The Great Canoe Race

Ocala, Florida

Mrs. Phred and I paid our entry fee for the canoe race to benefit the American Cancer Society. There were 13 entrants. We stayed at a sleazy motel the night before the race.

The put-in point was the Oklawaha River and the end point was Silver Springs on the Silver River. The Ocala Grocer's Association had a canoe in the race. They loaded five cases of beer in the canoe.

After about an hour we passed the grocers. They were giggling and ramming their canoe into both sides of the bank.

The River was very quiet and I started belting out a Stones song:

When the train left the station
There were two lights on behind
The red light was my baby
and the blue light was my mind

Much to my chagrin, as I sang, we passed a waiting Deputy Sheriff in a motorboat. He was staring at me with his hand on his pistol.

I never realized that the Stones had stolen this from Robert Johnson. As You may know, Robert Johnson met the devil on a crossroads and sold his soul in exchange for the ability to sing any song.

And I followed her to the station
with a suitcase in my hand
And I followed her to the station
with a suitcase in my hand
Well, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell
when all your love's in vain
All my love's in vain
When the train rolled up to the station
I looked her in the eye
When the train rolled up to the station
and I looked her in the eye
Well, I was lonesome, I felt so lonesome
and I could not help but cry
All my love's in vain
When the train, it left the station
with two lights on behind
When the train, it left the station
with two lights on behind
Well, the blue light was my blues
and the red light was my mind
All my love's in vain
Ou hou ou ou ou
hoo, Willie Mae
Oh oh oh oh oh hey
hoo, Willie Mae
Ou ou ou ou ou ou hee vee oh woe
All my love's in vain

Robert is buried somewhere in an unmarked pauper's grave.

The deputy dragged in grocers canoe about two hours after Mrs. Phred and I chinched 12th place in the race.