Sometimes, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that’s the Dude
It all started one saturday night in the fall. I enjoyed a barbecue and went to bed around 10:30pm. I woke up hearing voices. Given I live in a place where college students live as well, that sometimes happens on weekends. When I open my eyes, my place is lit up as if a car is shining its lights on it. I get up to make sure my neighbors are behaving themselves and not standing on top of my car or some other harmless (to them) late night activity.
Well, imagine my surprise to see a person standing and gesturing in front of flames just outside my window. Time to hurry get clothes on and get outside.
Stepping out onto my porch I say ‘Thanks Dude!’ and look around. The table my grill was standing on is now a few charred pieces of wood. Leaves on the ground are burning in a 20-30 foot area, some within a few feet of my neighbors car. Worse, the stern of my kayak, Old Red, is on fire as it leans up against my house.
The Dude is incoherently babbling and gesturing wildly, kinda similar to someone dancing at a Grateful Dead concert.
Definitely time to act. I run inside to get a pot and fill it with water. Running outside, I pour it on my highest priority, my burning kayak. Another pot full put the flames out and then I started on the flames near my neighbors car. Within five trips, the flames are under control. Another five pots has everything shaken, stirred and out.
The table’s gone, the neighbor’s car unscathed, and the kayak? Well, not bad. The gel coat had burned off the rear 12 inches or so but the fiberglass is still intact.
There is an immense relief and thanks. I came close to climbing out of a window of a flaming house that night and worse, lost a kayak completely to fire.
And what of this person called the Dude?
The Dude abides. Once he did his job, he left never to be seen again. Gone to that fuzzy space between wake and dream. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. (click here)
–
Below are pictures of long suffering Old Red and the fire damage.
Thanks Dude,
sam
