Skier on the mend

3-14-2017

 Just a quick update to all of you who thought we had disappeared. Were still here and I am glad to report Cindy is recovering from her ACL reconstruction surgery she had on Feb 22nd. Fortunately it has been almost a totally snowless winter so we have not missed out on any great conditions. I think we are both starting to show signs of cabin fever though as we have not been able to do anything outside since the accident.
 Cindy was really hoping her knee damage was just a MCL sprain but after 5 weeks it was still hurting and starting to lock up. I finally convinced her that we needed to get it looked at again. She had to change doctors and I think she got a really good one the second time. After looking at her knee he told her he was 99% sure she had internal damage, most likely a torn meniscus and ordered a MRI. Well he himself was surprised when we looked at the MRI because the meniscus was fine but then as he scanned down he saw that the ACL was missing. Cindy wound up having a 99% tear.
 The surgery was scheduled for the morning of 22nd so we were up early and heading to the surgery center. They made quick work of getting my little lady ready for surgery and let me see her for just a few minutes before they wheeled her back. Doesn't she make a cute little patient?

 She will kill me for that pic but I think it is priceless.

 After about an hour and half the surgeon met with me to discuss the procedure and show me some pics. the ACL was all but gone which made less work for him cleaning out the damaged tissue. He showed me pics of the drilled holes in her bones and the new cadaver tendon they inserted into her knee. He assured me all went great and went over the rehab details.
 I got to help Cindy to the car about 45 mins later then carefully took her home. She was super tired from the pain meds so I got her setup in front of the fire and that is pretty much where she camped out for the first week or so.

 The bag of ice got replaced the next day with a really cool Cryo Therm chiller that pumped cool fluid around her knee which really did a nice job of keeping the swelling down.
  I had to take her back the next day for a post op check up and she was barely able to stay awake long enough to get to the car. She went right back to sleep once I got her belted in and then struggled to stay awake to get into the office. She went right back to sleep sitting in the waiting room and then once she saw the pillow on the exam table she went right back to sleep again.

 The Doc woke her up and asked if the pain meds were making her drowsy? Just a little LOL! They reduced her dosage and checked out her knee. All looked well and they gave her the green light to start exercising it daily to get her range of motion back.
 Cindy started working her knee that night and had plenty of help from the boys as they wanted to make sure she was doing them right.

Ok, so the were not much help but they were there to offer moral support. They have really liked having Cindy at home with them everyday. They love having someone else to take naps with them during the day.
 Cindy just had her two week checkup and the Doc said she was Rockstar because she was doing so well. Her range of motion was well past 90 degrees, probably close to 130. She was walking without much of a limp and he cleared her to not wear her brace all the time. He also said she could ride her bike on the stationary bike trainer stand without any resistance. Cindy still has some swelling if she is on it for very long or if she works it a lot but that is just part of it and will go away as the knee continues to heal.
 I have been trying to be the best nurse i can be for her during her recovery. I think I deserve an A for my nest building skills

 The curved foam pillow was just the ticket to keep Cindy's leg from rolling off when she slept.
 Sadly we chose to cancel our trip to the Rockies this summer. While her doctor said she should be fine to go it just isn't worth the risk of re injury so soon after surgery. Once I told the doc that we were going to be backpacking in and fly fishing in the streams he agreed that it might be best to postpone that trip till her knee is completely healed which will take up to a year. We were both really looking forward to going and had already started getting all the gear we would need. We can use the gear kayak camping as well so it will get used one way or another and we really hope to be able to go out next summer and see the Rockies. It just wasn't worth the risk of Cindy slipping or stepping on a rock and stressing the new tendon as it heals. Plus I did not want to have to carry her out 6 miles at 10,000 feet. I would have done it but I would much rather not doing it if at all possible.
 As long as Cindy continues to heal at the rate she is healing she should be good to go when sailing season arrives in a couple of months. She will still need to be really careful crawling around on the boat to make sure she does not slip and take a spill. I will do my best to keep her somewhat under control.
 We are getting ready for our spring break trips as Cindy is going to Key West with her girlfriends and I am hoping to head down to the Smokies for a few days with my fishing buddy Bill to backpack in and fly fish for trout. The forecast looks great for Cindy's trip but it is still kind of iffy for our fishing trip. They just had snow in the mountains and now the temps are really dropping with a low in the teens tonight. That will make the water temps drop as well and we really need the water to be 50 or close to it for the trout to be active. There is a warm up forecasted to start a few days before we are scheduled to go so hopefully it warms the water back up.
 I know Cindy did not enjoy getting hurt and we both really missed not being able to take our normal ski trips to Michigan. But I know she has really enjoyed being at home the past few weeks. She started cranking out the sewing projects once her knee got well enough for her to be a little mobile. I think it has given her a taste of what retirement will be like and from all impressions I get she really really likes it!

Skier down!

1-5-17

 Well we finally got some snow, if you can call a 1/2" of fluffy white powder snow. This is southern IN so by the way people freak out over a little dusting you would have thought it was a blizzard! Needless to say they called school off so Cindy got a day off from work extending her Christmas vacation by another day. She was a happy camper even if we did not get enough snow to dust off the xc skis.
 At least the temperature had been cold enough for Paoli to fire up the snow makers and with the 1 inch of real snow that they got we thought we would take advantage of the cold and snow and take a quick trip down to Paoli to do a little downhill. I took the afternoon off and went home to pick up my little lady then head south, yes south, to get in a few runs.
 We arrived about 2 and were quickly ready to hit the hill. They were surprisingly busy for midweek which we were happy to see. We made a couple run down the west side and then the power line run. They had some of the blowers running on those runs but for the most part the snow was actually in pretty good shape. Cindy did have one small mishap at the top of the power line run and went down. I stopped to wait on her and got totally encrusted by ice thanks to the wind and the snow blower.
 It was our first experience with the snow makers being on while we skied so we were learning as we went. First important observation was that it is not totally frozen when it comes out of the blower even when the outside air temp is a balmy 14 degrees. That would explain why I was covered in ice by the time Cindy got back up on her skis.
 Second observation was that not all the blowers oscillated. Some were fixed units, which would later prove to be our undoing.
 Here we are a bit iced over riding the ski lift back up.

 We decided to go try out the east side of the hill and see how conditions were there as there are usually fewer people there. Cindy lost one of her ski poles on the way to Walnut Alley and I made a slick between the legs grab of her pole and handed it to her as I skied past. I stopped and waited on Cindy to catch up so she could go first and I could follow behind her just in case she needed any help. Standing at the top of the run we noticed that all the blowers were on and visibility was pretty bad. Not giving it any thought off we went. Cindy had about a 100 foot head start on me and just as I started down Cindy wend head over heals down the in a very nasty looking wipe out! It was a very helpless feeling just standing there watching her tumble onto her head. I took off and got to her as quickly as could to help her up and put her back together. I nearly wiped out as I reached her as a large pile of slush was what caused her to wiped out. It nearly got me but I made it to her. She was starting to get up when I got to her and I asked if she was ok. She said yes, not totally correct, and we went about gathering up her skis and poles and getting her put back together. She hit hard on the left side of the top of her helmet and I tried to get as much of the impacted snow and ice off of her helmet but we were getting pelted by the snow maker so I asked if she was good, again she said yes, totally not correct. She assured me she could get to the bottom so I let her take off first and tried to follow her down.
  I did not make it far before the tips of my skis sunk into another mound of slush from the one of the fixed blowers and down I went making me loose sight of Cindy. I scrambled back up as fast as I could but I went down again just rounding the last turn. Other skiers and boarders were going down all around me so I had plenty of company on the ground but my main concern was getting to Cindy as quickly as I could. Back on my skis I saw her laying on the ground about 300 feet up from the bottom of the run so I bee lined it to her and slid to stop next to her.
 Even with her face all covered with goggles and her balaclava I could tell she was hurt by her body actions. I asked her if she was ok and she said her knee went out! Oh crap. But then she said she could get to the lift. So I gather up her skis and got back together. I think she was worried about getting ran over so she took off pretty quickly after we got her back on her skis and I followed closely behind. I could hear her moans of pain as she made the turn at the bottom to get to the lift and could tell she was really hurting as she poled her way the last few feet to the chair. We managed to get her on the chair but by now she is really hurting. On the ride up we came up with the plan that if she could just get off the lift to stop as soon as she could and we we would pop out of our skis and I would get her inside then come back for our gear. As we got to the top and exited the lift she could not turn without extreme pain so she went straight and I was really worried she might ski off the edge of the edge and down the hill to the parking area. Luckily she stopped just short and we worked on getting her inside.
 Once inside and sitting down I finally got to see her face uncovered and I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I ran back out and gathered up our gear and took it all straight to Shiftie then returned to get Cindy. Once I got back to her is when she came clean and told me that she had hit her head so hard the first time that she saw starts but then by the time I got to her she was better. But then as she skied down the hill to the lift her vision worsened till all she saw was purple and that was when she went down hurting her knee. She said her vision came back to normal as she was sitting there waiting on me to get the gear loaded up.
 Her pupils looked ok so we elected to just get her to the car then go from there. I helped her get her ski boots and clothes off then helped get down the stairs as easily as she could. I had her wait for me by the side exit as there is a covered parking spot there with a side door that has no stairs. I pulled around and dodged the ambulance that was there to pick up someone else as I slipped into the covered spot. I got Cindy loaded up and we headed out.
 Cindy assured me it was not broken, like she has a built in xray. I stopped an got her some ibuprofen to hopefully help keep the swelling down then we stopped at Porkys to get her something to eat before she took the ibuprofen.
 We were back home about 4 hours after we left and I helped Cindy hop into the house and got her sitting in front of the fire to warm up as I unloaded all our ice covered gear. She tried to tell me it was fine but each time she tried to walk I could tell she was far from fine. I ran into town a bit later and retrieved the communal crutches from Libby as they seem to get passed around from injured person to injured person.
 Cindy was supposed to go to school the next day but driving into town I really doubted that they would have school as the roads were glazed in ice and temps were supposed to drop into the single digits. I was really hoping they called it off so Cindy could get some more rest.
 Back home Cindy hopped her way to bed and stayed there the rest of the night. She got the text about school being closed about 6 am the next morning so at least she dodged that bullet. I went to work and started calling the orthopedic doctor's office about 5 minutes before they opened hoping to get her an appointment. I lucked out and got her the only opening of the day at 11 am.
 I ran home and picked Cindy up before returning to the hospital where the ortho office is located. They got her in pretty quickly and after a quick xray the doc came in and checked out the damage.
 It did not appear to as bad as it could have been. He thinks she just has a grade one MCL sprain and elected not to do an MRI at this time as the swelling was not as bad as he thought it would have been had she had more severe internal damage to the knee. He had her fitted for a knee brace and told her to wear it until she comes back in 3 weeks at which time if she is still in pain they will do the MRI to see if there is any internal damage that needs repaired. Then something was mentioned about how hard she hit her head and he asked her quite a few questions about her symptoms she was having. He said she probably suffered a slight concussion and told me to get her to a prompt med or ER if any of her symptoms worsened.
 After picking up lunch I took Cindy back to our little lodge and got her set up in front of the fire with the boys before I headed back to work. Our friends Libby and Amy came out and kept her company till I got home which was really sweet of them. She did fine all day and her symptoms did not get any worse.
 By Saturday she was walking gingerly without the crutches and had just a slit headache. By the next day she did not even take them with her as we ventured out. Cindy really got lucky that it was not any worse but now it brings us to a fork in the road.
 Last ski season when she hurt her shoulder in a nasty fall up at Crystal Mountain in Michigan I told her that the next time she got hurt during downhill we were done with downhill skiing. She swears she did not agree to that, that she just did not feel like arguing with me and assumed she would not get hurt again. Well, it happened as now she is banged up again. Our skis season is over as I wont ski without my Bestie. I am ready to sell our down hill gear and the lift tickets that I had pre purchased but someone is not happy about that. Cindy seems to think that she will be fine in a few weeks and she will back on skis again yet this season. This is how I see it. Cindy and I are too active and she needs her knees to be healthy too much to risk hurting it again by trying to rush this recovery. The very last thing I want to see is her get hurt again. She seems to think that her goggles were what caused the first wipe out as she could not see. Now she wants to get some OTG (over the glasses goggles) so she can wear her glasses under them. It would have probably been wise of her to have had those before now as seeing is kind of important but I don't think that would have helped her very much as I went down twice myself as the conditions were treacherous on that run due to the snow making activity.
 There comes a point in everyone's life when they have to look at themselves in the mirror and say "Self, I think the time has come to maybe pick a new hobby with less chance for personal injury". I had to do this with myself when I decided to sell the Harley that I had built. I had totally rebuilt and customized my bike into a loud ass, go fast scooter that was probably just going to wind up either killing me or worse turning me into a vegetable. Cindy did not feel comfortable riding on it so I just stopped and asked myself what was more important to me, riding my Harley or being with my Bestie? Cindy won out, I sold my bike and all my gear, we bought a Jeep that she thoroughly enjoys, and we are both still alive. Do I miss my bike,? Sometimes, but I enjoy my time with Cindy much much more.
 I really hope Cindy comes to the conclusion that maybe downhill skiing is a bit too risky for us at this point in our lives. We both probably got started doing it too late in life and we just don't get to do it enough to get really good at it. As we both age our recovery time is just going to increase. So really, what fun is it constantly worrying about getting hurt or your loved one getting hurt as you watch it happen in front of you with nothing to do to stop it. We can still cross country ski which I totally enjoy. Yes, we have had a lot of fun down hill skiing, but I really think the time has come to let it go and concentrate on a little safer winter activity like xc and snow shoeing. I promised Cindy that when we got to where we could no longer ski we would transition into snowmobiles so we could still get out and enjoy the snow. Maybe this brings us one step closer to getting sleds.
 Here is wishing my little lady a speedy recovery and a heart felt I love you!

Back on real SNOW!!!

1-4-2017

 Finally! We were able to get back on real snow! Oh how great it was, to be able to watch snow fall from the sky and collect on the ground again. It had been way too long for sure.
 Even though  Cindy and I had been down to our local southern Indiana downhill ski hill, Paoli Peaks, twice so far this season, it is all man made snow this season and while it is much better than not getting to play on snow, it just is not the same. After watching the weather we decided to roll the dice and head north to the Grayling Michigan area over the New Year's weekend to do some cross country skiing. They had good snow till 5 days before we left when it warmed up and rained. They had been getting new snow but just not much. Fortunately for us they received 3 fresh inches the night before we got there so we had pretty good conditions waiting on us.
 We left our lodge on the hill at the very ungentlemanly time of 5 am. to head north. Cindy is like the best traveling companion ever. She never complains, always lets me pick the radio station, never says anythign about my driving, and pretty much is good with whatever I want to do. The fact that she spends most of the car trips like this probably has something to do with it

 See what I mean, you just don't get a more relaxed traveling partner than this ;-) Cindy hates it when I take her picture while she is sleeping but I have to do something to entertain myself.
 We had a uneventful drive even though conditions started out a bit icey in places. Luckily what few accidents we encountered were either old enough they had been cleared or fresh enough that the wrecker had not arrived yet. I really thought we were going to make it Higgins Lake with only one stop as Cindy was snoozing away and we had enough fuel. But with about 20 mins to go Cindy woke up, looked around, saw snow, and said she was thirsty. So one more quick stop for drinks and snacks before we arrived at the Northwinds Lodge.
 We quickly checked into our room and changed into our ski clothes then ran next door to XC Ski Headquarters to get in a quick lap or two before it got dark. We were both surprised at how many cars were in the parking lot when we pulled in. A lot of people must have had the day off for New Years. Lucky bums.
 We wasted no time and were on the snow as soon as we got our trail passes. It was good that they had received the new snow as you could tell it was icey under the new snow. The skiing was good and once we passed the Trapper's cabin it was like we had the trail to ourselves. Our friends Jerry and Amy were a couple of hours behind us and arrived at ski Headquarters just as we finished our first lap so we headed back across the road to meet up with them and grab a quick bit to eat.
 There is just something so refreshing about being around others who like snow as much as you do. Everyone that was there was there because they wanted to be out in the snow playing, just like us. I got our lunch while Cindy shopped a bit then we people watched as we enjoyed our grilled cheese sandwiches and chips.
 After our snack we headed back out to hit the Rolling Hills trail and then stopped at the Trapper's Cabin to enjoy a warm cup or two, of spiced wine by the fire.

My sweater looks like I have one large man boob for some strange reason LOL! After we warmed up a bit we made one more lap on the big trail and finished up just as the last few lumens of daylight faded to black. We met up with Jerry and Amy in the Stone Turle Cafe and made plans for dinner with them before headed back to our rooms.
 We were all staying at the Northwinds Lodge ran by Jim Tucker. Jim is a nice as they come and he keeps a very clean and neat hotel. He always turns the heat up for us before we arrive so our room is nice and toasty when we get there. He did the same for Jerry and Amy so I was surprised when they said at dinner their room was freezing when they got there. We all enjoyed a great dinner at the Stream Side Restaurant just down the road from the lodge. You just can't beat the North Winds lodge for location, price, or hospitality as it is conveniently located between food and skiing!
 Back at the room after dinner I received an alert on my phone for a winter weather advisory for the area as lake effect snow was going to develop after midnight with 1-3 inches forcasted. You know who was up every hour or so looking outside to see if it had started and how much we had gotten so far. It start between 12 and 1 am and by 6 am we had gotten 2 inches at the lodge.
 I tried to let Cindy sleep as long as I could but the kid in me was dying to get outside and start playing in the snow. I finally could not hold back any longer and woke my little lady up. I am pretty sure she could tell by my voice that it had snowed before I even shared the wonderful news with her. I am also pretty sure she knew I was up about a dozen times in the night looking out the window.
 While I was outside getting Pearl ready to roll Jim came over and shared his concern with me that he might have messed up and given Jerry and Amy the wrong room key. He told me he had turned the heat on in H but the blinds were still open there and he could see that there was no one in there. Then he noticed that they had parked in front of J. I started laughing and told him how it all made sense now after Jerry saying their room was freezing. Jim felt awful about it and asked how they took jokes. I assured him that since they hung out with us I was pretty sure they would see the humor in it. Plus this might have been a good way to promote cuddling all night long for the two of them LOL!
 Cindy and I headed off to Fred's Place in Roscommon for the weekend breakfast buffet. Let me just say that if your ever in the area, you have to get the breakfast buffet. The bacon is to die for and the cinnamon french toast is supper yummy. Needless to say, we both ate too much, but it was soooo goood.
 After stuffing ourselves at Fred's it was time to get serious and hit the trails. We headed north about 20 miles to Hartick Pines State Park and the closer we got the more snow we could see they had gotten overnight. By the time we got to the park there  was 5 to 6 inches of new snow on top of what they already had and it was oh sooo beautiful!

 Can we say winter wonder land??? This was why we drove 7 hours north and the lake effect did not disappoint!
 We were only the third vehicle there when we pulled in and parked. A couple who was snow shoeing stop and wait on us to go ahead of them on the trail which was super nice of them. As we passed Cindy told them we had driven up from southern Indiana just to ski and they asked where. After telling them we were from Seymour they told us they were from Greenwood which is about a hour north of us. They drove all the way there just to snow show. People think I am crazy LOL!
 We got on the trail as quickly as we could not wanting to miss a minute of this awesome snow. One other person had been out on skis ahead of us but they turned left onto the main trail where as we went right. That meant that one of us was going to be breaking the trail. I was more than glad to make my tracks in the virgin snow. Genius me never thought that they would have enough snow that I would have needed my leg gators but I was I was wishing I had them with me instead of leaving them back in my ski bag in the room. Lesson learned.

 As you can see the snow stacked up onto my boots as I broke trail for Cindy. So glad I had my sock liners on as more snow than I would have liked wound up in my ski boots and although my socks were wet my feet were still warm.
 The scenery was just beautiful in the woods

 Luckily the wind that brought the lake effect snow had died down to almost nothing so it was very comfortable skiing temps. In fact I ditched my sweater shortly after we started and spent the rest of the day skiing in just my dry fit shirt.

 We skied about 6 miles there at Hartwick Pines breaking trail for about 4 1/2 miles of that so it was a good thing we had that extra plate of bacon at breakfast ;-)
 As the it got closer to noon the wind started blowing which made the snow on the trees fall off. At times it was near white out type conditions on the trail. Can you see Cindy on the trail in the picture below?

 Neither can I but she is in there somewhere. Had I taken this pic a few seconds earlier the visibility was so bad you cold not see the first tree on the left side of the pic. The other downside to the wind was large clumps of snow were now falling off the limbs above us. I took a big hit to the head here.

  That was chilly. But the great thing about cross country skiing is that as long as you keep moving your body is generating heat so you can keep warm. If you start to cool off, just ski faster!
 From Hartwick Pines we headed southeast to the Mason Tract Trail. this is one of my favorite trails up in that area as it is just so intimate and scenic. It runs along the Ausable river from the bridge on Chase Bridge road to M-72. We have skied on the west part of it twice, both times turning back before we reached the end. Once due to cold and running out of time, the other due to warming snow sticking to our skis. While it is not the type of trail where you are going to set speed records, it is a challenging trail due to the varying terrain. But all that aside, it is just a beautiful trail to ski with fresh snow slinging to the trees.

 We did make it to the first river access point where we walked the stairs down to the water's edge for this photo.

 The Ausable river is widely known as a excellent trout river and it looks like a fisherman's dream just standing next to it. Maybe someday we can make it back up in and fish parts of it.
 With the snow sticking to our skis we elected to head back to the car and do a little antiquing in Grayling. On our way Amy invited us to join them at the Paddlehard Brewing Company for snacks and a beverage. Drinks won out over antiques so off we went. We had a nice visit to the brewpub and enjoyed some cold beverages.
 Being the party animals that we are we finished off 2016 back at Fred's place with Jerry and Amy. All I can say is that Fred's does an awesome business as they are always crowded for dinner. The food was all very good and we all retired to our rooms well before midnight. Needless to say I failed to wake up to ring in the new year as I was out like a light once my head hit the pillow. I think we were going to watch a little tv but someone forgot to tell my body that.
 Sadly we woke up early and headed south back to Indiana with thoughts of hitting some antique shops in Allen MI on the way back. Being New Year's day several of the ones we wanted to visit were not open but we persevered on and found one open in Auburn IN and in Markle IN.
 After stopping at REI in Indy to get Cindy some new hiking shoes for our upcoming trip to the Rockies this summer we finally pulled in our driveway about dark. Knowing the boys were not going to be happy with us for going off and leaving them behind we got them junior back cheeseburgers from Wendy's to help smooth things over.

 In just a few seconds all was well again and I doubt they even remembered we had left.

 As we unpacked our gear we talked about when our next trip north was going to be and where we were going this time. While it is only 3 weeks away I am not sure I can hang on that long. Just knowing that they have awesome snow conditions up north is almost more than I can bare. Hopefully the lake effect continues and they have lots of powder when we arrive!
 It was another awesome ski trip to Michigan with my bestie. I cant wait till we load up and head north again!!!

Paddle Time!

10-9-16

 Even though the Memory Maker is tucked away in the garage for a 7 month nap and Miss Friday is not ready to hit the water yet we are not totally out of business when it comes to enjoying a beautiful day on the water. We just break out the kayaks and head to the nearest lake or river.
 Yesterday was just too pretty to not get out and enjoy it. With clear skies, light winds, and cool temps it was a the perfect red letter fall day in southern Indiana. Cindy decided she would like to go over to Yellowwood state park and paddle the lake there so while she got up and got ready I went out and dusted off the kayaks and trailer and loaded everything up.
 With Miss Friday sitting on saw horses behind Juicy the Jeep I did not want to have to deal with her to get down our tandem kayak so I got our singles off the wall and loaded them onto the trailer. Anytime we are taking two or more kayaks and or the paddle board I break out the trailer. I made this about 6 years ago now and it really works great.

 This is a really slick way to transport larger kayaks and paddleboards. I made it to be modular so I can change the crossbars to carry 2, 3, or four kayaks and a paddle board on top of them as well. I have a piece of diamond plate steel to put on the back half of the rear trailer frame to get some weight behind the axle as the tongue gets pretty heavy when you get the boats loaded up. I think it would ride a bit better to plus it will give a me a place to mount a small aluminum ATV tool box I found that would be perfect for tie downs and few tools.
 With the jeep and trailer loaded up we headed west over to Lake Monroe as we needed to pick up launch permits for our kayaks since Yellowwood is a state lake and you have to have them there. After a quick stop at Paynetown we pulled into the Log Cabin restaurant for breakfast. We were regulars there during the sailing season as their food is really good and the prices are really reasonable. After easting way too much we waddled back out to Juicy and headed northeast to Yellowwood.
 It was just such a beautiful fall day on the water and we were so glad we chose to play. There were just a few other kayakers out on the lake and one guy fishing from a bass boat. Just a very peaceful way to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon.
 All I can say is no one paddles quite like my beautiful little wife

Never one to take things too seriously Cindy made herself comfy while I fished for whatever might bite my lure. We had to break out the stick and take a selfie to prove that I really was there too

 I just can't seem to take a selfie and not get the stick in the pic. I might have to research that and see if I am doing something wrong besides wearing my hat backwards. At least I finally zipped my fly as it been unzipped all morning LOL!
 We slowly worked our way to the north end of the lake and I did manage to catch on nice bluegill along the way. We tried sneaking up on turtles as they set on logs sunning themselves but they were all a bit skittish and would slide off as we got close. One did sit still as I passed by about 6 feet away from him. I watched him slowly prepare to launch as he got his claws in position on the log but he set tight and I just slowly floated past him. Once I was past him maybe 15 feet I went to paddle and that did it, he splashed into the lake. We had a good chuckle over that as I was already passed him but he just couldn't take the chance and surely thought that big paddle was going to get him somehow.
 Not long after that the effects of the sun, breeze, water, and large breakfast took hold of Cindy. I said something but go no response. This was why

 She was asleep!!! Talk about the laid back LOL! I think Cindy was still tired from watching her grandkids Friday night and Saturday. Amazing how those little critters can wear a person down.
 I finally got her woke up enough to paddle back to the boat ramp where we loaded up and headed off to Nashville for our weekly visit to Big Woods Brewery for nachos and a skillet cookie! We got there just as Adrian and Nicole of Salt Creek Winery were closing up the tasting room so they joined us for dinner. We spent the evening laughing with them before we finally headed home to unload and prepare for the week to come.
 Like all days that we get to play it ended way too soon. Then of course we woke up this morning to another Monday and the start of a work week. We just want to say that working SUCKS! We could so play every day and do a dam fine job of it!!!

Another sailing season comes to an end.

 Just like last year our sealing season came to an end much too soon. Being on State run docks, the season ends on the last day of September. With that being on a Friday this year we decided to go over and spend on last night aboard and bring her home this past Sunday since the weather was supposed to be nice.
 Of course there was no wind when we finally arrived at the boat. We got there a bit later than we had wanted as we both had to work and then someone, no names mentioned (Cindy), discovered that she had left the lights on in Juicy when she went into work so I had to go rescue my damsel in distress before we could head to the lake. We got to the boat to discover a literal mess all over the top of her. Seems the spiders have taken over and their nest provide to be highly effective at trapping more flying critters than they could eat. All the dead carcasses were laying on the decks. So while Cindy motored us to Boy Scout cove I gave our girl a bath with the new collapsible bucket I got.
 After dropping anchor and pitching the pop top and cockpit tent I aired up Cindy's paddle board so she could go paddle while I cooked dinner. I had pre made shrimp kabobs at home while I waited on Cindy to get done at work so they were ready to go. I mixed up some cheddar bay biscuit mix and fired up the grill to bake them in. I am really getting into baking in the grill and if I say so myself I am getting pretty good at it as well. Here they are going on the grill

 Baking on a grill is not a set it and forget it type affair as the wind blowing past the grill can greatly affect the temperature of the "oven". I had to stop up the vents on the right side of the top to get it to stay warm enough. But after 15 mins of baking they were ready to be coated with melted garlic butter!

 Cindy came paddling back up just as I was finishing the biscuits and trying figure out how I was going to get the cooking stone off the grill so I could cook the kabobs. I did not think of that before I started. Well my idea of using my pot holder to hold onto it as I dipped it into the lake to cool off turned out to be a bad idea as it cracked right in the middle and dropped into the lake. I let the other piece I was still holding join it on the bottom and went about cooking the kabobs. Lesson learned.
 Dinner was delicious and we both ate way more than we should have. Seems 5 biscuits is very filling. Ask me how I know?
 The last sunset on the water for 2016 turned out to be a real beauty!

It is such a shame we loose the whole month of October. The wind that has hardly evened puffed for the last 2 months usually starts blowing again in October and the leaves typically start changing color although that seems to be getting later and later each year.
 After doing dishes we cuddled up into the v birth and watched a movie on the fire. Well, one of us watched the movie, while the other one napped. I am proud to say I saw all this movie as it is usually me who is sawing logs before the first scene is even over. Cindy was pooped from working all day at a volleyball tourney so I let her snooze peacefully with her head resting on my chest.
 The moon finally started to rise about 3 am and it was a gorgeous night. The stars we out very bright and the sky was clear. We stood in the cockpit to take it all in for a few minutes and then retreated back to bed till sometime past 9:30 the next morning! I awoke to the sound of fish jumping so I swiped Cindy's paddleboard and headed off with my fly rod in search of a lunker. The fish evaded my every cast but the biting black flies sure found me. Heading back to the boat to make breakfast I found Cindy swatting flies while she tried to read her book.
 We debated our options but wound up choosing to go ahead and load our girl onto the trailer and then go up to the Log Cabin for breakfast before returning to break her down for the ride home. There was no wind and no wind forecasted so we figured we might as well get it over with. It wasn't going to be any easier if we waited till evening. Cindy dropped me off at the boat ramp dock so I could retrieve the truck and trailer. Cindy did her usual excellent job of expertly guiding the Memory Maker into the keel slot as I hooked the winch hook onto the bow eye. In mere minutes she was hooked, winched and locked down ready to pull out. We actually look like we know what we are doing now.
 After dropping the trailer in the trailer lot we headed up to get breakfast as I was getting a bit hungry. The Log Cabin does not look like much but the food is super yummy and very reasonably priced. After eating way too much of my hay stack special which is a large platter of hash browns covered in biscuits and gravy with two eggs over easy on top we headed back down to the boat to start preparing her for the journey home. Someone had a 7 month nap coming up.
 Once we were all done taking her apart and securing all the pieces we headed out en route to get our weekly skillet cookie dessert at the Big Woods brewery in Nashville IN. Talk about yummy! Just think about two large dollops of chocolate chip cookie dough in a small cast iron skillet cooked just long enough to turn brown on the outside but still be soft and gooey on the inside, then cover that with ice cream, whip cream, and caramel sauce. Can we say heavenly??? We have been on a cast iron skillet buying spree so we can try to make these at home. Our first attempt will be very soon.
 Looking back on our sailing season it was the typical up and down of sailing in Indiana. We started the season with good winds and new sails. We sailed every chance we could and even made it to the dam and back in one day! Then there was the honeymoon trip that did not go anything like I had planned or hoped. Bringing the boat back to the lake after returning from the North Channel and making repairs at home I was not even in the mood to sail. The boat really let me down after all the work I had done to her but I think I let myself my down even more. We had good wind maybe one time after we returned then it just died. We still came over to the boat at least once per week to check on her and give her a bath but several times that is all we did as the wind just wasn't there. We got suckered out once as the flags at the boat house were blowing but the stopped as soon as we got out of the slips. We sat in the lake bobbing up and down in the wakes of power boats as butterflies passed us by. We dropped sails and returned under motor power. It just really sucks to pay for 5 months slip rental and only get wind descent enough to sail in for maybe less than half that time. I can see why people loose interest in sailing so easily around these parts. It is just so dam frustrating!
 Monday after I got home from work I started the yearly task of removing the mast and getting it hung up in the garage so I we can back our girl into my slot in the garage. While I am not thrilled at the thought of having to scrape frost off my car each morning the thought of having to get the rain and snow off the tarp covering the boat if we stored her outside sounds even less appealing to me. I did that the first winter we had her and ripped holes in two pairs of jeans getting in and out of her. A boat bay addition on our garage is in our future and I can't wait!
 With or girl all tucked away safe and sound in the garage it is that time of year that our, ok, my thoughts start drifting off to snow days and ski trips! Maybe a little early yet to be thinking about snow but hey, we did have our first fire of the 2016 fall season that same night

 So the snow can't be far behind! We also tried our first skillet cookie at home

 I need to fine tune the ingredients and cook time but I think we are on the right track!

 It was yummy but not quite the same as Big Woods. It is going to be a long winter so I have plenty of time to perfect it!!!

Honeymoon, the last days

7-25-16

 Waking up in the Empire room at the Cottonwood Inn brings back memories of the first time we stayed here back in 2013. It was our first vacation together and to be honest I was about to burn out. I had just been through two very hard years and building our house had about wiped me out. I needed a break. So when Cindy suggested we go north to Michigan to sail with friends of hers I at first thought she was crazy but then I realized we needed some time away, I needed some time away. So we went. Our first sail was the type of event that you never forget, for all the wrong reasons, much like the first night of our honeymoon LOL! Who knew that one fateful day in July would lead us back here again 3 years later. Oh the memories we have made along the way!
 Neither one of us was really eager to get started with our day as we knew it was time to start heading back south. That meant that we would be returning to the real world soon and no longer would I have my beautiful lil best friend by my side all day long. Cindy is just so much fun to be with and we get along so well that I honestly think we could spend day in and day out together. But that is not to be right now and we knew that.
 After breakfast we packed up and said good by to Carrie at the inn. We let the boat sit and made one more trip down to the beach as it was beautiful day and neither of us wanted to leave.

 It is amazing to see how much the beach changes from day to day. The water never stops moving and it is constantly rearranging the grains of sand and the pebbles it washes up from the bottom of the lake. Each walk is like walking on a new surface with new treasures to find. With pockets full of rocks we headed back to the inn to get our leaky little boat and head south.
 We wanted to stop back in Saugatuck and do some shopping so I booked the night at the Captains Quarters on the north side of town. The reviews were good and they said they had room for the semi and the trailer. We took our time working our way south and arrived there sometime in the midafternoon. Someone needed a nap after all the excitement paddling the day before

 The Captain's Quarters turned out to be a great find.

 It was a old road side motel that set back off the road but it had been totally redone and the rooms were very nice. Not huge, but they had everything we needed. Not only was it nice but the young couple running the place also had one very pretty pup for a mascot!

Hard to believe she was 13 years old. Scratching her ears made me miss our boys who were being spoiled rotten back home. We found a place to park the boat along the drive so all was good there. After dropping the boat we took off in search of treasures. We spent the afternoon going from shop to shop, buying way more stuff than we needed. But hey, its our honeymoon, plus we were stimulating the local economy.
 We had dinner outside next to the marina in Saugatuck. I had to ask the waitress why the sailing club was called the Singapore Yacht club to which she was clueless. Later I found a sign talking about the old town of Singapore that was there before Saugatuck and how it was buried in the sands from lake Michigan. I think I had my answer.
 We were both beat from all the walking and shopping so we returned to our room at the Captain's Quarters to watch some tv and relax. I lasted about 5 mins before I saw the back of my eyelids for the last time.
 I slept like a rock and so did my new bride, or at least I think she did as I did not notice her waking up any in the night. It was a sad day as it was the last day of our honeymoon. We were going to drag our feet as much as we could but we knew by the end of the day we would be back home and the real world would be waiting on us.
 After checking out and saying good by to the mascot we left the boat behind for a bit as we went to check out the Saugatuck beach as we had heard it was very nice. It was a bit of a drive to get there as we had to go south into Douglas and then back up around the harbor to get to the beach road. I was a bit miffed that they charged 8 bucks to park and no dogs were allowed. I paid the 8 bucks but grumbled as I did it. The beach was very nice and went probably at least another mile north to the pier.

 It got wider the further north we walked. We splashed about in the water which was probably 10 degrees warmer than the water at Empire but sadly there were very few rocks to be found.
 We headed back to pick up our boat before turning south for South Haven. You did not think we would pass up the chance to visit South Haven did you??? What a fun little town. Not sure I would like to live there but we sure enjoy visiting. We lucked out ad the parking spot we had on the way up was still there waiting on us when we got back!
 It was only about 11 am when we got to South Haven but it is never too early for a tall cold glass of SHIT

 We had a late breakfast/lunch a the Idler Riverboat. Such a neat little place and the South Haven iced tea is to die for. While we ate a new class of future sailors was getting towed out for their lesson.

 Always good to see a new generation take up the sport as it is dying a slow death today for several reasons.
 After our snack and beverages we took of for our two favorite shops in South Haven, Divana G's and the antique store just down the street. Diavan G's is a neat little boutique with a lot of pretty clothes for Cindy. Not much for me but I do enjoy a good fashion show.
 The antique mall down the street always has some great finds just waiting on us to sniff them out.
 This time I scored a awesome wood sailboat for 20 bucks! I also got Cindy a sharp pair of sailing pants probably from the 70's. I wanted them for as soon as I saw them but she said they would not fit. I made her try them on right there in the booth. What do you know, they fit. SOLD!
 After our shopping was complete, as in we spent too much money, we walked down to the pier for the first time as husband and wife. I am sure we took a selfie there as we always do but heck if I can find it now. If you have seen one selfie of us in front of the light house at South Haven you have seen them all LOL!!
 Someone told us about the Viking ship that had sailed there from Norway so we had to go check it out. It was docked on the other side of the Black River so we had to walk across the Black River on the drawbridge to find it. It was at the Coast Guard museum and we did not feel like paying 50 bucks for us to see it up close. But what we did feel like paying 50 bucks for was eat, drinks, and t shirts at Lou's bar right next door!
 We had put it off long enough, sadly it was time to head south and face the challenges the rest of the world would throw at us as husband and wife!
 We made it home a little before 9 that night and Edward and Wilson were super happy to see us.

 The chicken tenders I brought them as a peace offering probably helped them forget we just left them for two weeks LOL!
  While it was good to be back home it was miserable all that same time. The temperature was in the mid 90's and the humidity was 90% plus. It just felt like a sauna outside. Again I say, nobody chooses to live in southern Indiana because they like heat and humidity. I think it had rained almost everyday we had been gone and the grass was a foot tall. But what really made the fact that we were home so hard to deal with was because I knew I only had one more day with Cindy all to myself. Call me selfish, but I love when it is just my bestie and me side by side doing anything. We still had to take the rental truck back and go to West Marine to get supplies to fix leaky. I was going to make the most of every minute we had left together before we both returned to work...

Honeymoon, day 8

7-24-16

 Waking up in Empire found us refreshed and ready to hit the trail for more fun. Yeah right, we were both ready to roll back over and go back to sleep! It felt good to be back in a real bed, no getting up every couple hours to soak up water, and no fear of large waves crashing over our bow. We were both a bit bummed we did not get to sail on Lake Charlevoix but that can be another trip.
 We finally crawled out of bed and made our way to breakfast. Once again we ate way too much, at least I did as I conned Carrie into digging the leftover blueberry French toast out and warming it up. Man is that good stuff! After breakfast we took a long walk around Empire and checked out the lots as were house dreaming which one we wanted as our vacation home. We had no trouble picking out several.
 We walked down to the beach and the lake was really calm as the wind was barely blowing. We could see rain off in the distance across the lake and radar showed a small shower headed at us. After loading up my pockets full of rocks we headed back before we got wet. On the way back I asked Cindy if she would like to paddle her paddleboard in Lake Michigan after the rain passed. She was excited and said Sure!
 On the way back to the inn I stopped and reserved a paddleboard for me to paddle at the Empire Surf Shop so we could paddle together. While at the surf shop the rain set in but it was short lived. We stopped in the Empire Village Inn for the best, I say again, the BEST BLT ever! I suggest getting it on wheat bread instead of sour dough but either way it is absolutely delicious!!!!
 Returning to the inn to get the inflatable paddle board out of the boat and aired up while Cindy changed I was greeted with sunny skies and warming temps. Funny how the wind was picking up too. What is it with wind on this trip? Off to the surf shop to pick up the paddle board for myself and leg tethers so we did not loose our boards. That turned out to be a really good idea on our parts.
 Arriving at the beach parking area the wind was really starting to howl. Those calm waves that were there earlier when we got this idea, long gone! They were replaced with 2 and 3 foot rollers that were still growing. Oh, this look liked fun! What turned out to be even harder than paddle boarding in 3 foot waves was just getting the dam boards to the water. Their curled up nose made walking into the wind almost impossible as the wind would catch your board and take you where ever it wanted to take you. We struggled into the wind and finally arrived at the waters edge. How hard could this be? We have paddle boarded a lot down south, on nice smooth lakes, in no to light winds. How different could this be??
 Well, lets just say A LOT!!!! Neither Cindy nor myself had ever surfed before but we have seen it done on TV so surely we can figure it out. NO WE CANT! To start with just getting away from the shore line is not as easy as they make it look. I got washed back right into Cindy to start with and knocked her over. In my attempt to get up I got flattened again! Time to regroup. Lesson #1 keep the board on your down wind side, maybe I should have shared that with Cindy. If it is on your downwind side if the wave lifts the board, and it will, and the wind catches it, it will, the board does not get slammed into you knocking you over. Lesson #2, get out away from the breaking waves ASAP!!!! The sooner you do the less chance a waves will break right on you. Again, should have shared with Cindy.
 I finally got back to my feet and on my board then paddled like hell to get out away from the shoreline. Once I was clear of the breakers I was able to just bob up and down in the surf. Sometimes I could look back and see the shore, sometimes I couldn't the waves were rising and galling that much. I kept waiting on Cindy to join me, and I waited, and I waited. Finally I got up on my knees and looked back. She was struggling. Here, you watch and see what I mean.

 God love her. No matter what happened she never failed to have a smile on her face. Just one of the many things I love about Cindy.
 Sadly, the best part was not captured as I turned the camera off thinking how interesting will it be to watch me help Cindy get her board back to the south end of the beach. Well, as it turned out it would have been hilarious! Cindy was really struggling to get her board back down the beach as the wind and the waves were doing what they wanted with her and her board. So me, being the caring husband I am, went back to help her. I grabbed the strap on the front of her board and started dragging it through the surf and rocks but it seemed very heavy for some reason. Battling the waves I just thought it was the waves so I continued on. Finally I turned around to see my pretty little wife partially submerged with one leg canted towards the back of her paddle board and her other leg up in the air like a stick bobber with her frantically trying to reach her leg that was pointed towards her paddle board. Oops! I did not realize she was still tethered to her board. Seems I overlooked that part. I hollered back to here "take off your tether!!!" as she was climbing to her feet. She replied, "I am trying Genius!!!!" as another wave knocked her back down. At this point I should probably point out that very few people are in the water but there are quite a few peeps on the beach and pretty much everyone of them are laughing their asses off at us by now!
 Finally free of her tether I get her board back down the beach and up the shore to the grass. We are both winded by now and laughing hysterically. How hard can it be to paddleboard in 3 foot waves? Pretty dam hard!
 We went across the parking lot to South Bar lake and enjoyed the warm water for a bit while we rested up for try number two at the big water. The waves on South bar were not an issue but the wind still was. Not sooner than you stood up the wind would blow you towards the far end of the lake so fast you did not need to paddle and you were still making a wake. I figured out pretty quick that if we let it take us the whole way down the lake we would have one heck of a paddle into the wind to get back. So we got over to the west side of the lake pretty quickly and still had a pretty hard paddle back as we tried to stay out of the wind as much as possible.
 Not ones to give up easily, we decided to go back out to the big lake and give it one more go, this time minus the paddles. Surely it would be easier just using our arms to paddle us out. Again, we have seen this done on TV, how hard can it be? Stupid question on my part as the answer again was pretty damn hard! With my long arms I did fair a bit better than Cindy as her short little arms barely got to the water on each side of her board. She finally did get out past the breakers and was able to bob up and down in the waves for a bit. We let the wind and waves carry us north till we were down to the light house at the north end of the beach before we "surfed" our way to shore. At least I tried to surf in. I was happy I had the tether as my board would have been found on the south shore of Canada a few days later if I had not been tied to it!!!  We returned the rented board and just responded "it was an experience" when they asked how it went LOL!
 After getting cleaned up we headed up to Glen Harbor to do some shopping before returning to the beach to stake our spot by our favorite fire pit for the sunset fire. It was another gorgeous sunset and the fire felt great. We stopped by Joe's Friendly Tavern on the way back to the inn for a night cap before going back and crashing. It had been a fun day but sadly we were down to just a few more before would have to return to the real world. With Cindy asleep on my shoulder I vowed to make the most of every minute we had left on our trip as I did not want it to end...