With Sharon - a true houseboat life story, and the love for boats

by Roger
(Somewhere in FL)

Here's a true story about a man's wonderful houseboat life with Sharon, his life partner. The following was written by a man who was born in Canada.

He had various jobs in Canada and in the U.S. He and his wife lived on a houseboat in Florida for many years.

The first houseboat they had was a truck camper mounted on an old barge. Later they moved into a 30' houseboat that was to be their home until her illness forced them into an RV park.

They have both passed on, but I hope the following will live forever:


With Sharon:
We slept ten thousand nights or more in country wild and barren where the only sound was the wail of a Loon or the cronk of a Great Blue Heron.

Ran many wilderness waterways, raven-haired Sharon and me, swam with Beaver in their ponds and shared the Otter's glee.

Heard screaming Lynx and howling Wolves on many cold clear nights, saw the Snowy Owl kill the Snowshoe Hare and watched the Northern Lights.

We 'shoed through many frosted woods, sweltered on mountains steep, cursed Black-Flys in the Northern Spring and mosquitos in our sleep.

Lived in kerosene-scented cabins where the walls were broad-axed logs and the roof split hollow cedar poles dragged from a spagnum bog.

We killed our food with much regret and went hungry more than once. Ate sow-belly and beans in logging camps and blueberries for many a lunch.

Drank from springs so cold it numbed the teeth, fetted on berries plump and red, cooked rabbits and grouse on green forked sticks with bannock, the woodsmans's bread.

Caught little Brook Trout on tag-alder poles and cooked them crisp and brown, sat for a time in the fire's glow then cuddled in eiderdown.

We've watched the spawning Kamloops Trout, followed a thousand tracks in the snow, seen the southern flight of countless geese when the northers began to blow.

Watched migrating Red-Tails wheeling above, and the busy Fox on his rounds, listened to White-Throats singing from Tamaracks and the bugle of running hounds.

Saw the duck struck down by the Peregrine and the Wolves gorge on the Moose, the circles of death around poisoned bait and the Fisher caught in the noose.

Moved back to the suburbs in early mid-life so our kids could adapt to those ways, get an education and socialize, not be isolated all of their days.

But as our hair turned white we eased on South, living along tropical sands, explored remote beaches, played tag with the Dolphin, camped on mounds made Indian bands.

Basked in the warmth of sub-tropical life cruising coastal waters by boat, enjoying new wildlife and life on the sea, we read, fished, painted and wrote.

Then up into the bayous in the realm of the 'gator we made our final stand, fishing and guiding if we needed cash, learning to live off the land.

Saw Manatees calve and Bobcats hunt, awoke to eight-hooters at dawn, watched wild hogs rooting in hardwood swamps and the doe nurse her newborn fawn.

We hunkered over steaming tea on many river banks watching squabbling 'coons and stealthy 'gators and laughing Otters' pranks.

Our canoe has slipped through many lakes, we fished on many drifts, hundreds of adventures and sights together sharing nature's gifts.

Often scuffed-up and smokey and scruffy, dog-tired and smelling like hounds, but we'd roll into our sacks and sleep like the dead to a symphony of natural sounds.

Now Sharon is gone, this journey is over, life and nature don't beckon the same, but I know she is waiting with her boots laced-up tight impatiently calling my name.

And we'll see places yet unseen and do things yet undone, experiencing the next world's joys and once again have fun.

R.C. Friend
1998

**This is why leisurely travel by houseboat is important to me. It gives me time to smell the roses and meet the people that have made an impact in my life.

Submitted by Roger - Somewhere in FL

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Reply - Answer

Well Roger, that is a truly moving story of some of the beauty that can be seen and lived with, when it comes to living on a houseboat.

Again, thanks for sharing a really inspiring piece with us all.

Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their own memorable houseboat living experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats

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