We got just about to Long Point Drive and I was pontificating idly about ways to make html table data (specifically football statistics) more accessible to people with low or no vision. As we turned onto Long Point, we saw a flashing red emergency vee-hickle-type light at the end of Ina Street. What now? We speculated until we pulled into the driveway. When we got out of our vee-hickle, we heard a horrible buzzing noise coming from the lake and, in a minute, the rescue airboat drove by, lights flashing away. This was just too surreal.

Several winters ago, I guess it was 2003 because Liz was a college freshman and Mouse still had her learner’s permit, we drove up here one February evening. When we arrived, there was a huge notice plastered on the garage saying that big holes had opened up in the ice on the lake. This was despite the fact that temperatures had been low enough to already *form* ice capable of supporting the average road vee-hicle. That was when we still had the old cabin and the heat was always turned off in the winter when no one was there. The GG went inside and turned on the heat and Mouse drove us down to the end of the point while the cabin warmed up a bit.

When we got down there, we were horrified to find all kinds of emergency vee-hickles. And they were pulling the airboat out of the lake. We asked someone what was going on and they told us that two snowmobilers (brothers, I think) had unsuspectingly encountered one of the holes and drowned. They were out there looking for them. I’m glad I don’t have that job.

Anyway, tonight we got to the cabin and walked down to the lake and watched the airboat go by and for a little while I felt chilled to the bone. I wondered who they were looking for and what had happened. I felt angry for a few minutes about the foolhardy souls you sometimes encounter around “small water” who think they can do anything and sometimes drown doing it. I grew up on the shores of “big water” and I am very respectful of what any size water can do.

After watching the airboat travel back and forth numerous times over very shallow water and at a high rate of speed, we have convinced ourselves that they are just practicing. Testing. Figuring out what the challenges of the coming winter might be. There’s no ice and hardly anyone is around here. But y’all PLEASE be careful around water and don’t take your snowmobiles out on the ice unless you are sure it’s safe. Siberia tomorrow. G’night.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 at 10:21 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.