Thursday, June 28, 2012

Kayak Fever II or The Great Salt Lake Great Adventure



I wasn’t there I simply state
What those that were there relate.
Now mind; I’m only showing you
What the four of them declare is true.
According to DeLoy, our field expert, "some are gulls, some are Franklin's Gulls (the black headed ones), some are cormorants, and some are great blue herons."
Don’t fancy I exaggerate—
they gave me news of the Great Salt Lake.
Amy said she counted 35 Blue Heron
Brent, Jan, Amy, and Jonathan told me so,
And that is how I came to know.
The Duel
by Eugene Field
 
The ginham dog and the calico cat
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
T'was half past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat
(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
The gingham dog went "Bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "Mee-ow!"
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
(Now mind: I'm only telling you
What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)
The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, "Oh, dear! what shall we do!"
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
Employing every tooth and claw
In the awfulest way you ever saw--
And oh! How the gingham and calico flew!
(Don't fancy I exaggerate--I got my news from the Chinese plate!)
Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
But the truth about that cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
(The old Dutch clock it told me so,
And that is how I came to know.)

KAYAK FEVER


  Grant, our generous friend,
loaned us two kayaks last summer.
  We kept them almost until the snow fell.
This summer when Brent and Jan came out from Missouri
  we wanted to borrow them again.
Foolishly, we waited until the morning
  we wanted to go to call him.
He’s always been home before.
  No answer.  In all morning.
We started
  investigating alternate plans
Now that we had our hearts set on kayaking.
  Searching the Internet
Amy and Brent found kayaks at Sam’s Club they liked.
  “Mom will pay for them,” their dad promises.
Then he comes upstairs where I’m on the computer
  and tells me that Amy will buy one and
Brent will buy one.
  Whoa.
Like we wouldn’t compare notes.
  Jokester.
Before they get gone,
  Grant returns our calls.
As suspected,
  he had been out golfing with Jeff Hollist.
“Sure, come and get them.
  In fact, you can have them.
I’m 79, I’ll probably never use them again.
  I’m going to sell my house and move into a condo.
For a loaf of bread,
  they are yours.”
Dad, Brent, and Amy hop in the van
  and run down to Grant’s.
Why are they gone so long?
  In two or three hours, they return with
Yes, Grant’s two kayaks
  and two new ones from Sam’s Club.
$200 each.
  Such a bargain.
“I’m sure they priced them wrong.”
  Four kayaks?
We didn’t even need one.
  Aren’t we down-sizing?
Guess who paid for them?
  Yes guess.
DeRay.
  “I had to. 
I was the only one with a credit card for Sam’s Club.”
 That very evening, Brent and Amy
  dash to the Bountiful Ponds.
It’s 10:30 before they get home.
  Oh, no, we’re not worried.
We’re not in a panic.
  We’re not passed out on the floor.*
The next day, they take Jonathan, Amanda, and Naomi
  And a big lunch to the ponds for all day.
The little girls didn’t want to go;
  then they didn’t want to come home.
They had a ball.
  Wednesday, Amy, the only one 
who seems to be able to pull it together,
   Packed another big lunch and we all went to Causey—
Premier Utah kayak spot.
  It was windy when Jan, Ed, Brent and I went out -
Four kayaks, remember?




   Then along with Naomi, we came home
And the rest of them will probably kayak into the sunset
  forever and ever.










Big deal.  They saw a rattlesnake.
What about this colossal monster crawling on me?




 The only one to not ride
  was DeRay
He had his fun
  paying for them! 

*I was lying on the floor
Because
  I got dizzy and fell off the vibrator
  The room suddenly twirled
  Down I went
Dead or Alive?
  “Honey?”
  I could hear him.
  I couldn’t respond.
He put a pillow under my head.
  Comforted me.
“I thought you would never get home,”
  I say to Amy,
  Still on the floor a half hour later.
She
  Got me water
    “Maybe she’s dehydrated.”
  An aspirin.
    “Maybe she had a little stroke.”
  Pedialyte
    “Maybe her electrolytes are off.”
  Prunes.  Ed’s fiber.
    “Maybe she has another bowel blockage.”
  Soothing tea.
    “Maybe it’s a panic attack.”
She ascertained early it wasn’t a stroke.
    “Smile.”
    “Lift your hands.”
    “Wiggle both your feet.”
    “Squeeze my hands.”
    “Do you know what day it is.”
  I never know what day it is.
  “I know its Monday but I don’t know the date.”
Since then, I’ve had several “attacks” a day
  that I can feel coming on
So I can lie down.
  Dizzily.
    Weavingly.
       Scarily.
I’ve got to call the doctor.
  Unfortunately.

“Let’s do you before I pass out,” I say to Ed a night or two later.
“We’re not going through that again,” he ascertains.