Red Sails in the Sunset
The Nies family (sans Becca) slip away from the mooring for an evening cruise and then an overnight at the marina.
A busy day--more photos when there's more time.
Weather Not a Factor...
...and Happy (Fourth) Birthday, Maddie.
Misteriuos, Mistical (aka damp)
Cool, cloudy, moist. Barnacles growing on the jet ski. But still a fun day.
Rain, Mostly
Substantial showers last night. For me, staying in the camper in the garage, with its metal roof, it sounded a bit like standing under Niagara wearing a steel helmet. But fun, actually. Unlike Pax, I like listening to the rain.
Bright and beautiful in the morning. The three kids and their parents walked up to the falls. Just after lunch, more intermittent downpours alternating with fog and mist. Then a temporary late afternoon clearing and Ellie, Maddie, and I seized the opportunity to go rock hounding at Round Rock Beach. There Ellie found a snail crawling up a reed just before she found another (fossilized) snail millions of years old. Something old and something new.
Strangely, here toward the end of August, Great Lakes water keeps coming up, although, historically, it is supposed to start its fall decline.
The three bears on stage in the woods.
Bri's famous brisket, on the grill early at the start of 10 hours of smoking.
Perfect, even off the little grill and without thermometer.
High water.
Sun, Wind, Water = Fun
Today I had three people (Ellie, Maddie, and Becca) helping me do my "flog." And with all that help we actually got some photos up. The video, however, remains problematic. I might have to flog someone, but I remain hopeful that an upload will complete within the week.
Windy, windy day. Sunny and warm. Great jet-skiing, tubing, and extreme sailing.
Frog Busters
Major technical mess-up today. More photos tomorrow.
Perfect summer day with lots of swimming, frog catching, jet-skiing. Grilled whitefish for dinner.
Painted Ship
To Gore Bay in the morning to stock up on victuals in anticipation of arrivals.
A decision to sail in the late afternoon, anticipating the fresh west wind that had been blowing all day. But what we found at the marina were a few flagging zephyrs giving way to flat calm. We went out anyway, motoring with mizzen, then drifted and went swimming. Or course, I knew full well we were just at the time of changeover—north west backing around to south. And sure enough, soon as we were coming in a southerly breeze sprang up, with Murray and Elaine heading out for a pleasant sail.
However, no complaints.
And, we have rumor that Bri, Renee, and the kids have decided to drive straight through and will be arriving tonight!
Aujourd’hui, rien.
(That’s what Louis XVI wrote in his diary on the day of the storming of the Bastille.) Much quieter here all day.
Substantial rain for many hours last night. Not exactly raining stair rods, but still, a significant amount of moisture. And now I don't have water the garden.
Late afternoon trip to the dump (where the dumbstruck was stuck in the mud), and then a walk on the east side (of Mudge Bay), from the river out around.
On the east side, looking back across the bay, with more rain in the offing.
Black-eyed Susan stone.
What If a Much of a Which Of a Wind
Grass, gone to seed.
Spruce, gone to seed.
So, it's ten a.m. and you've walked the dog and had breakfast of yogurt and toast (made from the dense, heavy rye bread the farmer's wife sells at the farmer's market). The wind is warm and ripping from the south. What else to do but head to the marina and then go sailing. And, oh what a wind it was. Even with a reefed main the trimaran was lifting onto one ama and approaching the speed of sound.
An hour later Wolf helped me get the wide boat into its narrow slip, after which I asked if he would like a coffee from the chocolate factory. "Yes, please," he said, "a double double." As I was walking back to the marina building with a coffee in each hand (one heavy with cream and sugar) the heavens opened and the double double got diluted. Still, it was great fun to sit in the old building, after a fine sail, sip a little coffee, chat a bit, and listen to the rain hammer down.