Now,I know that title needs some correction.But any who it is what I am going with

A story from over 50 years ago Off the top of my head.May be fragmented in parts with this Old Brain.

Not as Sharp as it used to be in the memory department.

Jimmy was my age and was a friend to me and my distant Cousin Wayne.

Both Jimmy and Wayne are both passed on.Wayne is not in this story.

But we used to get up to some crazy stuff in his new Silver Gremlin.

We were probably about 19 when this story took place.

Because we used to have a few beers together before a Dance on a Friday Night,

Jimmy’s Parent’s were ok with us have a few libations.They knew where we were

and we were keeping out of trouble.Jimmy’s Dad was a great story teller and liked

a drop from the Crater as well.Jimmy’s mom was blind and always knew my footsteps

in the Gravel as I came for a visit.She had the sweetest singing voice.McEdward and Leach

recorded her singing a couple of songs when they visited back in 1951.Her voice is in the MUN

Archives as Theresa Butler.

Jimmy at that time rode a 500 Kawasaki which he bought from the Late Carl Bulger.Another

young man from our Town

We would go to the Dance around the Harbour Flatt Out! Jimmy always had the throttle on Blast.

Jimmy had a proper helmet.I wore a CCM Hockey Helmet.The Nuns would not let me wear it to Class.

I felt it made me smarter wearing it.

Anyway back to the real story.

Always a Calm before a storm and what a Beautiful Night it was.Stars shining on the darkness of the water.

We took a stroll along the landwash and came across a Black Flatt.Up home a Flatt is a small boat with a flat bottom and

a flat stern.No Oars,No problem we will get a couple of fence sticks.Longers we called them and use them as Oars.

We both were in good shape.Two non Smokers.I was a Cross Country Runner and Jimmy worked as a Fish Cutter at thelocal fish plant.Jimmy had lame arm,The left one.In the Right he had double the strength,

Out in the darkness we started without word or sound.Pitch Dark.Trepassey had about half dozen draggers at the time.

As luck would have it.As we neared the Plant.A big trawler came toward us making a hard port turn toward the Plant to dock there.It was slowing down to make the Wharf.I don’t believe they see us.We were Stealth paddling as fast as we could.Boy Jimmy said after the ordeal that was close.Maybe we need a bigger boat says I.As if that was the answer to our problem.We landed and quickly see a nice Dory with Oars included.Tied on the Flatt and headed back across the harbour in our new found dory.Rowed like Cadillac.

The next day a big Hurricane blew through.Turns out the Flatt belonged to my Brother in law Dave who used it to row out to his Long Liner.I am not good at keeping Secrets.A couple of days passed and I overheard Dave telling my father this story.Well you would not believe what happened in the Storm.My Flatt ended up across the Harbour and Poor Bernard’s

Dory was blown across from the other side and ended up in my spot where the flatt used to be.Well,I had to tell them the Story.Both Father and Dave got really quiet.I don’t think they thought it was a good idea.Not a word was ever spoken about it again.

I will end of with a Search and Rescue Pilot I knew in the Air Force told me they would have to rescue young guys going out to far from Shore either in drums or Barrels.They would always say the same thing.”Sure,That’s only Normal.”