Boating; Cheering up the beach!


There is a scene in my favorite musical play/movie where Harve Presnell stares out of a tent and sings the song “They Call the Wind, Maria.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DrOqRQQ9mg Whenever a gloom shades my heart, I watch this movie. In this land of endless sunshine it only takes a series of rainy days to bring on this lowness. Much more easily than Northerners would suspect.

In this mood I tried to invent a way to cheer up myself and any other depressed individuals. St. Patrick's Day in July is a holiday I came up with. I was trying to get some life on the beach. I and the rest of the 'Dead End Canal Yacht Club' are tired of looking at the long faces of our favorite bartenders. This week long rain has killed the beach traffic by car and boat.

Last Wednesday, July 17th, some of the 'Dead End Canal Yacht Club' decided to dress up like Irish men and ladies to spice up our life. After all it is one of our favorite days of the year.

The Reverend isn't Irish but he is always ready for a good dress up. He was a great Uncle Sam at the independence day picnic, beard, top hat and all. We started out on his pontoon boat to the Pukin' Pelican. They were shocked to see us come in. I had dusted my white beard green and dyed my sparse white hair, red. Mrs. boatguy wore a shocking green dress and Mrs. Boston Bob had a halo made of shamrocks.

One of the hard drinking patrons jumped up in a fit thinking he'd slept away almost an entire year. I explained that it was an attempt to live-en up our dreary rainy summer days. He sat back down and said that his life was plenty exciting without a bunch of silly people confusing him. We bought him a drink and he went from being our enemy to our best friend. He even joined in for a rousing rendition of 'Danny Boy' which is really a funeral song in Ireland.

Robeena, the owner manager wouldn't let us play our boom box with the 'Clancey Brothers.' She worried that it would drive away the ten hard core drinkers who we now outnumbered. Cap'n Crunch and Run-aground Ralph came in to laugh at us rather than support St. Patrick's Day in July. So we sat there, along with the regulars mindlessly staring at Goat Roping and talking heads on ESPN. They were spewing words about something we will never know because the sound was off.

We left after a bit. Robeena told us to give her more notice next time and she'd prepare corned beef and cabbage. We thanked her for her sarcasm and went back to the club house for a real 7 course Irish dinner, a potato and a six pack of PBR. No green beer but a lot of Irish music. Goat roping, now I've seen everything.

Boatguy Ed (boatguiEd@aol.com)is the manufacturer of the worlds BEST anti-fouling bottom paint,www.supershipbottom.com. TWEET me @boatguyed and a corresponding web site ishttp://www.boatingbyboatguyed.com/........ NEVER, EVER TRY TO BUY HIM A DRINK!

This blog/column is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Do not read while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment.

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