Flashback to the early 70's... We're living in Syracuse, IN and Garfield's boat was docked at our pier. (There's a published postcard that proves that point) Several family members including my Dad, Mom, brother Dave, myself, Uncle Garfield and Aunt Yvonne went for an evening cruise in Garfield's boat. It was a pleasant evening cruise as I remember, but that's not the story...
When we returned, Mom, Dad and Aunt Yvonne were standing on the pier... Garfield, Dave and I were still in the boat, suddenly, but very, very slowly... my Mom and I locked eyes as she became shorter and shorter until we were looking eye to eye!
Just a few seconds earlier, she had been a couple feet taller than me!Somebody was on the shore yelling at them that they were sinking, we can't remember now who it was, but that was the first clue as to what was happening.
The old wooden pier sections had lost their anchor on the shore. The pier stantions had tumbled over like dominos leaving a pier section acting as an overloaded boat as it settled on the lake bottom with Mom, Dad and Yvonne standing on it.
Nobody fell, it was just as gentle as could be. Dad remembers thinking "Hey I'm getting wet!"
The fun lasted only a few minutes as there were 3 boats to secure and several long and heavy sections of pier to retrieve as they were beginning to float away.
Dad and I learned several important lessons from that. Subsequent years had a much more secure anchor on the shoreline, and we bolted the sections together. I think he had someone reweld the stantion bottoms too.
That pier holds many memories, everything from a flying dog to romance!
1 comment:
Hey Steve, I remember that quite well "It was quite a let down"
Dad [John]
Post a Comment