Resurrected.
I remember well the first time that I saw it. It was a wooden boat that appeared to have been dropped in the side yard. Its timbers were rotted and vestiges of several coats of paint crumbling onto the sparse grass.
The tall, lean man walked round and round the vessel, with a look of admiration. With touches that were more like caresses, he examined the craft from bow to stern with a practiced eye for detail. It seemed not to bother him that the transom was missing and a series of rotted holes were evident. He appeared completely satisfied with his acquisition.
Now, you all know me. I have never been accused of keeping my mouth shut when silence would be an attribute so I casually sauntered into the yard and greeted my neighbor;
“Hidey-ho good neighbor,” I said, “I am sincerely sad to be the bearer of bad news, but that vessel will never float. Shall I notify the Coast Guard now or wait until you attempt to go fishing in that tub?” The man merely smiled and continued with his examination of the boat.
Several weeks later, I had almost forgotten the encounter when I noticed that the boat was no longer visible from my back window. I thought, “He has finally come to his senses and disposed of that piece of junk.”
Wishing to congratulate him on his rational decision, I ventured down the driveway that led to his front door when I spied the hulk. In the corner of his front yard sat the newly painted boat, with gleaming letters on the gunwale “U.S.S. NEVERSAIL,” anchored in the sandy loam of southwest Brunswick County, N.C. Tons of white sand had been spread around the vessel and dotted with sea shell’s. Figurines of sea gulls and pelicans stood guard on pilings around the, once again, proud vessel.
Like the current owner, the boat now had deep roots implanted in the sandy soil of The resort village of Sunset Beach, N. C. Although born and reared in the state of New York, the man had selected the southernmost region of North Carolina for his retirement home. By his act of resurrecting the boat and creating an embellishment of the seashore, he was proving to his friends and neighbors that……
“Them thare Yankees ain’t ALL bad.”
Demijon
This expose` should be enough to prove that “Bill weren’t Crazy!!” Dj.
