October 8

October 8 Campbellford again.

Last night we decided to stay here today and get some small jobs done before we hit the big lake. So we watched a movie and went to bed very late...1:00 am. Actually we watched two movies. It has been so long since we’ve been able t0 hear music we watched Rock of Ages and Burlesque... yes, for the music! Quit rolling your eyes, Liz.  Tonight we might even watch Chicago or Mama Mia!

We have our stereo hooked up and can listen to our mp3 players but not underway. The motor is too noisy. Strangely enough when the motor has been running for a while, I hear voices and sometimes music. I know I am not crazy because a couple of women I met 10 years ago sailing up said the same thing. We all heard voices in the sound of the engine or the swish of the water... sometimes mother, sister. I happened to hear Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo arguing all the time. Now I hear music... not clearly enough to know what it is, unfortunately.

So today we re-sealed the windows on the dodger (roof over the cockpit) put the numbers on the dinghy and the port of registry on the back of the boat; caught up on the groceries, fixed the windows so they will close and keep us drier on the trip down; made boots for the shrouds that go through the dodger; put a vent in the engine compartment; fixed the toilet vent; stuff like that.

This morning the day was bright and clear and we thought maybe we had miscalculated. At 10:30 one of the clerks in the tourist centre came by to ask if we were leaving today...the guys at the lock were wondering! How’s THAT for service! We started to think maybe by noon or 1:00 pm, but by 11:00 am there were gale force winds running against the current and squalls blowing through every half hour! And it continued all day and all evening, so we did the jobs between rainfalls. We just finished and it is going down to 6 tonight.  I keep telling myself Columbus, Champlain Franklin all did this in much worse conditions. Unfortunately only one of them lived to tell the tales. And I used to teach winter camping up in Thunder Bay, so I should just suck it up and deal. And I’m sure that next month when I’m in Florida I’ll laugh about this...But right now I’m going to go have a hot shower in a cold building, then climb into bed with a cup of tea and catch up on the sleep I should have got last night!