THUNDERBIRD IS IN THE HANGAR

Well, the Thunderbird is tucked away in the hangar for another winter.  

We still have a few chores to see too before we head south this year, but most of the work will wait until spring.  

But, as I'm unpacking and repacking things, I am realizing there are items I have left on the boat that need to be retrieved for Texas. 

So, I'm sure there will be another trip or two out to the hangar this fall. 

OUR THOUGHTS HAVE TURNED FROM BOATING TO TEXAS

THE WEEKEND IN GIMLI HARBOUR

 

Our plan was, to cruise to Gimli on Friday morning. Because that looked like our weather window, but Thursday afternoon the lake calmed right down and we checked wind-finder and the foercast had changed to high winds on Friday.  So I grabbed my dock plant and we decided to cast off. 

 So we left port in a hurry and had a very easy cruise north.  Gord Gowie joined us for the trip.  Soon we were settled in and cooking dinner in Gimli  harbour Thursday evening.

And boy am I ever glad we did.  Right now we are sitting here with gale force winds battering the harbour. And they are South winds which are emptying the harbour, so I have quite a climb to get back up onto the pier.  

 

 

 I don't think my rescued Petunias are going to last long in this gale.  

The winds are supposed to swing around from the North overnight, that should help refill the harbour. and they should be coming straight from the West by afternoon.  That should be good for our haul out if it all comes to past as predicted.  

I JUST HOPE I CAN SLEEP TONIGHT.  

 

WILL WE GO TO TEXAS THIS WINTER?

This question has been racing around my head for most of the summer.  Ever since the Canadian dollar took a nose dive against the American dollar.  Plus I've had a couple of health scares.  But, yes, I guess we are going, as long as we both get a green light on any of our health issues.  

We own our own little place down there, so there are no extra expenses to live down there for the winter.  We have to pay our common element anyways.  Groceries are actually a little cheaper, to feed us while we are there.  Booze is cheaper and you can't ask for better and cheaper entertainment, than we get in the Rio Grande Valley. Even with the exchange rate we should come out close to even on all these items.   

The only big cost is the travelling.  Fuel, Motels and restaurants, that is the big expense to our winter down south, the getting there and the getting back.  I've been putting my travel money away in the bank each week as usual and everyday I hope for some recovery on that dollar, but alas to no avail. I guess I'll just keep watching and hoping and when we decide what day we are leaving, I'll go to the bank the day before we leave, and accept, Oh well. it is what it is. The exchange rates weren't that great in 2008, (the first year we started going south) and that didn't stop us then. 

WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN SPOILED THESE LAST FEW YEARS.  

WE'VE BOOKED OUR PULL-OUT DATE

The end of the season is here.  We have booked the date for Lake Agassiz Marine to pull our boat out of the water and put it away in the hangar for the winter.  

We have booked for Sunday, September 27th.  That way we can enjoy our one last weekend of September, if the weather is nice.  And if it's not nice we can use that weekend to look for a weather window to get the boat to Gimli.  

It is always sad to see each season come to an end.  Oh well, we have gotten the most we can out of this season and we have a few things to do to get ready for next season.  

IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.

IS BOATING DONE FOR THE YEAR?

Every day now we sit and watch more and more boats lining up and being loaded onto trailers.  

I think I'm done with boating for another year.  The weather has been very inconsistent this year and this fall is turning even more so.   During the summer we had a few days here and there, during the week, when it was nice enough to take the boat out cruising, but now it seems that if it is sunny and warm, it is windy, so I give up.  

I am now filling my time with old photos and Ancestry.ca.  Which can be very interesting, but can fill your time, far too much.  You get on the trail of an ancestor and you find yourself doing search after search for more details and different details and you turn around and the whole day has whizzed by and you have accomplished nothing else.  Except a few scraps of information that you are so thrilled with.   It's like Alice going down the rabbit hole and you never know where it will lead you next or where you will end up, but it's fascinating.  

So, it is time to book our pull-out as I can do what I'm doing anywhere.  Here, at the Condo, or down in Texas it doesn't matter, as long as I have internet, I can get lost in my research.  

But I know that if we pull the boat and get settled into the Condo early, for sure the weather will turn gorgeous and we will regret missing those last few pleasant weeks of boating

ALAS, OUR 1ST WORLD PROBLEMS

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BRRR FALL IS HERE

It's been really cool this week so I have spent my days indoors. I have been back at it, sorting through old pictures and working on my family history.  

 

I only pay for Ancestry.ca for a few months per year.  I try to do other research, scan in old pictures, rely on the research of other family members, etc. for the rest of the time.  Then I pay for Ancestry.ca for a month at a time and research all the questions and gaps that have come up during the time I am not paying for it.   

The  family stories are, quite often, far more interesting than the mundane truth that you find in the records, but sometimes the records will reveal something far more interesting than the family has ever told you or even want to admit.  Families are inclined to elaborate on some stories, to make them a little more interesting.  They will leave out details that they are possibly embarrassed of or have forgotten about.  But it is the stuff that they leave out or try to hide that is usually the most interesting part of the family history.  The older generations would in no way tell you about an uncle or cousin that was “Gay”, because they would have considered them odd by the standards of their days and they would have been completely fine and acceptable nowadays.  But the records will show many arranged marriages between 40 year old men and young girls barely out of puberty and they think that is OK or they think nothing of it, but we are horrified by it today.  I have found over the years of doing this Ancestry research that you think you know a little about your family from the stories you’ve heard along the way, growing up, but I will tell you from experience, DIG DEEP, because what you think you know is probably all wrong.  

SUMMER IS WINDING DOWN

I can not believe we are approaching the end of the season.  It's the September long weekend and it's dull rainy and cool.  Not exactly the last long weekend we were all hoping for.  

With nothing else to do, we will think about our winter vacation or possibly next years boating.  Maybe we'll get a few more nice days this month and I hope for the non - retirees that those days arrive on the weekends.  

Otherwise here we sit looking at the deserted gathering places and wishing for more summer weather, but knowing that the cool down and boat pull-out is inevitable. ,

The only ones that are not ending their boating season, are Twyla and Andy.  They are just at the beginning of their "Great Loop Adventure".  Be sure to search out their Blog at

 https://cruisingonbusiness.wordpress.com/ 

We can all live vicariously through them and their Blog this winter.  

GOOD LUCK! AND BON VOYAGE TO THEM 

ELIZABETH BROUGHT KEN OUT FOR THE WEEKEND

Well, after my little stint in Gimli Hospital on Friday, two of my kids, Elizabeth and Ken, arrived for a weekend visit just after I arrived back at the boat.  It turned out to be a lovely weekend.    

Elizabeth's dog Daisey was there to visit Sea-Enna and Ken brought his cat Minnie.  Minnie is a rescue and I think she was brought up having to defend herself from dogs, because she sure keeps these two at bay, they are totally intimidated by her.  

They all stayed over Friday and Saturday night and we had a wonderful two day visit.  

Dan didn't want to take the boat out so Ken and Elizabeth took the dinghy over to Tower Beach for a swim and to collect rocks and driftwood for her gardens.  

Then suddenly it was Sunday night and time to pack up and head home.  But, "where to put all the treasures I'm taking home".  

That's a small car for all that driftwood.  

IT WAS A GREAT TIME