Peak Boating Season

Memorial Day represents the beginning of our boating season, while Labor Day signals its end.  On the water by 1:00 and off whenever the mood hits us!  Good food, good friends, good times!  What more can one ask?

A boat beneath a sunny sky,

Lingering onward dreamily

In an evening in July.

Class Reunion

This past weekend I attended my 45th (OMG!) high school class reunion.  In all honesty, at our 40th reunion, I swore an oath not to attend the next one.  The 40th left me with a feeling of disillusionment; no classmate reached star status, no one became filthy rich, and no one was a raving beauty.  Rather, my classmates were like me--quite ordinary, run-of-the-mill, middle-aged parents and grandparents.  In high school it was assumed the movers and shakers of our class would rule the world while the rest of us would "slep" along gently into old age making nary a ripple in the pond of life.  Not so.

When the invitation for the 45th reunion arrived, I hadn't the heart to throw it in the trash, but instead pinned it to the corkboard.  Every day for a month I stared it in the face, willing it to go away while at the same time convincing myself it was totally unimportant in the realm of "Things To DO".  Its deadline approached; I caved.  I went.  For some unexplicit reason, I enjoyed myself!  Oh, the "Clique of Bitches" who dominated our high school years were present, and the high school track Running Star attended, but more importantly we "Average Joes" outshined and outnumbered 'em!  Justice was served--the "Queen Bee" was a no-show.  The most eligible, sought-after guy turned into an aging hippy, complete with overgrown mustache and dangling ponytail.  During high school his dance card was never empty, but yet Saturday night his presence never graced the dance floor.  The majority of "The Bitches" were unescorted, divorced, and with faces declaring high mileage!  Is there life after high school?  You betcha! (at least for us Average Guys!)

Beach Therapy

What is it about the sea that seems to be so therapeutic for my soul?  I was born and raised in the Midwest, Illinois to be specific, and what location could be more landlocked than southern Illinois?  Yet, I confess my love of the sea:  the smell of the salty water and its faint taste of salt on my lips, the sounds of the waves lapping the shoreline, the ocean breezes brushing my face.  These things create a deep sense of inner peace and calm for me.  The sea causes me to reflect how insignificant one is compared to its vastness; the idea that all our worries and anxieties are nothing when standing at the shoreline's edge.  At the beach, life is different.  Time stands still and does not move hour to hour.  We become kids again, enjoying the shore's simplicities.  Yes, I could grow old there, sitting on the deck with a good "read" listening to the sound of the surf as it lulls me to sleep.


Gulf Shores, Alabama

Beachin' IT

AN - TIC- I -PA- TION !

beach towels.........check
beach chairs..........check
sunscreen..............check
sun-umbrella..........check
ice-cold beer..........check

Heading for the shore, Gulf Shores, that is, and LOVIN' it!

Reeling "Em in Reelfoot

"Whether I caught fish or not, just the thrill of rolling out that line and watching my fly turn over has been good enough for me. That and the hundreds of treasured memories I have of this wonderful sport."  Curt Gowdy

Yeah, good ole Gowdy had it right...fishing is good no matter if they're caught or not.  Friends and family  recently returned from a week fishing trip to Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee.  This lake was created by an earthquake in 1812 which caused the Mississippi River to temporarily flow backwards;  much of the lake is shallow, five to eight feet and is populated with cypress trees and fields of lily pads.  Many refer to Reelfoot Lake as a natural fish hatchery for large-mouth bass, huge bluegill, and big crappie.  Overall, our fishing group took over 700 fish home; a good week it was!

Cabo San Lucas

Flying.  Air travel post 9/11.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well this cartoon says it all!

A group of family and friends flew from St. Louis to Phoenix, Arizona to Cabo San Lucas International Airport.  All eighteen of us arrived safely in Mexico, but not without the dreaded Custom checks along the way.  Nothing like getting a pat-down to give one a quick thrill for the morning!  I hope it was good for the Customs agent as it was for me!  You know, flying is Nature's way of making you look like your passport photo.  The statistics report that 143 million passengers fly annually, logging 382 million hours in the air, during which time the airlines will feed  'em a total of four peanuts!

Enough said about the flight...  Our resort, the Riu Palace, on the tip of the California Baja peninsula was stupendous.  Larry and I have stayed at three other Riu properties, but this one by far surpassed the others.  The staff treated us like royalty; their service was impeccable!  Fun was had by all.

Trout Fishing Trip

Over the weekend, the guys did some "male bonding" at Montauk State Park in Missouri near Licking.  Needless to say, a weekend away from the wives and women is an aphrodisiac for the male species.  Personally it works both ways!