THE WAY HOME

So now blip has taken over my life, and I am actually going out on adventures just to have a story.
I bought this little motor boat so grandma and I could explore the river and bay here in Toledo. This was a few years ago, and we did explore. I just got the motor tuned up, and Matt, the kids, and I took it for a little run the other night. So I got to thinking that I should run it all the way down to Newport, and do a little crabbing. Something I had never done before. It would be an adventure. Haven't had this kind of adventure in a long while. I was surprised to find myself excited about it. I made some preparations. Should I top off the fuel tank? Nah, if I run out of gas, it will make a better adventure, and story. I did check the tide tables. Go down on the outgoing tide, come back on the incoming.
See, I am not really a motor boat/ tide water man. I used to run white water rapids in a drift boat, fishing steelhead. Just miss the rocks and you are fine. This motor boat stuff is different.
Decided to take the dogs, even though they didn't seem to like it before, when grandma was with us. Didn't want to leave them in the house all day, or days, if I had trouble. I'll not take them again. They just don't seem to like having crabs crawling around them. The crabs didn't even want to pinch them like they did me.
So we took off this morning. No wind, blue sky, water like glass. Full speed head!
No problems until I was almost there. Got into some heavy weed beds. Bogged the motor down. Took a little extra gas to get out of there. I got to where I was going, and put out my three pots, then checked the gas. Less than half of what I started with. Not good.. There was still a tidal current. so I had to set and anchor, and use the oars to service the pots to save gas. This worked ok as long as I wasn't in a hurry. Had to wait for the tide to get going toward home anyway. Caught lots of crab, but only one keeper, but he was a giant. And I kept one large red rock crab. Not as big as the Dungeness, and you can keep all you want.
A stiff wind came up, blowing toward home. That could help out, but it blew me away from my pots, and when I pulled on the anchor rope there was no anchor on it. I had never used it before, and the bolt had come out of the cleavice. Now I had to use the motor to retrieve the pots, and get out of there.
Decided to drive home slow all the way to make the gas last. I have never had such an enjoyable motor boat ride. It was a perfect time. And all of the fishermen waved, and wondered, what is that fool going so slow for. We made it with half a teacup left.
Then cooking, cleaning, and picking the meat out. Putting stuff away. Took the dogs on a walk in the woods to make up for their day, but I didn't feel like it.
Terrific crab salad for dinner, and at least enough for lunch tomorrow. The crab meat was worth a lot, but the trip was worth much more. I am very tired, but I feel alive. Now I lay my head down to sleep.
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