Boat On The Water

Between moving our stuff over to Wyoming in stages, hunting for a home to buy that we could afford, buying a house, and opening a business, we didn't make it out on the boat last summer.

I kayaked quite a bit and was thrilled to be on the water again, but our boat sat idle (first in Idaho, and then in front of our rental house, and then in front of the house we bought) all last year.

On a very sunny and surprisingly warm day last Sunday we decided that we would take the boat out on Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

Only.............the lake is VERY low right now, in anticipation of a huge snow-melt that is just beginning, so the boat ramps out the South Fork were out of the question.

They were out of commission, and would remain so until sometime next month.

With that knowledge we decided that we would drag our boat over to the North Fork and see if we could put in there.

By the time we stopped for breakfast and reached the first boat ramp out the NF, LC and I were slowly coming to the realization that maybe we WOULDN'T be boating on this day after all.

The first (and the second) ramp were completely surrounded by lake bottom.

Heading around to the opposite side of the lake we slowly drove our Suburban and boat down a rutted out and bone dry dirt road.

Although we were now taking the scenic route, we were actually heading back in the direction of the South Fork and home.

There were a few boat ramps along the way and we had full confidence - OK, increasingly shaky confidence - that we would find a place to launch the boat.

One was dry.  Another was close to the river and with only a trolling motor we had little confidence that we could fight the current on the way back.

Finally we pulled into a public access area that we had never stopped at before.

It was time to wander, stretch legs, let our puppy run......................

Releasing Kory from the bondage of the Suburban, LC and I looked around us, trying to get the lay of the land.

We were surrounded by mountains as always.

And as always, we were immediately enthralled with this place.

For the hundredth time - thousandth time -  we looked over at each other and smiled.

"We LIVE here".

Yes.

We do..........................

We thought that maybe there was a place here where we might be able to launch the boat, but there was not.

The area where we had parked the vehicle and boat would all be under water in another month or so.

But on this day the ground was bone dry, and there was only steep, rocky drop-off between us and the water.

By this time launching the boat was becoming less of a priority though.

We were all happy to walk on a very beautiful and quiet Sunday early afternoon.

And the wind was beginning to pick up........................

By the time we loaded back into the vehicle both LC and I were resigned to the fact that we were not going to be on the water on this day.

We were close to the turnoff that would take us back to the house.

It was windy.

And although it was almost mid-May, spring had been very cold and wet in Cody, WY and summer was coming late this year.

It had felt like an early summer day only a few hours earlier, but now if felt cool.

The moment had passed.

With the intention of heading back to the house (and with new-found jokes about "taking our boat for a drive around the lake") we pulled back onto the rutted out dirt road and continued towards the house................

20 minutes later LC surprisingly pulled into this place.

There was no boat ramp.

But the water was deeper here in this little cove and the area was protected from the wind.

He thought we could launch here.

Looking over at him with skepticism, I looked out at the water and thought "what the heck - let's give it a shot".

After driving around the entire perimeter of Buffalo Bill Reservoir, we were finally going to launch our boat.

Two miles from the house.................

Kory not impressed with wearing a life jacket...................

Looking down at what is known locally at "The Thoroughfare" - heading further down the South Fork.

We had spent all winter walking the dike and looking off in this direction, but I hadn't seen it from the water since my kayaking time last summer.

It felt good to be on the water again...................

Kory stood looking forlorn from the front of the boat, for the entire duration of our excursion on the water.

She is not sure about the life jacket.  Not sure about the rocking of the boat.  Not sure about her inability to be able to run on solid ground.

We had boated with her before but not often.

I hope (now that we live so close to water) that she will be able to do this more, and will learn to love it...................

Boats in the harbor are safe but that is not what they are meant for..............Zig Ziglar