Dog River Boat Trip

Before leaving for Mobile, I put out a plea on Facebook for someone with a boat who might be willing to teach Sarah and Emily to ski. Snow skiing, they know; water skiing, not at all. Emily was really anxious to learn.

Long-time friend Pat Reeves answered my plea and we set about trying to find a time and place that would work. Carol's work schedule was crazy busy while we were in town, so it looked like Pat and their daughter, Raben would be our guides.

After weather interrupted our first attempted date, we settled on a trip on Dog River mid-week. Larry, alas, had already left to go back home. Too bad! He loves a good boat outing!

We met at Dog River Marina. 

Somehow, we arrived first and I amused myself by taking pictures of the many pelicans, egrets, sea gulls, and sand crabs that were present, just waiting to pose for me.

 

      

    

Soon, Pat, Raben, and the boat arrived, and the ritual launching of the boat began. Sadly, we were no help whatsoever. Too bad Larry wasn't there. He would have been in his element.

     

First stop: Gaillard Island, a man-made island (actually a disposal site for dredged material circa 1979) intended as a breeding place for the then nearly-extinct pelicans and other shore birds. It has done its job well!

     

Pat and Raben had received an invitation to use the dock at a friend's parents' house on Dog River. We later learned that these were friends of my parents, as well. Thanks, Dr. and Mrs. Nichols, for letting us invade the waterfront of your beautiful home. I was especially taken with the tree that hung down into the water next to the pier.

 

Our three girls, soon fast friends, had a blast on the water. First they tubed...

    

... then they knee-boarded. (Is that a verb?)

    

Guess who was sore the next day? 

Pat and I, not being the water sprites the girls were, were dying in the heat. We soon learned to take advantage of the shower on the pier, and just kept wetting ourselves down on this brutally hot day.

The river got rougher as the day progressed. It was deemed too rough for beginning skiers to try to get up for the first time, but Raben, a new skier herself, wanted to see if she could get out of the water. She did great!

 

Maybe our next trip will be the time for Sarah and Emily. In the meantime, thanks for a lovely day to Captain Pat and his lovely and capable first mate, Raben.

 

Catch ya next time, Dog River!