Tough Day On The Water... and... We're On Vacation, Dammit!

One of my "bonus" days off today, but it is also the first Friday of the month and we have to do the Coast Guard required fire and Man-Overboard drills with all captains and first mates. Instead of taking both boats out, then coming back in and swapping, I suggested we put everyone on one boat, then come back and get the other boat - good learning experience with all parties onboard and we'll be burning half the fuel.

First run out: two people overboard, fire in the cabin, fuel-fed fire in the engine room, boat taking on water, refresher on how to deploy the life boat... and then the captain had a heart attack. During the CPR procedure on the captain (yes, I was laying lifeless on the cabin floor), a child fell overboard. Decisions!! That all constitutes a very tough day on the water... and that was all in the first hour!

First mates retrieving the first MOB...


Back to the marina, swap out cruise boats, more of the same. Everyone worked together, and it was a good learning experience.

With that bit of work out of the way, I headed for home to get some motorcycling in. It's a beautiful day, the roads are not crowded, and the mountains are looking their usual gorgeous self...


I came back to the marina to have lunch with my lovely wife. On the way through Colter Bay Village, I came to a near stop at a cross walk while three kids on bikes passed. I saw in my mirror a minivan coming up fast. When the kids were through the crosswalk, I proceeded at the 15 mph speed limit. The minivan passed me on the right, in a single lane area, the guy glaring as he went by. The guy then drove to the end of the road and started to turn the wrong way on a one way street. I was concerned that he might be drunk... I followed him to a parking spot, and when he got out, I asked if he was OK?

"What's it to you?" he snarled.

"Well, sir, this is a 15 mph area, and, besides speeding, you just about turned the wrong way on a one way street," I replied.

"Are you a cop?" more snarling.

"Easy boy. No, I'm an employee here, but I can have NPS and Security here in a heartbeat," I told him.

"You gonna narc on me?"

As he started towards me, I put the kickstand down on the bike and turned it off... he thought better and stopped. The situation deteriorated, with him unleashing a swearing rant at me. He ended the rant with "asshole."

I said, "You don't know me well enough to call me that - it's MISTER Asshole to you."

His wife tried to reel him in, and when he saw that I wasn't going to back down, he walked away, swearing.

I shook my head and drove down to the marina for lunch with Joan. After lunch, when I was getting back on my bike, the crazy-ass guy walked by and screamed, "What? Are you following me?" And then let off with another swearing rant. I guess he didn't like it when my response was to laugh at him. His wife was trying to lead him away.

I rode away, and then thought that this guy might be wacko enough to be a problem to the next person who crossed him. I stopped to report the incident to LE (Law Enforcement) at the NPS Ranger Station. When I rode back down to that area, the white minivan with Montana plates was gone. Probably off to spread more sunshine elsewhere.

I went back to my motorcycle ride. While stopped to take photos, I visited with a really nice couple on a GoldWing from Salt Lake City. They asked if I knew a good place for lunch where they could eat on an outside deck... I gave them a couple options within 10 miles. Plenty of nice folks out there. It would be a darn shame to let one bad apple spoil this lovely day. Some folks go through life looking for problems... tough way to take on each day.

The riding was nice.


Little Izzy got a nice long walk in when I got home. Some work to do around the coach, then off to the marina to pick up the Blonde.