“Homeward, Whisper”

My parents had a small sailboat before my older brother and I were born. In fact, they put off having kids until their mid 30s, choosing to have adventures first. (Ha! Little did they know how much adventure kids can bring to life.) But, their plans were a good thing because sadly dad never made it to his retirement years. Back to the sailboat… they’d named it Whisper, and kept it docked in San Pedro. Mom, now 96, often recounts the endless hours, elbow grease, and sweat that went into Whisper. More time spent working on it than sailing. It was the pride of the docks. Dad being the perfectionist he was, I can just imagine every inch polished and immaculate. Finally, once Whisper passed dad’s inspection, he and mom would head to Catalina Island. That was back in the days when the big bands played the Casino Ballroom there. Since mom and dad first met at a dancehall in downtown Los Angeles, they enjoyed combining their two favorite hobbies. I’m smiling as I write this, thinking how each time I hear the Whisper stories, they always end at the same place: mom giving a little laugh and saying “all those trips to Catalina and I never knew how to swim”! Today’s Foto Fix, taken off Balboa Island, is in honor of Whisper, heading homeward. ~SueBee (photo by SueBee)