Putting in the Dock

As Memorial Day approaches, the Bend keeps coming to my mind. I remember when I was little, every Memorial Day my grandma would cook up a big picnic that included hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, pasta salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, and a refreshing dessert. After that huge picnic, there was only one task at hand, and that was putting in the dock for the summer. My dad and grandpa would drag down all the dock boxes and boards while my brother and I would throw big river rocks on the dock boxes to hold them in place. My mom and grandma would bring down the rope to tie the dock to the tree on the river bank so when the river would flood, the dock would not float away. It was a real family affair! Once the dock was secure, my brother and I dragged down the canoe, followed by my grandpa who dragged down the little fishing boat to tie to the dock. My dad had the hard job of trying to get the "big motor boat" down the ramp. My dad hooked the boat onto our car, and very carefully backed it down the ramp, which always made my grandma a nervous wreck! Once he reached the river, we all helped unhook the boat, and tie it up at the end of the dock. By this point in time, we were all sweaty from being out in the sun all day, so we would end the day with a nice dip in the pool. This is how we celebrated the official start of the summer season!