Thursday, July 25, 2013

. . . . simply messing about in boats . . . .

My favorite line from the book,
"The Wind In The Willows". By Kenneth Grahame

The Mole: "Do you know, I've never been in a boat before in my life."
"What?" cried the Rat, openmouthed: "Never been in a - you never - well, I -
what have you been doing, then?"

" Is it so nice as all that?" asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in the seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.

Nice? It's the only thing," said the water rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. 

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. 



Boating in the Republic of Palau  (1994)
in the beautiful "Rock Islands".
Denalee, Bryan, and Brooke.




Brad and Sierra on the bridge of the Desert Princess. Lake Mead, Nevada (2008)
It is a 215 passenger paddle-wheeler.




Trevor in the MDA skiff  (1995)
Apra Harbor Guam



Brad, at the wheel of a 150 passenger, high speed catamaran in Sitka, Alaska.




Denalee,  Scuba diving from the MDA skiff at Coral Gardens in Guam. One of her favorite dive sites. (1993)


Brad, Delivering the "SOUNDS OF PACIFIC" from Guam to Japan in 1992.



Trevor, (age 10) helping paddle the rapids on the Sa'Dan River, Sulawesi, Indonesia



Scuba diving with a bunch of "Aussies" from the SS Thorfin in Truk, Lagoon, (Federated States of Micronesia)

Brad, messing about with the families 17' Hobie Cat in the parking lot at Nimitz Towers in Piti, Guam.



Trevor, (age 10) posing on our raft after a day of rafting the Sa'dan River in central Sulawesi, Indonesia.



Japanese fishing boats at the waterfront in Ogasawara, Japan  (1992)
Bonin Islands -  800 miles south of Tokyo.


Trevor in the MDA skiff at Cabras Lagoon, Apra Harbor, Guam


Azure driving the boat out to Ataku Island
in Sitka Sound, Alaska.

Brooke, out on a dive charter with Dad 
at the Blue Hole, Guam.  (1994)




Brooke , 2 years old, and Brad,
 hanging on to the outrigger of a boat that took us on a snorkeling
trip to the reefs near Sanur, Bali, Indonesia. (1991)