OVERBOARD!!

The wind is picking up and white caps are forming on Lake Champlain.

"Maybe we should get closer to shore where the water is a bit calmer."

Everyone agrees and my Dad starts up the motor on the Pontoon boat we rented for the weekend for our fishing trip. We go about 20 Feet and it stalls. He turns the key and it sputters. I hope we're not out of gas I think as we came close the day before. My Dad leans over the back of the boat and looks and comes up with the fuel line. Ummm... that's not a good sign. My Dad pulls a MacGyver cutting the line where it split and jerry-rigs it to get us going again. We are on our way. The waves have gotten much larger and are pushing us around a little. Bam! we come down into a wave and I get soaked sitting in the front, kinda of similar to being on a log flume ride at Santa's Village. Everyone laughs. Bam! We are taking on water...

"Everyone to the back of the boat!!", My Dad yells.

"Tim, get the pole before it goes over!!"

I grab the pole and the engine cuts out. Oh oh!

"Get on the cell and call Butch!"

We call and tell the owner of where we are staying where we are and what has happened. In the mean time my Dad manages to get the boat going again... He does impress me with his instinctive survival skills.

We make it in safely.

Okay, so no one went overboard this past weekend but we came awfully close. We had a great time fishing even if we didn't catch any keepers. Well, my Dad caught two and my middle son caught one as well but my son is a ethical fisherman... we only catch and release as he feels for the fishes. That perturbs my Dad but as reluctant as he might have been internally, he obliged his grandson and let the fish go. My Dad gets the annual "King Fisherman" award for I believe the third consecutive year. This distinction goes to the person who catches the most fish and most keepers.

Me... well, they were calling me 'empty handed' as I came up empty more than anyone else except my 3 yr. old, my Mom and my Wife. My three year old doesn't count as he can't hold a fishing pole yet. My Mom only casts like two times and my wife... well, she is a newbie.

There were times I got a bit frustrated. I think after my Dad caught his 10th fish of the trip, he asked, "How ya doing over there, Josh?"

I replied, "Let's see, I have lost more than half my line on my brand spankin' new fishing pole, lost about 10 lures in the process, lost 3 fish trying to bring them into the boat, only person not to catch a fish on 'the guaranteed to catch a fish lure' and almost went overboard... I am having a hell of a time."

Although, all above was true... I did have a hell of the time. I think the highlight of the trip was going out with my oldest and my Dad before sunrise and watching the sun come up over the mountains onto the lake.

Can't wait 'till next year.