by Donna Swagerty Shreve
Soon after our father died in 1985, we realized that Uncle Clem was there for all of our family’s important events. He made a special effort to attend Brian’s children’s weddings. He even attended a play Brad was directing at UC Santa Cruz. I can not remember the occasion but Uncle Clem offered to take my oldest Aaron and me fishing on his boat. We would go out on the San Francisco Bay.
Aaron was living in Sonoma County and I was in Stockton. We agreed to meet at Clem’s house in Ross Moor in Walnut Creek. The first order of business was attaching his boat and trailer to Clem’s car. Clem is a crazy driver in good circumstances but add a boat on a trailer and busy city streets and we had a wild ride to the launch site.
I had to mention to Clem that I unfortunately had a monthly female problem that was going to limit me to only three hours before I would need a bathroom break. He agreed and off we went. Aaron had followed his shouted instructions and helped him remove the boat from the trailer and get it safely into the water.
Clem’s boat had a flat bottom so he could go under the Golden Gate bridge if he desired. He used that boat so many times when he worked at San Quentin prison. He said it calmed him down before he went home to his family. On this boat was a fish finder that searched the depths of the waters and gave approximate levels where there were fish.
Clem announced before we set off that he did not intend to get skunked. Translation for that is: we had to catch a fish! I was assigned driver of this boat and depth finder reader. Realize I had never driven a boat in my life. I started driving it like a car. Clem quickly informed me of that mistake. Turning a boat is much different that turning a car. Meanwhile Aaron was having to learn fishing lingo that Clem yelled his way. There was a quick catch but Aaron did not follow some order from Clem quick enough, and it got away. Clem had quite a routine and he assumed we could read his mind. Aaron and I did what we could to just go with the flow and adapt as quickly as we could to his various shouted orders.
As we went along I was to yell, “Fish at 30 feet” or something similar when I spotted an object on the fish finder. I really felt it was cheating and felt sorry for the fish. I kept that to myself, however.
The hours went by and I was desperate for a bathroom. It had now been four hours and we had not stopped. I reminded Clem of my dilemma and we headed back to shore at Timberon. Once we docked I rushed off to take care of myself and the guys set up lunch at a nearby table.
Then we were off once more. We had to not let it be said that we got skunked. At hour six and a half, we were successful. Aaron had caught a halibut. I got my camera ready for the big event. First Clem yelled for a net. Then he wanted Aaron to get the baseball bat that had been cut down to a shorter length. “Kill it, Aaron!” Aaron started pounding away at the struggling fish and I decided I did not want a picture of the bloody mess that was created. Aaron was finally successful and we could now head back to the docks.
It had only taken six and half hours but we did it. Now we had to make it home in one piece. Clem got the car and boat trailer and drove it close enough for the boat to be placed back on the trailer. I remember tension as we tried to anticipate our next orders so we could be successful. We now had the ride home. Riding with Clem is always an adventure. Clem’s past driving escapades could fill a book. We were hitting busy big city traffic and a few times I just closed my eyes so I wouldn’t gasp out loud.
We arrived back at his home at Ross Moor and put the boat to rest. Clem now wanted to take a quick shower and then fix a fish dinner. Aaron and I were exhausted. I collapsed in a living room chair while Aaron just collapsed on the floor. At some point Aaron raised his head off of the rug and, “Well I guess it is no secret where the hyperactivity comes from in this family!”
Usually Effie would have been in the kitchen helping but she had injured her leg and was on bed rest. Clem was in the kitchen chopping away and made a great fish dinner in no time. Aaron and I now had to drive back to our homes that evening. Clem had insisted that I call him as soon as I reached home safely.
As I walked into my house, John was on the phone with Clem. Clem was upset I had not called him yet. I explained I had just got home. He was judging my driving time based on his own quick drives from to home to many activities at U.O.P. I reminded him that I drove the speed limit and to add insult to that crime, I drove a Volvo. Clem hated Volvo cars as they were always in his way when he was out on the road.
It had been an exhausting day but Clem was determined to share his fishing with us. We both got insight into our uncle and great uncle. He had a big heart and his own way of doing things. We definitely had quite an adventure that day.
996 words
5/7/21
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