Perpetual Ruminations

Friday

Wow! What's up with T.J? Seriously, is he sick, maybe suffering from dementia -- something must have gone terribly wrong. What am I talking about? Look at the time. No, not the clock or your watch; I'm not asking, "What time is it?'

I'm talking about the time of my entry today. It's not even seven o'clock my time and I'm writing my entry. Of course, it's still plenty late, considering I was up at three-thirty this morning. Even so, this is super early for me to be in here and writing.

I worked today, but was done at nine this morning, home by ten, and off fishing by noon. I wanted to come in off the lake around five this afternoon, but it was later, close to six by the time we headed for home. Even so, I didn't have any fish to clean and was able to get online pretty fast after getting home.

I spent a little time talking with my lovely wife, then showed her my leg, where I got caught between the boat and the winch. Luckily it's not too bad, and could have been much worse. Where we went fishing, there is no dock, and really, no landing. It's not eve really a lake, it's a flooded slough. The road is under water, so it works as a make shift boat ramp, but it's not deep enough there.

So, we turn after we get into the water and back the trailer into the ditch. Now, it's deep, but an awful angle to try and land the boat, especially when it's windy. And being South Dakota, it's always windy. We compensate by driving the boat right onto the trailer. My brother drives the boat, I stand out on the trailer and  catch the boat, hook the winch and crank it the rest of the way in.

Only today, the wind is out of the south and it's blowing the boat the wrong way. He tries to drive up on the trailer, but even as he does, the back catches the wind and goes sideways. So, he backs out and tries another run. I also go out a bit further, to catch the front of the boat and get it lined up, hook the winch, and  crank it on.

Today, we are out a little further, though, and the boat comes in as usual, up on the trailer, but it does not stop when it hits the front rollers. No, it does not hardly touch the front rollers, and I soon realize I'm going to get pinned between a fairly fast moving, heavy boat, with a trolling motor lined right up with Willy. I'm also sitting back against the winch, so there will be no give.

This is unacceptable, so I attempt to move, as quickly as I can. Even so, balancing on the tounge of a trailer slows me down quite a bit. As I turn and move, the boat hits and my leg becomes pinned, but Willy escaped, unscathed. My leg however, is now caught between the winch, the front of the boat, and the prop for the trolling motor. Luckily, I had moved enough, and turned enough, it did not hit straight on. If it had, I would have likely busted bone and needed lots of stitches.

Instead, I have one light scratch that barely broke skin, a welt the size of a cantaloupe, and a lot of bruising. And, I still have my Willy. I know that may sound funny, but it was a close call. I didn't know if I was going to be out of the way enough, in time. The leg is sore, but Willy would have not survived that prop on the trolling motor. See, a man can get by with one leg.

I'm fortunate, I have both legs and nothing too terribly serious, I thin over the counter pain medication will do me just fine, and despite the mishap, I enjoyed myself. Now, I'm going to go eat some chili and have a cheeseburger, then it's relax for a little while and bed.