3300 miles... and....this one moment.....made it all worthwhile!
One of the major reasons for bringing the boat home is my grandson, Blake. At age 5 Blake was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a particularly nasty form of brain cancer. He underwent 12 hours of brain surgery and over the last two years has withstood the horrors of full spinal cord radiation treatment, full course chemotherapy, a centrally placed venous access device and a peg tube (a feeding tube place directly through his abdominal wall into his stomach). He has overcome his post surgical imbalance and incooridantion and though frail is still able to laugh and joke and sit on his Pappa's knee and drive the boat. Two years ago when I was holding him he asked if he could go for a ride on my boat...I promised him yes..... we went for that ride this weekend.
I honestly didn't think I would be able to fulfil that promise, but as I cuddled him in my arms and sat him on my knee to drive the boat this weekend, I felt extremely fortunate to be able to be with him and thankful for the Canadian Medical System that achieved such a great result.
As the grandchildren, Kathleen, Joey and little Miss Faith tore through the boat giggling, laughing and wowing at the seals, porpoises and one whale they saw blowing, their parents kept their promise to not get sea sick and seemed equally thrilled to see the bay of Fundy from a boat perspective.
We anchored off of Pendleton Island for a barbecue of hot dogs, red snappers (a distinctly down east form of hot dog) and hamburgers. The boys, Nick and Geordie, recalled former days when we would bring them here to swim in the warm salt water swimming pools formed with the right tide, on the inside of Pendleton Island. One challenge lead to another and before we knew it they jumped off the boat into the frigid (52 deg!) ocean water...not quite how they remembered it from their youth! Both appeared to be talking in high squeaky voices after the event!
We broke out the fishing poles but the kids were not lucky enough to catch anything, even though we tried their idea of putting pieces of hot dogs on the hooks.
As the temperature started to drop with the lowering sun, we cruised back to the dock, tired and thrilled that we could spend a day with family.
Everyone was tired!!
We are looking forward to future family trips into the Saint Croix River Valley and along the Fundy coast this summer.
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