Sunday, June 5, 2011

A Boy Takes A Boat Ride



Poor Owen. These days when a child goes out on a boat he or she must wear:

The diaper, of course, which is made of plastic and paper.
A shirt, at least, to prevent sunburn.
A hat. Again, to prevent sunburn.
Sunscreen to prevent...you know.
And a life jacket which is made of all kinds of hot, thick materials.

And it was hot. Poor little man. But what can you do? Keep pushing the cold water to drink and crank up the boat and let it fly when you're not in the manatee no-wake zone.
Which he loved.


He helped his Bop drive the boat, of course. I know this looks like a tiny adult person covered in protective gear, but really, it is my grandson.

That picture just cracks me up.

Here he is on Bop's lap.

And another.

His mama lounged in the front of the boat like a movie star.

Hank sat on the ice chest and watched for pirates.

You know damn well there's dead-man bones at the bottom of the St. Mark's. Flows right into the Gulf. Hank saw lots of boats he highly approved of. I can see Hank living on a boat. It would be the most natural thing in the world.

We did not see a lot of critters today. Too damn hot. We did spy these turtles, sunbathing on a log. As we approached, they jumped off. Here they are, in mid-leap.

We swam a bit too. At least Bop and I swam, and Lily too. We finally got Owen to go in but he didn't like it much. Too cold. I got no pictures. Man, that water felt heavenly to us. It was a bit shocking when I first got in, but it sure did feel good in a minute or two. We paddled around for awhile and tried to coax the boy in and after his little dip, we got back in the boat and headed for the ramp. Owen completely passed out in his seat. Too much beer.
Just kidding!!!!

That boy was asleep. After Mr. Moon trailered the boat, we went and ate lunch. Owen discovered that you can hand the waitress your plate and she'll take it. He was handing her everything after that. I believe he had a little crush. He likes the older ladies. She must have been at least twenty. He refused to take off his hat. He sweat right through that thing and still, would not take it off. That's his boating hat, y'all. He likes it.

So it was a good day on the river. And we were all tired and hot and full when we got home and grateful as hell for the air conditioning.

Mr. Fox showed back up this afternoon but by the time Mr. Moon got out there with a gun, he had disappeared. Wily old fox.
I'll never be able to let those chickens out again.
Sigh.

And so here we are, home again, and I think tonight we'll have some field peas and some squash maybe, and probably another sliced tomato. Do something to counteract all that fried seafood we ate for lunch. I'm sorry but when you eat in a cafe at the river, you gotta eat fried seafood. I think it's the law.

We loved the added comment on the sign. Luckily for us, the place was not packed full and we didn't have to wait that long.
Plus, the waitress was nice.

I think we'll all sleep just fine tonight.
I hope you do too.

27 comments:

  1. I look mean, but really I am just squinty. That was a fun day!

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  2. Your sweet little Owen is just getting so so big!

    Do crocks swim in the river?

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  3. DTG- You didn't look mean to me. You looked like you were keeping watch closely. I love you. That WAS a fun day.

    Rebecca- You bet they do. Well, that's a lie. Not crocs, alligators. We do have crocodiles in Florida but not here.

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  4. Nothing like a day on the water. Like the photos.

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  5. What I fine day you had! Little Owen has a hat like my Ryan use to wear...kids look so darn cute in hats. If you hadn't told me how hot it was I would have thought it was just a pleasant warm day.

    I agree you have to have what is near the water at the local places and I could smell the yummy fried smell of it all!

    My chances of getting heartburn wouldn't be worth it for me however.

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  6. Hey, I noticed a temporary tattoo on Owen's arm! Surely a fashion accessory to 'rowdy up' his sunscreen/water-wing image!!!

    Go Owen!

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  7. He's been asking me for tats lately.

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  8. one of tony's friend's kids had a bathing suit with a life jacketey/ floaty thing built right in it. it made him look like a superhero when he wore it and it made him float head/shoulders above water.


    xxalainaxx

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  9. Owen looks very fine in his hat--I can see why he didn't want to take it off! Maybe he'll start a collection.
    What a peaceful afternoon. Do you ever have concerns about running into snakes, swimming in that water? I mean, nakes?

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  10. Ah, great stuff, love all the pics, O in the hat! Please thank your family for being so generous with themselves here. It's pretty special and sweet and fun.
    Glad you didn't have to wait 2 hours.
    So in terms of swimming, do you have to worry about gators or are they only in certain parts, kinds of water? I mean would it be like my worrying about sharks in the ocean?
    Anyhow, thanks for sharing. I had a little drama today that took me away from my garden and has me all unsettled and it felt so nice to come here and try to settle down.
    Thank you.

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  11. Man, what a great Sunday. And these pictures of Owen make me miss having a little one (well, littler than 6) around.

    And this is definitely making me more excited about my roadtrip to (south) Florida later this summer to deliver a car to my sister. Although, I suspect the idea of the heat and the heat itself will be two different things.

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  12. It all looks like so much fun -- and I especially enjoyed seeing Owen in all his sun and boating gear.

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  13. "Never in his life had he seen a river before--this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver--glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.

    -hooray!-

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  14. That does look like an awful lot of fun.

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  15. SJ- Glad you liked.

    Syd- Not great photos, but they are a true representation of a hot day on a boat on a river.

    Ellen- Yes. This would definitely be heartburn food. And yes, hats look adorable on babies and small children.

    Beth- His Uncle Dank (Hank) brings him tattoos. When one wears off, he demands that Dank bring him another. He gets them at the Dollar Store. I think he believes that Dank just grows them somewhere.

    Mrs. A- This life jacket would absolutely prevent the child from ever getting his head under water.

    A- Yes. We do worry about nakes. Not only in the water but in the yard and hen house (obviously) and we hear that rattlesnakes can be found in the surf. No kidding. And sometimes alligators, too. Florida- we are crazy, we who live here.

    Bethany- I hope your drama is resolved and you are settled. I do. And yes, there are absolutely plenty of alligators in the rivers. But I don't know. Humans aren't really part of their diet. Well, not usually.

    Sara- You are damn right about the heat.

    Elizabeth- Poor thing. It's hardly worth it for him.

    Lisa- Passed OUT. Tired little man.

    X-ray iris- One of the best passages in literature EVER. Thanks.

    Mwa- It's always a good day on the water.

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  16. Oh I bet getting in that river was heavenly, after the initial shock of course. I know and love that feeling well.
    Thanks for posting those photos.
    I love you sooooo much.

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  17. HoneyLuna- It was heavenly. Paddling around in the cool. We sure missed you yesterday. None of us know how to help Daddy with the boat the way you do. We were all, "Uh, what now?"
    Love YOU sooooooo much.

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  18. Thanks for taking us along to the river with you. The photos of Owen are adorable. So glad y'all enjoyed it. I love fried seafood.

    I love you more though.

    SB

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  19. Your family is so sweet. That Owen, in all the gear, just melts my heart.

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  20. Ms. Bastard-Beloved- I love you more than fried seafood AND cheese grits AND hushpuppies AND cole slaw. Even the sweet kind.

    Lora- I think he about melted. Isn't he just freaking cute?

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  21. The "tiny adult person covered in protective gear" picture cracked me up.

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  22. I had to come back again because the sleepy Owen picture melted my heart and it needed re-melting.

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  23. Owen's outfit is adorable! He looks so cute in that hat and his face is a picture.

    What a fabulous day! I agree, eating fried seafood by the sea is the law.

    Love you xx

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  24. I just want to kiss those cheeks in every photo!

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  25. MORE than cheese grits? I believe that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

    I adore you.

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