Monday 29 September 2014

OUR TRAILER PROJECT




Now that we have our larger trailer in Texas, we decided to bring our original smaller trailer back home to Winnipeg to sell it. 


We figured used trailers are a glut on the market down south and we might have an easier time selling it back home.  So, we brought it home and were so busy, that spring and summer just flew by and we realized it was too late to sell, so we would do that next spring. 
 
WELL ALL THOSE PLANS ARE CHANGED.   
 
It turns out that Dan's brother Dwight quite liked this little trailer set up on the adjoining lot to ours in Texas. 
 
 
He wants to buy it and have us haul it back and set it up just like it was last spring, when he visited. 
 
   
It will give him a little home base there in Texas, where he or his family can drop in for a visit from time to time.  So now we will pack the trailer back up and get it ready to travel again. 




SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL BE TRAILERING OUR WAY BACK TO TEXAS AGAIN THIS YEAR



 
 
 

Saturday 27 September 2014

A LOVELY FALL DAY

Friday we made a final circuit through the Winnipeg Beach and Gimli, then on to our trailer in Lockport. 

Dan had to remove our Bumpers from the dock and stow them till next year. 
 

We then went to the hangar with them, and to remove some final items from the boat that I usually take to Texas with me.  ( Like my Travelling Spice Rack.  see July 11, 2014 Blog.) Then we dropped all that stuff off at the trailer.  It was one of the nicest days we have had in weeks, but you can sure tell that fall is here. 

The leaves are putting on a beautiful display. 
 
 
The farmers are doing the last of their harvesting. 
 
 
The geese are gathering in larger and larger groups, building the strength of the young ones in practice flights each day. 


And if fall is here, winter can't be fare behind.  So it is time to start thinking about our journey south.  
 
 
 
THERE IS A LOT TO DO BEFORE WE LEAVE
 
 
 

Wednesday 24 September 2014

THE END OF ANOTHER BOATING SEASON

There is a lot involved in our end of season procedure. 

 
1. Book our pullout date and time with Barb, in the office.  Done

 
2. Find a good weather day to get the boat to Gimli.  Done 


3. We spent the night in Gimli Harbour to be ready to head for the launch ramp Bright and Early, as soon as the trailer arrived.  Done.


 
4. Put Thunderbird on the trailer.  Done



 
5. Once the boat is set up inside the hangar, I have to remove all the "Summer Stuff" and make the boat usable for work weekends.  Done. 

 
 
6. We would usually start in on a winter project at this time.  Not Done.  We are heading to Texas early this year, so all projects are on hold till spring. 
 
 
 
 
 
SO THAT'S IT FOR ANOTHER YEAR 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday 23 September 2014

HOW TO LEAVE A COMMENT

I know that there are many people reading my blog.  I can see that by looking at the statistics that blogger supplies to me.  But I have had very few comments from those readers. 

I would love to read comments from people who take the time to read my blog.  To that end I am posting some instructions from Google.  Hope this helps. 
 
LINDA
 
 

If you click this link, you'll see the comments that other readers have left, and the option to leave your own. The link might open a pop-up window, depending on how the blog owner configured their comment settings.
>
Beneath the text field for your comment are the identity options. (The list might have other options, depending on the blog's settings.)

Options might include:
  • Google Account: If you choose this option, your comment will be attributed to your Blogger display name, which will then link to your Blogger profile. If you've chosen to link your blog to Google+, then the name used on your Google+ profile will show up next to the comment, and link to your Google+ profile.
  • Anonymous: If the blog owner has allowed anonymous comments, then you'll also have the option to leave a comment anonymously. If you leave an anonymous comment, it will not link back to your blogs, Blogger profile, or Google profile in any way.
  • OpenID: Learn more about what it means to use OpenID to leave a comment.
  • Other third-party sign-in options
Notes:
  • This article only covers Blogger's commenting system. Some Blogger users have installed third-party comment systems (e.g. Haloscan, Enetation, etc.) which will work differently.

Monday 22 September 2014

END OF SEASON CRUISE TO GIMLI

Apparently it's going to be gorgeous all this week, but as you can tell by the exhaust in these photos there was still quite a nip in the air this morning.  Of course, as would be expected, we got up this morning to gorgeous sunshine and the forecast making a change for the better. 

 That is what always happens when we give up and decide to pull the boat out for the season. 
 

Here we are heading to Gimli, which is one of a number of steps we need to take in our end of season routine. 

 
 
It is now good-bye to Boundary Creek Marina and off to Gimli Harbour. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IT IS ALWAYS A VERY SAD TIME FOR ME. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday 21 September 2014

THE COUSIN'S CRUISE

Just over two years ago, the day after our 50th Wedding Anniversary, we went out on what we have since come to refer to as "The Cousin's Cruise".  Some of our children were on board plus a number of our nieces and nephews.  We didn't cruise very far.  We just went well out onto the lake, played with water toys, swam off of the boat, sun bathed and generally relaxed.   
 
Nieces and Nephews and Cousins everywhere you looked.  It was wonderful. 
 
 
 
 


 
 



Twins  Micheal and  Rachael
                                                                     Lisa and Lynn




Leon with Dan at the helm.




Tracy Elizabeth and Deanna






Lynn and Lisa with Wendy and Murray




Rochelle, Jaqualyn, Rachael and Micheal playing with the inflatables




Tracy Elizabeth and Bonnie catching up on lost time.



 





Wendy and Leon getting ready for another skier or wake boarder. 








It was a wonderful day
 
 
 
And I love the picture that Murray took,  that I opened this blog with, of all the Nieces and Nephews and Cousins on board as we came in to dock.
 
 
 
 
IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND AND A GREAT DAY
 
 
 
 
 
ONE I'LL NEVER FORGET
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 18 September 2014

OUR DOCK MATE IS GONE

 
 
Suddenly on Wednesday, Bob Inkster got the suggestion from Ed that it would be a good time to pull "Somerset" if he wanted to have it back in the same area of the hangar that he likes.  So no sooner said than done. 


Bob quickly packed up his dock stuff, delivered it to the hangar.  Then he and Dan decided the winds were favourable that evening and they were gone from the harbour by 5:30.  And settled in to Gimli harbour by 6:30, ready for pull-out tomorrow. 

 
The weather is certainly not worth hanging around here for.  If Dan and I had known the weather was going to be this bad, this soon, we would have booked "Thunderbird's" pull-out earlier too. 
 
 
 
ONE MORE WEEK AND WE WILL BE IN THE HANGAR AS WELL



 
 

Tuesday 16 September 2014

THINGS MISSED IN A SHORT COLD SEASON

So, what have we missed out on this year, with the season being too short and too cool and rainy. 
 
 
First off is "A cruise north".  Each year I like to take a week or two and head up north, just to get away from the harbour .  Have a little adventure, or see something new. 
 
 
Secondly is "More socializing".  Only the first couple of weeks, that we were here in late July, was the weather conducive to being out and about and then it turned sour. 

 
 
There also didn't seem to be many activities planned and some that were planned got cancelled.   

 

We also didn't get around to much "Swimming off of the boat".  The weather just has not been what is needed for that.  Sea-Enna indulged, but it was too cool for me.  I only went in once. 
 

We never even got our Dinghy down to use. 
 

 

I also never got any of my canvas sewing done.  I had two canvas sewing projects planned for this year and just never got around to either one.  And I certainly can't blame the weather for that. 
 
 
 
 
OH WELL, I GUESS THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR.
 
 
 
 





Sunday 14 September 2014

OUR MARINA FALL SUPPER

Each year at the end of the boating season, here at the marina, we have our "Fall Supper". 



 

 This gives us all a last chance to see each other and socialize, before we all go our separate ways for the winter season. 







The hardiest of the bunch, tough it out here in Manitoba, there is even one boater that goes even further north, to work up in northern Alberta, but that's exceptional. 

A lot of us retired boaters head south. A few to Florida, some to Arizona, and one couple are regulars in St. Lucia. 







But as for us, we head down to south Texas.  Two and a half days drive straight south and we are in our little piece of heaven called Paradise Park in McAllen Texas.  http://www.paradiseparkinc.com/ 
The Rio Grande Valley is a very popular winter destination for Manitoba and Ontario retirees.  Some days it seems like the Manitoba and Ontario license plates out number the Texans. 




We had a great wind up dinner.  Good food and good company and some of us ended the evening with a roaring campfire on the island. 
THE END OF ONE SEASON AND ON TO THE NEXT

Saturday 13 September 2014

OUR PULLOUT DATE HAS BEEN BOOKED


We went out to the hangar on the 11th and booked our pullout date.  Now comes the acceptance of the fact that our boating season is coming to a close for this year.  We are being pulled on Sept 24th. 

 

Our Marina Fall wind-up Dinner is on this Saturday, the 13th so we will have one more week to kick around the harbour here, then the next week we will make our way up to Gimli for our pull out. 



This is always a sad occasion for me, but I am starting to think about being back in Texas again.   We have some exciting changes coming for us there, that we are quite looking forward to. 



. 

Wednesday 10 September 2014

TIME FOR A NEW BILGE PUMP - DIY

After all of the rain this summer our bilge pump has really been working overtime.  It is even starting to get a little iffy.  Having to be "wacked"every once in a while to get it going again. 
 
 
So Dan put that on his todo list.  And today being windy and cold he decided to occupy himself by installing the new one. 
 
 
 
 
 
THERE ARE ALWAYS CHORES TO BE DONE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday 8 September 2014

ALL IN ALL IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD WEEKEND

Friday we got all our chores and shopping done.While it rained off and on with bright sunshine in between.  On the weekend we had lots of sunshine, but it was a little cool and windy out on the lake.
 

Dan's brother Dwight came out for another visit before he heads back to Florida.  Bonnie and Brad and Kaden were here as well. 




So we did a couple of cruises on Saturday and Sunday.  Too cool for swimming, but we had a nice visit. 

 
You can sure tell that fall is moving in as the geese honk their way across the sky when the sun starts to set.  And we wake up to a very foggy harbour early most mornings.   


 
But we did get out for a couple of cruises that we all enjoyed. 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
SO THE NEXT TIME WE SEE DWIGHT WILL BE IN TEXAS