Dave Wells enjoys a beer at Greasewood Flat. Photo courtesy of Dave Wells.
Unforgettable Boat Ride to Harold’s
By Dave Wells
Who can ever forget Carefree-Cave Creek parades in the springtime, especially Greasewood’s creative entries in the parade each year. Dave Wells can remember one boat trip which unfortunately went ashore from the start.
We all met at Greasewood on an early Saturday morning. Greasewood Flat was to be well represented in the parade by a boat named “The Mardoc.” It was a boat that “floated” on wheels.
Dave can remember Marge, Chrissie, Nancy Wells, and Marilyn Rhodes sitting at the front of the boat as it started up Pima Road. The Mardoc didn’t get too far from the dock before it stopped. The cause was soon discovered, a small pin hole in the gas tank.
Hoyt Johnson quickly refilled the tank and again, another short boat trip as the gas continued to leak. Before long, another stop. History repeats itself as Hoyt refills and refills the gas tank and it continues to leak, etc.
As we reach the outskirts of Carefree, the boat stops with no gas and no Hoyt in sight. So Dave asks for volunteers to push the boat. No pushers volunteer. So Dave asks for pushers again – same result.
Dave has an idea. He calls shouts, “I’ve got a camera and I want to make a photo of everybody pushing the boat.” Now volunteers galore push the boat to the top of the hill. From there it’s all downhill to Harold’s, no more picture taking offers required.
Dave never told the group that the camera had no film. Doc who was on another float made the classic statement of the day, “A little chewing gum over the gas tank hole would have solved the problem in the first place.” Thanks Doc!
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