MY TRAVELLING SPICE RACK

Having to maintain three households (Texas, Condo and Boat) created a bit of a problem in keeping spices on hand for cooking.  I was constantly replacing spices.  When I would return to any of these homes and try to plan a meal, I could never remember what I had on hand.  I would muse.  "I think I have chili powder on the boat, or was that down in Texas that I just bought that."  and if I did remember exactly what I did have on hand I would find the spices that I left last year, would be stale.  So, now I have a solution.  My travelling spice rack. 

 

 

I purchased this spice rack from Lee Valley and it hangs on two hooks.  As shown next to the stove on my boat. 

 

 

I have installed sets of these hooks in all three households, so this spice rack can be moved along with us as we travel.  I now know exactly what is on hand and how fresh the spices are. 

 

 

 

IT WORKS FOR ME !

 

 

 

 

CRUISING NORTH TO BOUNDARY CREEK

RMYC to Boundary Creek Marina is a great cruise. 

 

 

It is only 45 minutes by car, but it takes hours by boat.  The meandering of the river and the fact that we only cruise at 71/2 miles per hour makes it a considerable, but enjoyable cruise. 

 

With the great wind and weather forecasting that is available now on the computer we don't have to worry about what conditions we are going to run into when we reach the lake, we will know what's going on in advance. 

 

 

Years ago that was always a concern.  Some of us boaters have been know to go all the way to the lake from south Winnipeg, then sit it out at the government dredge dock or in the East or West Channel near the mouth.   

 

 

 

(as you can see that we did in this picture of our LINDAN from back in the day)  You might get stuck there for 24 hours or more waiting for the lake to go calm. 

 

Now, if you keep an eye on the computer you will have an idea what your going to see when you pull out onto the lake. 

 

 

We are more than ready to go.  As soon as we get the word for our launch and for the locks. 

 

 

 

 

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TRIP 

 

 

 

 

THUNDERBIRD LAUNCH 2014

We are getting to the end of the todo lists for this year, this is as good as it gets for now. 
 

So it should be time to think about making arrangements for the launch of Thunderbird for 2014.   

But then the boat would be all dressed up with no where to go. 

The problem is, the river is so high, that the launch ramp is under water and they are not launching boats right now. 

This is the 3 to 4 ft. tall light fixture that is on the new concrete Jetty along the shore, at RMYC so, as you can see the water is pretty high. 

The river is still running far too high and fast. 

 So the curtains/gates at St. Andrews Lock and Dam are wide open, leaving the lock channel not operating. 

There are also no navigation buoys in the river or the mouth.  So here at RMYC is where we have to wait.   I will now do an inventory of our drawers and our closet and bring some needed cloths on board.  I will clean, clean, and clean.  I will check the cupboards and fill the larder and fill the fridge and the bar.  

 

   Once I hear the locks are operational and we have a launch date, I will start watching for the weather that we will need to get to our home port. 

Almost anything weather wise is easy to deal with other than North West winds for days on end.  We don't have to worry about a repeat of the horror that we experienced coming home from Gull Harbour last August.  Because, at the mouth of the river, there are plenty of places to duck into, to spend some time waiting for the lake to calm down if we have to. 

Once we get the word, Lake Winnipeg, here we come.  We have already missed a whole month of our "Summer at the Beach". 

 

 

 

 

OUR TRIP NORTH CAN'T COME FAST ENOUGH FOR ME

 

 

SEA-ENNA VISITS THE MARINA

We took a run out to Winnipeg Beach yesterday, as I had to deliver my industrial sewing machine to Gord and Ellie's.  They have offered to let me keep it there for now.  Gord has some canvas he would like me to sew for him and I have a little more canvas sewing to do for myself as well, so that will be very convenient. 

 

 

We took Sea-Enna with us as she has been cooped up in the condo for so long this spring, with us working on the boat, that we felt she needed this break.  She was in heaven. 

 

 

 The moment I let her out of the truck she ran back and forth and back and forth and up and down every dock wanting to greet everyone.  

 

 

 

 

Sniff, sniff, sniffing all the familiar smells.  We visited Casey and Sharon on "Loafhaven" and she stepped right onto their boat, without hesitation, which she has never done before.  Last year she was reluctant to get on anyone's boat except Sommerset and Thunderbird.  That really surprised us.  All in all it was a very nice visit. 

 

But unfortunately just as we were about to leave she discover and old dead fish along the shore and figured she should roll in it.  Dan stopped her before she got too bad, but needless to say we had a stinky drive home and she had to have a bath the minute we got in the door.   

 

 

Well that visit certainly reminded us how much we miss our marina and makes us even more anxious to get there for the season.  

 

 

 

 

 A SEASON WHICH SEEMS TO BE GETTING SHORTER AND SHORTER AS THE DAYS MARCH ON

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY - THE PAINTING IS GOING QUICKLY

The painting of Thunderbird started on Wednesday, and it is progressing nicely. 

 

 

The repairs and prep work always seem to take forever. 

 

 

But once the painting starts, it all seems to come together very quickly. 

 

 

 

 

I think the white, might need another coat. 

 

But it is progressing nicely. 



NOW IF THE RIVER WOULD JUST CO-OPERATE 

 

 

 

 

DIY - THE SPRING WORK IS CONTINUING

Today finally saw the end of the sanding. 

 

 

Everything has been repaired, filled and sanded.  This is as good as it gets for this year. 

 

 

Tonight we have a list of supplies that we need to purchase so that we can start laying on the paint tomorrow.  Now that the prep work is done the painting should go quickly. 

 

While they are painting on the outside, I will start the cleaning of the inside. 

 

 

 

EVERY STEP IS ONE MORE STEP CLOSER TO OUR LAUNCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY - THE WORK ON THE BOAT CONTINUES

The very long and very cold winter that Manitoba experienced this year opened up a lot of small cracks in the fibre glass of the boats super structure.   Those all have to be filled before we paint this year.  We don't want moisture getting in there. 

 

 

 Once the body filler is applied, it all has to be sanded, then painted. 

 

 

 

 And with the poplar trees starting to drop seeds everywhere we will probably have to tarp everything over as we paint.  Otherwise we will have a very fuzzy boat. 

 

 

Dan is re-installing the top of the damaged bow pulpit. 

 

 

And I am busy sanding, sanding, sanding.   And flushing our water system of anti-freeze.  And Ken has the hull just about ready for painting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE STARTED OUT BEHIND SCHEDULE THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S COMING ALONG