Friday, August 18, 2006

Mmm... canoey goodness... mmm

Dang.

Okay, so my "post-a-day" thought got left by the roadside. I'll work on it. Really.

A few weeks back, I was chatting with my friend Jim. Our phone conversations tend to fly all over the place, and somehow we went from codework to the canoe in his backyard. Canoe?!?

He told me he was wondering what to do with this 12' foot Grumman aluminum canoe that's been sitting in his backyard for 10 years. He got it from his brother, and used it to teach Canoeing merit badge to his troop. For the past several years, it's been sitting on sawhorses.

Ever since I took Canoeing MB my first year at Massawepie (the ULTIMATE Boy Scout Camp), I have always wanted a canoe.

I was thinking that a 12-footer solo would be a great starter boat, so I asked the only question I could think of... "How much you want for it?"

This, of course, was met by a brief pause.

"Well, I know it'll have a good home, so why don't you come over and pick it up."

schweet.

The next day, I jumped in the Caravan, and headed for Jim's. When I got there, he took me to the backyard. The first words out of my mouth were, "Jim, this is a 17-footer." Jim answers "Okay."
Needless to say, it is now referred to as "the canoe in MY backyard."

It needs some clean up, and a coat or two of auto wax, and check of the rivets, but it's in great shape. And then I need to get some PFDs (that's Personal flotation Devices, for those of you playing the home version) and paddles, and she'll be in the water in no time.

I also need to teach my Sweetie how to canoe, and then when Boomper is old enough (he's only 18-months old), he'll learn as well. I'm looking forward to taking afternoon floats, exploring the local waterways, and maybe an extended canoe trip in the Adirondacks, or maybe even Algonquin Provincial Park.

Thanks Jim, "she" has found a good, and loving home.

schweet.