Throwing a rope

Renae Brumbaugh

-- Coffee Talk --

I’ve said it before, but I can’t help repeating myself. Country living comes with some interesting moments. Like today, when Superman and I had to do some work in the middle of the pond.

 

One of our floating duck houses (yes, there is such a thing) had drifted to the bank, and it needed to be pulled back to the center. Plus, both houses needed fresh pine straw for the new batch of ducks that will (hopefully) be nesting there.

 

The problem was, the water’s still c-c-cold. And neither of us wanted to get wet. So we bought one of those $12 blow-up boats at Walmart, along with a set of paddles, and voila. We were ready to go.

 

Except, the boat would only hold one of us. And I wanted to go sailing.

 

Superman didn’t say a word. Just handed me the paddles with that smug, this-is-gonna-be-fun grin on his pretty-boy face.

 

I settled into the boat, and launched with my paddles, my pine straw, and my last shred of dignity. After a few false starts as I figured out how to steer with the oars, I finally got the hang of things. For a few minutes, everything went just fine. But when I arrived in the vicinity of the first duck house, I couldn’t get the boat to stay where it was supposed to. The wind was blowing, and I kept drifting off course. Before I could get any straw where it was supposed to go, my little boat ended up across the pond.

 

That’s when I realized, it wasn’t my sharp paddling skills that got me to the duck house in the first place. It was the wind.

 

Try as I may, I couldn’t get those plastic oars to take me where I told them to. Cheap Walmart paddles. Plus, I was afraid I’d tip over at any moment. I finally decided I’d just give up and go back to shore, but the breeze had other ideas. Here and there I drifted, no aim, no power, no control . . . and all the while, Superman was on the opposite bank, shaking his head and having the time of his life.

 

After a while, he circled the pond to the bank nearest my boat. He threw me a rope, and soon I was back on land, safe and sound.

 

That’s when Smart-alec-man Superman got in the boat and proceeded to paddle exactly where he directed, and the boat did everything he told it to. Before long, he had one duck house moved and the other one freshly pine-needled. Then he paddled back to shore and climbed onto the bank like it was no big deal.

 

That’s when romantic Renae swooned at such a strong and capable hero while competitive Renae wanted to push him in the pond. Then he flashed those pearly whites and those smoldering green eyes at me, and you can guess who won.