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Friday, May 20, 2011

"Soaked"

The word for the week is a bit too apt for me. I handed wrenches to my brother in the pouring rain while he fixed my car. Nice brother. Pat, pat, pat him on the head this week! But who wants to hear about car problems? The sun is actually shining for once today, and “soaked” seems like a bad dream. At least my water finds a way to Lake Erie and the Atlantic Ocean and doesn’t feed into the Mississippi flood.

I’m well familiar with variations on the “soaked” theme. It’s one of the things I learned to accept growing up next to a river. Falling through the ice, swimming, slipping on algae covered rocks, sliding down the rapids, falling out of a canoe… Ah yes, falling out of a canoe! There are lots of variations of falling out of canoes too, but at least most of those stories are funny. My river is too shallow to canoe most of the year, despite the fact that it’s actually the fastest flowing river in Ohio. I guess that’s the point, the water moves on so fast there’s nothing left to canoe in – except for the spring flood.

Spring floods can be devastating if your house is in the way, but thankfully I only shoveled mud out of our neighbors’ windows. Once the major chunks of ice melted on the river banks, the water remained high enough for people brave enough (stupid enough) to canoe it. There weren’t any surprises about where people would wipe out. My neighbors and I would take our lawn chairs to a lovely spot overlooking the rapids and wait for the next victims. It was a very pleasant time. People bundled up and sipped hot chocolate or coffee and laughed about the last round of idiots who got dunked.

Guy in kayak was probably going to get through. Single canoes were about a 50/50 proposition. Groups were sure entertainment because the odds of everyone in the group actually knowing what they were doing were very slim. I remember a group of 5 canoes all going down together, and you’ve got to remember, that water was ice cold. The neighbors placed bets whenever they saw a canoe come around the bend. I didn’t bet, but I did place my opinions with the others. Hey, you’ve also got to remember that there just isn’t very much to do in the spring thaw when you live in the sticks. Wet canoers were as good as we got!

We didn’t just laugh at the foolhardy. We fished them out and gave them something hot to drink. Somebody would take them home or drive them to their cars. We weren’t entirely cruel, but getting laughed at was the price of admission to our party.

My dad bet a couple of his buddies that they couldn’t canoe the river. Dad was right. Oh, I might’ve forgotten the part about where Dad bet them they couldn’t canoe the river buck naked at night? When 2 naked men showed up with icicles in their hair, my dad wouldn’t let them in because there were young girls in the house. Dad took clothes out to them before they could come in. Their dog was just fine. I think dogs may have more sense than men placing bets?

And just so you know that I don’t consider myself entirely superior to the icy, wet idiots in canoes, Dad and I canoed that same river many times in high water. Thrilling! Cold! Brainless! A friend told me years later that she and her dad bent a canoe in two when they got snagged by a water-soaked tree. That stopped my canoeing stupidity. Now I enjoy a gentle float on a warm summer day on a river meant for water travel -- with cooler full of snacks.

This art is a tiny acrylic painting, about the size of a business card.

25 comments:

  1. Well if it wasn't for you, introducing me to our laid back, snack eating, canoe adventures, I may have never gone that route, being an apartment dweller. Although there were some trips to PA before I met you? And my Dad and I always stopped at the river every spring to watch the fisherman :) I envied where you lived. Your backyard was so much better than mine. I was just glad I could come by and camp out by the river with you. Thanks for the memories once again. We really could use another a canoe trip to PA!

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  2. My favorite canoe partner! My back yard might've been more scenic, but yours had a pool :) A PA trip sounds spectacular. Have functional car again, can travel.

    Thanks for the follow Cindi!

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  3. Heisann!

    Thanks for the good story, many canoeing experiences!
    Nice drawing with a view from a bird's angle ... full of atmosphere ;:OD)

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  4. There's a lot of action packed into both your picture and your story Linda. I like the images of soaking wet people wearing nothing more than icicles...! ;0)
    Jane x

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  5. Ah reminds me of times at the lake. Lovely image.

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  6. Nice story and a great little painting. Thanks. I like your Dad and the fact he wouldn't let naked, freezing men in the house but took clothes out to them. A special memory, n'est pas?

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  7. I'm glad my memories can entertain :) Thanks for the comments!

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  8. I love the story and the little painting is so beautiful!

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  9. Thanks Jennifer, and thanks for the follow Kristie!!

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  10. I can imagine canoeing naked loses its appeal once you fall in. Actually, I don't think it holds much appeal in the first place. I wouldn't want to scare the wildlife after all.

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  11. Oh my goodness, teeny tiny! What a great painting!

    I love your stories, Linda. You could write a very engaging book filled with your short stories! I've never been canoeing or kayaking. I'm afraid of water, to tell you the truth. I'll sit on the shore with a hot cocoa and laugh, though! That sounds like oodles of fun!

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  12. I don't want to scare the wildlife either! Maybe if I keep writing blog posts I'll eventually get enough stories for a book? Thanks for the comments!

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  13. I like your perspective here...and your stories of canoeing adventures reminds me of several similar trips I've taken down river. Wonderful illustration!

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  14. Gentle float on a warm summer day sounds pretty nice to me...forget the cold!
    Absolutely wonderful little illustration!

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  15. A beautiful painting Linda, reminds me of an old chinese illustration.

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  16. Hey Linda, well what a great work, great viewpoint and a wonderful way to get the message across (great and wonderful are such handy words eh?)

    To me it's reminscent of a beatiful Van Gogh which he painted while in the asylum at St remy, the view out of the black window across a small enclosed yard, very blue and grey and atmospheric and emotional. "Wheatfield in Rain"

    You've evoked something similar.

    sorry to be late, I am early for next week :)

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  17. Oh I enjoyed your story thankyou. I hope you are putting these reminscinces reminicences remm.. hang make that 'memories' in a book with your images?

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  18. Beautiful colours, lovely illustration.

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  19. Love this beautiful canoeing scene. The painting takes on a rich look, with the textures emphasized by its tiny scale. So lovely, so summery. Much more preferable than frozen naked "shipwrecks!" Ha ha! "See" you next Friday! :o)

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  20. Very beautiful painting and love the story along with it!

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  21. Thanks everybody! I can't believe how fast this week has flown. A new word tomorrow!

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  22. This is a beautiful beautiful illustration. I love the colors and the sense of peace.

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  23. Thanks! In case anyone's curious, here is an interesting site that talks about the symbolism in Oz: http://judyboard.webprime.de/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4175

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  24. I love tiny paintings...satisfying to look at, satisfying to paint!!

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  25. I don't usually paint so tiny, but this one was fun, fast and easy. Love it when that happens!

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