I’ve been on cruise ships, speedboats, motorboats, ferry boats and rowboats. But the boat ride that sticks in my mind the most is a rowboat ride my cousin, two friends and I took on Saylors Lake one fine summer day.

Saylors Lake is located in northeastern Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains. My sister and I, along with two of our cousins, spent many summers in the Poconos at my Grandmother’s cottage. The cottage was up a steep hill, and the Lake was at the bottom of the steep hill. The walk from her cottage to the Lake was relatively short.

My Grandmother was loving and kind, but also very strict. The one thing you didn’t do was anything you weren’t supposed to do. If you did cross that line, you most certainly incurred her wrath, which was usually in the form of a good swift smack, more than likely on your face. And my Grandmother had big hands, so it wasn’t a “love tap” that you got.

On a run of the mill, average summer day we were all looking for something to do. As luck would have it, the two kids that lived next door to my Grandma’s cottage, Johnny and Elizabeth, had a plan for fun. They decided to go down to the Lake, get in a rowboat, and go for a ride. One of my younger cousins who happened to be visiting us was game to go for the boat ride and so was I. The four of us walked down to the Lake, got into a rowboat that was docked, secured the oars and off we went! Of course we didn’t have any safety gear on, like life jackets. We were young and dumb, and we were out on the Lake whooping it up and having fun. Four kids with no boating knowledge or experience and we didn’t have a care in the world.

I have no clue how my Grandmother found out where we were, but she did. She marched down the hill to the Lake, probably fuming with every step she took. She had her game plan. She stood on the shore and proceeded to yell and yell for us and wave us back to shore. We eventually saw and heard her and rowed back to dock the boat. There she was, mad as a hornet, but not showing it. She said, “Come on, come on,” and as she helped each one of us out of the boat we each got a good crack right in the face. She probably even smacked the neighbor kids, but I don’t remember because I was so embarrassed and my face was stinging from the wallop I got. Needless to say, I never went out on the Lake again until I was much older!

I have an old postcard of Saylors Lake, and what happens to be in the forefront? The rowboats! I’m sure one of those boats was our famous ride!