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

LOOKING FORWARD TO A NICE WEEKEND

Well, here we are at Friday again. The weatherman is promising a really nice weather so it should be a cruising weekend. 

Dean is promising that the Corn Roast is on for this weekend.  So, Saturday should be fun.  And our daughter Tracy Elizabeth is bringing our son Ken out for the weekend. 

Well, I started this post after grocery shopping on Friday and suddenly had some unusual symptoms that had me a little worried checking into Emergency at Gimli Hospital.  They too seemed a little alarmed by the symptoms, but were unable to figure out what had caused them.  They kept me there from 3 pm until 10 pm doing all kinds of test.  Six hours of test after test and waiting around for results, Only to find that everything came back normal and I was cleared to go home to the boat.  That was not how I planned to spend my Friday.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the weekend going a little better. 

THIS IS NOT EXACTLY THE POST I PLANNED FOR FRIDAY. 

WHAT A MISERABLE WEEKEND THAT WAS

Well, we all know how bad the weather was this past weekend, especially around the lake.  How cottage country fared is all over the news.  

Most of those winds we had over the weekend were coming mainly from the north.  And when we get those strong north winds on Lake Winnipeg, that slows all the water from flowing into the north basin and raises the water levels all around the south basin.  Therefore our marina is filled to overflowing.  

The ramp that normally gets you down onto the government launch dock, is now an up ramp, and I think you would get your feet wet trying to get onto it.  

Our ramp that is normally a pretty steep climb is levelled right out.  We'll enjoy that while it lasts.  

You can see the high water mark, by the flotsam left behind by the receding water

This walkway was obviously under water.  

This launch dock will be un-usable until the water recedes.  

This government launch ramp at the other end of the marina is pretty much awash as well.  But, this will all be back to normal in a couple of days, as soon as the winds die off or switch and start coming from the south.  Which is supposed to happen today and into Wednesday. 

 LIVING ON A BOAT YOU'RE REALLY IN TUNE WITH MOTHER NATURE