OUR DAUGHTER'S SPRING PROJECT

Each year when we arrive home from Texas one of our kids, usually have a project going on.  This year our oldest daughter has decided to put in some new kitchen counters and open up between her dinning room and kitchen. 

 

Because she has an older house than her siblings, hers seems to be an ongoing reno project.  Unfortunately this means that some repairs will have to be done to the new hardwood floors they installed last spring. 

 

But I agree with her that this will be a great update to her house as these older homes were all built with small individual rooms and the newer ones are all far more open concept.  This change will certainly bring some of that open concept style into this older home. 

 

 

THE WALL IS COMING DOWN. 

 

IN TRANSITION

This is our transition time.  We arrive home from Texas,  live in our little condo while we try to get organized. 

 

First there is piles of mail to go through. We are fortunate, in that in our condominium complex each unit has a mail slot in the door, and we get door to door mail delivery, which is wonderful, because then I do not have to have my mail put on hold, but it does accumulate while we are gone.  So that's the first thing to go through.   Then comes the unpacking.  Usually we just unpack the truck and bring everything up to the condo and I take a couple of days to sort it all out, but this year we had everything in our trailer.  So, that has to be stripped and decisions must be made. 

Then comes the Taxes, Prescriptions, Insurances etc.  We arrived home on April 12th and once the basic organizing was done it was Tax time.  Fortunately there was a copy of UFile sitting there in the mail for me so all I had to do was register and activate it.  That was simple enough.  As for our prescriptions, I order 6 months supplies of everything we need in April and October.  So, now I've done that.  Next comes the Insurances, Home, Auto, Licences etc., etc..  We are still in the middle of that.  And to make matters worse Dan and I have come down with colds, so that has slowed us down a bit.

We usually help our kids with any projects they have going on, which is just what they have lined up for us again this year. 

Then we have to get back to our small trailer to get it into tip top shape to be able to put it up for sale.  We are also flying back down south again in May.  Dan's brother Dwight has asked the family to come for a get together in West Palm beach to sprinkle his recently deceased wife's ashes.

Then we still have to work on the boat to get it ready for our launch.  This year it was winterized to survive the Winnipeg Winters so there is all of that to reverse or to be undone??  Plus we have the usual maintenance issues to deal with.  (There's always something.)  I don't think we will be taking on any extra refit projects this year.  There are far to many things going on.  I just want to finish off all of my todo lists and get out to the lake and relax. 

  

 

 

 

 

IT CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH FOR ME

 

 

A VISIT TO BOUNDARY CREEK MARINA & GIMLI

We took a run out to Gimli today to sign the documents for the docking we paid for last month.  So, while there we stopped in to have a look at Gimli harbour and the work that has been completed on the Fishers Dock. 

 

 

The harbour looks so desolate with all the ice and no boats.  But that will all change in another month or so.   

 

Then we stopped in for a visit with Gord and Ellie, to find out what is new with them since they left us in Texas in February.  We had a nice visit, then along the way we stopped in at the Marina to see the new dock we have been assigned to.  We heard that the enlargement of the parking lot had gone ahead, and sure enough, trees were down and all new gravel right up to the ramp of dock (i 9 & 10) . 

Not only that but a large chunk of the west end of the Island is gone.  That was a real shocker. 

 

But the biggest shocker of all was the huge pile of mud being dredged out of the entrance to the harbour mouth. 

 

 

There was no real access to get a better look, as the normal access road is blocked off, but that is one heck of a big pile of mud.  

We will just have to wait and see. 

I guess the next time we are out there we will have to take a walk out onto the spit to get a better look at what is going on. 

 

 

BIG CHANGES

 

 

 

THE SURF BALLROOM, CLEAR LAKE IOWA

I have been quite taken with "The Surf Ballroom", in Clear Lake, Iowa.  I  knew that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper had died in a plane crash, flying from a gig in Iowa to a gig in Minnesota.

 

  But I always thought of their gig in Iowa as an arena or old theatre, so I was very interested to see this venue, that turned out to be a very intriguing old Ballroom.   

 

We toured what they call the green room, which certainly is not green, but white walls signed by hundreds and hundreds of stars that have performed in the ballroom.   There are signatures from everyone from "The Glenn Miller Orchestra", to "The Head Hunters".   

 

 

There are even signatures on the fronts, backs and even the edges of the doors and also on the ceiling. 

 

The dance floor is beautiful and huge.  But it's size can be altered, by filling it in, somewhat with tables.  Which was still set up from a luncheon, that had just occurred,  when we visited. 

 

As you step up off of the dance floor you see three tiered layers of booths, that go all the way around the dance floor.   All of the booths are made to hold up to six people.  With just the booths, this venue holds 2100 people. 

 

Even from the furthest back row of booths you can see the whole dance floor and have a good view of the stage.   With this layout you also have easy access to the dance floor at all times, without the usual, "Excuse me, pardon me." as you try to squeeze past chairs to get up and dance.  It is reminiscent of the old night clubs of the 30s or what you see when you go to a show in Vegas

 

 The dance floor of course is beautiful old hardwood floor.

 

Then we come to the memorabilia that this place contains.  All of the famous artists that have performed here, have signed and donated items for display.  B.B. King donated a signed guitar.    

 

Charlie Daniels gave a signed fiddle. 

 

It just goes on and on.  Far to many to list here, but well worth seeing. 

 

 

I think they were running out of space, so they started putting them on display above the bar.   

 

Then there was the history section, about the original Dance Hall, that was built across the street in 1933, and featured all the Big Bands of the day.  It burned down in 1947 and was rebuilt on it's present location and re-opened in 1948.  Dance Bands were still going strong in those days.  I remember the huge Dance Hall we had at Grand Beach, when I was a kid.   

 

Lots of pictures of the famous Band leaders and entertainers of those days 

 

Then a section called the Big Band Beat, with all the Band Singers of the day. 

 

All in all, it is a very interesting way to spend a day if you're ever in the area of Clear Lake, Iowa.   

 

 

 

 

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT

 

 

 

 

DIY: THE GREAT WINDLASS DEBATE

 

Our friend Gord Gowie, gave us an antique windlass for the Thunderbird.  I don't know where he got it, but it's really old and really neat.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now the research and comparisons are on going. If anyone knows anything about this type of windlass, your input would be greatly appreciated.  We have not made a decision yet as to whether to restore this unique piece or look else where. 

 

 

We must decide whether to:   

 

1.  Spend the money on this Antique. (tear it down, rebuild it and powder coat it.) 

2.  Look for a used Manual or Power Windlass when we are down south around the gulf.

3.  Purchase a New Power Windlass when we are down south.

 

Dan likes the idea of a Manual Windlass, because then he will not have to run any wiring, from the bow through our already finished stateroom to the dash. (always a problem through steel walled compartments etc. )  

 

Although both Manuals solve that problem, the price of both of those options have to be looked at and compared.  What will it cost to refurbish the Antique as compared to purchasing an already rebuilt used windlass. 

 

My other concern is that if the Antique or any other Manual proves to be very cumbersome and difficult to use (with 100 lbs of anchor and chain), we will find ourselves opting not to anchor out when the opportunity arises.  So the debate continues and I'm sure it will not be settled this year.  We will try to put some thought to it before we go back south next year. 

 

 

AND EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION 


Go ahead and share yours???

 

 

 

 

 

CLEAR LAKE TO FARGO ND, THEN HOME

It was the usual long a boring drive from Clear Lake Iowa, to Fargo North Dakota, where we got a motel room and spent the night.  Then the next day we headed north again arriving in St. Andrews around 2:00 pm.  We dropped off the trailer, emptied the fridge and headed home.  It will take a few days to start to feel at home here.  It's been a long time, having been gone since November. 

 

We have so many plans, we don't know where to start.  First things first, I guess I should get busy on our taxes.  We also need to clean and spruce up our trailer and get it ready to sell.  Then there is the regular maintenance on the boat, that needs to be done before we can launch. 

 

So, it will be a busy April and May ahead, we usually like to launch in early June, but that is debatable this year, with everything being so dependant on the weather.  At this rate we are going to be having a very late spring.

 

 

 

PICTURES AND DETAILS TO FOLLOW AS THINGS PROGRESS

 

 

   

CLEAR LAKE STATE PARK, IOWA

We had an easy drive from Cameron Missouri, to Clear Lake Iowa, yesterday.  We knew we didn't have a long drive ahead, so we took our time, cooked breakfast, packed up and didn't get away until 9:00 am and still made it here before 2:00 pm. 

 

It's a simple little State Park, that is well maintained, but there is no running water, which is kinda what we expect, this far north, at this time of the year, and it's also deserted except for us.
 

 

And Sea-Enna loves the freedom that that allows us to give her. 

 

 

The Campground is right on the lake, which makes for a nice view, that really doesn't matter to us, but is probably nice in the summer. 
 

 

 

We spent the day today sightseeing and checking out the main thing that this location is famous for.  "The Surf Ballroom". 
 

 

 

 

The Surf Ballroom was where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, played their last concert before they got on a small plane to go to Fargo, North Dakota for their next gig in Moorhead Minnesota.  As we know they didn't make it. 

 

But I am also interested in seeing the prior history of this place.  Apparently it was built in 1933 and was a well known Ballroom throughout the Big Band era. 

 

Also through the War Years until it burned down in 1947, but was quickly rebuilt across the street and reopened in 1948. 

 

So, it certainly was a thriving place even before Rock & Roll took it over. 

 

 

It still regularly draws large crowds.  There is a big Beatles Revival Concert this weekend and each year on February 3rd they commemorate "The Day the Music Died".   

 

 

 

SO, WE HAVE DONE CLEAR LAKE, IOWA.  NEXT STOP FARGO NORTH DAKOTA, THEN HOME

 

(This barely scratches the surface of the information and pictures I have on "The Surf" and it was very interesting, so I will do another blog dedicated strictly to it.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WALLACE STATE PARK, CAMERON MISSOURI

We managed to find our way back over onto I-35 north, so that we were at least headed in the right direction.  We were about 20 miles along, as I was snapping pictures and we were discussing our options when, in a blur we saw what looked like a State Park sign. 

 

We both asked was that a sign for that same State Park we just left?  Neither of us could answer the question, but we decided to take the exit and have a better look at the signage. 

No, it was a different Sate Park.  At this point we are a little leery of Missouri State Parks, but we were tired and desperate and it says it's only 2 miles, so lets take a look. 

 

Well, we followed the meandering road wondering what we were getting ourselves into.  And there it was the Camp Gate. 

So far so good, we decided to continue on down a further backwoods road. 

 

 

 

Then suddenly it opened onto the vista of a lovely little lake. 

 

 

So we decided to see where this takes us.   

 

And we were rewarded when the road opened up onto a lovely little campground. 

 

 

We got ourselves a very nice pull through campsite, set up camp poured a drink and breathed a sigh of relief.  And to think that this park was only about 20 miles from that nightmare we first arrived at. 

 

 

As you can probably tell, I love the adventure of it all, but Dan does not.  And of course his dislike of my spontaneity cools my enthusiasm a little.  But of course I appreciate the fact that he is the one that has to solve the problems when my adventurous spirit gets us into any kind of jackpot.  So, we appreciate and compensate for each other.  That's why it works. 

 

 

 

 

I WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND WALLACE STATE PARK  TO ANYONE COMING THIS WAY. 

 

 

 

SO TOMORROW WE ARE OFF TO CLEAR LAKE IOWA.

(where Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens played their  last concert the night that they and others died in a tragic plane crash)