Hello All

Today is Saturday, September 04, 2010. We have been out on this leg of our travels, since Monday, the 23rd of August. Our starting point was Jefferson Beach Marina, on to Put-in-Bay, Ohio, Fairport Harbor, Ohio, Presque Isle, in Erie Pennsylvania, Dunkirk, New York, and on to Buffalo. Buffalo was the stop where we had the mast stepped by RCR Marina. They came highly rated, and they delivered! They were very helpful and friendly, helping to make this job as pleasant as it could be.
We stayed in the well Sunday night, August 29th as there were no slips available in the marina. Randy and I worked all afternoon long and into the evening doing all the prep work. It was soooo hot that day we were soaked when we finished. That evening we took showers and relaxed. A couple came by on their dinghy, inquiring if we were from Michigan. To our delight, they were from Saginaw Bay, and they were going down the Erie Canal also! Bill and Sharon stayed and talked and we exchanged our experiences on the water. They were familiar with the North Channel, and even Whitehall, our home port!! After Mutual Fun was all ready to go, Randy said we were going to head out to the canal. Bill and Sharon were next in line to have their mast taken down. We left the well and went on to our next leg of our journey! The little towns and villages along the way are beautiful! We travel every day about 30 to 35 miles. We are now Mutual Fun, the power boat. Bill and Sharon are about 2 days behind us but we are sure we will catch up somewhere along the way or maybe in Annapolis. Since The 29th of August it has been unbearably hot.

I have a hard time dealing with that much heat day after day! I was close to heat stroke one day and that was not fun! Randy has been keeping close tabs on me every day making sure I am okay. What a sweetheart!
Tonight it will cool off and we will probably get rain for a day or two. We plan to be in Waterford, NY on Thursday September 9th to do a mail delivery. Everyone we have encountered along the way, from Lift Bridge tenders, to Lock tenders, to the townspeople have been fantastic! They all really want to make sure our trip on the canal is a good one. As far as Randy and I, we have done well. Randy has really been suffering horribly with his ragweed allergies, and I feel bad for him. He is handling it like a trooper. I continue to deal with my poison ivy, but it is clearing more each day. I took my last steroid today. I am thrilled about being able to text our girls and our friends! I am just a stay connected person! I have been able to get on facebook when we get WiFi. Life is good! We ate out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and that was a real treat. Air conditioning is a real motivator! School starts September 7, and that means our grandson J will be starting 1st grade! I can’t wait to hear how his 1st day went! On Thursday, the 9th, Andrea and Cody will find out what sex their baby is! That day is Cody’s birthday also! Thanks for following along with us. We have very good friends and family! Oh yes, thank goodness we have a portable ice maker! When we are under power we make ice every day!! Due to the weather we are setting a day in Baldwinsville NY to wait out some high winds as we have to cross Oneida lake. As it is shallow and the waves do kick up from locals telling us. So Monday we will cross it which is 29 miles for us. I am sure Randy will want to do the next posting. If I have any info I can pass onto the ladies I will post also. Enjoying our travels, S/V Mutual Fun R and J