I cannot recently recall a spring that started this early and consistently brought good weather....perhaps too good, as the dry conditions have prompted fire bans everywhere.
The up side is I am way ahead on my spring cleaning....which translates into me getting the boat in the water sooner.....which of course to me, is a "good thing" both for business and as well the pure pleasure of an early spring boat ride!
With my clean up around the homestead completed by the last week of March; I set out on my first trip of the season on the historically earliest date.....ever... of March 31st.
The weather was excellent, the boat ran great, and aside from keeping our eyes open for ice and floating logs, it was relaxing and enjoyable.
A friend of mine, Keith Nummelin and I went up and previewed a property in Lost Channel, just around the corner from my place and managed to stop in and reattach my dock on the way back.....(a yearly task, best handled by two)
I could not believe the ease with which we travelled along, on the basically, open water....when just days ago it was impossible to even enter Lost channel!.....That's how fast it went!...I guess thanks to temps in the high 20's each of those days.
My next trip up was just days later; to meet with clients and preview yet another boat access cottage. This time I brought along some young fellas, that "volunteered" to clean up winter debris and cut some wood at my place....having swam, barbecued, partied, and used my boat "the shenanigans" (aptly named) all last summer....I thought it was a reasonable request on my part.
Turns out, I was a long while getting back from my appointment and of course leaving the boys to their own devices meant little got done...but what the heck I was young once too.....
You know..... "Hey the boss man's gone!...shut r down...."smoke em if ya got em"!!!
When I did get back we managed to make the most of the time that was left....cutting wood led to physical exertion and that of course led to perspiration, which got those fellas talking about a swim!
A nice refreshing swim on Good Friday!
Once young Graeme accepted the challenge; the outcome was inevitable.....I of course insisted on him wearing a life jacket....mostly cause I loathed the idea of me going in after him if he froze up and sunk like a bag of hammers.
With much debate, a little planning, a lot of hesitation.....he took a run down the length of the dock and did a perfect "string bean" into the icy waters of the Severn!
Actually, when he made his "run" he took me by surprise a little and I was just able to get a series of 3 shots of the historic plunge......and plunge he did....I'm not sure if Graeme fully expected to go "completely under" cause when he surfaced he had looks ranging from surprise to shock to fear to finally "urgency" on his way back to the ladder.
When he finally climbed the swim ladder (all stiff legged spiting and swearing) he was quite a sight!
He wasn't actually swearing, because he was unable to form words with his mouth!.....the best he could manage was fff..auh......fff..auh......fff..auh!!!! but we all knew what he meant!
And as in all things....It's the thought that counts!....and he's now the "King Kahuna" of the early spring swimmers at Lost Channel Lookout! Congratulations Graeme!
