July 17, 2007 We’re Still Here!!!!

From looking at the website, no one would know that we had “sold everything” and moved to the boat. The Marylee, a 40 foot O’day sailboat, is the happy home of John and Mary and our Chihuahua Goliath. We are preparing for a life of cruising the Caribbean but first we must finish the boat projects.

July 17, 2007 and we are still sitting on a mooring in Milwaukee, WI. We had planned to start our big adventure yesterday, but John had an appendectomy just two days after we moved onto the boat. So, here we sit with a million projects still ahead and summer already half way over. We have to make it out up to the North Channel in Lake Huron (and enjoy the beauty for a week or so), down the entire expanse of Lake Huron to Detroit and Lake Erie. We then across Lake Erie where we drop the mast and head out the Erie Cannel into the Hudson River and out to the Atlantic Ocean. That is where the big adventure should start, but I fear the snow will be flying first.

Milwaukee is really a great place to be during the summer, especially living on the lakefront. We have had front row seats to spectacular fireworks on multiple occasions, especially on July 3rd when we watched the greatest fireworks that I’ve ever seen, but in the middle of a thunderstorm. Natural fireworks were applauded along with the manmade type. We were able to motor over to the SummerFest grounds in the dinghy, dock for free at a community pier, and enjoy the Los Lonely Boys along with other entertainment. Our mooring ball is within earshot of the SummerFest grounds and the Marcus Amphitheater, so we are serenaded frequently.

Madison West High School Class of 1967: Our 40th class reunion was last weekend and we were able to say good-bye to many classmates. I think our marriage and our adventure were a bit of a shock to many of the attendees. John and I graduated together and reconnected as each of our long-term marriages fell apart. We’ve been married now for three years now and life has sure changed. What a great time we had at the reunion.

We’ve only gone sailing once this summer! Amid all of the preparations, we have had no time to do what we love, sail. Goliath, our cute little Chihuahua, who “loved” sailing last summer, did not take well to the sail. He panted, shook, and has that funny scared grin on his face for the first 3 hours of the sail. He settled down for the last part of the trip, but I certainly hope he will get used to sailing. Since we will be under sail so much, we have tried to litter train him (OK teach him to “go” on deck), but he prefers land can hold his stuff for a day and more.