the boaters didn't invite us because we could swim better than they could.
 
From a strictly linguistic AND nautical standpoint, I'm not sure a "party barge" with the manuverability of an iceberg properly meets the definition of "a boat." A "large raft with beer" is probably closer.
Bob
 
How about killer rabbits? Any of those? Or is Jimmy Carter the only person ever attacked by one in a lake?
 
Oh, you city boys, you know NOTHING about what lurks in the South. There are things that sleep in fitful sleep beneath deceptively dark waters in Southern lakes that would blast your bean-counting lawyer soul!
WF
 
Did you bring your flippy-floppies?
 
I'm sure he was outfitted with top siders. That was the official footware where we grew up!

As for the copperheads - yikes!. I don't like encountering them on land (where they have a distinctive odor), I can't imagine dealing with them in the water.
 
I started drooling when Bob said, "a 'large raft with beer.'" I don't care if it is a boat or not, but that is where I want to be.

I never thought I'd be on a boat...
 
This is sad, but Christine is totally correct. I was the only one on the boat wearing LL Bean Boat Mocs. I guess it is some kind of cultural thing...
 
Some things never change - and that is ok!
 
Osler I'm suprised you've never been Snipe hunting out on Lake Waco before!
 
I refuse to enter any natural body of water.

My Dad was a sailor, and you are right it IS a lot of work and yelling and to me a crashing bore. At the end of the day you are every kid of burned..sun burned, wind burned, muscles burned and for what? To end up inexactly the same spot where you left your car? I don't get it.

These barges with the appetizers and liquor and goats sound a lot more fun.
 
Nice top hat, Prof. Osler!
 
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