• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Grandfather Says: Memories of a Budding Shipwright

By RD Blakeslee

Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife

Grandfather has written before about stone and wood — this one’s about water. Specifically, bodies of water and how he’s enjoyed them over the years.

Described earlier were Cape Hatteras on the shores of the Atlantic; the Lynn canal between Juneau and Haines, Alaska, and Chilkat Lake there; the Betsie River in the Northwest lower peninsula of Michigan; and the North Shore of Lake Superior.

They say your earliest memories are the last to go. Anyway, around five years old or so, he exploited drainage ditches alongside railroad tracks in Northwest suburban Detroit, Michigan. In one were bullheads, a small species of catfish which he caught with an earthworm on a hook made of a bent straight pin tied to a piece of string on a broomstick pole. In another were frogs and garter snakes, which he caught by hand.

Each in turn was taken home; the aquatic creatures to reside in a big tin washtub and the snakes in a box made of boards with a screen door top. Totals of each were counted up, like a miser counting his gold.

One day the snakes got loose and arrived in the neighbor lady’s yard, where she was hanging clothes to dry. You never saw so much linen aloft in your life!

Those washtubs also served as little personal watercraft. Their handles were oarlocks for shuffleboard paddles. Later, around 12-years-old or so, Grandfather progressed to a larger craft, a scow he built with board sides and a bent tin bottom, caulked with roofing cement.

Thence commenced a lesson in life: A group of local brats commandeered his boat and sank it with rocks. So, he learned that those who can accomplish will be resented by some of those who cannot.

***

About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.

Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family

6 Comments December 24, 2020

Comments

  1. 1

    Andy says

    I tried my hand at making a homemade remote-controlled submarine from some PVC and styrene sheets that I took to my local lake. After skimming the water until it got about 50 feet from shore I commanded it to submerge and it did! But it never came back to the surface and all hands were lost to Davey Jones locker.

    Reply
    • 2

      RD Blakeslee says

      Well, it’s a good thing your suicide sub was unmanned, Andy.

      Before the days of remote control, their was a toy submarine many of is kids had. It had positive buoyancy so it couldn’t sink, but it couldn’t really submerge, either. The diving planes were set to aim the sub down and it would go under momentarily, but then bob back to the surface.

      Reply
  2. 3

    Gee says

    I have no memories of handmade watercraft, but I have fond memories of the raft in the middle of our backyard pond. It was far enough out to keep the younger riffraff away, but close enough to get to even in April when there were still sheets of ice floating around. The older I get, the younger my memories.

    Merry Christmas, Dave.

    Reply
  3. 4

    RD Blakeslee says

    Merry Christmas to you too, Gee, and to all my disciples (*chuckle*)

    Reply
  4. 5

    Bill says

    I was a mailman for over 35 years in SE Texas. One time, a bird dropped a snake down my collar. I didn’t have time to check out what kind of snake. I threw it on the ground, and stomped that bird’s lunch flat.

    Thank you for sharing your wisdom, experiences, and laughs. The laundry aloft is hilarious. 😀

    Reply
    • 6

      RD Blakeslee says

      Thanks, Bill.

      Well I had the snakes in hand so the birds didn’t drop any down my collar – But their “digested lunches” sometimes scored a hit …

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Question of the Week:

Should you be allowed to opt out of Social Security?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • Filling Out the 1040 Form: Key Points to Know
  • How to Use Line Shopping as a Financial Tool When Betting on Sports
  • Grandfather Says: Eulogy for a Friend
  • How to Financially Prepare for a Divorce
  • Behold the $100,000 Hamburger!
  • Should You Diversify Your Portfolio With Crypto? 3 Pros and Cons
  • 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Out as an Investor
  • 5 Investment Strategies To Help You Save For Retirement
  • 22 Smart Money Tips Everyone Can Learn by Playing Doctor
  • Black Coffee: Playing a Losing Game

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 30,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. The 7 Most Popular Ways to Commit Financial Suicide
  2. 2. 25 Examples of Shrinkflation That No Longer Fool Consumers
  3. 3. The 10 Worst Things I Ever Bought
  4. 4. 7 Perplexing Money Questions Without a Good Answer
  5. 5. My Cola Taste Test: Is Coke Really Better Than Pepsi?
  6. 6. Planning a Wedding? Here Are 9 Ways to Ensure You’ll Pay Too Much
  7. 7. Economic Collapse 101: How to Prepare for Water Supply Disruptions
  8. 8. A Simple Test to Know If It’s Better to Rent or Buy a Home
  9. 9. The Big Secret the Banking Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Suburban Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2021 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2021