The Arrival of Winter

Damn if it didn't happen. Winter is here. Yesterday it was beautiful outside with sunny skies and a temperature of 55 degrees. Today it's snowy with a brisk wind and 12 degrees.

We are settling in and really love our new (old) home. Almost everything is different from our previous home - no more forced air heat, we heat with hot water and cast iron radiators. We now have 2 more floors than we used to have. We have a dining room! But still the most spectacular feature is the view of the Mississippi River. Yesterday I took a few pictures of the riverboat Twilight which is docked just downriver of our home.

Not a bad view eh?

But that was yesterday. Back to reality and back to snow removal. Oh... and I want to wish my beautiful wife the best birthday ever! I love you.

1 More Week

7 more days. We move in a week. We can't wait. On the other hand there is a lot to do in a short amount of time. Somehow it'll all get done.

As much as I'm looking forward to getting situated in our new abode - leaving a house that I've had for 32 years... it'll take some getting used to. But our new home is loaded with character and has an incredible view of the river. I know the adjustment period will be a short one.

Right now though it's back to the packing.

We're Moving!

We're moving! That's right... we're packing up and moving - a whole 9 blocks. Our "new" home is 111 years old and it has character! It's tough to say what the best feature is but I'm pretty sure it's the location. The Mississippi River will be our front yard. We're excited and hope to be moved in before Christmas.

Fall Has Arrived

Where did the Summer go? It seems like just a few weeks ago we took delivery of our boat and now we're putting it away for the winter. I say 6 more weeks of Summer!

 We took one last boat ride Saturday afternoon. It was a really great day. The weather was perfect and we had a relaxing time on our way to the marina where we store for winter. It was about 6:45 when we arrived and this time of year it really cools off once the sun sets.

We tied up to the dock where our boat would wait its' turn in the winterizing line and then be set on blocks for the winter. We took one long look back at her tied up as we drove off. It's been a nice but short Summer.

Miah's First Boat Ride

After morning coffee we decided to spend a day on our boat. Since it was such a nice day and because our dog spends so much time alone while the first mate and I are working, we decided to treat Miah to a boat ride.

Miah is 55 pounds of energy - half Siberian Husky and half Lab - she loves to hang out with her people. So a trip in the car AND a boat ride in the same day? Too good to be true!

As soon as she heard her collar and leash she was sitting waiting for the collar to slip over her head. We stopped on the way to our slip for breakfast and Miah waited anxiously in the car, taking up residence behind the wheel. After a great breakfast in a local cafe we headed for our slip.

Miah had a bit of trouble figuring out how to board but once she figured it out she was right at home. We pulled out of our slip, stopped at the gas dock and then headed up river. After about 45 minutes we found a spot just off the main channel to anchor. We spent a few hours reading, enjoying the scenery and just relaxing. After a light lunch we hoisted anchor and headed south to find a place where Miah could play. We ended up in a sand pit and nosed the bow up onto the sandy bank. Miah wasted no time and hopped off onto the bank and began exploring. She sniffed, wandered and explored for awhile and then she apparently remembered that she loved being in the water. She waded in a few steps and sat down. Then the game was on - she went into one of her favorite routines; rip tearing up and down the beach and biting at the water. This went on for about 10 minutes and then she was done. She couldn't quite make it back up onto the boat so I picked her up and helped her onto the bow. After a quick paw wipe off she headed for a nap. She napped for most of the rest of our boat ride.

Another great day on the water.

Tired Puppy

Slacker

Yep, I'm a slacker! But that's okay, I can live with that. So it's been a while since I've written anything here. That's the nice thing about a Blog - you write when you have the time or desire - there's no pressure or deadline to meet.

It's been extremely hot and humid here the last couple of weeks and our boating time has been minimal because of that. It's awful tough to leave the comfort of the air conditioning. Plus... we've other things occupying our time on the weekends when we might otherwise be spending some time on our boat.

I have noticed that the water lilies are in full bloom and gorgeous. Here's a photo I took a few years ago right around this time of year that illustrates my point. In some spots these plants are like a carpet on the water.

I look forward to the coming weekend and hope to drag the first mate to the slip and spend some quality time on the mighty Mississippi!

Independence Day

First off... a big thank you to all of our troops for keeping us independent and allowing us the freedoms we usually take for granted.

This independence day instead of spending time on the river skiing, tubing or swimming we spent a day on our boat watching other people do all those things - and we had a great time doing it!

We headed out to one of the nearby sand pits and joined quite a few other boats who had picked that spot to anchor or beach their boats. We took some snacks and drinks and enjoyed the day reading, relaxing and people watching. One of the most entertaining activities to watch was a jet ski pulling a para-sail. It was a great day and a great weekend. Hope yours was too.