It's fall break and that means we are at the lake, having a last camp-out, fishing extravaganza before the winter sets in! Enjoy this story that happened a few years ago!
One summer evening, my family was cruising around the lake in our boat, swimming a little, fishing a little and just enjoying the water and the season. We went to the north end to check the jug lines for catfish that Dad had set out the night before. After an unfruitful hook inspection, we turned the boat around and headed for the dock, ready to call it a night. Mom was driving, and in an uncharacteristic fit of recklessness, she pushed the throttle forward, sending the little boat leaping across the lake.
“My hat!” Dad yelled. The rush of speed had caused a gust of wind to lift Dad’s hat off his head and it sailed behind us into the water. Now you have to understand. My dad ALWAYS wears a hat. He (and the rest of us) are extremely fair skinned and he even swims in jeans! Fear of sunburn doesn’t keep us inside but we stay lotioned up and covered up!
Well, Mom turned the boat around and back we went, toward the jug lines, in hopes that Dad’s hat hadn’t sunk yet. The sun was low in the sky and the reflections off the water made the pond-green hat difficult to spot. I stood at the front of the boat with a long handled net, ready to fish it out. My daughters and husband were lined along the sides, all of us peering around, looking for that darned hat. Dad spotted it. “There it is—right there.” We looked around. No one but Dad could see it. “Over there. On the left!” All of us obediently looked to the left, but no one could find it. In frustration, Dad bailed out, grabbed the hat, then waved it triumphantly aloft.
“Good grief, Wayne. You’re setting a bad example for the girls, jumping out of a moving boat,” my mom admonished him. He just laughed and climbed up the ladder, flinging water over everyone within reach. Everyone was seated, and once again we headed toward the dock, Mom driving and the rest of us were co-pilots. She gunned the motor again, but with a little less pizzazz than the first time.
As we roared across the water, I watched a peculiar exchange that was taking place between my husband, Les and Dad. I noticed Dad had a funny expression on his face and he tapped his cheekbone. “Did you hit your head?” Les asked. Dad shook his head and tapped his cheek again. “Your glasses?” Les guessed. Dad turned red and nodded. Les and I burst out laughing! In his zeal to retrieve the hat, Dad had forgotten the blind person’s rule for boating—when you get wet, grab for your glasses--and now they were lying on the bottom of the lake!
What’s so funny?” my mom asked, over the roar of the outboard motor. Dad frantically shook his head. He knew he was gonna be in trouble for this little incident!
“Oh, nothing.” I tried to reassure her. But the girls kept giggling and finally she turned around and looked at Dad for a moment.
“Wayne Jones! You lost your glasses when you dived in after that hat!” We all cracked up at that. “Well, I’m glad you all think its funny. I can’t believe he lost a pair of $300 glasses over a three dollar hat!
One summer evening, my family was cruising around the lake in our boat, swimming a little, fishing a little and just enjoying the water and the season. We went to the north end to check the jug lines for catfish that Dad had set out the night before. After an unfruitful hook inspection, we turned the boat around and headed for the dock, ready to call it a night. Mom was driving, and in an uncharacteristic fit of recklessness, she pushed the throttle forward, sending the little boat leaping across the lake.
“My hat!” Dad yelled. The rush of speed had caused a gust of wind to lift Dad’s hat off his head and it sailed behind us into the water. Now you have to understand. My dad ALWAYS wears a hat. He (and the rest of us) are extremely fair skinned and he even swims in jeans! Fear of sunburn doesn’t keep us inside but we stay lotioned up and covered up!
Well, Mom turned the boat around and back we went, toward the jug lines, in hopes that Dad’s hat hadn’t sunk yet. The sun was low in the sky and the reflections off the water made the pond-green hat difficult to spot. I stood at the front of the boat with a long handled net, ready to fish it out. My daughters and husband were lined along the sides, all of us peering around, looking for that darned hat. Dad spotted it. “There it is—right there.” We looked around. No one but Dad could see it. “Over there. On the left!” All of us obediently looked to the left, but no one could find it. In frustration, Dad bailed out, grabbed the hat, then waved it triumphantly aloft.
“Good grief, Wayne. You’re setting a bad example for the girls, jumping out of a moving boat,” my mom admonished him. He just laughed and climbed up the ladder, flinging water over everyone within reach. Everyone was seated, and once again we headed toward the dock, Mom driving and the rest of us were co-pilots. She gunned the motor again, but with a little less pizzazz than the first time.
As we roared across the water, I watched a peculiar exchange that was taking place between my husband, Les and Dad. I noticed Dad had a funny expression on his face and he tapped his cheekbone. “Did you hit your head?” Les asked. Dad shook his head and tapped his cheek again. “Your glasses?” Les guessed. Dad turned red and nodded. Les and I burst out laughing! In his zeal to retrieve the hat, Dad had forgotten the blind person’s rule for boating—when you get wet, grab for your glasses--and now they were lying on the bottom of the lake!
What’s so funny?” my mom asked, over the roar of the outboard motor. Dad frantically shook his head. He knew he was gonna be in trouble for this little incident!
“Oh, nothing.” I tried to reassure her. But the girls kept giggling and finally she turned around and looked at Dad for a moment.
“Wayne Jones! You lost your glasses when you dived in after that hat!” We all cracked up at that. “Well, I’m glad you all think its funny. I can’t believe he lost a pair of $300 glasses over a three dollar hat!
1 comment:
We still laugh everytime we think about it and today as we read your blog we did it again. thanks for the good memories.
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