NAB: (Not About Boating) Happy Father's Day

[Riley Smith]

As I have no recent boat tales I can only comment on OTHER things...

So...during all the flooding going on, FedEx kept bringing food for the school children that were going to miss eating because school was out. It was long, and rather large boxes and most of it was long storage milk. Of course there were some snacks too, and I ate some of the dried fruit! The grandchildren use this address because of a nomadic existence, and whoever that delivered them, was dumping the boxes on the GROUND where the ants were attacking them. Yes, I have a couple of tables and places to PUT packages. And besides the ants, it was raining cats and dogs and the packaging was getting wet.

We arrived after my surgery and I noticed one box at the back door, which Sonya got. And Sat morning there were THREE more. On top of a delivery from WalMart, so I missed the different box. I pushed it out of the way to get the WalMart delivery out of the rain and fend off mosquitoes and a barking dog. My son had sent me a Father's Day gift and I'd overlooked it. It wasn't until Sonya plopped down a black case in front of me and said, "You just pushed your Father's Day gift to the side!" that I knew they had snuck one in under the radar. She's been looking for it from my son and had unboxed the gift. And I knew when I looked at that case what it meant. And opened it up and beheld a gleaming gold sax!!!!

I had made a comment on social media about wishing I had one. And I was amazed by the feeling I got from this gift. Oh man, brand new, big, shiny, golden HORN!!! And despite misgiving about blowing on a horn, because of surgery related cautions, I couldn't resist a few notes and even a ditty. YES! YES! My son has a way and knows the spirit too, and it hit down deep in this fellows soul. There is something going on with this. I've been around too long not to be able to see the signs.

But maybe it isn't what you think. I know as near nothing as you can manage about playing a sax. I do have a knack for wind instruments. My club fingers make a mess of strings but I have lots of air! So I was telling my sister and she mentioned that saxophones have names, which I'd never considered. I knew a few guitars with names. And somehow, the golden object is now named Louise, after my Mother's middle name. Which is a story all it's own and lends a unique flavor to all this. You see, the ONLY time we ever heard that name was when my Pop revolted against my Mom's tirades, and said, "Aw, Louise!!!" and she'd know she was getting on his long standing patience. The ones that lived it will understand. Or maybe it's just the portent of ear shuddering squawks! LOL!

Happy Fathers Day!

You cannot view this attachment.