Miss Eloise

So I’ve been driving the same route to work for, what?  Four years now?  Since August of 2008, so almost 4 years I guess. And for a while before that Justin was driving part of the same route to get to his work.  Part of that route goes over a river and through a marsh and the bridge over that river is actually a bridge that twists to let boats pass from one side to the other.  It’s not exactly what you’d think of when you think of a draw bridge (it’s actually a “swing bridge”) and I’ve only been caught waiting for it two times but it’s a fun bridge.  But my point isn’t actually about the bridge but the boat anchored off to the side of the bridge.  The Miss Eloise has been floating on the river there for as long as I’ve been driving over that bridge.

Until last Monday when she disappeared.  I’m not entirely sure if after all this time someone finally bought her or if the people in charge of the river got sick of her being anchored there or if she sunk or what.  But I drove over the bridge on Monday last week and nearly ran into the guardrails because I looked over to see how high the water was and which way the tide was flowing (when the tide is coming in, the river flows inland) and I usually check Miss Eloise to see all that information and she was gone!

It’s strange the amount of affection I’d developed for that poor lonely boat.  I hope where ever she is, she’s getting the attention she’s needed for a while to get off all the rust and clean up her nets and all.

I really don’t know what else to say about that.  It seems like something so small and unimportant because why should I care about someone else’s boat that’s been anchored in the river for years and years?  And why on earth should any of you care when you’ve never even driven over that bridge?  But it was so surprising and unexpected and every time I drive over that bridge, there’s something missing.  There’s a spot on the river that shouldn’t be so empty.