We are spending the holidays still ensconced in beautiful Page Arizona. As I write, a motorized para-glider is gingerly flying over the RV park, enjoying a rare respite from the seemingly incessant wind. We are easterners in the minds of the populace here, very much in tune with the beauty of the midwest. That beauty comes with near constant ambient light and noise.
It gets dark here. I am talking about cave tour, turn off your flashlight kind of dark. There is no ambient light where we are and you can see the heavens much more clearly. The quiet is disconcerting. Step outside and hear nothing…..no traffic, folks puttering about, lawn mowers. In Edgar Allen Poe terms, it must be similar to the day they close the lid and cover you with dirt…..
We walked the docks this week and were thunderstruck by the size and opulence of the houseboats in their berths. The docks are wide enough and long enough to accommodate small service trucks, pedestrians and the endless stream of UTV’s loading the houseboats with a convenience store sized inventory of stuff necessary to enjoy a week or two anchored in a niche on this puddle called lake Powell. We can pick up our cellphone, dial a few numbers and presto, bingo, a courtesy cart will be at your site and transport you to your boat, the restaurant or any of the other amenities found here. When you do back your mammoth barge out, you provide the marina with the coordinates where you will be and they will send an “anchoring crew” to anchor your boat! Apparently there is a trick to doing that when shore is a sheer rock wall. That and many of the folks we see maneuvering the armada around here have not a clue how to drive the damned things. Out of curiosity, we inquired about the rental of a houseboat. Not a problem if you have 2 grand a day for the nicer ones. Another observation….there are several ramps to shuck your ski boat into the creek, one for do it yourselfers and one where a professional launch artist puts her in for you. The carnage around the do it yourself ramp reminds me of Gaza……you get my point.
I did notice a bass boat, equipped with power poles, slip into a tie down for a sandwich, I am guessing. I laughed, as the depth of this lake would require power poles about 100’ long. As long as I am mentioning things, there is a proliferation of young beauties whose bathing suits would not make a kids slingshot, leading me to the conclusion that a dermatologist would do quite well here. Money that you weigh instead of count, big boats and gold chains seem to attract these little girls. Bass boats do not.
So the day is started, a fuel truck is on site and the games begin. Have a wonderful holiday and join the masses that love America. May a police baton leave an indelible impression on those who hate. America is on the mend and all is well.
SR
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