Sunday, June 20, 2010

BACK IN TIME - (again) -THIS TIME THE 80'S

IN TO THE "LOST" LANDS and a lesson in 'LOYALTY"??
Last August, we told the story about how unnerving it is for me to send a TowBoat up past the 40 mile mark. (Refresh your memory HERE)  It really does get a little 'hairy" up there, so I guess in my retired military mind, when we get a call to go up in to the 80 mile mark and beyond to retrieve a "grounded" Jon Boat (?) - I would EXPECT at least one of my stalwart and loyal group of Captains to step forward, suit up, and head up to the "lost lands" to the west - - - ?  I first turned to Captain Dave Anderson - who had an immediate "flashback" to his trip up there last August (highlighted above)  - he dropped to the floor in the fetal position and started sucking his thumb - - - -  
Our most senior and steadfast Captain Johnson's face suddenly turned ashen and he developed some sort of "rash", (I think it was the kind that you can't talk about) Johnson had recently been on a mission up in the 40's, where he claimed he was abducted by aliens - (says, that's how he got the rash -?)  - finally I turned to Captain Jones, who swore he was getting married in two hours (that was news) and was NOT about to go on another "widowmaker" trip, (he had just survived a trip in to the 60's that made headlines)  - - -  so that just left "yours truly" to make the 140 mile round trip in to the "wild kingdom" to pick up a fricking Jon Boat!  I arrived in the area after two hours - no cell service, in fact, my highly touted SPOT messenger couldn't even get a bloody signal!!  After about an hour on scene, I finally locate my Jon Boat captain who leads me on a safari nearly 2 miles up a creek!!  After the first mile, it suddenly dawned on me that I was taking shallow water navigation directions from a guy who had HARD GROUNDED A JON BOAT!! - he tells me to go between two snags ahead and stay close to the bluff - - (yeah right, stay close to the bluff - don't worry about the occasional arrow that goes whizzing by your head) - - I look ahead and see grass growing and the ducks (I think they were ducks) were STANDING UP - that was a clue my 27ft ALMAR wasn't gonna make it through there!  FINALLY we arrive at the scene (in 3 ft of water) and my customer hops out and trudges out to his boat with 300 ft of towline in hand - clips up to his boat and I back away - - at which point he is re-floated - - I think it was the heat - - but as the guy, (now under his own power) motors back to me - - he appeared to have grown a lot more hair - and when he pulled along side, I swear there were some "shrunken heads" laying in the bottom of the boat - -  I quickly unhooked and followed my little red track back out of there as fast as I could go - - meanwhile the "strand" headed back up the creek as the second flight of Pterodactyls went overhead - - he seemed to be calling to them - - - - -?

Somewhat shaken, after reaching the 40 mile mark, I get limited cell service - - finally reaching homeport (6 plus hours later)   -  I locate my 3 honorable and loyal Captains, sitting in a local watering hole - - enjoying themselves - - (also appeared there had been money changing hands - betting if I would in fact return)  they all seemed quite well  - - - - - (except for Johnson - he keeps scratching a lot)   - - - OH WELL - - Just another day at the office  - - -  :-)


1 comment:

OldePharte said...

That's funny, I don't care who are!