A Cold Launch, a Short Fuse, and a Pretty Great Afternoon on the Water

Nobody at the ramp was fully warm, fully patient, or fully convinced spring had actually arrived, but once the boat hit open water the whole day turned around. There is a special kind of Midwest optimism required to launch in a jacket, drink coffee on deck, and say, "This is nice," while your ears disagree.\n\nThe payoff was a calm lake, clean air, and that feeling that the outdoor season had finally started moving again. We came home cold, a little windburned, and immediately started talking about when to go back.