Surprise ski trip for Cindy!

1/18/2016

 Still waiting on the snow to arrive here in Seymour. We have had maybe a inch so far, 2 if you are really optimistic, but no where near enough to ski on. This winter is really starting to wear on me. Luckily, Paoli Peaks has been making snow every time the temp would drop down below 28 so they finally were able to open the slopes, all be it a few runs at a time.
 Last week Cindy had a snow day. Yes, it only takes a inch of snow to call off school around here. It was quite chilly so I checked and Paoli had most of the runs open. I took off a bit early and we ran down for a evening ski. It was the first time we got to use our skis I got us for Christmas so it was good to be able to check them out and make sure they were going to be ok. Everything worked great, other than the goggles I tried to modify to fit over my prescription glasses. After the first hour my head felt like the goggles were pushing on my frames so hard they were going to cut my head in two. Quick trip to the pro shop for a pair of OTG goggles and we were back at it with much less pain!
 What Cindy did not know was that I had been working on a secret plan for a surprise weekend ski trip to Michigan for us. She had said once several years ago that she had always wanted to be whisked away for a fun filled weekend and I never forgot that statement. I had actually tried to pull it off last year but just never could get all the pieces of the puzzle to line up at the same time. Well this year with our own downhill skis we really wanted to go up north and ski on real snow with our new skis so I tried again to get everything lined up so we could do that. I was really glad to get a trip to Paoli in before we headed north just to make sure everything was working as it should before we got to take a trip to Michigan.
 Back around Christmas I started watching snow fall totals up in Michigan and the long range weather forecast, i.e. the weatherman's best guess what it might be like at some point in the future. The unseasonably warm weather we had at Christmas was finally suppose to break and more seasonable temps were to move in towards the end of the year and continue into January. Finally, maybe we can get some snow. So I took a chance and started lining up the support staff I would need to pull this off. I first had to arrange puppy care for the boys. Got that. Then I had to arrange for mom coverage for Cindy's mom, incase she would need something while we were gone. Got that. Then I needed to arrange for Cindy to be able to take a half personal day off from work without her knowing about it. Got ahold of the school and shared my plan, they said no problem. Everything was a go, now all we needed was for the weather to hold out.
 Well as the trip approached they had just enough snow where I wanted to take her to xc ski but they were now forecasting a warm up with rain turning back to snow towards the weekend. Crap, just my luck. It had to be this weekend because that was the only weekend I could get puppy care and mom care to overlap. Reservations were already made so I had till 6pm on Wednesday to make up my mind. Needless to say Wednesday was spent checking weather every chance I could. By noon it was not looking any better so time to change the plan or scrub the trip.
 Originally my plan was to only drive 4 hours to southern Michigan, downhill ski on Friday night and Saturday, then xc ski on Sunday before we came home. After looking at all the forecast and models I took a chance that the rain would not extend up past central Michigan and made new reservations for Friday night at the North Winds Lodge in Higgins lake MI, 7 hours north. The new plan was to drive up Friday, let the rain pass and turn back to snow overnight, then xc ski on Saturday in the Higgins lake area, drive 3 hours southwest Saturday evening and spend the night in Allegan MI so we could be the first ones on the slopes at Bittersweet Ski Resort Sunday morning. A bit more driving, ok, quite a bit more driving, but I was getting desperate. Dam El Nino!
 Friday morning finally arrived and it was time to make this happen. Everything was going as it normally does till I left for work. Thursday evening I intentionally pulled into my parking place instead of backing in like I normally do so I could fake a dead battery. If Cindy asked why I just didn't jump it I could use the excuse of the yard being soft and getting stuck if I pulled around to jump it. I went back inside and told Cindy the battery in Trixie had bit the dust and asked if it was ok if I drove her to work in Pearl then used her car to get a battery. No problem and she did not suspect anything beyond that. Cindy was actually happy to ride to work as she napped on the way. She had woke up coughing during the night and if I was going to get any sleep she needed to get some too. So I gave her what turned out to be cough meds that made her quite drowsy. Took her quite a while to wake up. At least I got some sleep ;-) 
 I dropped my little lady off at work then raced home to load up all the gear and pack for both of us before returning in  few hours to pick Cindy back up. No problems installing the Skybox on the roof rack and getting our downhill and xc skis in there. Took all of five minutes to pack for myself as I keep my backpack ready to go for all seasons. Then I started packing for Cindy. Fortunately Cindy is very low maintenance but even at that, trying to think like a woman packing for a weekend ski trip and all the possibilities of what might happen was mentally exhausting. I thought I had a game plan but trying to find where she kept the items I wanted to pack for her was a real chore. Then came the search for her travel bag that she kept what I thought was everything she needed to get ready in the morning. She has taken that bag on every trip we have taken together so I just assumed it was like my back pack to her. Granted, I could not remember ever seeing a multi plier, a wine opener, fire starters, a gps, weather radio, or sewing kit in it but we all have different ideas of what is a necessity. I looked, and I looked, and I looked again all over the house for that bag and it was still MIA. Where the heck could she have put it. Back down to the basement, looked in all the luggage, nope, back to our bedroom, searched all over it, nope, searched the bathroom again, nope, upstairs to the spare bedroom closet where Cindy keeps her overflow, again nothing. Now I am really starting sweat it. I went back to here drawers in vanity and peered inside to see if maybe I could put together all the needed items. It took two seconds of looking at all those items for me to decide that plan was hopeless. Short of taking everything in the drawers I knew I better find that bag!
 I went in search of her backpack that she carries when we xc ski. I found it on the floor in the closet behind the wall that separates her side from mine. As I was raising back up I caught a faint glimpse of what I thought was the flowered material that I thought matched the missing bag. A quick dig through her hanging clothes ensued and there, hanging amongst her clothes, behind the dividing wall, was the missing bag!!! I breathed a sigh of relief, took two more Tylenol as thinking like a woman was really putting the hurt on my head, and went back to packing for Cindy.
 Being a straight man who lives in blue jeans and Life is Good shirts I was really struggling trying to put outfits together for Cindy to wear after we skied. I knew what I wanted her to wear, but that might not have been appropriate for all activities LOL. Just to be sure she had enough to put something together I packed way more than needed. I was still able to get the large bag to zip up, but just barely. Better safe than sorry.
 I originally thought we might just take the boys with us. They love road trips and it would have removed one key piece of the puzzle. Once I got all the bags with our clothes, our ski gear, our backpacks, down hill and xc ski boots, and four or five coats for Cindy all loaded in the car I was happy there was still room for us. Good thing I got puppy care.
 Soon it was time to head to town and spring the surprise. I made sure the boys were settled in and gave them a treat before I left. Cindy had been very quite all morning so I sent her a quick text asking if everything was ok. Turned out she was just very busy. Now I feared she might not be able to leave and I would have to wait for school to be over. Too late now, I at least have to give her the option. So about ten minutes till noon I walked into the school's office and asked Marilyn if Cindy was busy. She went to student services where she and Susan called her on the radio. After a few minutes still no Cindy so they called her again. Finally I heard her voice around the corner and they told her she had a visitor at the front office. Cindy's eye lit up when she came around the corner and saw me standing there as I very rarely go to her work during the day. Come to think of it, I had only been there once to pick up her running bag when she got sick, but she wasn't even there. Cindy walked around the counter to me and I asked her if she wanted to do something crazy? To which she replied with eyebrow raised, "How Crazy?" I told her I had the car loaded up with all our ski gear, I had everything she needed packed, we had hotel reservations 7 hours north, and I had already arranged her personal time off for the afternoon. Lets go chase the snow! Her eyes got real big and said "SERIOUSLY?? JB, the school's principle, walked by about then and told her to get out of there. From there it got kinda crazy with Libby and Sally in the office telling her they knew all about it and the wait was killing them.


 Cindy ran back to her office to shut down her computer and grab her stuff. Cindy quickly returned with eyes still as big as ping balls and off we went!
 So far so good. With my lady by my side I pointed Pearl north and off we went. I had two new magazines for Cindy to read and a beverage waiting in the car for her so she was set. We made really good time and luckily traffic kept moving the whole way there. I am always waiting on sea of read brake lights to appear at anytime when I travel on the interstate but our luck held out and we had smooth sailing. As we crossed the line into Michigan the rain kept falling and the temp stayed steady at about 40 degrees. I kept checking the weather at our destination and they were steady right at freezing. This was good and bad. I was not worried about freezing rain but if it did not turn colder pretty soon the chance of getting much new snow after the rain was fading fast.
 We pulled into the Higgins lake area just after dark in a cold fog. There were light snow showers but no real accumulation. The temp was dropping though so I was hopeful that maybe some lake effect would get cranked up and give us some fresh snow on the rain wetted snow they already had. After checking in at our hotel we headed back south a few miles to local restaurant called the Streamside Restaurant. It was very busy and we barely found a parking place. Either it was really good or it was the only place still open in the area. Luckily it was the first option as our food was really good. Cindy got the fish tacos and I went with the parmesan encrusted walleye. My fish was delicious! It was so good I would have gotten another order but between the fish and the bowl of clam chowder I had as appetizer I was stuffed. Darn it, hate to pass up good fish.
 The temp had dropped about 5 degrees while we ate but still no new snow. Back to the room in hopes it would snow overnight. After a bit of difficulties getting our tv to work we snuggled under the covers and drifted off to sleep. I woke several times in the night to peek outside but each time I was disappointed to see Pearly sitting outside our window with no new snow on her.
 It was about dawn when I woke up and peeked out the last time. Finally Pearl was starting to show signs of snowfall!


 It wasn't much but the lake effect was just getting cranked up. I got ready and headed down the road to retrieve some breakfast for us while Cindy got ready. We really lucked out in that the place we stayed was right between a pastry shop and the XC Ski Headquarters where we were going to ski first. I mean right between them. It was maybe a 1000 feet to either place. Talk about convenient!
 They were just opening up when I pulled into the Country Sweets so after telling them what I wanted I shoveled the snow off their walk for them while they finished icing our cream filled long johns. They were so fresh there was steam coming out from around the lid of the Styrofoam container they put them in when I walked outside. The fact that it was 11 degrees outside probably played a part in that too.
 Cindy was peaking out of the door at the snow falling when I pulled back up to the room. We curled up on the bed and watched the news while we ate some of the yummiest pastries we have ever had. We both had warm cream filling oozing down our chins as we inhaled our breakfast. I was left wishing I had gotten three more they were so good.
 We finished our packing while our Rudolph red wine warmed up on the dresser. It helps to be prepared for anything


 Doesn't everyone carry a camp stove and cook pot in their backpacks?
 After one last sweep of the room to make sure we had everything it was time to head to Ski Headquarters. It seemed like we just pulled out of one drive and right into another it was so close to the hotel. Cindy was laughing as she did not realize it was basically next door. Again, ideal location. I wish I had thought to take a picture as we walked up to the door as Donnie the wonder dog was inside, leaning against the glass in the door looking out at us. We met Donnie last year when we stopped in on our way back from out UP trip. He was just a pup then and I remember being so impressed with how laid back he was around all the people. Well a year later and he was even more laid back. After we scratched his ears and he sniffed all over us he went over to his spot in front of the wall furnace and just laid down.
 Cindy proceeded to seek out all the deals in their ski shop as they have quite a large selection of winter clothing. While Cindy shopped I got our trail passes and some replacement baskets for my ski pole that I broke a right after we got on our first trail last year in the Porkies. Cindy had fallen over in front of me and I tried to stop before I skied over her and in the process snapped the back half off a pole basket. Cindy decided she could not decide what she wanted so we went for a ski while she processed it all. Again I say, thinking like a woman is exhausting LOL!
 Their trails are really nicely laid out, very well groomed, and very wide with smooth flowing turns. Ideal for XC skiing. Snow was still falling which was good as the light rain they got the day before had wetted the snow and the tracks were frozen over making traction a bit hard to get. We had to stop by the Trapper's Cabin and take a pic to send back to the gang letting them all know we wished they were there with us


 Other than Cindy, there is nothing prettier than skiing through a pine woods with the snow falling down around you. We made a leisurely lap out the Manitou trail then went north on the Rolling Hills trail for about 5 miles total. We headed back across the road so Cindy could finish her shopping before we grabbed a bite to eat as today was wood fire pizza on the grill day! It was going to be a busy day for them as there people milling around everywhere when we returned to the shop. Donnie was making his rounds going from head pat to ear scratch to back rub with each person he passed. I think he knew what he was doing. I went outside to get a better cell signal and sat by the fire as I checked the radar in hopes our downhill destination was getting fresh snow


 My buns quickly got frosted sitting on the cold chairs so back inside to see if Cindy was ready to grab some lunch. We really lucked out and got two chairs right in front of their large fireplace in the dining area. After ordering our lunch we warmed ourselves by the fire and did some people watching while we waited on our pizzas to come off the grill.
 I know that ski lodges don't keep it very warm inside because everyone is all dressed for cold weather but I just can't sit by a fire and not feel the heat from it so it was not long before I was stirring up the coals and feeding it some more wood. The pizza soon arrived and other than the bottom of Cindy's being a bit charred they were really good. It was simple idea and one I hope to be able to try out in our fireplace at home soon.
 After lunch it was back to the shop so Cindy could do some more shopping. Seems she had some time to think as she ate. It was turning into a very busy day for them as the people just kept coming. We took one more lap on the 3.1 mile Manitou trail before loading up to head to another park with ski trails.
 Our next destination was a state park northeast of Grayling called Hartwick Pines. It was about 20 minutes from Ski Headquarters but as we discovered it was just far enough north to have not gotten the rain the day before. The terrain there was a bit more hilly with more mature pine trees. It was absolutely beautiful. The trails had really nice snow that the wax on our wood skis could get good traction on. We skied up on a couple with one very fuzzy Alaskan Malamute dog that turned out to be a rescue dog. They were trying to get him used to skijoring which is where the skier is attached to a lead attached to a dog. Needless to say you want to be attached to a dog you trust and one that listens to you. That counts out our boys. He seemed to be doing very well and was really having fun in the snow.
 The trails at Hartwick Pines pass through a 40 acre stand of large virgin pine trees that are somewhere around 300 years old. the snow was still clinging to there bows as we skied through them with the wind whistling through their upper limbs. It was truly a winter wonderland as the snow continued to fall down around us. At one point the snow came down so hard it was like we were in our own little snow globe that had now glass wall. It just went on and on. I really wish we had gotten there sooner with fresher legs as I would have loved to have skied all the trails there.
 We saw lanterns hanging on hooks along part of the trail and assumed they had a lantern lit ski the night before. Turns out it was actually going to be that evening but I had no way of knowing. I wish we had known as I am sure we would have been all over that!
 With a 3 our drive to our next hotel we decided to head south and get there early enough we could get rested up for downhill skiing the next day. Just so happened that we would be passing right by the Streamside restaurant we had eaten dinner at the night before. Did not take Cindy too long to catch onto the idea that I wanted more walleye ;-) Lets just say it was just as good the second time I had it as it was the first! If you haven't noticed I love good fish!!!
 We rolled into our second hotel about 8 and got all settled in. After a quick trip to the ice machine the cork got popped on a bottle of Black Berry Social wine from Lanthier winery in Madison. It was a nice way to end a really fun day on the snow. After Cindy laid her head on my shoulder it was just a minute or two at the most before she was out like a light. I continued to check weather and keep my fingers crossed for more snow. They were forecasting quite a bit of lake effect for that area but it was not really supposed to get cranked up till noon or so the next day. I soon dozed off myself staring at the live radar on my phone.
 I had set the alarm on my phone as I did not want to take a chance that we might oversleep by even a minute or two so when it went off I was up in a flash. Of course the first thing I did was peek outside. Darn it, just a dusting over night. Sigh... Sometime during my shower it started snowing with a bit more intensity. Things were looking up.
 Soon we were all packed up and headed to the slopes. With a quick pass through the Mc Donald's drive through with snow still falling and we were on our way. We pulled into the lot with just a few other cars there before us, which probably belonged to workers.



 We had a few minutes to wait before they opened the lift ticket sales counter so Cindy proceeded to do some more shopping. This time it was a bit more economical as it was through the glass windows of the ski shop.
 9 am finally came and with lift tickets attached to our coats it was time to hit the snow! This was the first time to downhill anywhere other than Paoli for both of us so it was neat to see how they do things at other ski resorts. The first big difference was that we had to ride the lift up to start where as at Paoli we ski down to the lift. This would turn out to be a big difference as we were about to discover.
 The second big difference was that Bittersweet has a high speed lift which is really sweeeet! Not only is it much faster to get you to the top, but the seats were so nicely padded it was like sitting down in a Cadillac compared to the lifts we were used to sitting on.
 So on the lift we went and while it starts out slow once it engages to the main cable it really speeds up. About 3/4 the way up not only did the wind really start blowing but we could see that where we got off the lift it was really steep for about the first 100 feet down. It was about then that we both started thinking maybe we should have rode one of the shorter lifts up a time or two before trying this run. Too late, the only way down was to ski.
 Getting off the lift we made the turn to the left and came to a stop just short of where the hill broke over. It was like looking out over a cliff. I had suggested we go to the far right as it was labeled as a intermediate run on the map. Well looking down the hill this was easily a Black Diamond run at Paoli. So there we were, first ones at the top of the hill, freshly groomed snow below us, and both of not sure we could make it.
 Being the man, or more like the idiot who had this idea, I went first. It took about half a second for me to realize that while it was groomed, it must have been groomed in the middle of the night as it was basically ice crusted snow! Gravity took over and the speed built quickly. I tried to cut right to bleed a little speed but one ski went right and the other one went over my head. I was just happy when I stopped sliding and I still had both arms and legs attached to my body. Cindy must not have waited to see my run as when I looked up she was sliding down the hill on her side pretty much like I did. We were both ok but both of us had lost one ski which were both some distance back up the ice slide. Dam gravity had to drag us that far down. I quickly gave up on the idea of keeping one ski on and making it back to my missing ski and just popped the remaining ski off and climbed back up to retrieve my missing apparatus.
 We both slid our way down to where the hill flattened out just a bit where we were able to reassemble our skis and poles. We both looked back up the hill and laughed. It would be a bit before we tried that run again. We finally made it down the hill and to a lift that stopped a bit further down the hill. A quick look at my phone and it had taken us 15 mins to get down the hill. Jay, my friend in Fort Wayne who suffers from the same debilitating snow addiction disease as myself, said he averages 30 seconds runs down the hill. I like to think we just get more time on the snow the way we do it LOL!
 The lift we skied to must have been the very first one built there in the 50's as it was a two person lift and quite slow. People must have been a bit smaller back in the 50's as it was none to spacious, especially when compared to the Cadillac we had just ridden up. The lift operator told us to slide closer to him. Once the vertical side bar nailed me in my spine I realized why. That was going to leave a mark!
 We made it back up the hill and were able to ski down with no issues this time. Did I mention it was cold? I think it was still in the single digits but the wind chill was brutal. Cindy had her goggles on and a buff around her neck that she pulled up to cover the lover part of her face but my face was bare below my goggles. Even though I had not trimmed my whiskers for a week my face was quite cold. I had to stop for a minute to put a balaclava on to try and stave off frost bite for a few more runs.
 We made several more passes down that run and we both felt like we were getting our ski legs under us. Cindy's buff was not helping much as her face was quite cold while mine was not too bad. My big issue is trying to keep my goggles from fogging. I quickly learned I could not have my nose covered or the ability to see was just something to be dreamt of instead of actually used.
 We took a break to get Cindy's cheeks defrosted and grab a hot chocolate. We perused the ski shop and pick up a balaclava for Cindy in hopes of keeping her more comfortable on such a cold day. We felt like we were a bit more prepared for the hill off the high speed lift, plus we really wanted to enjoy the soft cushions on it instead of the hard boards on the old lift. We were going to give the big hill another go! Here we are with out new look.


 On the way up the high speed lift we both noticed that if we came off the north side at the top it was not nearly as steep as the east side we went down first. Guess we should have noticed that on our first trip up. We both made it down the hill with no problems so now we were pumped. The rest of our time would be spent on the high speed lift as it was just so much nicer.
 We both made several more runs before the inevitable happened. I will confess, I am not the best skier out there. In fact, every run I successfully make is nothing short of a miracle. I seem to struggle making both skies do the same thing. I would soon prove this point. We both started down together but I wanted to stay behind Cindy, partly so I could help her up if needed but more so she could not see my goofs. Good thing too as I was about to bite it hard. I was cutting back and forth trying to bleed my speed to stay a safe distance back from Cindy. As I cut left my left ski hooked a really deep rut and I shot hard left like a slot car on a track! I had just passed someone on my left, or so I thought as I could not see them but OTG goggles are like wearing blinders. I never saw it coming but I sure felt it when we hit. I was on my face sliding down the hill with someone on my back but soon that was to change as we rolled and now I had a knee in my chest as I slid down on my back. We finally slide to a stop by the catch fence. I raised up to see my dancing partner a few feet from me staggering to his feet. He appeared to be maybe 12 or 13. I apologized and asked if he was ok. He spit out some snow and said he thought so. He apologized as well but I really think I took him out. We both limped our way back up the hill to pick up our missing gear and then brushed each other off. He was taking it well if nothing else. I was going to feel this one in the morning for sure!
 Cindy was waiting for me when I finally slid to a stop next to her. She could not help but laugh when I told her what happened. Who could have? Hell I was laughing. I straightened up my helmet and back up we went.
 We were having fun making pass after pass. Yes we both took a few tumbles but that is just part of it. You brush yourself off, collect your gear and keep going. We both had to take our hats off, not literally as it was too dam cold, to all the small kids we saw doing the big hill. The best of which was a mom with twin girls who were maybe 4 or 5. They were so cute in matching ski outfits and they were doing great. They were skiing down the biggest hill there and falling mush less than myself. Kudos to their mom as she was getting the real workout keeping those two right side up. They did fine coming down the hill but seem to struggle a bit moving along in the line for the lift. If one wasn't on her back the other one was. It was a hoot to watch them in line. My goggles got fogged several times from me laughing at those two and their mom picking one up them the next.
 We took a break about noon to warm up and get a coke. One benefit of the lodge at the bottom of the hill is that you can sit and watch the entertainment while you warm up. The mogul hill was right out the windows and it was a hoot watching little kids do them. Some of them were pretty good and some of them had a future in slapstick! Cindy really wanted to try them but I reasoned with her that so far neither one of was suffering from any injury we would not heal from in week or so I would really like to keep it that way. We did decide to break out the Go Pro, which I should have had on sooner. Sadly I have to report that due to a over sight on my part the battery was dead. I had double checked everything but that. It may have gotten turned on in my pocket or I forgot to turn it off when I disconnected if from the pc. Either way we were not going to get any video that day.
 Heading back out the snow was really coming down now. The line to the lift was noticeably shorter which made no sense. We drove all that way to ski in real snow really hoping we could ski while it was actually snowing. All the better for us. We decided to tackle the run that we both failed miserably at the first time up. We both faired much better this time as with all the people who had skied it before us an the fresh snow it was now loose enough I could get a bite with my ski edges and actually turn a bit to bleed some speed. Cindy came down behind me and sailed past me around the first turn yelling "Eat my dust!". It wasn't too far down the hill where little miss cocky got a bit too wide in a turn and was off in the rough where they had not groomed. She hit a small, and I mean small, lump that had her maybe 4" in the air but you would have thought she just nailed the ski jump at Lillehammer!
 On our next pass down I thought two can play this game. So I sailed past her yelling "Lizzard Lips!" Only problem was I picked the wrong part of the hill to pass her. As I went past her I cut left so I would not go too wide in the turn and suddenly realized I had cut left right on top of a hill with a abrupt drop after it. I really wanted to hit that going straight, not in a sharp left turn!!! Too late now!!!! All I could do was try to suck in my arms and legs into the fetal position and wait for the impact with the snow. I came sooner than later but happily it was not nearly as bad as I feared it was going to be. I opened my eyes when I stopped sliding and  was surprised to see I still had both skis and both poles attached to my appendages. Needless to say my cold hearted Fiancé was laughing her butt off when I got down to her. I think it was to safe to say I added another mark or two to my body after that one!
 We skied as long as we could before it was time to load up and head home. We were both pretty chilly by the time we got our ski clothes off and the skis all tucked away in the Skybox so we retreated back inside to get a snack and warm up before the drive home. Once again we lucked out and snagged a table by the huge fireplace in the bar!


 We were all the way to the left side of the fireplace but it must have been about 12 feet wide and two sided so you could sit in front of  it in the lobby area as well. We were just both very happy we were not by the doors that led outside as they wind and snow were blowing in and those people sitting over there did not look as comfy as we were.
 It had been a awesome weekend and Cindy was totally surprised! She told me over and over how much fun she was having and how awesome the surprise was. Seeing her eyes get big and the huge smile spread across her pretty face when I picked her up at school made all the planning and waiting totally worth while.
 Soon Cindy would be all settled into her normal travel position


 as I drove us back to the brown wasteland of southern Indiana we are forced to call home.
 Just like with every other trip we have made to Michigan leaving is always the hardest part. The snow was continuing to fall and they were forecasted to get up to 12" more lake effect overnight. Oh to have just one more day to play in the snow together!!!!!!

Christmas in November!!!!

11-23-15

 Here we are, 4 days away from Thanksgiving and I am writing a entry about our early Christmas present we just received, compliments of Mother Nature! To those of you who may be reading our blog for the first time we are snow lovers. I, myself, have a full blown snow addiction! Cindy watches me agonize over each botched snow forecast one after the other all winter long but she also gets to see me frolic like a 3 year old when the snow finally comes.
 All summer long we have been listening to all the weather people talk about the strong El Nino we are supposed to have this winter and how it may affect us. Of course the predictions are all over the board which means someone is going to be right in the end. We are just hoping the ones who are saying it will be a warm snowless winter are wrong. Either way, last Wednesday when we started hearing about a snow storm for areas north of us we started discussing making a run up north in hopes we might get to make some tracks in it. We went back and forth on where to go. First we thought we might have to drive 7 hours to Roscommon MI to XC Ski Headquarters as they were forecasting 8" for them. Then the forecast shifted and it looked like north east Indiana would get a nice snow so Friday night I started looking at Pokagon state park in Angola. Saturday morning the forecast changed again and the area around South Bend was now going to get 4 to 9 inches.
 We decided to roll the dice on South Bend and headed north about 1 pm Saturday. We started seeing snow flakes about 30 mins north of home and drove in snow all the way there. We really lucked out and only had to divert around one accident just south of South Bend. We arrived in town about 6 pm or so and since Cindy had never been there I showed her the Notre Dam campus as bands of lake effect snow, my three favorite winter words, continued to drop large snow flakes on us. After dinner on the way to the hotel they had 6 inches on the ground with more falling. It was so pretty driving around in it that I hated to go in but I knew we needed some rest.
 I awoke early the next morning, after being awake half the night checking out the window each time to see how much more they had gotten. I was really nice in that I let Cindy sleep in as late as I could. The park we were going to ski in did not open till 10 am so there was no real need to get up at first light, although I would have had we been able to ski. We finally headed to breakfast about 9 and while we were standing in line for breakfast in the hotel dining area I was looking out the big windows on the west side of the room and saw what I thought looked like a people trail. Cindy said she turned around and I was gone. I had to find out so I went to the front desk and asked.
 Turns out I was right and it had just opened this past fall. The clerk said it was going to go all the way to South Bend but for now it stopped 2 miles south at the state line. I asked if we could ski to the park from the trail and she said yes. How could I have not known about this sooner??? I went back to find Cindy sitting at the bar looking out the windows eating her breakfast. I sat down next to her with mine and told her to eat up as we can ski as soon as we were done. I inhaled my breakfast as I told her about the trail. Secretly I know she was happy I did not find out sooner as she would not have gotten to sleep in!
 We loaded our stuff back in Pearl and got out our skis. When we headed north Saturday  we talked about how we would be happy with 3 to 4 inches of snow to make some tracks in. What we got turned out to be 6 to 8" of fluffy power!

 It felt so good to get back on our skinny skis! The people trail was paved and it was still warm so we could not ski on that part but just off the pavement was really nice snow so we headed south to the state line,. We skied 2 miles to the line and discovered that the trail did not connect to the park we wanted to go to so we skied back to the car. We did not mind as we were skiing in November before Turkey day!

 The weather was perfect for skiing as there was no wind, temps around 15 degrees, and the snow was really nice, especially early on. The trees were all frosted white with snow and it was just so hard to believe it was still fall!
 We made it back to pearl and loaded up for the drive over to Madeline Bertrand park. After a quick stop to get a  cappuccino we pulled into the park and found this waiting on us

 It got even better when rounded the last curve and saw the visitors center in the distance

 The sky was so blue and the snow in the trees make this picture worthy of a being on a post card! This was our first time at this park and I can assure you it wont be our last! The park was gorgeous and the facilities were so clean and nice. The visitors center had a really nice lodge area with a large fireplace and windows looking outside on several large bird feeders. This little guy was making the most of all the bird food being dropped by the birds.

 He was so fat we thought he was  ground hog at first. Turns out he was just a really well fed squirrel who was not going to have any problem staying warm this winter, so long as he can get his big belly into his whole in the tree!
 We paid our 3 dollar parking fee and hit the trails. Not really knowing where to go we took off down the first trail we saw and found really nice and very pretty trails waiting on us. The park is bordered by the St Joseph river on the west side and we skied along the edge of it past a look out and a really nice shelter house complete with overlook and fireplace.
 By now the sun was starting to warm the limbs on the trees to the point that the snow was sliding off them making it look like it was snowing again in the woods. Here we are on a trail with a snowy back drop from all the falling snow

 We made a lap around the outside of the park and by the time we got back to the start the sun was winning the battle. The snow was starting to stick to our skis and although we knew each minute we got to ski was a gift from Mother Nature we hated to see it come to an end. Sadly we headed back to Pearl when we got back to the start as we had a 4 hour drive ahead of us and the sticking snow was only going to get worse.
 Some of you might think that we are crazy to drive 8 hours to get to ski for 3 1/2. To myself who has a severe addiction to snow, I just think that is normal behavior. Like sailing, we just can't understand why people do not like xc skiing. You are outside enjoying some of mother nature's fineset splendor and if you do it right the last thing you get is cold. We did see a couple of other skiers out on the trails at Madeline Bertrand so we are not the only crazy people out there.
 We can't wait to go back as they have 2.5 miles of lit trails that they have night skiing on Friday and Saturday nights during ski season. We are hoping to be able to xc ski there on Friday night and then downhill the next day a little further north at Sweetbriar.
 Speaking of downhill skiing, Christmas came even earlier for Cindy this year. Two weeks ago we were sitting in our double rocker with our feet up on the hearth in front of the fire looking at pics on my phone trying to pick a Christmas card pic when I goofed and let the cat out of the bag. I had gotten us downhill skis as a surprise Christmas present from Santa for us off of Craigslist. They were privately owned skis used 5 times. I got a awesome deal and even though I had to get different boots for myself as the ones that came with them were too small for me I still wound up with less than the cost of one used set at a ski reseller in them. I had taken a pic of the boots that were too small for me to put on ebay and forgot to erase them off my phone. As I was flipping pics on my phone up pops the boots. I quickly  flipped to the next one which was another angle of the boots. In this one you could see the inside of the hanger door in it. I was busted. I tried to act like it was nothing and flipped past them but Cindy was like hey, go back. She had me. I gave up and went and got her skis and boots for her. She was one happy camper. She gets this silly giggle when she is really happy. It really is adorable even though I was miffed at myself for ruining the surprise. She had the boots on in no time which fit her perfectly. Then she hopped into her skis on the rug in front of the front door. As she stood there checking herself out in the reflection off the window in the door she informed this meant she was going to have get herself a new ski coat as her new one she just got did not match her skis. Who knew they had to match? Not me LOL!
 We have also recently acquired a Yakima Skybox roof top carrier to carry our skis in. It did not take Cindy long to put two and two together as the downhill skis were the real reason for that purchase. The downhill skis have metal edges and with all the road salt they use around here they would be ruined if we carried them on the roof in our open ski rack. I hate road salt!!!! Now we can carry all our skis and boots in the Skybox and have room for another couple to ride with us or we can just have room inside for more stuff.
 As you can see we have multiple reasons to be very hopeful that this ski season really works out and we get snow! Here is hoping that you all have a very happy Thanksgiving, and please remember it is not too early to be praying for snow. We would appreciate all the help we can get in that department as we are not against asking for devine intervention when it comes to snow!!!!

Michigan fun!

10-23-15

 With the Memory Maker safely tucked away in the garage for her long winters nap we have had to find other ways to entertain ourselves since we can just run over to the lake and go sail. Goes to figure that since we can't sail that the wind would blow, and blow. This has been one of the nicest Octobers I can remember with what seems to have been a endless streak of sunny days, warm temps, and nice winds. We have already decided that if next October is anything like this one we will be finding a way to leave our girl at the lake so we can take advantage of it. No need crying now though as we can't do anything about it and I have been busy everyday doing a large roofing and siding repair job for Cindy's sister.
 That said we did manage to squeeze in a quick trip up to South Haven MI this past weekend. I know, we were just there last month for a 3 day weekend and had a ball but this is South Haven MI we are talking about and we can't get enough of it so we went back!
 We were originally going to go this past weekend with the gang but with Cindy's mom not doing well when they planned it we opted not to as no one would have been here to take care of her. But we lucked out and she was doing very well so we ran up at 5 am Saturday morning and spent the night with the gang.
 It was a nice early morning drive with light traffic and we made really good time. We rolled to a stop at the Sunset Manor about 9:30 am and then took off for Saugatuck with the gang. It was a windy and chilly morning with light sprinkles and the lake was angry again, much the way we found it the month before. Arriving in Saugatuck we did the downtown walk and checked out the shops. Always able to find something humorous no matter where I am I had a good time keeping everyone entertained. The best was a sweatshirt than when viewed from the angle I was standing was partially blocked but being the creative genius I am I was able to piece the words together into something it did not say at all. Everyone else agreed that my wording was much funnier!
 Hunger soon overcame us all and we headed to the Saugatuck Brewing company for lunch as Cindy and I had been there the previous trip to get a case of beer for her son and daughter in law but were unable to eat there. It looked really good so we suggested it to the gang. We spent the 45 min wait cruising the isles of the adjoining antique mall and found a few treasures such as this record

I am sure it was a hit back in the day but I just can't place it LOL! Our pager finally went off and we headed next door to satisfy our hunger pains. It was well worth the wait as the food was all delicious and I even found a craft brewed beer I liked, Beach Blonde ale, go figure.
 We picked up another case of Neapolitan Milk Stout for Cindy's son and daughter in law since we were there and they can only get it there. Curiosity got the better of us so Jerry, Libby, and myself decided we should at least taste that beer as it was supposed to taste like the ice cream. Major mistake! OMG, that is the nastiest crap to have ever entered my mouth!!! Libby and I both made faces that had the rest the table in tears, and for good reason. How do people drink that crap??? Luckily, this picture of us was taking before we tasted that.

 From Saugatuck we headed back to North Haven to check out the fall festival, that we never did find. But we did find the sign in the middle of the road

 We did the usual things of checking out the shops and visited a winery that really needed to go back to the drawing board on how to make wine as none of us found any we liked. It was not long before we found ourselves occupying the back table in the Black River Tavern as we enjoyed some refreshing beverages and partook of some fun people watching.
 Michigan was playing Michigan St and the place was a mad house with fans of each. It went crazy when on the last play of the game Michigan St scored on botch punt attempt and won the game with no time left on the clock. Thinking that was the end of the excitement Cindy went to play some songs on the juke box only to learn no music was played during Cubs games. The guy was serious too as he pulled the plug on it with Cindy standing there with a surprised look on her face. After her 4th long island iced tea she could have cared less LOL!
 Once again we managed to eat and drink way too much. It is funny how some people get after a few too many. Cindy gets quite, I get naked, and Libby, well, Libby is even funnier than she already is. She was the best entertainment of the night once we finally got her back to the house.
 Luckily we all woke up the next morning not feel any worse than normal so once everyone was ready we heading to the Phoenix downtown for breakfast. At least for myself the over eating binge continued into the next day as I ate way too much for breakfast. Probably should not have started off with the blueberry cheesecake but it sounded too good not to.
 After breakfast we all waddled our way through town and down to the pier for our mandatory picture in front of the lighthouse

 Every time we stop in South Haven we have to get a light house picture. Just the rules.
 Once back at the house it was time to pack up and head south. It was early so Cindy and decided to try a few of the wineries down in the Baroda MI area as we had not been there before.
 Well it turns out that Baroda is the wine capital of MI and there are 10 wineries within 7 miles of it. Unfortunately it was early Sunday morning and most did not open till noon. We finally discovered that Baroda Founders winery opened at 11:30 and just luckily it was 11:31 when we pulled in. We tasted several good sweet wines but the real winner was the Blueberry mustard that they got from the Blueberry store in South Haven. I am not a mustard lover but that stuff was delish! We had to get a jar for us and the gang as well.
 From there it was on to the Round Barn Winery. true to its name it has a round barn

 That they have converted into their tasting room. It was really neat inside and we had several wines we really liked. After loading up our purchases we enjoyed a hotdog and some very delicious mac and cheese in the sun before exploring their grounds. They have a very pretty setting for a winery with ponds and fountains

 The grounds would be ideal to xc ski with their rolling hills and wooded areas. I even suggested a xc ski wine trail and they seemed to like the idea. Hopefully they pull it off as it would be super fun.
 The clock was ticking and we really needed to get on the road for Indiana so off went. It was not too long into our journey home that Cindy assumed her normal travel position

 Cindy blamed it on the sun and mac and cheese but truth is she can't stay awake much more than a half hour once we start off anywhere so I knew better.
 While it was a quick up ad back trip we had loads of fun and laughed almost non stop. It is always a good time with the gang and we can't wait for the next get together!!!

Another sailing season has come to pass

 This past Sunday was a sad day for us as we had to say good by to our slip and load our girl up to come home for the season. The rental season for the slips where we are at have a shorter season than we had last year at LMSA. We have to be off by the last day in September or get fined so much per day. Worse than the fines, we also loose our security of someone at the dock house watching over the boats. We could have left her there a few more days but this way if we had a issue loading her up we had time to deal with it.
 Saturday was a busy day for both of us with Cindy running a mini marathon and myself working on a excavator that belongs to a friend of ours who is kind enough to let me use whenever I need it. After that was done I needed to get the trailer ready and make sure I had everything we needed to bring our girl home.
 After a quick check of the grease in the wheel bearings and the tire pressures the trailer was ready. Now if I only I could remember everything we will need. The down side of only launching and recovering once a season is that means I need to remember things that are easily forgotten.
 I think I have everything we need so time to pack for our last overnight on the water this season. Bittersweet as we did not get to over night near as much as we wanted to for various reasons. It was going to be a full moon but the cloud cover was thick. That meant it would be warm but we really hoped we could sail under a full moon. At least the wind was finally blowing and with a low pressure area moving our way winds were forecasted to blow through the night.
 Soon Cindy was home from her mini and after a quick bath and packing we were headed to Columbus for the truck drawing. The mini she ran gives away a new Dodge diesel truck each year and only the ones who cross the finish line are eligible to win it. With only 2000 or so finishers the chance of winning is not as bad as playing the lottery, you just have to be present to win. We arrived and ran into friends who were having a drink as they waited so we joined them and sat under a umbrella to stay dry from a brief shower. The drawing came and went much like us as Cindy's name was not the one they called. The winner was standing about 4 feet from me when they called her name so I guess we can say Cindy came close to winning. No time to waste as the wind was blowing and we had sailing to do!
 After a quick stop to grab doughnuts for breakfast we were unloading all our gear and heading to the boat. Our cockpit cover had taken a direct hit from a passing gull and was left with a nasty white skid mark of bird poo so I scrubbed that off before trying to remove some of the nasty black crud that was attached on to the bottom. I had really planned on doing a better job of staying on top of bottom scrubbing by pulling into shollow water and scrubbing her bottom a time or two during the summer but the elevated lake levels put the screws to that as there was no shallow water.
 I gave up hope of getting all the crud and soon it was time to un tie and go sail. The wind was blowing from the southeast which was wanting to push the port side of the boat into the side of the slip. I gave her as big a push as I could to help get out of the slip but against the wind it did not get us far. What ensued was a good example of how quickly good things can go bad and how important it is to have good communication. I stepped on the bow like I normally did and started to remove the bow lines while Cindy backed us out of the slip. The wind was having a much greater affect on the boat than she realized and soon we were broadside to the slips and being drifted into them. I told Cindy to turn the motor, which at the time I did not stop to think that was the wording I had previously used when it was time to turn the motor around from reverse to go forward. Expecting her to have turned the motor to keep us backing away from the slips to get us room to manuveree I was surprised to see us about to run our bow into the out drive of a run about 3 slips from ours. Again, like an idiot I told Cindy to turn the motor, with more of an urgency in my voice. To which she replied that she did. Well between the wind and motor the distance between us and the slips was gone so I shoved off the slip with my foot to buy us enough time to do something. I got back to the motor as quickly as I could and stupidly told her to turn the motor again, in a not so nice way. It was then that I realized in my stupidity I had told her to turn it around, and she did exactly what I had told her to do. I quickly spun the motor back around and backed us away from the slips then got us headed out. I imedieatly felt awful for how I handled the situation. I had put my lil lady in a bad spot by merely failing to stop and think. Cindy did exactly what I told her to do. It was me who screwed up and failed to tell what I really needed her to do.
 We had a long talk once we got under sail. I profusely apologized for my ignorance and we discussed why what just happened happened. I really wish there was some way I could help Cindy to be able to pick up on what the wind is doing to the boat as she struggles with that when we get around the dock. Cindy does great with sailing the boat and I have no doubt she could single hand it under the right conditions. But when the wind is blowing and we are being powered by the outboard problems seem to arise.
 We have a really nice 3.5 hp Nissan outboard that has never skipped a beat. It moves the boat along with no problem. My thought when I bought it was that it was so simple to operate and maintain that we could not go wrong. Well, I can admit when I am wrong most of the time and this was the first time, LOL! It was simple as it only has forward and neutral. To back the boat up you just spin the motor around. Works great, for me, anyway. But Cindy with her short little arms really struggles with that. So in hopes of helping deal with motoring a little better we stopped and bought a 2014 Tohatsu 4 stroke 4 hp motor. It basically is just a bigger version of what we have now but it has reverse so all Cindy will have to do is flip the lever to back up. We will just have to keep working to get her to where she can pick up on the subtle visual clues of what the wind is doing to the boat.
 We had good wind and we're enjoying a nice sail. Kathy finally arrived and she and Mike came out of the slips to join us on Anna, their Hunter 23. They were on the way to meet up with a friend of theirs on a Catalina 28 in "Party Cove". They invited us to join them so we headed off to Allen's creek.
 We manuvereed back and forth behind Anna trying to catch up as whenever two sailboats go off to the same place a slow speed race almost always ensues. I finally took a different tack to try and position  ourselves better so we would have good wind through the "narrows". It was about now that we both needed to do a "prop check".
 Those of you who know what I am talking about will understand I have the unfair advantage of being able to stand up. Cindy was faced with the option of dipping in the now quite chilly water that she did not like the sound of or holding it. I then reminded her that her Go Girl was on baord and she should try it. What is a Go Girl you may ask? Well it a urinary directional device for women. Google it, as it is a hoot! She thought about it for a minute and then said what did she have to loose. I can't give an exact account of what took place next, partly because Cindy's comments had me laughing so hard I was coughing my lungs up and gasping for air, and partly to preserve a shred of decency to this blog. Let me just say the reactions Cindy had to getting to relieve herself standing up for the first time were hysterical!!!!!
 Yes, we have a head onboard, but guess who has some sort of issue using it? Not me, but she is going to have to get over that issue as we will have to use it next summer when we are in the North Channel or face jail time in a Canadian jail.
 After I finally caught my breath we passed Anna as we had a better angle on the wind to get us through the narrows. I had been bit by the no wind bug there several times before and have learned to read the water and find the best line. We rounded the corner and had to work to keep the sails filled as we were behind the trees and they were really blocking the wind. Mike finally gave up and started his outboard as we dropped sails to let them catch up. We followed them into Allen's Creek as the last hints of light faded to black. Chris was not much further ahead of us and was just dropping anchor as his lights came into view. We waited for Mike and Kathy to tie up on his port side and then we tied up on his starboard side.
 After introductions we all fired up our grills to make our dinners. We simply turned the gas on and lit the fire in our rail mounted gas grill. I turned around to see flames rolling off the stern of the other two boats as the lit their charcoal grills. Luckily boats on the hook spin around into the wind so all the sparks were being blown away from their boats. We just never thought about having a charcoal grill onboard. Mike said he thought about lighting their grill as we sailed there. Good thing he didn't as we were on a broad reach and with the wind behind us the sparks would have been blown into their sails. That could have been bad!
 While dinner cooked Cindy went over and checked out Chris' Catalina 28. I could hear her from our boat as she took in all the room in the cabin of the bigger boat. She came back to the Memory Maker with that glazed over look in her eyes that she gets when she sees something she really wants. I just keep saying we have all the boat we will ever need. Granted a bigger boat would be nice, if we had more time and could spend more than a day or two aboard at a time. I am about as simple of a man you will ever meet and the thought of stepping up to a bigger boat just for the sake of stepping up to a bigger boat just does not sit well with me. With every foot increase in length the upkeep cost go up proportionally. We have already dumped a lot of money in our little boat and she is about as close to new as we will ever get. To have to start over with another boat is terrifying. Maybe someday we will step up but not for the foreseeable future.
 We ate our dinner, which was super simple and super yummy. Cindy was beat so we un tied and headed off to go anchor in Allens creek. After Cindy used her Go Girl for the second time, which still amazed her just as much as the first time, I asked if she wanted to raise the sails. She was beat and said no. Well the wind was still blowing nicely and although the moon was blocked by the clouds I could still see just fine in the dark. I was not going to let good wind go to waste so I raised them on my own as Cindy went down below to nap.
 It was a great night to sail as it was still quite warm, the wind was good, and the lake was practically deserted. I say practically because along with us there were three Hobie Cats out sailing with no lights on what so ever. At first I thought my eyes were seeing things as it looked like what you imagine a ghost ship to look like in the distance. Then as it got closer I could see that it was really another boat and it was scooting. Finally I could make out it was a Hobie. He had company as I saw two more as the sail went on.
 There is just something very peaceful about sailing at night, even more so than during the daytime. The lake seems so much bigger and without your normal visual clues you almost feel as if you are sailing a new lake for the first time. I tacked back and forth as I worked our way up the lake to the north east enroute to Allens Creek. The wind was steady at about 10 and it was a very nice sail. I will admit I was a bit lonely without my lady by my side but I could see her curled up in the V birth under a quilt and new she had to be beat after running the mini marathon earlier in the day.
 At one point the wind picked up and I was really wishing I had set up the tiller tamer before I had started off as now I was going to have to tie a bowline knot in the dark then thread the line through the tiller lock and cleat if off. I could have just pointed into the wind and depowered the sails but who wants to do that when you can multi task and keep sailing along. It was about at this point that the wind got a bit gusty. Things got a bit interesting while I set it up but I managed to get it rigged up and was able to let go of the tiller while I got the boat ready to drop anchor.
 The thing about solo sailing is that you really have to think ahead and almost work through each step in your head before you have to actually do it so you are prepared for what you need to do. I usually come up with a easier way to do the task as I do this so it pays to pre plan. With Cindy asleep I went forward and dropped the main which I think woke her up. I got it folded and tied off as we continued into the cove under the head sail only. Once we reached our parking spot I turned her into the wind and hurried forward to drop the jib. It was about now that the boat just started doing whatever it wanted as we had lost steerage. I dropped the anchor and then Cindy, who had woke up to help, backed us off the anchor to let out the rode. With the anchor set it was time to put the boat then ourselves to bed.
 We had decided to try sleeping on the main birth which uses the table top that drops down to make the larger bed instead of the v birth like we normally do. After I had it set up and the bed made it was time to get so shut eye. As we laid there waiting on sleep to overtake us we could hear the wind in the wires and the waves lapping at the boat. I could also hear the annoying sound of the lower rudder mount working on the rudder pin. There is just enough wear in the lower mount hole to allow it to knock back and forth on the pin and it drives me crazy. Added that to the list to repair this winter.
 It was not long and I was out like a light. I woke up thinking it was 3 am, it was 6:30, and the wind was still blowing pretty good. We went back to sleep till 9 or so then we got up and I made us coffee and feasted upon an assortment of doughnuts and pasties I had gotten on the way to the lake.
 It was a sad breakfast as we both knew it was out last one on the water for the season. Luckily the wind had laid down quite a bit and it was still fairly warm so we were at least going to luck out and have good conditions to load her on the trailer.
 It was a peaceful motor back to the slip where Cindy dropped me off so I could bring the trailer around to meet her at the boat ramp. I untied her and watched her back the boat out, which she did a flawless job of this time. Soon she was disappearing out of site around the point and I amade my way to the ramp. As I sat and waited for her to come into sight I noticed what looked like fog forming over the lake. After a quick look at radar I realized it was rain and not fog. Ought oh, someone might be getting wet as she brings the boat around. It wasn't long and the Memory Maker came into view and I went down to get a slot at the ramp. Luckily we had the place to ourselves. As I waited for Cindy to hit the bunk boards I wondered if maybe I should have back down deeper as with the new 13" tires the setting I used last year put the bunk boards just barely below the water. Turned out just fine as the wind had Cindy going a bit faster than I would have liked and although I was a bit concerned about getting her stopped before I got pinned between the boat and winch stand the boat slid to a stop in the bunk boards well short of pinning me.
 All went well with getting our girl ready for the ride home. We had the sails pulled and folded up in their bags, the mast dropped and secured, and everything tied down for the ride home in a little less than a hour. Not bad for only doing it once this season. Here she is all ready for her ride home

 Turns out I did forget to bring something. I forgot the mast cradle that goes on the bow pulpit so I had to use a beach tool. Worked fine and probably was not near as ugly as the mast cradle. Add making a new one to the winter to do list. We made a quick stop to pay next year's slip rental then headed for the house with our girl in tow.
 It had been a fun sailing season. Even with the late start due to paint and Cindy's travel we still got to sail quite a bit, although not nearly as much as we wish we could have. Being 20 mins closer and not having to launch the boat each time really made a big difference and increased our enjoyment level so much more. Meeting Mike and Kathy and getting to sail with them was really nice. We shared lots of laughs and one awesome shooting star with them and we look forward to sailing with them more next season.
 Now the time has come to put our girl to bed and start on the to do list to get her ready for next summers adventure to the North Channel. Our new sails are on order and should arrive around February. In the mean time I have lots of little things to do like install the chart plotter, compass, sew up a tent top for our pop top, make a cockpit tent, and fix that darn worn rudder mount hole! Here she is sitting in the garage on a set of 8" tires and wheels I got for her so we, I, don't have to pull the pulpits and poptop off to get her inside.

 The smaller tires worked great but they are a bit overloaded to say the least. I should probably jack her up and get them off the ground and just use them for entry and exit to keep them from blowing the sidewalls out. It will be tight squeeze once we pout the concrete in the garage. If she doesn't fit we have just enough room to add a boat bay onto the west side of the garage.
 Cindy and I will be getting married in Empire MI on our way to the North Channel next July so the North Channel will be our fist sail as husband and wife. We both are looking forward to that with much excitement. Until May 1 st, which is when we can take her back to the slip, we will keep ourselves busy taking care off all those things we did not get done because we were busy playing on the water while we eagerly await the first snow flakes so we can go play in the snow!!!!

Summer duldrums 2015

 Well they have arrived. Those lazy hazy late summer days where the air is so thick you can cut it with a knife and the wind just doesn't blow. If it does blow it does it in 5 minute burst then promptly dies leaving you bobbing in the water if you are trying to sail. So needless to say we have not had many opportunities to sail.
 While the sailing has been slow we have been very busy doing other water related activities and spending more money on the boat! We took advantage of a sail pre order discount and ordered a new main and head sail for out boat. We will receive these new sails in February of next year. So we will finish out this season with our old sails then start the year off next year with brand new sails. We can't wait to get rid of these old baggy blow out sails and see how real sails perform. We will also be installing a new furlur for the 135% Genoa which I am totally stoked about. Now we can drop the main then sail into anchor under the head sail and easily dose it from the cockpit. We can also reef the headsail with the furler as wind conditions call for it so that will be sweet as well.
 Since sailing has not been doable we returned to our kayaks and stand up paddle board. Being on the water is still being on the water, no mater what the vessel. In addition to paddling, the rivers have finally gotten down to fishable levels so we have been fly fishing every chance we can.
 I went to a local river last Tuesday with Bill and fished there for smallies. This year I had a little better understanding of fly fishing and which flies to use so I felt like I stood a better chance. We both had good success with each of us landing over 25 small mouth bass in about 2 hours. Bill used a spinning rod with a floating minnow crank bait while I was fly fishing with a brown wolly bugger with a little flash. I was slaying them along the edges of the river just off the current while Bill was catching his out in the middle of the river in the current.
 Thinking others would not believe our success we went back two days later this time armed with our Go Pro. The sky was sunny and the water was still a bit lower and cooler so the fishing took a while to get going but once it did it came right into it. I wound up with 18  smallies for the evening and this time I had video for proof LOL!

 The area we were fishing was about a mile up stream from where we enter the river and it is a rugged walk up the stream bed over rocks and slick surfaces. Cindy's sister Dottie really wanted to go fish this area but with a replaced knee both Bill and I feared it might be too rugged for her. So I came up with a plan to float down with in our kayaks from the next bridge up stream. Once we got on location I could hop out and anchor the kayak to a rock and let Dottie fish that area. So we set a date for that Saturday to do that but Dottie was unable to go. Still unable to sail, Cindy and I decided we would still float the river and fish a bit.
 So we loaded up the tandem and headed to the river. It had not rained in close to a month and there was maybe a 20% chance of showers so we really did not pay much concern to getting wet. We put in and headed downstream checking out things as we went. Neither one of us had been on this section before and it was a really nice paddle. We saw lots of large fish, mostly carp, darting out and away from our kayak. The river bed was mostly sand and gravel so not a real good place to fly fish as there was no cover for the fish. About half way to the spot I wanted to fish the rain started. It was just a light sprinkle but that soon gave way to a steady drizzle. We sat under a large sycamore tree for probably 20 minutes thinking it would pass but no such luck. Time to break out the 99 cent emergency plastic ponchos. One thing is for sure, you are not going to win any fashion shows with these babies but you will stay dry. We continued on down stream in the rain.
 Once we reached the fishing area I hopped out and tied out kayak to a rock then helped Cindy out. I showed her where to fish and let her have at it with her very own blue fly rod. Blue is her favorite color so when I saw this fly rod I knew I stood a good chance of getting her to give fly fishing a try. We both had fished for several minutes when Cindy hooked into a nice smallie. I coached her on retrieving the fish while I made my way to her to remove it from the hook for her. Small price to pay to get to fish with your sexy little BFF!

 Not many women would be willing to paddle in the rain, much less stand in the middle of a river fly fishing in the rain all while wearing a plastic bag on her head. Luckily Cindy is quite the trooper and still is a real looker, even with the bag covering her head!
 Cindy was ready to catch some more after landing her first one but it was not to be. Not sure why but it was just a off night for this area. We even tried the honey hole that had produced good numbers for me both times prior. I could see them rolling under a log but no takers for our flies.
 It was going to be dark soon so we headed on down stream to the ramp and loaded the kayak on top of Pearl just as darkness fell. Even with the rain and only catching one fish we still had a great time and look forward to doing that section of river again.
 Ever notice how the wind always blows on Mondays? Sure enough, we go back to work and there was a nice steady breeze all day long that we could have sailed in had when been able to get to the boat. We were both busy after work so we missed our chance. The wind has since died again and it may be several more days before it returns. We hope to spend the night aboard the memory Maker this Sunday as it is Labor day weekend and we have Monday off. Hopefully Mother nature will be kind and give us some sailing winds Monday. They are forecasting winds out of the sw at 7 so hopefully they are right. This big high pressure area is pretty much parked right over us and till it moves it will be a broken record for hazy hot and humid with light winds.

Summer fun and Shooting Stars!!!

 It had been a crazy summer so far and we had yet to overnight on our boat even once so far. It seemed like between the birth of Cindy's new granddaughter and the weather's none stop rain we just had not had an opportunity. But last week we started planning for our first overnight of the season for this Saturday night. Puppy care was arranged for the boys, we made flexible plans with my old neighbors to meet us on the water, and it looked like the weather would be just bad enough to keep me from having to fly for work. It just might work out this time!
 After a long hard roofing project I finally got to take a bit of a break Thursday afternoon after I ran errands in town all morning. I came home to find Cindy resting in a lawn chair in the yard so I decided to join her and take a rest. In no time my little lady was asleep with her head on my chest. As we laid there like a couple of slugs I could not help but notice the wind was actually blowing. I had been texting with slip mates of ours who keep their Hunter 23 a few slips west from our girl. They were on the lake for the weekend. When Cindy finally woke up I floated the idea of running over to the lake past her. 15 mins later we were lake bound!
 With all the rain Lake Monroe is running 11.5 feet above normal pool which means the pennisula where we normally park is cut off from the rest of the park.

 As you can see the peninsula the slips are on are cut off from the rest of the park by about 5 feet of water over the road to it. Luckily the DNR put in a temporary dock for their pontoon and they will shuttle us back and forth. What a deal for the money!!! Can you spot the Memory Maker in her slip?
 After grabbing a quick bite to eat on the way we were soon pulling in and hopping on the pontoon for the ride to the slip. Luckily the driver warned us that the power was out to the slips so there were no lights. Good to know.
 Soon we were leaving slip cove and raising sails. It was a nice breeze and we were clipping right along. It was not long before we spotted Analogue with Mike and Kathy on board tacking across the lake. After a few texts back and forth with Mike we were passing each other on opposite tacks taking snapshots of each other. Here is Mike taking a pic of us from Analogue

 It was fun to actually know someone else on the water who was sailing too. Mike got a nice pic of us once I finally got all the fenders pulled in LOL

 After several photo passes we headed into Moores Creek cove to anchor and tie up so we could talk and work on the permanent tiller tamer setup. We arrived first and dropped anchor and I went to work drilling holes for the pad eyes and a jam cleat. Analogue was soon approaching our port side. It was our first time to raft up with another boat but Mike and Kathy were rafting pros and gave us all the tips we needed. Just a few cleat knots later and we were checking out each other's boats and shooting the breeze. Analogue is a really nice Hunter 23 that they have sailed for 3 years now.
 The sun was sliding down the evening sky fast and Cindy wanted to get back before dark so it was not long before it was time to un tie and head off. We said our goodbyes and made plans to meet up Saturday when we got back to the lake.
 Motoring back to the slip it was crazy to see how much was under water. The parking lot we normally parked in was under 2 to 3 feet of water and if you did not know it was there it would be easy to try and cut the corner only to hear a nasty sound from under the boat. We gave that point plenty of room did not have any issues getting our girl put back to bed.
 It was really nice to get back on the water after a 7 day hiatus. It was our first time to raft up and Mike and Kathy are super nice. We drove home looking forward to the weekend and being back on the water again!
 Friday was a long day for both of us with Cindy at the dentist and myself a work. All the more reason to look forward to the weekend and getting back on the water.
 While I was flying back into Seymour I was close enough to the lake to fly over and see if I could find Analogue. Mike said they were in a cove close to where we left them the day before so I should have been able to find them pretty easy. As I came up on the cove I did not see any sailboats. On the west edge of the cove I rolled hard left to turn back and looked straight down. There they were!

 They had her tucked way back into a cove further than I thought they could get. The advantage of high water. I snapped a quick pic of them and of our parking area so Cindy could see how high the water was then pointed the bird southeast for home.
 It was a bit past noon Saturday before we were finally all loaded up and westbound for the lake. Quick pit stop at the junction of 446 and 50 for chicken sandwiches as we were both starving and then north to the lake. Tom, Sherry, and their daughter Lindsey had a head start on us and arrived first. From their texts the ramp at Paynetown was the only one people could launch from due to the high water so of course it was busy. Tom has even less patience than I do so he was in a chipper mood LOL! They finally got launched and parked just a few minutes before we pulled in.
 Pulling in to the shuttle parking area I pulled up to the dock and unloaded Pearl then ran her up to park. Cindy had almost everything on the shuttle by the time I got back so there was minimal time lost. Tom was waiting for us by our slip in their boat and Lindsey was chomping at the bit to tube with someone. Cindy helped me get the Memory Maker ready to sail then hopped on the tube with Lindsey as I backed out of the slip. I was able to use the tiller tamer lock on the tiller with a temporary line I rigged up which allowed me to scurry forward and raise the sails. In no time I was running closed hauled in about about 5 mph of breeze. The lake was busy and the water was choppy but it was fun to be sailing  again.
 Tom pulled the girls around close enough I could see them while Sherry acted as spotter.

 Here is Cindy one handing the tube like a pro

  It did not take long to wear them out and he dropped Cindy off out in front of me about 500 feet. You know, brakes would be handy at times. I wasn't going fast but being that I was single handing I had to work to get her slowed up in time to pick up my lady floating overboard. It took a quick toss of a deck line but soon I was helping Cindy onboard.
  We wound up dropping the sails and just motoring back to our cove to tie up with Tom and the girls. The lake was too busy and there really wasn't good wind to allow us to sail with any speed. The cove was hopping as there were several double decker pontoons and other boats scattered about. We found a spot and dropped both anchors to better hold our position. Soon we had Tom's bass boat tied up and the air was going in the floats and paddle board.
 Starting last Friday, my first day on a large roofing job, it felt like summer had just started over night. It was hot and humid and did not take long for us to be jumping overboard to get cooled off. All summer to this point it had been cool, cloudy, with rain almost everyday. Now it just felt like someone had flipped a switch and it was hot, humid, and more like a typical summer.
 The girls seemed content to float around in the chairs and boat so Tom and I untied and went to try our luck at fishing for a bit. With water this high it was anyone's guess where the fish might be. We worked along the trees north of us that were half under water and caught a few small blugills. I somehow managed to sail my lure over a small limb and then as luck would have it I caught a small fish as we went into retrieve my lure. Made things more interesting. Small fish were easy to find but the larger ones must have been laying low in the heat of the day. Time seemed to be flying by and it was not long before we decided we better head back and fire up the grill.
 Lindsey was back on the paddle board while I cooked dinner. She sure seemed to enjoy playing with it. Dinner was delicious and a big thanks to Sherry for the yummy pasta dish and the delicious Oreo dirt pudding desert! Man that stuff is yummy!!!!
 With dinner consumed I hopped on the paddle board with my fly rod to show everyone how real men fish LOL! It was fun fishing but I did not have a popper small enough for the baby fish that kept taking the rubbery legs of my popper and running off with it. I soon gave up and headed back to the boat.
 Tom got a call from some friends who were on the lake as well. He gave them directions on how to find us. It did not take long and they were pulling in the cove with us in their pontoon boat .
 We enjoyed a nice visit while Lindsey tried to help Billie try out the paddleboard. They spent a good 30 to mins trying to get Billie up on it but it just wasnt meant to be. I have to give her credit though, she gave it one heck of a try. We heard a few days later she was really sore as that board kicked her butt!
 The sun was setting so Tom and Sherry headed back to load up and head home. We headed north across the lake to meet up with Mike and Kathy who were anchored in the Moores Creek cove. Cindy's paddle board made a nice float barge for our two floating chairs.

 We towed the chairs behind once before but they did not like it very much. This way we did not have to bring them aboard and we hardly knew they were back there. It was probably close to 11 when we finally tied up with Mike and Kathy. After shots of Pirate rum we just sat in the cockpit of Analogue doing what all sailors do, swap sailing stories. It was about midnight when the sky and lake lit up like someone just took a flash picture. I was looking south at the time but Cindy and Kathy where looking north and had a great view of one very bright meteor! I turned around just in time to see its trail fading fast. It was really neat and I don't think any of us had ever seen one that bright before.
 It was getting late and my yawns were becoming more frequent so off we went to drop anchor and catch some shut eye. I was wiped out and did not last 2 mins once we curled up in the V birth. We have always slept very well onbaord our little boat and that night was no exception. We had a nice breeze coming in through the front hatch and the bugs were not bad.
 Waking up the next morning I could have swore I was up early, like 7 or so, but turns out we slept in till 9:30. Sticking our heads up out of the hatch we could see Analogue was gone but we were in the same place we were when we went to sleep. That is always good. Seems Mike and Kathy headed into town for breakfast and gas for their outboard.
 I jumped into the lake to get woke up and that worked perfectly! While not cold, it was cool enough to be very refreshing. After my quick swim I went about getting breakfast started for us only to discover I did not have any cooking oil to keep the omelets from sticking. Seems I remembered our coffee maker attachment but forgot the coffee too. Luckily Cindy is very understanding and she was more than fine with Cajon pork loins and Mimosas for breakfast.
 After breakfast I went about working on the boat while Cindy paddled her board around the cove. I was able to get the pad eyes and cleat installed for the tiller tamer and then dropped the bow attach points for the lifelines down from the pulpit to just inside of the rub rail on the deck. I did not like how our jib would rub and get hung up on the lifeline so dropping the lifelines down will eleminate that problem. Plus now I can step on and off the bow right behind the bow pulpit without having to drop the lifelines. Just have to male sure you don't catch your foot on the line when you step on or off there.
The next project was to install the solar powered cabin vent fan. This has been a on going project for sometime now. I think I finally had everything I needed. Drill, check, circle cutter, check, fan, check. I started drilling the hole for it and it was not long before both boats were covered in dust. Then shortly there after the drill battery went dead! Things were going just perfectly! It would take one more trip over but I would finally get the vent fan installed!

 Time was just flying past and it was mid afternoon already. Sleeping in totally screws with my internal clock. While Cindy loves to sleep in I just feel like I am running behind for the whole day.  
 While we could feel the wind blowing but it was far from ideal sailing conditions. We raised anchors and headed out anyway as we were sailboats and that is what you are supposed to do. I think Mother nature just made enough wind blow long enough to sucker us out into the lake. Seemed like once we did it all but died. We chased Analogue across the lake a couple of times before finally catching her. Being a smaller a lighter boat Memory Maker has a bit of light wind advantage on her bigger sister. I caught a nice pic of Cindy over my shoulder as she steered us along

 I am such a lucky guy to not only have a pretty boat but a beautiful fiancé to Captain that boat!!!
 Even though it was cloudy the temp was really toasty so it did not take long before both Cindy and I were ready to take a dip to cool off. We heaved to and jumped in as Mike and Kathy turned around to come back at us. It was really fun chasing a each other around the lake. I think it was as much a learning experience as it was fun as I could watch Analogue and see what was working for her and what wasn't and make changes to the Memory Maker to see if would help us as well.
 We both gave it our best attempts but the wind just continued to weaken. Mike threw in the towel first and as I looked over they were dropping their main and starting the motor.

It had been a really fun weekend but like all good things it too much come to an end. We motored our way back to the slip and tucked our girl in before hopping onto the shuttle for the ride back to our car. It had been a long day and several hours since breakfast so we reflected over all the fun we had while enjoying a savory Pine Room Tavern cheeseburger in Nashville IN on the way home. That sure hit the spot. While we tried to get Mike and Kathy to stop and share one with us but they had to get home. I sent them a pic of what they were missing and they agreed that next time they were stopping with us!!!