The newest pain fighter in my medical marijuana cabinet is called “relief.” I am happy to report it is aptly named. One pea sized dose allowed me to sleep painlessly and awaken without pain of any kind.

To celebrate, Hans and I took our boat out. Roxy clamored aboard which encouraged Baxter to do the same. His first boat ride! The dogs chewed the air, ears flapping, noses enjoying the scents on the breeze.

We navigated the river at a leisurely 7 mph. The 73 degree temperature and winds of 8mph kept us very comfortable as the sun peaked in and out of the clouds. We encountered pelicans, ibis and even a pair of mating manta rays,

As we passed the canal where my dad lived, I found myself remembering stories of my dad and his boat. Shortly after he got a boat, his younger sister, Shirley gave him a custom embroidered hat that read “Captain Irving.”

It is important to note that Dad’s love of boating didn’t begin until he was in his late 70’s. Hans, (bless his heart), was tasked with training Captain Irving. It was not easy and certainly not for the faint of heart!

Dad named his 17 foot, 140 horsepower inboard Four Winds “Lola” for his girlfriend Lois. Hans worked with him on navigation skills and Dad learned some landmarks like Irving’s point, reinforced when he went aground there. Even so, he managed to get lost a lot and we shuddered when we heard from Lois that he had ventured out alone. At my urging, my sons would reluctantly accompany him on his jaunts and consistently returned from their outings with harrowing stories.

Dad went too slow near wakes and too fast in slow zones. He was unbothered by fellow boaters yelling at him since he was pretty much deaf.

Boating brought him joy.

Until the day, Dad blew Lolo up! He had just filled the gas tank up at the Marina and backed away, forgetting to turn on the blower, a critical step for sucking the fumes out of the engine after fueling. Dad cranked his key again and again and suddenly the engine was on fire!

Onlookers at the marina yelled to him that the engine had caught fire, but deaf Dad was oblivious. They waved their arms and pointed as they shouted. Finally Dad turned around and saw the danger. He walked to the front of the boat and stretched out a leg in an attempt to step onto the dock. But Lolo was no longer tied to the dock. Captain Irving plunged feet first into the river. The man who had pumped the gas jumped in and pulled Dad out. Miraculously, he was unhurt.

Throughout this ordeal and later when retelling this story, Dad was unperturbed and unembarrassed. Within a week, he replaced his cell phone, his wallet and his hearing aids and started shopping for another boat. It was not to be. Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer and contented himself with being a passenger on our boat. Hans even let him drive once in awhile under strict supervision!