Gondola at Sunset

Learning to maneuver a gondola ranks at the top of my "Weird Achievements List," and it all happened by accident. My friend Jeff "Sunshine" Harmon shoved me down this intoxicating path nearly 8 years ago, and this path has provided me the chance to participate in a strange assortment of events. There are enough stories within the minds of American gondoliers to fill the pages of a thick book, or a bunch of thin ones.

But this post focuses on my most recent adventure.

I met up with Tim and Chris at Sunset Gondola and soon after I arrived Gondola Blog writer Greg Mohr showed up with oars and forcole. Mohr supplied extra equipment because on this night we would row a four-man gondola in the Huntington Harbor Christmas parade rehearsal... and lead.

A bit of manuel labor was needed before the row. I did my part by snapping photos and sipping vino. Mohr was in a zone, taking charge and making things happen. Except for the Skill saw, he lost that battle when he realized all the batteries were dead. Everything worked out though, he resorted to grunting and clawing at whatever was close enough. He broke pieces of wood with the handle of his oar. Nobody needs precision when the animal comes out.

He's actually cutting that piece in the photo above with the head of a fish he plucked from the harbor. I've never heard a human roar so convincingly, but fortunately I've seen a human take their pants off so that part didn't shock me much. You'll have to ask him to see the pictures. He might know where I live.

The row was fun. The conditions were dubious. The lady with the bullhorn needed a break.

But in the end, when we were pulling away from the stern of a boat occupied by generous souls, we were happy and satisfied with the oar in one hand and an ice-cold beer in the other.

Oh yeah, this is Phillip. He's new, and pretty soon he'll have a chapter of his own.