Hi Gordon, Glad you enjoy my reminiscences!
The advantage of old age is that you have covered lots of miles; the disadvantage is that you are no longer capable of doing what you did at that time. All you have are memories: photos; and many a chuckle at the problems that were encountered. Example: We were going from Rotterdam to Paris via inland waterways (Netherlands, Belgium and France) in a 25 footer with a 10 HP SAAB diesel and a variable pitch propeller. We tied up for the night in front of a lock ( the lock keepers stop working at 7 PM and start again at 0600 the next morning - French Army Veterans running a lock.) The next morning, at about 0600 we fired up the diesel in our boat, went through the lock, and then into a tunnel. As we came out of the tunnel we were at the center of a small French town. At that point the Admirable said, XXYY"""" I left the boat hook on the lock wall. I'll go back and get it. I tied up in the middle of town, at the main square, while the Admirable jogged back through the tunnel to the lock and retrieved the forgotten boat hook. As she came jogging back out of the tunnel, the sun had risen. It had gotten noticeably warmer. She was perspiring. The town market had been set up and everyone was there buying fresh vegetables, cheese, meat, bread.... So, she grabbed her sweater and pulled it over her head............................ and there she was, just like the old ads from ""I dreamt I was there in my Maiden Form Brassiere" Ooops! ...........To the amusement of the towns people (she looked cute! This was back in '64) So, red faced she climbed back on board the boat; the diesel fired up and went chug, chug, and I pushed the prop pitch into "forward" and we departed. (You don't know what heaven is until you live with an engine that has a variable pitch prop) Connie _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
