ANOTHER DAY OF LIVING ABOARD OUR BOAT

Just another one of those wonderful day, that you get when you live aboard your boat for the summer.  This afternoon, was perfect, we cruised on out of the harbour and anchored just south of Tower Beach. 

We each had a swim, had some snacks and some drinks and just bobbed out there for the afternoon.  It was perfect.  Sooo relaxing.

We certainly want to get as many of these days in as possible, before the weather turns cool. 

DIY: SEA-ENNA'S NEW RE-BOARDING LADDER

As you know we have a Golden Retriever named Sea-Enna, that loves to swim.  The first two summer, we thought we had a dud of a "water dog", as she was afraid of the water and nothing we would do could get her into the water with us.  Her third summer, when she was just over two years, she suddenly discovered swimming and took to it like an otter.  She loves to go down to the beach and run in and out of the water.  She also loves to go in the water off of the back of the boat. 

Now, off of the boat has turned into a bit of a problem, as one of us always has to be on the swim platform to lift her back out of the water when she swims back.  So to solve this problem and to let her go in and out of the water at her leisure, we devised a re-boarding ladder for her that attaches to the back of the swim platform.  Now, this has developed into another problem.  Being a typical Golden Retriever, she automatically has an aversion to anything new in her world.  (If you bring a new cardboard box into the living room, they will avoid the living room for days until they are sure that something isn't going to jump out of there and scare them. )

So, the first time we put it in the water, she just barked at it and wouldn't go near it,the whole time she was swimming.  The second time we put it in the water she avoided it again.  We did manage to get her to walk up it, a couple of times with a lot of pulling and tugging and coaxing, cajoling and luring.  We now know that the ladder does work and it holds her weight.  And because we don't want to force her and make her hate the ladder we have decided on another tactic.  So now, after water testing and a few adjustments to the styro foam etc.  The ladder is ready for use, whenever we can convince her to use it.   

So, the last couple of days we have laid it down on the dock, and blocked the dock somewhat so that she has to walk on it, if she wants to come off of the boat with us.  She also has to walk on it, if she wants to come back on board the boat with us.  Hopefully, she will get so used to that thing, that she will not even think about it after a while.  We will also keep taking it out with us when we go swimming and try to gently convince her to use it. 

 

That's the plan anyways.  We will keep you posted. 

 

 

FRESH VEGGIES MMmmmmmm

I have just finished making Cucumber and Onion Salad, Glazed Carrots, Steamed Beet Tops, and cooked and sliced some Beets.  I feel like I have been on K.P. all day and I haven't even tackled the corn yet.  (That's going to be tomorrow.)  Thanks to my friend Sharon, who keeps the whole Marina supplied with vegetables now that her garden is ready to harvest.    I was planning on having Spinach Salad with our steaks tonight, but I guess that will have to keep for another night. 

Thank goodness I've got a nice big kitchen on my boat to be able to take advantage of all of this Plenty. 

It was delicious!!!

 

 

 

THANKS AGAIN SHARON!.

 

 

 

 

OUR GRANDSON'S 16th BIRTHDAY

We took time away from the Marina yesterday to attend a family Bar-B-Q in honour of our grandson Matthew's 16th Birthday  We were only in town for a few hours, but it was all very nice. 

Even the dogs thought so.

 

                                                                            

 

"Okay which one of you has food.                   Somebody has, we can smell it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Matthew used to be the baby of the family, teased by his older brother for being so small.  As I left I told him it's time to stop growing.  I should have gotten a picture of him standing.  He now towers over the entire family. 

 

 

  Happy Birthday Matthew, have a good year. 

 

 

  

 

 

SHALLOWS SOUTH OF THE WATER TOWER

We cruised out of the harbour and meandered over to the little point just south of the beach to get into the lee of that point for shelter from the very slight south east breeze. 

There is nothing as enjoyable as an evening swim, as Sea-Enna can attest. 

A glorious evening, and we found the perfect spot, in the shallows just south of the Winnipeg Beach Water Tower.  We were in about 3-4 feet of water, lovely and calm and warm. 

 

Who could ask for anything more.  Even better than walking over to the beach as we have done the last few nights.   

 

 

We really didn't even need to be anchored, as we pulled the anchor we relized it wasn't even holding us, as it turned out our keel was stuck in the sand, and it was holding us.  No problem though we just eazed her forward and in a minute we were off the sand.  We wouldn't want to do that with a strong on shore breeze though. 

 

 

 

 

THE SUMMER IS SPEEDING BY

The summer is just flying by now.  I can't believe it's almost the end of August.  In another week we will stop living on the boat and go back to just 4 day weekend until pull out. 

My daughter Tracy Elizabeth came out to the boat for a visit this week, with her faithful dog Daisey.  We had a great visit and I think she really enjoyed the rest.  I know her constant companion Daisey really enjoyed it.  I don't think I have ever seen a dog smile so much as Daisey does. 

We didn't do any cruising as Dan wasn't feeling up to it. (Those pesky nose bleeds again.) So we just hung out and did a lot of visiting and took the dogs swimming a number of times. Sea-Enna's always game for that, even when it was quite wavy yesterday. 

 

 

My guests went home this morning so it's back to normal routine today and being as it is Thursday already, it's time to get ready for the weekend.  Clean up the boat, do the laundry, make a grocery list for a trip to Sobey's tomorrow.  We are going into town on Saturday for my grandson Matthews 16th Birthday, so that's something to look forward to, plus there is a corn roast here at the marina that we might be back in time for.. 

 

 

 

 

THOUGHTS ON BATHING IN THE LAKE

Sea-Enna and I went for a swim tonight.  My favorite thing to do.  I love to swim before bed it cools me right down and I sleep so well afterwards. 

I think it all goes back to when I was a kid.  We had a cottage at Grand Beach and went out to the cottage the day that school ended and did not return to the city until we had to go back to school. 

During that time we would have breakfast, then pack a snack and head down to the main "Front Beach".  We would spend the entire day in and out of the lake until it was time to go home for supper.  (No worry about sun screen or hats in those days.)  After supper we would go down to the "Back Beach" (very rocky, but very close to the cottage)  for a final swim before bed.  So, for me it's kind of a nostalgic thing. 

Now that I give it some thought, we had no indoor plumbing in those days, just an outhouse.  We got our drinking water from the pump at the bottom of the hill and the water for our dishes and laundry came from the rain barrel.  We had no shower and no bathtub.  I don't ever remember having a bath at the beach.  The whole time, through July and August you swam in the lake and if you wanted to wash your hair, you took the shampoo with you when you went for your evening swim, and that probably only occurred on Thursday nights before the weekend.  There was a wash basin that you could take into a bedroom if you felt the need, which I never did until I got to be a teenager. 

I guess that's the reason I have never been all that concerned about not having a shower on our boat.  I can swim, bathe and wash my hair in the lake until the weather makes it prohibitive, then I do have hot a cold running water on the boat, so I can have a sponge bath.  Like my auntie Toni defined it, "A sponge bath is when you wash down as far as possible, then you wash up as far as possible, then you wash "Possible", when you get home." 

A CRUISE TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE

We set off in the morning for a cruise to the far side of the lake. 

It was around 10:00 am as we left the harbour and the west shore started to disappear off our back deck. 

Our boat has 10 mph top speed so, we left early and Sharon and Casey said they would catch up with us later. 

When we were about half way across the lake, there comes Sharon and Casey right on schedule.  She had given me the co-ordinates earlier, so we took pictures of each other as they passed us and said we will meet you later at 50'47.37 N     96'31.39 W    and they carried on to get anchored. 

As we rounded the last large point on Elk Island there was Loafhaven, at anchor waiting for us.  Sharon's enthusiasm for this spot was absolutely contagious, so we had to see it.   

We hooked up the re Boarding ladder we made for Sea-Enna, as this is the first time we have been out of the harbour since we finished building it. 

Sea-Enna took one look at it, barked and would not go near it again.  We are obviously going to have to work on this.       But, not today. 

Casey and Sharon climbed the huge sand hill that backs this beach.  They challenged Dan & I to do it, but we declined.    I did give Sharon my camera when she climbed up again and she got some great pictures for me. 

The is one I took of "The Bird", at anchor. 

We all relaxed on the Beach.  Even Sea-Enna relaxed and enjoyed the swimming and chasing her floater. 

Here is Sharon and Casey with Loafhaven in the back ground. 

Then Sharon climbed that big hill and took these great pictures. 

This time Sea-Enna followed her all the way up,  We never would have gotten all of these great shots of our dog and our boat  from such a great perspective. 

I think Sea-Enna liked the perspective too. 

She also loved the in and out of the water at her leisure.  

It was a wonderful day of Sun, Surf and Cruising.  Sharon's descriptions were not overstated.  Beautiful sand beach, no sand flies, the water was lovely an clean and no horse flies either.  We relaxed and had drinks and snacks on the beach,  all in all it was ideal. 

But as 4:00pm approached we know it was time to call it a day and head back across the lake.  It took us 3 hours to get here, there is no short cut to get home.  So we upped anchor and headed west. 

It was so calm and sunny on the lake you could hardly tell where the sky ended and the lake began.  As Elk Island disappeared in our wake. 

So with an hour under our belts and 2 more hours of travel to go, Dan started the new Bar-B-Q for me and I put a roast on to cook as we crossed the lake.    

Then I took over the helm so Dan could stow the anchor. 

When it's clear but has that sun haze out on the lake, you really have to rely on your instruments. And of course just like happened to Sharon & Casey last weekend, our GPS went out in the middle of the lake.  We do have a good compass though so we just carried on and in about 20 minutes it came back on.  But it's eerie when you can't see the normal things that tell you where you are, like the familiar shoreline etc.  But when the GPS came back on there we were right on course. 

Then our familiar landmark came into view right on cue. 

It's that little stick, sticking up on this horizon picture. 

The good old Winnipeg Beach water tower,  familiar to all us boaters.  It's what we head for from anywhere on the lake.  It means home to us. 

So, that was our wonderful day on the lake.  The only full day we have had on the lake this year.  But then again we were rather distracted early in the summer, with our out of town guests, and Anniversary Party.  We are still thinking about a fall cruise on the Red River, but haven't made up our minds yet. 

HANGING AROUND THE HARBOUR

It's kind of a dull day, here in the harbour.
In the sense that it is rather boring.   It clouds over, then the sun comes out again, then it clouds over again.  We had a little rain this morning, but that seems to be all well passed us now. 


It's also still a little breezy, I'm hoping it is going to calm right down so I can go swimming. 

We are docked in the inner harbour, so I cannot see the lake conditions from here. 

So, here I sit watching the flags fluttering and trying to interpret what conditions on the lake, that each flutter indicates. 

If it's a little choppy, we could go for a cruise, but to swim off of the boat, I like it nice and calm. 

We would also like to test out our newly conceived and built "Doggie Re boarding Ladder", for Sea-Enna. 

So, we will wait for the calm. 

HIGH WINDS IN THE HARBOUR

We had some really high winds here over the last couple of days, which did some damage in the harbour. 







One of the docks broke loose with two boats attached.  That houseboat really catches the wind. 

They ended up against the shore.  It's a good thing it was a north wind that pushed them against the shore.  

If it had been a west wind they might have crashed into other boats and sailed right out of the harbour.

Like the ramps did.  A lot of the outer harbour have no ramps as they have sailed away. 

Some of them almost right out to sea. 

 Dean arrived, this morning and got some volunteers to help pull everything back into shape.