Sailing fun

Everybody’s got a something in their garden just lying about not being used. In our garden there is a tinny, the smallest of boats. It’s got a bit of history that’s worth sharing about. It was bought the first summer we moved into Pine Haven for a mere $200 (a bargain in my sight). It was a novelty that summer. Then the oars got lost one by one (probably sunk to the bottom of the dam). After that summer it became a grass skiing device behind the ride on for a while. Jonathan, my son and his mates would spend hours of fun in it. This of course did nothing for the maintenance of the boat and it developed a few holes in the bottom. After this season of grass skiing fun, it drifting into the background and the appeal was lost yet again. A year or so later one of our visitors saw it and asked to loan it for an afternoon pool party. It entertained those kids at the party well and they had a ball with it. It came home with duct tape all over the bottom section. It was forgotten again as it lay in the top dam rising and falling with the level of the dam, slightly submerged into the water, neglected once again. This past week the boat was restored to life. The holes fixed and a big cork plug found and voila the boat was back in business. We have guests staying over at the farm for a while so Pine Haven is filled with the beautiful laughter of small children once again. Shrieks and yells as the boat, still missing its oars, was pulled by the men from one side of the dam to the other on a thick rope. The boat has a story to tell. It’s not flashy or expensive. It’s not big and spacious. It’s not even completely dry when you float it but this weekend it made many faces smile and laugh again. It brought pleasure and joy into that day. She is priceless. I’m so pleased to have that “boat”.