Even though our tree doesn't have any sort of theme it has a lot of memories and that's my favorite part of every Christmas tree.
Jane and I decided to head outside. Water was running everywhere, It has calmed down a lot since then. Dad had the six wheeler out and the three of us took it for a spin. Eventually, Dad left and Jane and I drove around for a bit. Inside one of the pastures our pond was flooding. A portion of ice was left in the center of the pond, and it was melting.
Jane and I ran through the stream that feeds into the pond. Jane of course fell and soaked herself, and I sent her in to change. We occupied ourselves for most of the rest of the day by searching out streams that were created by the minor flooding.
Then Dad rejoined us in the six wheeler and we were going to drive out into the pasture with the cows and horses to seek out more streams when I asked if we could go out on the pond. The six wheeler can float in water for a brief period of time, so it seemed like a pleasurable idea to me. Dad recalled that he had gone out on the ice earlier today, but he wasn't sure how the ice would hold with the extra weight.
Eager to get out on the ice before it all melted, I put in my two cents. "Let's try it!"
The biggest mistake of the day was Dad listening to me. Dad drove us straight out onto the ice, but it had melted since he had been on it and it began to crack the , Then the six wheeler fell straight into the middle of the pond and we were stuck surrounded by ice. Never had I been so anxious to get out of that six wheeler. We sat floating there, but we all knew we would eventually sink.
First order of business was removing the extra weight from the vehicle; Jane and I. We sent Jane first running across the ice and onto dry land. She said she felt a little like a cartoon character, scrambling across melting ice. Next I went scrambling across the slippery pieces of ice towards land. It felt strangely heroic for a moment or two, but it was mostly frightening.
There sat my Dad in the middle of his sinking vessel with 15 minutes or so until the six wheeler ended up at the bottom of the pond.
Dad removed the winch for the front of the six wheeler and tried to toss it to me. I was standing on dry land ready to catch it when it came so I could hook it to a fence post. Dad whipped the winch towards shore, but it fell short by a few inches and the hook began to sink. I couldn't reach the end of it.
We attempted this again and again. Finally Dad sent Jane running for a strap.
I relocated to another area of the fence, a shorter distance away from Dad. Just as Jane arrived he tossed the winch out to me and it dropped into the water just a foot away from where I was standing and it began to sink down into the murky water.
All kinds of pressure was on me now. Saving the sinking six wheeler which was filled with water up to Dad's boots rested on me getting that winch. I stretched out my fingers and the very tips of them were just inches away from the fast sinking winch. I forced my hand to reach farther and I just barely caught it in my outstretched fingers.
I secured the end of the winch to a fence post and Dad began to drive, with nothing left for myself to do I sat there watching and praying. It was a direly suspenseful moment. Then the six wheeler gave what seemed it's final effort and it threw itself up onto solid ground.
We all waited there for just a brief moment, relieved. If we had wasted even just a few minutes more with the six wheeler in that pond it probably would have sunk straight to the bottom.
Water sloshed at my Dad's feet and he pulled the plugs to allow for it to drain out. It happened to be an odd flavor of events that occurred today, but it was an adventure and it sure beat a wasted Saturday watching television.
Until Next Time,
Katherine Rose
My heart was beating quickly as I read this! You kept me in suspense!! Glad you were able to grab the winch and save the six wheeler... along with your dad.😉
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