# Wind & Waves

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Posted by LeviLovR on August 03, 2020 at 23:36:16

When I left for the lake this morning it was a bit breezy, but I didn't think much of it. As I drove by the first part of the lake on my way to the boat ramp - there's a scenic overview that gives a fantastic look at the lake - I noticed it was slightly choppy but not bad. I hoped there might be waves at the boat ramp, but you never know. It literally all depends on which way the wind's blowing and how strong. It can be calm in one spot and rough in another, you just have to wait and see and take it as it comes.

Well I definitely got more than I bargained for. As I pulled into the parking lot the wind was howling off the lake onto the shore. There were huge waves, I would even call them breakers, and white caps as far out on the water as you can see. Being Monday, things were pretty quiet. One of the guys who rents the pontoon boats was there with two clients who were heading out. I had a nice talk with this guy last week and he said business has been booming. Many people are renting for the entire week or for a couple of days and they are booked solid. They only had one boat left, which they use for emergencies. At that time we got talking about boating in general and how when they occasionally have some free time he and his business partner sometimes take a boat out on the lake for a few hours. I've also seen the business partner take his wife and children out when things are quiet. I told him I'd had several offers from different people for rides but hadn't taken any of them up on it. While I love the boat ramp I'm not actually a boat person, plus once you're out there you're stuck for the duration and can't just leave when you want to. If they want to spend the entire out there then you have to as well. The conversation ended with him actually offering me the chance to take out one of the boats by myself for a short period for free if they weren't busy. That's very generous because they are charging $300 to $350 per day for rentals. I won't do it because I am not a boat person as I said, plus I am not at all mechanical and if any broke down I wouldn't know what to do. Plus they can get a call at any time asking for a boat rental and might need it in the end. We had talked about the many strange things we had seen there. He laughed when I told him that while I actually have no official position there that I sometimes pretend I do when things get hectic or out of hand just to get things back in order. He said he was going to tell that to Derrick, his business partner, because he would get a kick out of it. But I digress. This morning we discussed the wind and the waves. I really couldn't remember the last time I had seen them like this. He said it was probably the prelude to tropical storm Iasias, which is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow into Wednesday. He said whenever we get hurricanes and bad tropical storms things usually get rough the day before. Of course, that made perfect sense. When listening to the news this morning I knew we were probably going to get some rain from Isaias, but not damaging winds.

He left and I was planning to go out and sit on the end of the dock when a man with a chocolate lab stopped to chat. The dog had been in swimming and dropped his toy at my feet for me to throw, but his owner had put him back on his leash and wanted him to dry off before getting back in the car, so no more fetch today. The owner and I got talking about the weather and how things have changed here in the recent past. Come to find out we were both born in the same year and had retired at the same time. Is that weird or what? Anyway, he left and I walked out to the end of the dock, which was literally bucking up and down, sat down and stuck my legs over the edge into the water.

My jeans were soaked within seconds as the waves washed over them. Sometimes the waves were high enough that they soaked my arms up to my elbows and my chest as high as the tops of the front pockets on my Levi shirt. I hadn't been there too long when two boats approached the dock with fishermen coming in off the lake. They were both struggling with the wind and waves. As the first boat approached me the driver looked at me and asked, "Aren't you getting wet?"

Stupid question, obviously I was getting quite wet, and was tempted to make a sarcastic reply but thought better of it and said instead, "Yes, I am. But I am actually having a lot of fun bobbing up and down here." He and the guy in the boat laughed. They managed to get up next to the dock ok. I tried to get up to help them, but not very. I couldn't stand up because the end of the dock was rocking so and it was very wet, especially with slippery soled cowboy boots on. I had to crawl to the dry part of the dock before I could stand up straight.

"Are you ok?," the boat driver asked, seeing my struggles.

"I'm fine. I've never seen the dock get wet this far back before," which was the absolute truth.

In the end I did have to help them get the boat on the trailer and as I was doing that the second boat pulled in on the other side of the dock. They were having a heck of a time, but I was busy with the other boat. Once they got to the dock they were fine. They were actually able to drive the boat right on to the trailer with very minimal assistance from me once I was free to help them.

I returned to the end of the dock. I cannot tell you how much fun this was. A third boat came in, but they were picking up a man and a woman to take out with them.

"It's very rough," the lady boatowner said as the two people hopped aboard the boat.

"Just think how much money you would have to spend at an amusement park for a roller coaster ride and here you get one for free!", I said as they pushed away from the dock.

Two other boats put in, one on each side of the dock. One was a small boat and the man had two little boys with him. I would never have dreamed of taking small children out in a boat that size in such weather, but it's not for me to say. The second boat had just one man in it. He actually helped the two little boys get into their boat and pushed them off before getting in his own. I did not get up to help them as I thought it might deter them from going out, but they went anyway. As they passed me at the end of the dock the dad said, "Last time I was here you helped me push off. You just jumped right in, pants and all!"

Of course, there I was wearing similar garb, going up and down like a yoyo at the end of the dock.

"Well, here I am again," I replied. The loner boater just said hello, but I had helped him before too.

People were starting to come to the beach. The water has been incredibly warm lately. The temperature was warm too. One man who came with two little toddlers had to leave because the waves were too strong for the kids to play in. I think everyone was surprised by the waves.

I relished every moment on the end of the dock. First up, then down. It was similar to be in a dunk tank. You were dropped down and soaked, but then another wave pulled you back up. No having to climb out on your own power. I began playing a little game, trying to guess which wave would be the one that "got" me. It was impossible to tell. Usually the one I thought it would be didn't, but the following one would. One time I was looking down into the water at the toes of my boots and admiring my beautiful wet jeans when I literally got slapped in the face with a wave.

"Pay attention, LeviLovR!," it seemed to say. "Let's get on with the game!"

I wouldn't have believed it possible, but the wind started to blow harder and the waves got even bigger. Yahoo!
The dock was wet a good six feet behind me as the waves washed up over it. And as the waves passed under it water shot up in the air through the spaces between the boards like a fountain. So cool! Had never seen that happen before.

An older couple walked out on the dock and stood well behind me in the area of the dock that was still dry. They said nothing about my wet clothes whatsoever, they were too intrigued by the waves. They began a conversation with me. They were returning from getting their morning coffee and had been passing by and saw the waves. It truly was phenominal. Like me they couldn't get over the water flying up between the boards. I was still sitting on the end of the dock, chatting with them, but had pulled one leg almost out of the water and had turned partially around to face them. Then BAM!! A particularly large wave washed over me, hitting me in the shoulder, and practically knocking me over and spraying the two people who were about 8 feet behind me.

"LEVILOVR! Quit talking and get back here and play the game!"

I hadn't begun to recover when the man shouted, "Look out! Here comes another one!!" Then wham, the second one washed over me.

"C'mon, LeviLovR. Let's play!"

Ok I can take a hint. I turned back around and all three of us started to play the game.

"WOW, look at the size of that one!" or "Here comes a really big one!," the man would exclaim. Of course I was taking the brunt of the waves getting absolutely drenched. The man and his wife didn't seem to think anything of it at all. Another boat came in off the lake. They tried to approach one side of the dock, but couldn't get near it. They tried throwing a rope to the man on the dock, but it fell short and the wind and waves kept pushing them farther away. I actually jumped off the end of the dock and was planning to grab the rope and pull them over to the dock, but the boat passenger hauled the rope in and the driver finally got the boat turned around and headed back out and approached the other side of the dock. I actually thought for a few seconds when the waves were hitting them broadside that they might capsize. This time when the rope was thrown the man on the dock caught it and hauled them in. After the boat had been loaded on the trailer the couple left and I had the dock all to myself again.

A kid on a jet ski was sitting a ways out, watching me, bobbing up and down. He kept gradually working his way toward me, reminding me of Wes and Watcher, studying me. He finally dug up the courage to actually drive up to me.

"You don't mind sitting there getting wet?"

"No, not at all. I'm actually having fun."

"Darnedest thing I ever saw!" And he headed back out to his original position. A few minutes later two of his friends came out on the dock and he came in to pick them up. The wind took my hat and blew it out so that I had to jump off and retrieve. I intentionally went back over next to the dock and went through the neck deep hole right next to them and put my hat back on. They ignored me, acted like I wasn't there, but occasionally glanced. I climbed back out on my usual rock to drip and watched as all three climbed up on the jet ski and took off at top speed. The kid on the end of the jet ski actually stood up and raised both arms up in the air and let out some sort of a yell as they bounced along. How he managed to do it and not fall off I will never know.

As I was sitting there they lone guy in the boat returned who had helped the other guy get his kids in the boat. I had been watching for that man and his kids, but didn't see them again. I am not the world's keeper, but I couldn't help being concerned. This guy said it was really bad, that waves had actually been crashing over the stern. He said he had set the speed at 20 knots but was actually progressing at only 8 knots and it had taken him forever to make the return trip. After helping him get the boat on the trailer I laid back into the waves. So warm. Then I got up and moved over into the cove and sat down with waves washing up around me. The water was almost hot as if it had come right out of the tap. Too warm in some aspects, but a nice change from the cold that greeted me on my first dip earlier this summer.

I had gotten out to dry when my friend Charlie pulled in with his boat. He is a first time boat owner, and has quite a good sized boat. He had his two little boys with him. I have helped him several times, but he has become very proficient and can now actually do the entire process by himself. I was prepared to help him, but he decided that it would be a major problem getting the boat back on the trailer b y himself (he was right) and that he would just take the boys over to the beach and let them play in the waves. Good decision as there were not any other boaters around to help him and I was leaving.

So back to the car and home. Wind had really picked up every where. Tomorrow hopefully there will be rain - a good downpour that I can enjoy to the max. Thanks Isaias. Nice to know you're good for something, even if you do have a strange name.

Follow Ups:

- Re: Wind & Waves Ry 02:43:21 8/04/2020 (1)
  - Re: Wind & Waves LeviLovR 10:38:21 8/04/2020 (0)

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