Adventure
There was a time when I went looking for adventure. Not so much anymore. But last Sunday adventure came looking for me.
To welcome in the new fishing season, my brother ,Donald and I launched his boat with new motor and even newer fish finder into Gilbert Lake east of Wild Rose. The day was sunny, but cool with a cold westerly breeze rippling the water.
We arrived at our agreed on fishing spot without incident. We were the only boat on the lake, so had many choices of where to fish. Don said the fish finder reported 18 feet of water with a water temperature of 58 degrees. He suggested I crawl to the front of the boat and loosen the anchor, which I did. On the way back to my seat—a new one he had just purchased which allowed the occupant to sit high and see far—it happened.
I grabbed hold of the seat to right myself. The seat, fastened with a clamp, came loose and yours truly plunged into the lake with a huge splash. The first time in more than six decades of fishing that I have fallen out of a boat.
My life preserver brought me to the surface immediately, but it did nothing to change the water temperature. I was now wide awake and thoroughly soaked, and unable to climb back in the boat. Don pulled up the anchor, fired up his motor and dragged me a hundred yards to shore, where I dumped the water from my boots, noted I still had my glasses, keys, billfold and cell phone. We motored back to the boat landing. Once my brother decided that I didn’t have a heart attack from the shock of dumping into cold water, wasn’t suffering too much from hypothermia and I hadn’t drowned, he was laughing so hard he could scarcely steer the boat. I wasn’t laughing.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: No matter what you do on water—boating, canoeing, sailing—wear a life vest. And check the seats on any boat you climb into, even if it belongs to your brother.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 6, 7:00 P.M. Albertson Memorial Library, Albany, WI. Old Farm: A History.
May 7, 10:30 A.M. Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Convention. Glacier Canyon Lodge at Wilderness Way, Wisconsin Dells. Old Farm: A history.
May 13, 7:00 P.M. Hartford Public Library, Hartford. Old Farm: A History.
May 16, 10:30 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. Dregne Gift Shop, Westby. Old Farm: A History
May 19, 7:00 P.M. Book Vault, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Old Farm: A History, In a Pickle and more.
To welcome in the new fishing season, my brother ,Donald and I launched his boat with new motor and even newer fish finder into Gilbert Lake east of Wild Rose. The day was sunny, but cool with a cold westerly breeze rippling the water.
We arrived at our agreed on fishing spot without incident. We were the only boat on the lake, so had many choices of where to fish. Don said the fish finder reported 18 feet of water with a water temperature of 58 degrees. He suggested I crawl to the front of the boat and loosen the anchor, which I did. On the way back to my seat—a new one he had just purchased which allowed the occupant to sit high and see far—it happened.
I grabbed hold of the seat to right myself. The seat, fastened with a clamp, came loose and yours truly plunged into the lake with a huge splash. The first time in more than six decades of fishing that I have fallen out of a boat.
My life preserver brought me to the surface immediately, but it did nothing to change the water temperature. I was now wide awake and thoroughly soaked, and unable to climb back in the boat. Don pulled up the anchor, fired up his motor and dragged me a hundred yards to shore, where I dumped the water from my boots, noted I still had my glasses, keys, billfold and cell phone. We motored back to the boat landing. Once my brother decided that I didn’t have a heart attack from the shock of dumping into cold water, wasn’t suffering too much from hypothermia and I hadn’t drowned, he was laughing so hard he could scarcely steer the boat. I wasn’t laughing.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS: No matter what you do on water—boating, canoeing, sailing—wear a life vest. And check the seats on any boat you climb into, even if it belongs to your brother.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
May 6, 7:00 P.M. Albertson Memorial Library, Albany, WI. Old Farm: A History.
May 7, 10:30 A.M. Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Convention. Glacier Canyon Lodge at Wilderness Way, Wisconsin Dells. Old Farm: A history.
May 13, 7:00 P.M. Hartford Public Library, Hartford. Old Farm: A History.
May 16, 10:30 A.M. – 2:30 P.M. Dregne Gift Shop, Westby. Old Farm: A History
May 19, 7:00 P.M. Book Vault, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Old Farm: A History, In a Pickle and more.
Labels: Adventure
posted by Jerry Apps | 10:14 PM
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