Boating Fun

One winter, when we were in Las Vegas, with Dean and Marva Skinner, Jess bought a boat,  Dean was amazed that Jess could just write a check for the entire amount.  The next summer we would all work really hard so we could take off Friday evening, pitch a tent on Little Elk Creek on Palisades.  No one fished but we all water skied.  We would stay Friday and Saturday night and come back early Sunday, for the boys to go to Priesthood meeting.  This was a fun time of life.  All we were farming was the Sunnydell place and home place. Looking back I have regretted growing spuds on the dry farm.  Never again did we have time in the summer to do fun things.  At first we would not move pipe on Sunday but then the electrical company assigned us which day we had to shut our pumps off.  On the other hand because of the dry farm our boys all had the backing to do what they wanted for their life work.  I know the Lord guided us in the decisions we made.

Of the Boating Days Lee Wrote,

“Probably about 1959 Dad and Mom went to Las Vegas in the winter time for a few day’s vacation.  To our great surprise and delight they brought home a Boat.  It was only a 14 foot boat with a 40 hp outboard motor but it would pull a water skier.  We had so much fun with that little Boat as a family , we would go up to Little Elk Creek-a wind protected portion of Palisade Reservoir, camp, water ski, and have a great time.  We also would go to Island Park Res, and even went on Easter Sunday the first year to Dairy Land Fun Farm, by St. Anthony to try and learn to water ski.  Boy was it Cold.

We had to quit going boating on Sunday, but I’ll never forget the great times with that little Boat.  Steve and I also used to take dads old ‘55 Green Ford pick-up up in the field above the 3 way check and pull each other water skiing on the canal.  You could only go about 1000 feet.  You had to  go straight-couldn’t turn but had a lot of Fun!”