Boating; Labor of Love Day

Erie Earl's Labor day picnic equaled emergency room visits. A half dozen boats ventured up the miserable mile to a small island behind Sanibel for a picnic and some beach fun. Not much beach but a lot of very sharp Oyster shells and a very hot morning sun.

All was swell until one of Run-aground Ralph's grand sons cut his foot on a shell and bled something fierce into the water. Several other g-kids started the rumor that they had spotted sharks circling the blood and that ended the swimming. Ralph and family raced back to the canal.

He ignored the 'Slow Manatee' signs at the bottom of Pine Island and was cited by a unsympathetic Sheriff's Deputy. Manatees over red-headed grand kids? Ralph was nearly arrested for dissing a Deputy but Mrs. Ralph talk their way out of another of his scrapes.

We tried keeping the little ones under the pop up tents for shade but it was like herding cats. Their mothers were well into the second liter of wine when the Grandmothers rebelled and forced the tykes to put shirts on. Despite their best intentions, it seems that mothers don't like being told how to mother even when they are acting irresponsibly. The fathers were fishing in the fairly clear, non-polluted Lake Okeechobee released water and they were actually pulling in some junk fish.

The first crack of lightning and distant thunder sent everyone (grandmothers mostly) into panic mode and the race back to the dead end canal was on. I stayed behind to pick up the liter and to sweep the sand clean of spilled drinks. The rain would take care of every thing else including a crudely constructed open pit fire that I drowned with water. “Won't know we were here tomorrow,” I told boat mate Punxy Phil.

Surprisingly, we were the second of five boats to make it back. Putin' Bay Paul stopped at the Waterfront in St. James city with his boat load of 'today-only' bachelors, 'Minnesota Miner' Mark ran aground in the miserable mile during a blinding downpour and Cap'n Crunch hid out at Grandma Dots in Sanibel Marina. Boston Bob had left early in his overcrowded hard bottom inflatable and beat everyone back before it rained.

Sunburn, talk about sunburn. There were some blisters through the night. I donated my emergency gallon of 'No-Name' aloe to the effort and only one stubborn 3 year old was taken to the ER. Every participant was home in the morning. Lesson learned, take them to the 'beach' beach and buy them hot dogs from 7-11!