Well, summer is about over and we've had a busy time. We, the Schalm siblings rented a huge houseboat for seven (7) days and tried our hand at boating. First we all had to find a place to sleep, that was easy. But there were choice sleeping rooms, and we didn't get one, but ours was okay after all, and we actually slept fairly well. If you really want to know whether you get along with your siblings and their perspective husbands and wives, after very many years of living apart, try a houseboat trip! It is a fool proof test of tolerance and patience! There were 15 on us in all, all over sixty (6o) except for three young'uns! I think they got quite bored but they knew better than to complain!
The fist night was a sort of trail for us, we docked the boat but didn't secure it very well. During the night a strong wind bless in and soon I could hear all sorts of commotion on deck. I thought, "how inconsiderate of people to be slamming doors and talking so loud while the rest of us were trying to sleep". I looked at my watch ... it was 3:00 am. Exasperated, I finally got up to give them a piece of my mind. Here was captain Eddy, first mate Gerry and second mate David, and a friend Bruno (he and his wife Margaret came along for the ride) all rushing around trying to save us from sure disaster. Our ropes had snapped from the strain during the wind storm and we were adrift and quickly approaching another houseboat. Fortunately our neighbour was already awake and aware of our plight, got out of his warm bed, went out into the howling wind, fired up his motorboat and towed us back to our mooring spot. Quickly the guys fastened our ropes again and this time took much more care. Wide awake but anxious to get more sleep we all went back to our sleeping quarters and were drifting off to sleep when the scenario was repeated, the ropes had come lose again! Again most of us were up and offering what good advice we could think of at that ungodly hour of the morning, and trying to help our crew get a handle on things. Again our next door houseboat neighbour came to our rescue and helped us get things sorted out, at one point he was suspended like a clothes line with his feet on one boat and his shoulders on the other keeping them from apart. Finally we got squared away, the ropes as tight as we could possibly get them. It was now 5:am and we were reeling from the loss of sleep we'd suffered and were heading back to bed when over the din we heard, "For Pete's sake, can you all just shut up and go to sleep and let others do the same". It was our youngest sister Wilma ... she'd slept through all the excitement and thought we were just out to rob her of her sleep! She honestly had no idea that we were in grave danger and about to collide with another houseboat, and Lord only knows what damaged we might have sustained. We teased her about that the next day.
Luke really enjoyed the first four days, but from then on time sort of dragged for him and the other two young'uns we had aboard and they got quite bored. It's luck Wilma and Rinska, (Eddy's wife) came along, they kept him busy on the water slide, flying into the deep cold water at breakneck speed ... or learning English. Those two sure made a hit with him. We will have to think about bring over a few more just like him for them to enjoy!
All in all we had a very good time, read an entire book out loud called 'Butter Down The Well' by Robert Collins (a boy's perspective of growing up in Saskatchewan in the hungry thirties).
We also sat around a camp fire every night and chewed the fat, and ate too much of the wonderful food everybody had a hand in making and preparing. All we lacked was enough sleep!! But then that's not the worst ... most of us seniors can sleep whenever we want to and always managed to make up for loss of sleep! Edith who orchestrated the whole event did a fabulous job and we commend her and owe her our thanks.
Well, I wanted to update my blog because we are leaving for a trip visiting churches in northern AB. and SK. and won't be back for many a day. I'm enclosing a few pictures for viewing. Tchau!!
