Florida Keys’ Watercolor Kapers
by Bob Kranich
Robert’s Best, (Part 4, Excerpt 89)
This is a new story. Robert’s Best is a sailboat. Grandfather Roberts is going to sail it on the Intracoastal waterway from Texas to Key West, Florida. That will be an adventure. Then his grandchildren and their parents will come to Key West on a visit. There will be a lot of funny happenings until the criminals from a previous story get into action. A side note is that a 1935 antique Chris-Craft Model 557 Cabin Cruiser is going to play an important part in the rest of the story.
Roberts’ Best
The next day after school, Harold Junior arranged some lawn chairs and other items in the back yard. They kind of resembled the shape of a sail boat when he was finished. He got a plastic pan from the garden shed. He then went to the outside water spicket and filled it up half way with water. Why half way? Because that was just about all he could carry. He set it near his boat.
Suzie came out, “What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m playing sail boat. If you want to play, have a seat and I’ll tell you about my sailing in the storm yesterday with Grandfather Roberts.”
“Ok, I have a few minutes, but make it quick!”
“Sit here in the cockpit of the boat. It’s where you steer. Here, hold this steering wheel. It’s from my old pedal truck, but it’s what you use to tack the sail boat. You know what tack means?”
“No, smarty. Tell me.”
“It’s when you go from side to side to move against the wind.”
“I knew that! Now get on with the story,” Suzie said very indignantly.
“Now close your eyes so you can use your imagination. The story is coming. Now tack by turning right. Keep your eyes closed! The waves can now splash over the side of the boat and splash you.”
Just then Harold Junior threw the pail of water on Suzie.
Sputter...Sputter. “What happened? Why did you throw water on me!” Suzie screamed as water dripped down from her wet hair and face and then onto her clothes.
“I just wanted to show you what happened to Grandfather Roberts and me.” Harold Junior explained, a slight smile across his lips.
“I’m going to get you, you Do-Do!” she hollered.
Harold Junior took off running with a dripping wet sister on his heels. His long legs quickly out distanced his wet, angry sister. When she saw she couldn’t catch him, she went stomping and still dripping into the kitchen.
“What are you doing, young lady? You’re all wet. What happened?” their mother asked frantically.
“Mom, Harold Junior threw a pail of water on me,” she said crying.
“Harold Junior! In the house, right now!” Mom hollered out the back door.
“What do you want, Mom?” Harold said very innocently.
“Did you throw a pail of water on your sister?”
“But Mom, I was just trying to explain to her about the storm Grandfather Roberts and I were in yesterday.”
“Harold Junior, up to your room! Your father will talk to you when he gets home. Now Suzie, let’s get some dry clothes on.”
There were lots of sailing trips and fish fries with the Robert’s family. One Sunday evening, Grandfather Roberts had an announcement. “Yes, the doctor said my sore lungs were an allergy. The pollutants from Houston afloat in the air with this high humidity is the result. I have to get out of this humidity and pollution. You know I’m not getting any younger, and this has really been bothering me.”
“I will keep the lake cottage property and hopefully be able to return in the wintertime when the humidity is low. You will have the use of the lake site whenever you wish, and I hope you will watch over it for me.”
“We’re going to miss you, Grandfather,” they all said.
“I’m going to miss you-all too. But I’ve got to go where I feel better. Now I don’t want to be where it’s cold. I have done some research, and I’m thinking about Key West, Florida.”
“Key West, Florida! Isn’t that hot?” Harold Senior asked.
“No, surprisingly, if I get a place on the Atlantic, the ocean breeze will be great! I’m thinking about having the Roberts’ Best trucked over to Galveston. I’m going to sail her from there along the Gulf Coast to Key West.”
“Isn’t that dangerous, Dad?” Mary asked.
“No, Mary, I’m sure it’s more dangerous to drive on Interstate 10 in Houston. Besides, I’m going to write a book about my journey.”
“That sounds so romantic,” Mary commented.
“Why thank you, Honey,” Grandfather answered.
“When are you going to start out, Dad?” Harold Senior asked.
“Son, I’ve got the boat in dry dock being checked over now. That means it’s half way to being moved to the Galveston Marina. The boat fixer-upper should take a couple of weeks. I will get my supplies and things, and then I’ll go with it and launch.”
“Well, we’ll have a bon-voyage party next Sunday then,” Mary said lovingly.
“That will be real fine,” Grandfather Roberts acknowledged.
The Roberts’ Best was loaded up and trucked to a marina on Galveston Island. Grandfather Roberts had decided to leave his truck in the garage at the cottage. He had stocked his sailboat with five weeks’ basic supplies. His boat carried forty gallons of fresh water, and he planned to stop at marinas along the way. His stops at evening would be because he was a crew of one and had to rest. Besides he wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to find out about the Gulf Coast.
The next day after school, Harold Junior arranged some lawn chairs and other items in the back yard. They kind of resembled the shape of a sail boat when he was finished. He got a plastic pan from the garden shed. He then went to the outside water spicket and filled it up half way with water. Why half way? Because that was just about all he could carry. He set it near his boat.
Suzie came out, “What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m playing sail boat. If you want to play, have a seat and I’ll tell you about my sailing in the storm yesterday with Grandfather Roberts.”
“Ok, I have a few minutes, but make it quick!”
“Sit here in the cockpit of the boat. It’s where you steer. Here, hold this steering wheel. It’s from my old pedal truck, but it’s what you use to tack the sail boat. You know what tack means?”
“No, smarty. Tell me.”
“It’s when you go from side to side to move against the wind.”
“I knew that! Now get on with the story,” Suzie said very indignantly.
“Now close your eyes so you can use your imagination. The story is coming. Now tack by turning right. Keep your eyes closed! The waves can now splash over the side of the boat and splash you.”
Just then Harold Junior threw the pail of water on Suzie.
Sputter...Sputter. “What happened? Why did you throw water on me!” Suzie screamed as water dripped down from her wet hair and face and then onto her clothes.
“I just wanted to show you what happened to Grandfather Roberts and me.” Harold Junior explained, a slight smile across his lips.
“I’m going to get you, you Do-Do!” she hollered.
Harold Junior took off running with a dripping wet sister on his heels. His long legs quickly out distanced his wet, angry sister. When she saw she couldn’t catch him, she went stomping and still dripping into the kitchen.
“What are you doing, young lady? You’re all wet. What happened?” their mother asked frantically.
“Mom, Harold Junior threw a pail of water on me,” she said crying.
“Harold Junior! In the house, right now!” Mom hollered out the back door.
“What do you want, Mom?” Harold said very innocently.
“Did you throw a pail of water on your sister?”
“But Mom, I was just trying to explain to her about the storm Grandfather Roberts and I were in yesterday.”
“Harold Junior, up to your room! Your father will talk to you when he gets home. Now Suzie, let’s get some dry clothes on.”
There were lots of sailing trips and fish fries with the Robert’s family. One Sunday evening, Grandfather Roberts had an announcement. “Yes, the doctor said my sore lungs were an allergy. The pollutants from Houston afloat in the air with this high humidity is the result. I have to get out of this humidity and pollution. You know I’m not getting any younger, and this has really been bothering me.”
“I will keep the lake cottage property and hopefully be able to return in the wintertime when the humidity is low. You will have the use of the lake site whenever you wish, and I hope you will watch over it for me.”
“We’re going to miss you, Grandfather,” they all said.
“I’m going to miss you-all too. But I’ve got to go where I feel better. Now I don’t want to be where it’s cold. I have done some research, and I’m thinking about Key West, Florida.”
“Key West, Florida! Isn’t that hot?” Harold Senior asked.
“No, surprisingly, if I get a place on the Atlantic, the ocean breeze will be great! I’m thinking about having the Roberts’ Best trucked over to Galveston. I’m going to sail her from there along the Gulf Coast to Key West.”
“Isn’t that dangerous, Dad?” Mary asked.
“No, Mary, I’m sure it’s more dangerous to drive on Interstate 10 in Houston. Besides, I’m going to write a book about my journey.”
“That sounds so romantic,” Mary commented.
“Why thank you, Honey,” Grandfather answered.
“When are you going to start out, Dad?” Harold Senior asked.
“Son, I’ve got the boat in dry dock being checked over now. That means it’s half way to being moved to the Galveston Marina. The boat fixer-upper should take a couple of weeks. I will get my supplies and things, and then I’ll go with it and launch.”
“Well, we’ll have a bon-voyage party next Sunday then,” Mary said lovingly.
“That will be real fine,” Grandfather Roberts acknowledged.
The Roberts’ Best was loaded up and trucked to a marina on Galveston Island. Grandfather Roberts had decided to leave his truck in the garage at the cottage. He had stocked his sailboat with five weeks’ basic supplies. His boat carried forty gallons of fresh water, and he planned to stop at marinas along the way. His stops at evening would be because he was a crew of one and had to rest. Besides he wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to find out about the Gulf Coast.
From the Author:
My second full-length book , Florida Keys’ Watercolor Kapers is composed of 336 pages. There are 12 stories running from 6 pages to as many as 72 pages. It is fully illustrated with 88 watercolors and sketches. The watercolors I made roaming around Key West after I finished my 750 mile hike from Georgia to Key West. (See book or Don Browne’s SouthWest Florida Online News records, A Walk Across Florida.) As you read these stories you will experience Key West, the Keys, and the Caribbean. These stories span the time of the early 1800’s to 1969. bkranich.wixsite.com/bobkranich
No comments:
Post a Comment