They're Here

Bri, Renee, Ellie, Maddie, Becca, and Morgan  

Clouds, Actually

Very slowly and very reluctantly, a layer of cirrus and alto stratus moved in, and by late afternoon the searing sun was somewhat shaded. There are rumors of rain, but you know what you can do with those.

Cows. Photo shot about a week ago—last time we saw clouds.

Prepping for visitors. While Mimi cleaned and rearranged I practiced with the new chartplotter and developed a 10-minute short-course in its use.

Hate to admit it but I'm starting to long for sweatshirt weather. And how I would love to have to don a rain jacket!

This evening we saw what we think was an otter swim by south to north, under the pier, and on to shore in the reeds this side of Tyson's. It was moving fast. Maybe a juvenile beaver?

Wildlife

A second bear sighting claim has come in—said to be at about the same time last week as the first one—so I am starting to give some credence to the claim. Possibly a good-sized black bear heading north to south.

And, a turtle enjoying harbor life, alongside Lollipop.

I was going to title this posting, ""Dry Roasted" because that's what happened here today. The only relief was in the water. In spite of the heat, Norm came by and re-installed the starter motor, and when Sue and I took a little trial cruise the engine fired up every time the key was turned.

Regarding Trump: I've always known he was unqualified, but with his latest comment (threat) he is now disqualified. Self-disqualified. I've been enjoying the news lately because of a prurient interest in seeing the self-inflated poke holes in his own balloon. But now it's time for Trump to go, or be removed. There must be some way a political party can disqualify and dismiss a candidate who is obviously deranged.

Sure Start

To Sudbury today, and back, getting Heliotrope's starter motor repaired.  

Park in downtown Sudbury, across from the Vianet building. We had an excellent lunch at a new, upscale lunch place nearby.

For years things have been a little iffy in starting the little diesel on board of Heliotrope. Most of the time the engine would start, but once in a while, when you turned the ignition key, nothing happened—and this could be problematic, especially in rough weather or when trying to claw off a lee shore. Always, up to now, a certain amount of fiddling, switching on and off, etcetera, would result in the engine starting—but the instances of malfunction have been increasing over the past few years, and given the way of things mechanical, a total failure was certain, and almost certainly occurring in a stressful situation. 

So this morning Norm came over to Kagawong and pulled the starter, something that hadn't been done for 38 years. As anyone who has worked on old equipment knows, removing a component after 38 years of attachment is impossible. Add to that the inaccessibility of an engine stuffed into the bilge of a sailboat and it becomes obvious that Norm is the only person on the planet who could have done it. Took him less than an hour, too, and he still has some skin on his hands.

Soon as the starter was off the boat we put it in the truck and headed to Sudbury and a repair shop Norm recommended (and called on our behalf). The place looked like a dark cave littered with gobs of metallic slag, but the people inside were incredible. ""I'll get right on it," said the guy at the counter. And two hours later the starter was rebuilt.

It will be good to have an engine that starts. To a small degree I kind of liked the uncertainty, always figuring it would be a fun challenge to utilize plan B (which every good sailor always has), and in the past I've quite enjoyed being engineless and having to sail into a dock or marina only under sail. (I remember coming in somewhere, sometime sans engine and receiving a round of applause from all the bystanders.)

But, when grandkids are out on the boat cruising around with their parents, I believe a yacht should be fully found, with an engine that is always ready to go at the turn of a key.

The Day That Got Away

Errands in Gore Bay caused a late start. Luckily, gazpacho at Pine Box this evening. Sunny, warm, and dry. Had to water the garden AGAIN.  

But the day started with an early morning dip, just a little after sunrise. And that's the way to start any day. I'm thinking an early morning dip should be part of every camper's routine.  

The garden, dry as it is, is starting to produce.  

Another Lovely Day In The Desert

Light wind, intense sun. Heard from George Gaiser that he heard at church that Ed Burt has not yet irrigated but is harvesting decent crops--which shows that you can't believe everything you hear at church. 

While not the best day for crops, it was a fine day for a bike ride. Above is the ride back from the marina, which is majority up, including a bit of Lebar hill. This is the new record. 

Lunch at Harbor Island

Actually, a swim, a tasty lunch, and a nap.  

Close hauled on the way out, with a fitful wind—sometimes slack, sometimes enough to almost bury the rail. Overall, a quick trip, and an enjoyable one, because of the need to pay attention and make adjustments.

After lunch, a luxurious nap as the boat swung to anchor in the lee of Harbor Island. But then a gust, and then another, sneaking around to the protected anchorage, inciting the boat to heel at anchor. Time to get up said the elements. So we did.

And the ride back was lively, with just one-third jib along with the mizzen, but with the boat still hitting seven knots, from time to time. Heliotrope's new, very accurate, wind gauge showed 25 knots of true wind, with gusts occasionally higher (and all that is just short of a gale). Experienced as we are, we battened the hatches in advance to avoid the sheets of spray slicing across the boat from sneaking down below. 

The trip home was quick. We fell back to our old routine of heavy weather sailing. And it was fun.

At the moment, as we are sitting shoreside, occasional violent gusts come ripping down from the bluff. We are hoping all those anchored out are enjoying them as much as we are.

P.S. —Cheetos make a delicious side for an off-shore lunch.

Providential

An odd night with two power outages (and attendant screeching of detectors), the rain which was forecast  not showing up, considerable dog nervousness, and finally a belated shower. 

Over to Providence Bay (with the next door neighbors) to check out the new coffee shop/art gallery and for fish and chips at Lake Huron Fish and Chip (or whatever it's called—the sign has weathered away pretty much). Illustrated below, the mural on the side of what used to be a hardware store back when Prov was more of a town, but which now sells lattes and lithographs.

Mighty west wind all day blowing some of the humidity away and cooling things down a bit. Garden in desperate need of water, AGAIN.

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

We did see several today but they quickly vanished in the desert air. If Wordsworth can say "rocks and stones and trees," I'll say "wind and sun and heat."  But I know it is worse elsewhere. Here a dip in the lake and a sit in the breeze, and climate change seems bearable.  

Wolf in the Tango as we sailed by.  

Heat Warning

Too hot, and, of course, too dry.  

The kind of day when you either had to crawl under a rock or slither into the water.

But, the Falls were overrun, with cars parked everywhere. Apparently people are willing to suffer extremes for a little natural wonder (which at present is the merest trickle). Marina also filled beyond capacity (one anchored out), this time with big sailboats. It must be the height of the season.

An odd little shower this morning with drops few enough to count. And this afternoon a few cumulo-nimbus sailing past to the west and north. Once again the tomatoes look painfully wilted.

Sunny, Hot, and Dry

No wind in the morning, rambunctious wind in the afternoon.  

Note the monarch.  

Continuous watering necessary of garden, flowers, and herbs. Lively sail on Windrider, with all systems fine with a blow.  

Cicadas buzzing in the trees.  

Sunstroke

We had to hide from the sun from 9 to 5.  

More dog vomit fungus, this time on the chip pile at the bottom of the driveway.  

Mimi taking an 8 pm dip to cool off after our cruise.  

Lovely cruise on Heliotrope from 5:30 to 7:30. John and ME, Murray and Elaine, and us. Just the right breeze for snacks and cocktails. Good fun silently buzzing a yacht anchored a short bit off Donna and Al's. These fine cruisers invited us to breakfast, I'm pretty sure. 

Gone To Seed

Time for goldenrod.  

Yes, we have thistle. Although I control it on our stretch of the road, others don't. In some ways the plant is attractive, and butterflies seem to love it. 

Goldenrod, queen anne's lace, tansy, and thistle. I can never resist picking a tansy leaf, rolling it up, and squeezing for the fabulous, pungent smell.  I don't eat it, but back in the day it was thought to control flatulence brought on by eating too many fish or too many beans. 

Sun Baked

Unlimited sun, almost no wind, warm water. Beaches thronged. Plans to sail the Windrider thwarted by lack of air.  

But the swimming was good.  

A family of young Jay's hopping about and making strange mewling sounds on the north side of the house, by the sawed-off cedars.  

And, Gooseberry Island is back. Two days after my third chat with chart-plotter manufacturer, Garmin, a FED-X truck showed up on the driveway and supplied me with a micro-sd card, supposedly loaded with the proper charts. It took over four hours for the contents of the card to be uploaded to the chart-plotter, but once done, Gooseberry was back in this world, along with the Clapperton channel, Kittiwake Rock, and a host of nav aides, depth contours, and hazards to navigation. This is what the device was supposed to display at the outset. Working properly, the plotter (combined with the new wind gauge and depth transponder} will be remarkably useful.

Guano

Sue's strings have kept the mergansers off the dock (because mergansers leap up from the water) but now the gulls have moved in and become squatters (they fly in), and,so, a vigorous scrubbing is occasionally required. Pinwheels are back up in the vain hope the gulls will be scared off, but how ridiculous is that?

And, another capsize today. This time—the worlds' greatest sailor—P.D.  Perhaps more accurately, the world's self -proclaimed greatest sailor. And this capsize done with very little wind. Great merriment and much hilarity on the dock.

In these hot, dry times Pax has become an avid swimmer. He even goes out over his head.

Working On The Chain Gang.

Visitors away this morning (but coming back soon). Afternoon spent hauling brush from Serendipity Lane to the dump (remains of tree trimming). 

Voyaging on Heliotrope

Fine sail.  

Voyaging on Heliotrope

Fine sail.  

Nothing But Fun

Swimming and boating. Boating and swimming.  

Blown Away

Huge wind, but warm and sunny. Fun everywhere: marina, pier, lower deck.