Plank Walking

This morning I wobbled up on the sofa to execute a minor repair on our front window blind. Struggled with my footwork a bit. Amazing how something that was simple beyond thought in early Kennydale is a challenge these days.

It seems like we spent half our time carefully walking or climbing on narrow precarious substrate like the boom or (sometimes) rolling logs at the millpond or the railroad tracks. We frequently tried to walk the tracks, without stepping or falling off, from Kennydale Beach to Spencer's Lake Washington lot near the Bar B and sometimes we made it. Trails to May Creek were pretty easy but fallen tree and rock crossings required varying degrees of skill; and we generally had it, for easy wheeling just about anywhere. Just about.

There were, however, the Liberty ships anchored at what is now Gene Coulon Park - the concrete shoreside anchor blocks can still be observed there just north of the canoe launch and north restroom. These ships had been towed through the Ship Canal into Lake Washington after WWII for storage and a wait for salvage. They were linked deck to deck by planks waaaay above the water. Mostly the "big kids" spent time exploring these vessels and running from one to the other. Just once, though, I was with my brother Tiny and Vince Grace when they began this, needless to say, forbidden activity. In order to participate fully and keep up I was required to cross on one of these 12 or so foot long beams. I was told I "could do it, Mike", but if I "wouldn't" I "should" just go home. It was a scary deal alright. I did make it, side step by side step, but was sufficiently impressed with the situation that I decided I didn't want any more of THAT. Those guys weren't that much fun to hang with anyway. Thereafter I limited my plank walking to figurative and metaphorical circumstances. Until I climbed on that couch this morning.