Merry Christmas 2018

T'was two weeks before Christmas and as we looked 'round,

We suddenly realized that we were snow-bound!

No sea breeze, no soft sand, no dazzling sunlight,

Just grey clouds, snow-rain storms, and really cold nights!

No sailboats or conch horns to greet the green flashes,

Just car horns and crowded last-minute mall-dashes!

We dream of warm water, and yoga on the beach;

Of meetings on Sundays to hear Cordell teach;

Of baskets, of dominoes and volleyball - what fun!

Of winning Rum bottles. Has "Trivia" begun?

The "Land" friends and family we cherish are here.

The grandkids, our treasures, are happy we're near [?]

We'll miss the Straw Ladies and this year's Junkanoo;

But mostly, our Warm -Winter friends, we'll miss YOU!

Work on the boat; keeping busy's the trick,

It's only two winters... but I sure miss KALIK!!          ©SMS

Winter's here! and so are we

Today is November 11. Remembrance Day.Sadly I am not anywhere where there is a service going on. We are in Ignace Ontario and it is minus 12 C. We are visiting with my brother and his partner, Sonya. After I finish this post we are going to attempt to go for a walk.

We finished work in mid-October although we were expecting to work longer...fickle boss. I am still employed on a special project for my summer employer...a history of the area. So I can work from home or a space about 10 km from where we are living, which is in Hepworth ... in Quentin's room...til he comes home.

We left Nov 1 to come north for a visit and arrived in Thunder Bay on the 3rd at my best friend's house where we have been staying. We've been visiting and Rick has been working with Les on some of his handyman projects.  Sue and I went with her daughter Megan and friend Teresa to Vanderwees Gardening Centre Ladies night. It was great fun...fashion show, band, free wine and food and LOTS of shopping ideas. This place has grown from a garden center to to a centrepiece of unique things!!! Clothes, boots and bags, Christmas decorations of all sizes ...like Bronner's in Frankenmuth Minn.

We went to a hockey game last Wed. night to see our nephews Alex and Ben play...Ontario Junior Hockey League. [College aged kids] Alex scored the second goal with Ben assisting and Ben scored 4 with Alex assisting on 3 of them. Tonight we will watch them on TV...yes their games are televised!!!
Monday we are heading to Kenora to see Aunt M and cousins then we will head back to Thunder Bay , track down some more old friends and then head on home. I have to go back to work at some point.

And we are anxious to get settled in at Liz's...kinda just threw our stuff in and left....

 Ben and Alex...unless you can see the numbers, its very hard to tell them apart!

Last week at the trailer

Last day of work was yesterday  quiet boring; today was rainy and cold this morning with a great wind, but by the afternoon late the wind died down ad we went for a walk. Missed dinner yesterday because we both worked.

So this week, we close up the trailer and head down to Hepworth. Rick is working until next Saturday so we'll get as much done as possible. THen we'll head out for a three week trip to visit everyone between here and Kenora...hopefully before it snows! After that it's job hunting time!

Our lettuce garden kept us in saladall summer; the cage kept the rabbits out

Herbs:chives, rosemary,thai basil, oregano, sage and thyme

September

Got a message from work last night...actually woke me up...asking if I wanted the day off. Apparently enough people felt sorry for/ or actually complained about my hacking and coughing that the boss thought I might want a recovery day...hell, yes!! It's very cold here today [okay, it's not swimming weather] and I appreciate another day to schlep around in my fleece jammies and veg. Lots of Buckley's cough drops, lemon tea and juice! I have no fever...my temperature is about 10 degrees below normal [okay about 3 degrees...I'm freezing] so I will sit and watch painting videos, do some sketching, and writing and imagine this fabulous fabric magically turning itself into a perfect kilt..or long skirt and vest...or coat...still can't decide.
My little friend was sleeping on the fence again this morning. Don't know why the howling gale didn't knock him off!Looks like he's not feeling well either!


Yesterday [Tuesday] while we were in town doing chores, we checked the mail at Hepworth and found that a parcel had arrived from BC. Rick's sister Ann used to weave many years ago and I have an extraordinary collection of tea towels and table mats that I love...but now she quilts and this was in the package!!! If it ever stops raining I will hang it on the line so you can see the full effect but its gorgeous!the back side is red waves that look like bird's eye views of hurricanes, the quilting is done in waves and the squares are the complete alphabet in signal flags> Perfect boat accessory!! Thanks Ann, we love it !!!

So I'm off today [Saturday] and it was supposed to be DK Day...dye kilt day... I love my white utility kilt but it's white ...'nuff said. I picked up the dye...blue jean colour. I was going for grey or black but thought I'd start with a softer one first...you can go darker but not lighter. The process is an all-day affair and I have to work 4-10 today so I'll wait for another day off...😥😥 I really don't want to dye it but blue is better than dirty white, and being a utility kilt means I wear it like jeans ...EVERYWHERE I CAN

This is a weight-loss kilt...it weighs 8 lbs. with all the hardware attached to it!It has detachable pockets, as well

And here's the back of that exquisite quilt [not to be confused with kilt] thatAnn Arsenault sent...it's redder than the photo...camera keeps adjusting the light...see the mini hurricanes on the back?? Very apt right now, watching Florence and Helene. And the four corner squares are cool fish ! Love it!

End of summer we know it...

Wow. September already. every time I say how fast the summer went, people keep reminding us [not kindly either] that we didn't actually get here until mid-July...minor detail.
So Rick wears glasses all the time now; I apparently have developed carpal tunnel, so wear hand braces at night to help stave off surgery; the Summer fairies left me with a goodbye gift...a raging summer cold. 
On a brighter note, Quentin is having a good experience at Fanshawe College [ok only one class so far but still...]  He move into a house with 4 other guys...older than him and international students working to their master's degrees. As  his mother says..."Not a bunch of teenagers...these guys didn't spend 3-4 years at university to move across the world and screw it up by partying all the time...they will set a good example for him, and he 'll get a good cross-cultural experience."
 
Our Todd is playing football this year on the high school junior team and so far [yes, only 3 days in] is enjoying high school. It's sad that the bar is set so low. Orientation consisted of a trip to Wonderland and first day classes were "get to know everybody" 
Natasha is is Grade 7 and her day was pretty much the same as TOdd's. They are both going to Air cadets now, and she is turning into a giraffe...not sure where those height genes come from although her cousin Willow, is also a ...willow...very tall and graceful. I'm hoping next summer Tash will fall in love with highland dancing.
We spent the last two days on the boat, cleaning,  removing stuff and planning our attack. When its 37 C it's hard to get much done. I have finally been ready to give in to swimming this summer but with the cold now, I have no energy for it. 
I've become obsessed with the heritage thing...Scotland, clans and tartans...so I found on-line a place to order tartans and [Lindsay, forgive me] I bought the last 3 meters of "Erwin weathered tartan" that was available. It's a rare tartan [nobody orders it...not enough of us,  so it was in the "Clearance " section] and its beautiful! So I will stare lovingly at it for a few weeks before I summon the courage to pick up the scissors. It's going to make really hot shorts being 100% wool...just kidding, but I'm trying to decide if I want a full kilt or a suit. 
Oh and Rick bought his practise chanter ...he wants to be able to play bagpipes by next summer. Anyone have an old set they aren't using?
Yes, living on land HAS affected us but it's probably a temporary condition and reversible when we get back out to sea.

What a weekend!!!

August to remember!!

WOW ! What a weekend !!! We went to Fergus Scottish Festival, in Fergus Ontario at the invitation of my second cousin, Lindsay, who is our family historian by default [she's so good everyone asks for her help!] I thought Lindsay was a professional genealogist, but she's actually an engineer and this is her hobby! Lucky for the rest of us!

So we arrived on Friday afternoon, sat outside the gates with our lawn chairs and our books in the shade, watching the thousands of vehicles entering the Sportsplex park and camping ground at Fergus. And I mean thousands!!!

The next two days were filled with games like caber tossing; hammer throwing; bale tossing, highland dancing and piping band competition. There were hundreds of pipers and drummers.  Every clan that has a Mac or Mc in the name was represented and the same number who didn't Campbell, Gunn, Irwin [that's me!] Elliott [that's Steve!] right up to Young.

There wasn't a single tartan that wasn't beautiful and I'll tell you...any man in a kilt looks damned good. I can't imagine how some of them look in ordinary street clothes but I think kilts should be part of the daily dress!!! And I am now the proud owner of  a "utility kilt" ...kind of like a construction apron with pockets and hardware every where...for your sword brace, your dagger, your cell phone, your car keys etc. Mine is white but they come in any colour or camo. And despite the 10 lbs of hardware on it, it wasn't hot or even heavy. And now when I attend, I also have a sash made from my clan tartan for Erwin

The entertainment was fantastic. A band from Scotland called Albannach, a pipe and drum band and a didgeridoo player was amazing. They looked like the original Celts.

The show band was the Red Hot Chilli Pipers...read that again...not Peppers but Pipers and they were from Scotland as well.  A Bag Rock Band! They played Queen, Foreigner and other rock covers ...

The guest of honour was Graham MacTavish...from Outlander or Dwalin from the Hobbit!!  I couldn't get close enough for a selfie [too short to push through the crowd of women] but Rick managed to snap his picture a couple of times.

It was sensory overload and I think the adrenaline is still running through me.

THEN...on the way home we stopped in Markdale to our close-up family reunion of Erwin's and Sensabaugh's [my sister's other half].  Once again all the Erwin siblings were together and most of their respective children. It was a great day having three generations together and even the kids were remarking how they could see resemblances to themselves and each other in cousins they'd never met. Thanks Barb & Dan, Chris & Regan, Brad & Colleen!!

Awesome bands

Albannach

Drum major for his clan Band

Irwin Clan [and Mactavish photobomb]

Docile highland cattle

Caber tossing[we call them telephone poles]

Hammer throw winner -83 feet

Back side - looks good!

Front side looks gre

Red Hot Chilli Piper  Wow! 

Amazing little boy and when the girl beside hi refused to dance he cried!

Graham MacTavish

THere's just something about a Celt in a kilt !!

The boys look older ...but not the girls!

Back in Owen Sound

June 21...We got up at 6:00 this morning, finished packing all the bits and pieces and securing the mast and furlers. and waited for the guy so we could get fuel. He wasn't there by 10:00 am so we left. We can't get it here either but we have 3 days of travel in the tank, so we are good til the next "station".

We are at Waterford, above the Federal Lock. This is where the Champlain Canal separates from the Erie Canal. Here is where there is a 1,000 foot FREE dock, free showers and free wifi...who knew??? Rick went to find out about a grocery store and came back with a wifi code!! We are exhausted so we will stay here tonight right in front of the first of 75 locks. Last time it took 3 1/2 days to get to Lake Ontario. we'll see how we do this time.
We went to the grocery store and they let us bring the cartback with us. It's about a 10 block walk.No phone cards so no wifi hot spot. On the way we stopped for coffee at Paul and Don's Cafe: 2 burgers and fries, coffee and cheese cake for $12.00!!! And I don't need to cook supper!!

June 27...On the dock at Trenton Port Marina. It's a grey☔☔ rainy day, of course, because yesterday's crossing was exceptional...can't have 2 good days in a row.⛵
So tonight we will celebrate being home,legal,🇨🇦️ and its our 48th anniversary today. 🍾Not where and how we'd hoped to celebrate, so Barb, Joe, Ted & Jack...think about what you were doing 48 years ago today. Most of you were cleaning up around the farm house. Barb and I were getting our hair done...well, Barb was... the hairdresser thought she was the bride, so she looked great...mine looked like crap because they ran out of time...another bride coming in. Funny the little things you remember..😜
We met some cool people while we waited in Oswego..an exuberant couple name Mark and Lezlie on Antonia from Texas...we will see them on and off during our trip home. They need a Canadian flag so we passed them one of ours on the crossing and they gave us a Texas flag.
Too tired to post pics right now but when we dig them out I will post...its free wifi here!

July 5 HELLO OWEN SOUND ! Missed the Wednesday night race by about a half hour!!

We arrived at 9:15 last night 12 hours from engine-on in Port Severn, through the lock to engine off in GS Marina. Georgian Bay was dead calm and warm! We had a bath out there!! No other boats around for miles!

Anybody want to buy some new Trent Severn charts?? Never going that way again!!! We'll sail down lakes Huron and Erie to get to the Erie Canal and south when we leave! 

July 7 ...We went out to the trailer yesterday to check on it. It was beautiful..clean, fresh with the smell of Fleecy sheets and mothballs {I like those smells] and empty... looking like a display model...We opened the windows, set up the awnings . Not a sign of mice or even spiders {Yay} I swept up the dead flies, pulled the sheets out, made up the bed, then we started putting stuff in it...now it looks like home ...our home ...full of crap!
Took the sails and rigging to to storage unit. Brother Jack helped with his truck.
Today we lift the mast off the deck and set it on stands so we can strip the wiring and lights Then we can check the waterline and start removing stuff to get her to float where she's supposed to.
I feel a little more centered now...being here, seeing family and getting a plan together. It doesn't seem like such an impossibility to get this done and head back down. All the way up I had this sinking feeling it was going to be our last trip, but barring extreme circumstances, we are going to try to be ready for next year.
So...hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go...

July 10...Okay that was way too easy!!!
We went into the marina this morning and had no trouble getting the spot where we wanted to be lifted out, as son as we talked to the GM. An hour later we were at the crane office and they said, "So, what are you doing right now?" By 1:30 pm we had a big tarp staked out; launched the dinghy; moved the boat into position and were resting on our blocks!!!
There's no power close by but we'll figure that out.

As soon as she was visible above the horizon, we were visited by a number of boating friends from the yacht club and I was thoroughly chastised for not blogging enough so that everyone knew we were fine and on our way...See Julie, you were right !

So tomorrow we do the final empty and head up to the trailer. Rick starts work on Thursday and I will be working on the weekend. Life goes on!

Up the Ocean

June 11 --Monday - another night of major thunderstorms .It's still raining here and we are rocking in the harbour. Winds are on the nose and the seas are at 7 feet today outside the Chesapeake...sorry guys, not going out when we have to stay awake for 24 hours or more AND fight the weather. Staying in Cape Charles and working on little jobs. While we were commiserating and working, a 100-foot tall sho came ...Of course we had to go watch [Rick actually meant 'help'] it dock. Beautiful Dutch reproduction called Kalmar Nyckel. Everybody in town came over...apparently its been here before and they love it...no wonder!!

June 12....Yeah...no...we got out to the sea buoy at 3 miles off shore and headed up our track, the seas were 6-8 feet and the wind was 25 knots from the northeast...couldn't get over 2.5 knots, so we turned back...crap! 25 miles wasted! We left at 7:30 and landed back here at 2;30 7 freakin hours to go nowhere. So we did an oil change and re-fueled. And we couldn't keep going because its a 60-70 hour run to New York and we would have run out of fuel..probably could have made it to Ocean City but not at 2-3 nots bucking 6 foot seas!
We had 25 knots on the nose coming back into the harbour and the sky has closed around us. C.G was warning boaters of waterspouts on the Bay.

I don't trust ANYBODY's weather predictions now! We're going to wait until tomorrow afternoon...see if the predictions are 24 hours behind and if they are, take off. I am rapidly running out of Rescue Remedy!!

 So to follow that up, another celebrity. ..USHER ...came in. I can't imagine anyone with that kind of money naming their boat after someone else, so I assume it was his boat. But when you google it [I hate that word] it doesn't say who the owner is...I didn't even look at the price, after I saw the photos.

June 13 --What a difference a day makes... I think that's a song but...
we got out under the bridge into a different world... perfect for motor- sailing and we got to Cape May this morning - 22 hour trip, and the engine alarm came on...our water system is not working again... THANK GOD FOR TOWBOAT US!!!!

And thanks for all the positive vibes y'all sent out...it got us this far! 157 miles from Cape Charles.

We are in Cape May in an anchorage and now we need to find more parts and a dealer. And Ben {Towboat captain] says its an air leak somewhere so we will epoxy the shit out of all the plastic parts, tighten all the clamps again,and hope the dinghy holds enough air to get us to shore to the YAnmar dealer in case we need other things. The winds right now are 22 knots and the anchorage is along the side of the wind tunnel!!!

Tomorrow is supposed to be just as bad [wind on the nose] so we will probably stay here overnight. Besides, we were working in 2-hour shifts so neither of us got much sleep. We will do the last stretch to New York in 2 or 3 stops...no more overnights. 

I'm going to write a book about this "adventure" and I have the pictures as proof.🤣😜😂 Anyway, we left on June 13 at 8:30 am and by 9:30 next morning we were off Cape May when the motor alarm went off.

June 15 Rick is looking for parts...oil seals for and /or new water pump. We'll fix the old one when we get home.  we both slept well last night but were up at 5 am  again...habit

IF we can fix it today we will leave and head for New York. It's only 120 miles so we can do that over 24 hours and we will get there in daylight.  Then we will be in the Hudson River, take down the mast and head through the Canals for Lake Ontario.  On a higher note if the dinghy motor keeps working, we do have a back-up for the Canals. :(