'noeing

I forgot how fun it is to come out of a store and be able to pick your vehicle out in the parking lot right away. It's easy when there's a big silver thing attached to the top!

I used to love when we'd leave the canoe on top of the car when I was a kid. I loved that people knew we had one, and that I canoe. (I still do, tee hee!) With it there, there was the "spur of the moment" possibility. "Hey, wanna go canoeing?" "Sure! Let's go!"

We now have my grandparents' canoe. When the house was cleaned out, and they were giving away their things, that was the one thing I requested. This is the first season we're using it. They got it in the 60s. My grandmother got it as a surprise and brought it into the house in a snow storm on Christmas eve. It's been well-loved! It's a big beast of a thing (I can't get it atop our Blazer!) - a 17' aluminum Grumman! We passed another canoe-topped car on the way home the last time we were out. It was a smaller, non-aluminum canoe. Dh said the driver nearly hit another car checking ours out. He said he must've had canoe envy! Good thing B doesn't think anything of heaving the 75lb behemoth onto the Blazer. My grandfather had a great system. He had pulleys in the garage. He'd pull the station wagon into the garage and just lower it onto the roof from its home hanging from the rafters.

My grandfather and his cronies used to throw his and another on the station wagon, and the 4 of them would drive to Canada. One driver, one passenger to chat and keep the driver awake, and 2 stretched out in the back of the wagon sleeping until it was time to switch. They'd then put the canoes and gear on a train and go out into the wilds for a week. I can only imagine how lovely they smelled when they came home!

I had my first ride in it at 2. My grandmother used to LOVE to tell the story of how they took me out on a crisp, fall day. I (of course) refused to wear the little life jacket. She said I was squirmy, and after a short ride, she suggested that we go in to shore. When we reached shore, I apparently stood up and very regally pointed my chubby little finger out at the lake and demanded, " 'Nother go, Bob-Bob!" Thus began my love of canoeing!

Now, C is learning, and L rides in the middle, telling anyone who will listen that "the front is the bow and the back is the stern". We went out yesterday. The leaves are just beginning to change, and they were reflecting on the glassy surface of the lake. The canoe's still on the truck... I feel like playing hookey!