The Dock: Water, Wind, and Wine Diamonds

“Watch out for the flying forks!” is a statement I overheard on the dock. The dock is a special place. It’s one of the three docks in the trailer park, which sits on the Halifax River. They get destroyed during every bad hurricane, but they get rebuilt. John and Earl rebuilt our dock. It has a picnic table, Christmas lights, and a sign that says “No Stupid People.” Most people drink on the dock. Ray and Jim drink red wine out of water bottles. Franklin and Kathy sip beer. Carol drinks Mike’s Hard. I drink a variety of drinks, just not alcohol. Sometimes Ray brings me a fruity drink in one of his signature water bottles. Ray is responsible for the music, and since he likes KISS (like is an understatement) we hear a lot of KISS, but also lots of classic songs. It sets the mood. With the moon coming up and a gentle breeze, it’s the perfect place to get tipsy. Just don’t try to go swimming: the water is full of bacteria. 


When it’s cold we light a fire, when it’s hot we light a fire. To keep away the bugs. But really you should just wear bug spray (And try not to be so damn tasty). I collect all my paper and cardboard to burn in the fire. Sean throws his empty Budweiser boxes in the fire pit. And there are stacks of wooden pallets near by. “Come on baby light my fire,” sings Jim Morrison (sometimes Ray is going through a DOORS spell). 


Everybody has their own shtick. For Jim it’s telling stories. For Ray it’s his one-liners (“oh this business with the birds has got me all upset!”). And Franklin is known for saying “I’m sorry. I’m just kidding!” My thing is…being sober (and smoking. Sorry) but still Ray says “she has to be watched every minute!” Yes, or I might take a sip of the wrong drink (hasn’t happened yet. But it could). Actually I found what I thought was glitter in my drink; come to find out it’s called “wine diamonds” ( just residue from wine having been in the bottle). So that’s cool. 


So not only is the dock a special place, it’s full of special people (sorry Kenny I forgot to mention you!) That’s what makes it special.




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