Three of my ten grandkids have been dying to go tubing. So Pop got the boat ready, we loaded everything up, and off to the lake we went.
The first attempt was a complete bust.
We got the boat in the water, and it wouldn’t stay running. After a lot of troubleshooting, we discovered what appeared to be nearly 30 gallons of bad gas in the tank. The kids didn’t get their boat ride.
Pop spent the next couple of days at home running the bad gas out of the boat in our driveway, putting clean gas back in, working on it, testing it, and getting Knot Bad ready for another try.
Yesterday, we tried again. This time, we got to the lake before the kids. The boat launched beautifully. It started. It ran. Success.
Pop looked at me and said, “Want to go for a little ride?”
I almost said no. I almost said, Let’s just wait for the kids. But instead I said, “Yeah, sure.” So off we went.
The boat launched beautifully. It started. It ran.Success.Then we heard a noise.Pop frowned.
“What was that?”
Almost at the same time, the boat lost acceleration. Then it stopped. We were dead in the water.
We were stranded in the middle of the lake. Nicole and the kids were still on shore. We called and told them what had happened. I told them to go on and enjoy the day.
I hated disappointing them, but there was no reason for them to sit around waiting on us.
My grandson kept saying, “Call 911.”
I was busy looking up boat towing services and imagining what that little adventure was going to cost us.
Nicole texted me the number for the lake office.
They told us to call 911.
So apparently my grandson had been right all along.
We called 911 and then we waited.
The funny thing is, I wasn’t particularly upset.We had drinks. We had shade. It was a beautiful day.
We had settled in to waiting when we spotted a boat in the distance.
At first, we didn’t know if they had even seen us.
Then they changed course.
They were coming toward us.
He pulled alongside and asked if we needed help.
Before we knew it, he had us hooked up and headed back toward shore.
Even though we’d called back and canceled our 911 call, an Edmond police officer still came out to make sure everything was okay.
Yep… Edmond Police.They patrol Arcadia Lake.They pulled alongside, made sure we were safely under tow, and wished us well.
They didn’t seem the least bit bothered.
I think they were just enjoying a beautiful Oklahoma day on the water.
Pop made it back to shore, got the truck and trailer, and headed for the boat ramp.
Just as he started easing back toward the dock, Good Samaritan #2 appeared.
“Where are you headed?”
Pop pointed toward the ramp.
The man smiled and said, “Brother, throw me a rope. I’ll get you there.
And he did.
He didn’t just tow us. He practically lined us up on the trailer.
Another complete stranger.
Another person who didn’t ask for a dime.
Just someone who saw people having a rough day and decided to help.
I’ve learned that when I start looking for the good, I see good everywhere. And somehow, it makes my whole life feel brighter.
Pop got the boat onto the trailer, climbed into the truck, and we headed home.
Once we got home, Pop did what Pop always does.
He started troubleshooting.
Out came the tools.
Out came his AI chatbot.
Step by step, they worked through the possibilities until they narrowed it down to what we believe is a cracked exhaust manifold.
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