DEALING WITH THE HEAT... & more (Part 174a)

DEALING WITH THE HEAT… & more (Part 174a)

One thing I’d learned from my father dabbling into weather forecasting was that when a heat wave overtook our area it would also stifle the wind. Instead of the normal eight to ten miles per hour southerly wind coming up soon after noon time we’d see but wisps of wind appearing from time to time and not always from the same direction. What it meant for the sailing races was pure frustration. I’d gone to the sailing club early to not only talk to Rex about the law suits but also to get out two Sunfish sailboats ready for the afternoon races. However, as Rex and I observed the condition out in the bay we both had serious doubts that we’d get two races in. As I put the sails on one of the boats I wondered if we’d even get one race in.

When Elle and the kids arrived she told me the temperature at the house was in the 90’s. There still wasn’t any appreciable wind as the Comet class sailboats launched. As hot as it was Elle decided she wouldn’t race. She didn’t want to just drift around in the sun for three to four hours. That, and since neither of us had raced the week before there was no chance for us to be in contention for the trophy. I agreed with her but as an integral part of the club I felt I should give it a try… and hope the race committee decided to call the whole thing off. When I launched off the beach only two other Sunfish joined me. I remember thinking they others, still on the beach, were smarter than I was.

The races were called off but only after we’d drifted around for almost two hours. I saw what I thought was the sailing club’s Boston Whaler came out to tow us to shore. I’d started paddling in by laying on the foredeck and using my hands. When I saw the Whaler headed in my direction I thought I saw Bobbi, the girl who had crewed for me a few Summers and then had been in charge of the the junior sailing program the previous Summer. It was her and even though it hadn’t yet been a year since I’d last seen her I could see that she was no longer a girl and was now an attractive young woman. Added to that she was wearing a pair of white shorts and they were wet. Wet white shorts usually provided a nice VPL and I paid close attention as she bent over to toss me a line to attach to my Sunfish. I asked how was that she was the one sent out to retrieve us. I remember her standing in the boat and laughing. She told me she’d come out to see her parents for the weekend and, seeing the sailboats not going anywhere, decided to come on out to see who was attempting to race. The boat belonged to her brother and she’d waded out to get it. She added that she thought she recognized the sail colors and she wanted to see if was me.

By the time she collected all of us she had eight boats in her tow. I was the one closest to to her and had plenty of opportunity to admire her nicely rounded rear end with the outline of her panties (bikinis) showing through the material of her shorts.(32) By the time we got back to the shore line her shorts were almost dry. She cast me and the rest of the boats off and then anchored her boat. I had jumped off my boat and was walking it the last few feet to the beach. I wasn’t paying any more attention to her and was rolling up the sails when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Bobbi. I stopped what I was doing and gave her a hug. As I did I realized that she was wet. I stepped back and asked what happened. Laughing, she said it to “cool off”. We chatted for a few minutes telling me about her “real“ job. When she walked away I got what I was looking for as her shorts were plastered to her butt. It was nice to see her again… for two reasons.

If there was no wind at the beach there certainly wasn’t any back at the house. Elle had gotten out the sprinkler that we used for the kids on hot days. That wasn’t a surprise but seeing Mattie and Martha there was. Their kids were there running through the water, laughing and having fun. It was an old type sprinkler that we called ”the clicker” as it clicked its way from one side to the other. The women along with Elle and set up folding lawn chairs on the perimeter of the circle of water that the sprinkler left. I asked why they didn’t move closer and take advantage of it. They just made a face indicating disapproval of the idea. Mattie, as usual, was wearing a skirt and blouse while Martha had on khaki shorts. I was still in the driveway when Martha’s son ran past me. I stopped him and told him he should squirt his mother with the hose. The look on his face was priceless. The first reaction was “Oh no!”… but within seconds his eyes lit up and he asked where the hose was. I had to hook it up for him which was fairly easy. All I had to do was walk to the back of the garage and turn the water on. Martha and Mattie were sitting facing the sprinkler when the boy walked up behind them. He had a bit of trouble twisting the nozzle to turn the water on and the girls saw him and yelled. When the two women turned to see what the girls were squealing about was when the water started coming out of the hose.

As expected, the women screamed and tried to get up and run from the now steady stream of water. Martha and Elle turned towards each other and collided. Martha bounced off Elle and fell on the lawn. With her basically not moving the boy ran up to her and got her good. She managed to get up to her hands and knees with her head turned away from the water. That was the ‘piece de resistance’, at least for me. The VPL was even better than the one I’d seen on Bobbi a little earlier in the afternoon. I let the boy go on for about 30 seconds or so and then took the hose from him. I was standing there with it when out of nowhere Elle ran up from behind me and snatched the hose… and within seconds it was turned on me. When she stopped we could see the kids were in awe seeing adults doing childish things.

When we were all calmed down… and I apologized for instigating the attack, we decided that it would be a pizza night, for everyone. No one, especially me, wanted to cook. I offered to pay if either Mattie or Martha would go get them and they agreed. We all headed inside to get dry and cleaned up. The big question was what to wear with the high heat and no wind. If we hadn’t come up with the joint pizza idea it would’ve been an underwear evening out on our screened in porch. But, I knew better than to suggest that. Because we’d be on our porch Elle felt comfortable wearing just a pair of fancy panties. Since we’d both seen Martha wearing something close to a tennis dress I suggested Elle wear one. That idea was quickly rejected but she came up with wearing her beach cover up. I’d made my suggestion so kept my mouth shut… and I was glad I did. It wasn’t as short as a tennis dress but it was almost see through… which was almost as good. When we got downstairs and were walking out to the porch and into the sun it was almost like she was wearing a tissue paper dress.

To be continued…