Boing! ( Springtime - Almost)

Boing! That's my sound of a spring - Boing! Yes, like the song goes - 'It's beginning to seem a lot like Spring Time . .' Forget about the -20 degrees from this morning and let's focus on the fact that it's already only next weekend that we set the clocks ahead an hour! That means we''ll be having daylight at 7:30. Great. AND, it's only another 2 weeks until the fish huts have to be off the lake. . . PLUS, tick-tock, tick-tock, Spring officially arrives in just THREE SHORT WEEKS :-)

 As it's been for me all winter, there is yet so much to do in a short time. I'm happy to report that I was able to get the impellers checked in Boogaboo's drives and I should have them all painted and lubed up by tomorrow. I also changed the impeller in the outboard and gave everything a good once over.

 Speaking of the outboard, A.G. & I headed up to West Marine in Barrie today for some bottom coat paint and a few incidentals, as I had a couple of $15 off coupons from the Boat Show that were to expire after today and were burning a hole in my pocket. Sooooooo, whilst up in the 'hood, we also dropped into Sandy Cove Marine & picked up some funky stickers to adorn the otherwise barren cowl and make it look spiffy :-) Oh! And after a significant amount of negotiating (read: hassling the sales guy into submission), I was able to secure a really bright floaty thing to use as a marker for our stern anchor.

 Alas, as usual, I digress. . . . Back to the time passing quickly thing. The next item on the 'Gotta Get It Done Before The Ice Is Gone' agenda; I'm jumping head first into a complete bellows/gimbal bearing replacement project on both outdrives. That also involved a quick shopping stop at Princess Auto on the way home.

 Finally, there's a couple of lumber related projects to do for one of our recently relocated Dock Crocs. That's the easy part. Hopefully the weather cooperates for all of the above.

 Now, on to the question of the day, brought to us by the crew of Free Bird; How long until relaunch, and do any of us have a clue. Well, I can offer you the following bit of insight on both questions. First, if last year was any indication, we should be floating by the first weekend in May. See the following photos; Fear not, my friends - this soggy, damp, wet, cold shot from last May will in no way reflect the hot, sunny, clear, beautiful conditions we are sure to be experiencing during this upcoming season; Fear not, my friends - this dark, sad, wet, cold shot from last May will in no way reflect the partially sunken Sea Ray experienced on that first weekend.

  Ok, back to the Springtime thing quickly. The photo at the top of this post and the next one down were both taken on April 20th, 2008. That was the first BBQ we had at the Cottage for the season. I mean check it out - the boats weren't even in the water yet and Anchor Girl is grabbing the condiments and utensils off the boat! How cool is that?!?! Now, on to this year. While the rest of you have spent the last couple of weeks recovering from Frankie's Follies, A.G. & I have been busily and actively planing our summer holiday destinations. I gotta tell you, last year's trek was certainly a huge inspiration and we are so looking forward to this year's adventures!! Problem is that we have already picked out probably more places we'd like to get to than time will allow, but we do have a couple of 'must see' places. Most involve spending a lot of days & nights on the hook, allot of distance covered with the dinghy - one spot not even charted and one place clear off the charts!! Maybe even a bear or two. WOW! Hoo-Ha!! Can't wait!!!!!!   I have some more videos to further whet your appetites for the quickly approaching season. I just want to give you some viewing tips for these and subsequent video posts. As you are already aware, I use YouTube to host the clips, as they offer a high quality available experience. I've been messing with the codes in an attempt to present the High Quality option to all of our viewers, but it seems that for some folks this doesn't work on their computers. Me dunno why. So, I'm just going to embed the clips the way YouTube wants, but you can still watch in High Quality! Simply click on the little box at the bottom right of the video frame when the videos start and click on the 'HQ' button that pops up. Believe me, it's actually quite simpler that the long winded explanation . . . Is it just me, or does it seem that sometimes I talk too much?? Maybe it is just that I say too much. . . .

 This first video is actually the second part of a clip I posted here a few weeks back of a float plane leaving Henry's Fish Restaurant. This video is an edit of a few clips I put together and it runs just over six minutes. Over six minutes! Remember those days, Graham? Back to the long winded description of the video. Not only will you see that old DeHavilland Beaver taking off and flying overhead, but also THREE other planes taking off together. Or at least, trying. You see, the water runway cuts right through and across the main Small Craft Route, so you'll see a couple of the planes having to turn aside to allow the boat traffic to pass. One more of the hazards one encounters boating on the Bay ;-) [Remember to click the HQ button]

  Finally for tonight, we have for your dining and dancing pleasure a pleasant trip down the South Chanel heading out from Parry Sound. Not only will you witness the beauty of this area, but a warm hearted tale of the bear sighting along the way. Note that the bear in the video - the same one that is currently hibernating in out living room - is named 'Wilbur'. That was inspired by a story I had read when we were up that way about the fact that Wilbur Wright (of the Wright Brothers fame) had a cottage on one of the islands in the Parry Sound area. Cool story, eh? Yes, I get my inspirations a very wide and varied number of every day sources. [I'm not going to remind you to click the HQ button]

Five Things. Boat Show, YouTube, Georgian Bay

Another Friday, another update. And I have FIVE things to talk about today.

 Second - An update on the Dock Crocs Dock. Anchor Girl & I took a drive into the cottage last Saturday (January 17) for a look see & I'm happy to report that it appears that nobody else has been there in awhile. Read: no snowmobilers siphoning fuel from the boats. However, the Canadian flag we rescued from the waters last spring has given it up. I guess that last wind storm was too much, so someone ( . . . .) is gonna have to grab a new one. I figure with the heavy duty mounting we have, a larger flag may be in order;

 

  Third -Videos. Yes, I am having lots of fun sharing the video clips with you all!! If you've noticed, I have pretty much switched over to YouTube to host the clips, as they offer a 'high quality' feature that Google Video doesn't. Funny, as Google owns YouTube . . . Any who, I hope everyone is able to actually view the video clips???? I hope so, because I have recently uploaded a number of new ones, which I'll be posting in the coming days

 Fourth - Boat Show. Everyone get to the Boat Show this year? AG & I headed down on the first Saturday and were happy to catch up with the Free Bird, Water Wings & SunAria crews & share both a meal & cold one, as well as take part in some equipment upgrades. Heck, we even had time to review a Georgian Bay chart. Only 26 weeks to go to The Bay! I think Von A. is going to have a 'Grand' time this year. All ten feet of it;  

 Better get studying that chart plotter manual, Sanja. Remember - north up view, north up view. Ahh, don't sweat it, at least you know someone familiar with the unit who can give you a hand :-)  

 
Fifth - After 3 months, 200 hours and 342 edits, I have F I N A L L Y completed the 2008 Rotten Row / Dock Crocs Year End Video and DVD. Phew, the title almost took as long to type :-) I'm really happy with the finished product this year and I think you'll all really enjoy it. Lots of laughs and even some new features I figured out with the software. In fact, I'm already working on some ideas for the 2009 video. With that in mind, I need you all to get your singing voices in shape. HA! Wait, I'm serious. Here's the plan, Stan. I would like to get all of you to sing parts of - even all of - a popular song. Then, through the power of modern technology, I'll edit it into a musical montage of memorable merit for all to enjoy at Next Year's FFF! I even have the song already picked out; It's 'I've Got You Babe' by Sonny & Cher. How much fun will that be?!?!? 

 

 
On with the show. This is one to go with the last posting, from our overnight on July 5th. A perfect evening with the four boats together on Chicken Bay;  

 

 Here's another clip I took using AG's camera with the time lapse feature. This was at Lock # 42 (Couchiching) on our way up to Georgian Bay. Pretty cool with the boat dropping down the lock and the doors swinging open. If only they all went this quick, eh?  

 

 

 In the spring, we have what seems like thousands of Barn Swallows nesting in the rafters at The Cottage. If not thousands, then they leave droppings in the thousands! Oh well, our new tarps over the boats should help that situation this season. Take a look at this clip, which I took one Friday evening in May. It had been raining all day and the sun poked out for just a short time. Check all the Swallows flying around! I find them quite entertaining to watch - just waiting for them to collide in mid flight;  

 

 The last two from tonight show two extremes of Georgian Bay. HEY! No groaning - I like The Bay. This first one was taken on the last day of our holidays before we started heading back to Orillia way. This was at Beckwith Island, when we got to experience a phenomenon known as 'The Beckwith Bounce'! We spent the night anchored at Beckwith with Water Wings and Maple Leaf. The wind started blowing hard out of the north west - which we were protected from, but the fetch of the waves found it's way into our little bay. Ya, all night long! You'll see the aftermath of this experience on the Year End Video;

 

 

 Finally, in contrast to the above clip, here's a morning panning shot of beautiful Beausoleil Bay. Note all the generators running, including our $99 special. The boats that were immediately in front of us included a guy named Mike, who had swam over to our boats the night before in the buff. At least, that's what he told us. He's the one you blasting away in the Sea Doo at the beginning . . . Fun times;

Fifty-Six Degrees

56 degrees. That's all we need to add to this morning's temperature to be right back in the swing of summer! - 28 degrees Celsius. When I saw that today, well, I just said to myself 'Self, that sure is a cold one'. Then I thought about the fact that we are now well past the half way mark for the winter and with our annual trip to the Boat Show behind us, it's all down hill from here on in. Except for the thermometer. That one has a bit of an UPHILL climb :-)

 Today's winter band aid is a group of pics I took on the July 5th (2008) weekend, which was our first overnight at anchor! And it was as perfect of a weekend as you could get, weather wise. Dead calm, sunny and hot all weekend! 

The top shot was us at anchor (duh) in Chicken Bay.

 

 Here's Anchor Girl walking down the dock at our slip. Note the lack of foot apparel. Yes, summer & warmth. Only 56 degrees to go; Heading out on to the lake on Saturday morning; Saturday afternoon video clip; Saturday evening with Graham & Wevvy out for a little row to shore; Here's the little guy sitting on the deck of Free Bird, watching the glorious sunset. Jason was up there keeping him company, too; A.G. enjoys a cool drink on the warm evening. Ahhhhhhhhh; Sunday morning, looking out to the north east - Beaverton/Gamebridge way. Note both the incredibly calm waters as well as the incredible number of dead bugs on our canvas. Note to self - no anchor light on in the future; Heading back into port on Sunday evening, following SunAria;

Another New Year!

Can you believe we are in ANOTHER new year already?? What the heck happened to the last one - or last ten? Here's hoping the best for everyone in the coming year!! 

 Sunshine & warm breezes. OK, HOT breezes, then :-) That's for Anchor Girl.

 

 As I glance over my shoulder to look at the calendar, I see we are now less than 3 months to getting back to the cottage for some serious 'getting ready' time. With the Boat Show starting next weekend & Frankie's Follies only SIX weeks away, it looks like we are getting real close to getting over the hump. HOO-Ha to that, eh?

 Time for this week's Winter Band Aid. That's WINTER band aid for all of you following along at home - nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

 

 This time we are up at Honey Harbour on Georgian Bay. Yes, another posting centered on Georgian Bay. Why, you ask? I had a friend of mine tell me that once I did 'The Bay', I'd never want to head down the 'Ditch' of the Trent Severn Waterway ever again - that's east bound for those of you not following along at home. Well, I wouldn't go that far to make that statement, but I sure was taken by the Bay & the challenge & excitement of the rough, wild aspect of the land and waters. And yes, I am proud of myself and A.G. for making up to Parry Sound and back - without missing a single marker nor hitting a single rock. Even with the dinky. And our day and night at Beckwith Island with Water Wings and Maple Leaf was definitely something I'll remember for the rest of my life!! Let's give a big HOO-HA for that!