Chapter 62

Short ... and busty. Children’s suit with added chest room.

Maria presented me with three cards ... lawyers ... all three.

So ... I take the three suits out into the burgeoning storm. The weatherman quit trying to predict ... now he goes with the Window ledge Rock theory. (If you don’t know the theory ... I’ll be glad to tell you.)

Last look, the rock was gone.

That kind of storm.

“Everybody hold hands,” I said, “Don’t lose your grip ... if you do, we’ll try and find you ... in the spring.”

They followed me around to the north side of the building. and down the slope to the west.

Gustafson’s store front faces east for a reason ... the wind and ice would smash the glass. East winds don’t ... usually ... carry folks away.

At the corner I turned south and found the shop door. After I got it open I counted suits as they came in. I started with three ... ended with three ... can’t say I didn’t try ... you know ... lawyers. There’s a lawyer for every 23 people. Might change that in a lake effect blizzard.

I hollered at Gonzalez, “Fire up and shut this door.” He heard me ... the wind was blowing my yelling in.

“Sí, Patrón,” he said. Well ... That’s what I took him to say ... I couldn’t hear ... the wind howling around the door kept his words in the back of the shop.

The Clark works when hydraulic door closers quit.

He only bent the door once. We had to park the Clark in the hole.

Several times I have asked my crew, “Ain’t you glad you left Mexico?” I only ask when the windchill is 50 below. I get glares in return.

But they always say, “Sí, Patrón.” ... and smirk.

I passed out the Tyvek, “Dress up. Can’t have your dirt and dust in the boats.”

The suits shucked out of overcoats and suit jackets. I slipped into my regular shop suit. Edgar checked us all out. He nodded and I started.

“Gentlemen,” I said. “Now that you’re here ... what do you want to see?”

“Everything.” in a chorus. Three part harmony.

They poked and fingered every form and process. Thirteen guys at thirteen stations built from raw lumber ... I start with kits ... laser cut frames ... and West systems glass and epoxy. I’m working on cutting my own ... maybe next year I’ll have the laser CAD cutter.

Starting at the girder and following the chain of construction to the glass work, it was possible to see a boat from start to ready for finish.

“Where do they go from here?”

“Through those doors.”

“What’s in there?”

“That’s where I work.”

“We thought you were the boss.”

“Maria runs the place.”

“What do you do?”

“Let me ask you this, did you like the office?”

“Yes ... I’d like to have an office like that,” said one and he got two nods.

“That’s what I do. I finish the boats and build furniture in my spare time. When I get orders I build fancy woodwork for yachts ... but the boats come first.”

“Finish the boats? They look good like they are.”

He waved at the last glassed hull.

“I put another 4 knots on with my finish.”