Day 20 Saturday 26th The day of rain and nowhere to go

After looking at the weather forecast we decide it would be better to proceed through more locks and make some  headway even though it was raining. It made sense at the time and we'd get to a really great little town to dry off, warm up, and maybe treat ourselves to a small dinner out.

Although there were plenty of trees and foliage along the banks, there was very little wildlife spotted today. By noon we'd been through locks 30 and 29 for an additional drop of 32' (132' to date). As we continue in the light rain and through the forest, the smell of the deep woods settles around and inside the boat and reminds me  of "Up North" in Michigan.

Wild Goose II continued along leaving small rolling waves behind which gave the ducks a bit of a kiddie roller coaster ride and then gently laped on to the shore.

By 12:45 we are at the first destination to stay for the night  but decided to keep going as there wasn't anything safe looking about it. A couple hours later as we approached Lyon and we began to tie up when we realized the power was shut down due to a mishap when utilities were being dug. We untied and continued on as Ron was not happy with some of the teens hanging out by the bridges with spray paint cans and such. However, we did pass some artist painting on the canvas of old bridges. I sometimes see artistry in those graffiti artist and hope they get the opportunity to use their talent some day.

We pass many abandoned and/or rundown cottages and fishing cabins. We are deep in the woods and can smell campfires, outdoor stoves and smokers. Not sure if it's food or white lightning being cooked up.

By 3:30 we have made it to Clyde. Nothing there to speak of and town is a mile away with no apparent way to get there. We settled onto a dock near a small park with bunches of balloons and automobiles. We realize that it's a tent sale for a local dealership. He has rented the park and had been busy earlier in the day with potential clients.

I spotted a van with two employees on their laptops. They shared their access with us for one hour and we hurriedly checked our mail and the forecast for the day ahead.

Skipper Bob's Book had warned us of the trains that passed through close by and found he was not exaggerating his story. There were long, fast passenger trains and longer double decker cargo trains going in both directions for most of our evening and then in the morning.

We ended our day watching a couple of boys enjoying summer fishing off the concrete bridge support.

We whipped together some Ragu (in between Ron's sets of drumming practice) with whatever was left over in the refer in the way of veggies and meat split a bottle of red and then easily fell off to sleep.

Day 19 Friday 6-25 Relaxing Trip to Fairport

As we are preparing  the boat to leave two men ask if we are going under the lift bridge.  We tell them yes and they run down about a city block underneath the bridge and as close to the waters edge as they dare. I am happy that we can somehow be a part of an experience they have never had.

I reflect on how lucky we are as I spot a man looking out his lower level office with it's 10 X 10 square shape, standard fluorescent lighting, and all white walls. It reminds me of a young man that we ran into before we left on this adventure. We were at TBM splashing the boat and during a brief chat with one of the workers, we learn that he carries a brochure of the Trent-Severn Waterway in his pocket and has promised himself a trip there as soon as he has the means and a boat to do it.

 I am intrigued by someone so young, without a boat, planning our very same trip. He shows us the brochure and I get a peek at what's to come for me and I hope for him too. As we move under the bridge,  I think to myself, I hope he, the guy in the office, and the two guys waving from the shore are able to make their dreams happen rather than just dreaming about them.

After talking to my sister on Skype, I start to think of things I miss at home. Of course the family and friends come up first and shortly after, it's ......a solid  flushing toilet, consistent warm water pressure in the shower, and high speed Internet. These thoughts shall too pass.

S-SW of Rochester NY  at The Genessee River Crossing we are coming up to lock 33 which will take us gently down another 25' for a total of 75' to date. Within the half hour it will be 100' to date.

The shoreline turns more residential as we near Fairport. I look forward to the small town that lies ahead. The pictures I have seen show it as a family friendly small town welcoming us transient boaters.

After our arrival in Fairport I meet our boat neighbors and The Dock Master.   I  feed the carp just like I did as a kid at Cedar Point in Sandusky OH. I share some crackers with a young boy and his Mom.  We all have fun feeding feeding these big fat ugly fish and watch them fight with the ducks for people food.

We have "Ronnie Burgers" for dinner,( kind of a mini meatloaf in the shape of a burger), along with  salad and some sweet corn that is not ready for human consumption. Oh well, that will come soon enough. Nothing like Midwest sweetcorn. mmmmm

Early night for Patti  after walking to the ice cream Lickety Splitz,  while Ron went visiting with the neighbors.

Day 18 Another Day in The College Town of Brockport

Weather, with winds that even brought waves into the canal and the beauty of this town of Brockport has led The captain to stay another day. And guess what? He asked if I wanted to go out to dinner ... amazing how that works.

We spend time doing boat chores. On days like this, chores are on the list of fun things to do. I take the bike and go into town looking for some cables to allow our TV screen connect to the Internet. We have discovered that we can watch shows from  the networks when there is no digital cable service nearby.

Along the way I find a tea  shop and buy my favorite organic Chie tea which Ron and I ran out of earlier in the trip when it  was colder. I find a gift fore someone....cannot say who until I get home. I stop in at The Bike Shop and pick up a front fender guard so my legs and crotch don't get wet and dirty when riding after the rain. I see on the display wall a basket just like mine. Many people have been looking for one for their own bike, so, I get their card so that I can order online if anyone still wants one. I love using mine and it's especially fun when I put my bear or dog in the basket and ride around as though I was in The Wizard of Oz.

The volunteers at The Office are the best. Linda visits with Ron for some time, and Jack brings us a walking tour guide that he made up himself. Our first "dockmaster" is a fireman and I forget to ask him about  the accuracy of a story from the last town.

It seems that back in the day, Medina was home to many fire departments. They competed for customers and sold stickers of sorts that were to be placed on your residence. If you had a fire, you had to call the department that you supported. If you did not support a particular department, no one would respond to your fire.

Dinner time, and YES, we are going out. Ron doing the dishes last night worked! We walk down the canal a quarter mile to the bridge and are seated on the main level of the Stoneyard Bar and Grill right at the lift bridge. We have been looking at the menu all day since I picked up a "to go" menu earlier. I have changed my mind at least a half dozen times. By the time Amy is ready for our order, we have both decided on the chef's recommendation of Seafood Fa Diavio.

Shrimp, scallops and clams with marinara sauce over linguini. mmmmmmmmmmmm

Just for Laura... Lesson of the day: Make him think it's his idea.

Day 17 WED 23rd Medina-Brockport

Captain Happy is up and at 'em early this morning and I wonder what's up. I soon find out he's checked his email and 3 months worth of stuff had been un-jammed and he has finally heard from his friends at WCC. He is especially happy to be in contact with Valerie.


We listen and look very hard, but cannot see the 100' falls on the other side of the canal as we let off the lines and begin today's journey.,

It is strawberry festival time in this area and I am on the look out for the orchards that provide such wonderful sweet berries. They are not as pretty as the ones from the large grocery. The small berries hold a huge burst of flavor that cannot match. My mouth is watering as I anticipate visiting the farmers market at our next stop.

We pass through Albion which was home to George Pullman who invented railroad sleeping cars. It is thought that the idea came from the canal boats in the mid 1800's.

We are stopping early today to enjoy Brockport and get caught up on boat chores. We log in as the 45th boat this season to have stopped.

What a cool downtown. I feel as though we have tied up somehow to downtown Saline, MI combined with some of State St. in Ann Arbor, MI For those of you in Ohio...it's kind of a cross between old Waterville and  0ld Rossford

Best yet! Ron does the dishes today.... he's not thrilled. The dishes consisted of just some warm up chinese cartons and plates and bowls for some grilled pork and a salad. Let's see if things change tomorrow. Maybe I will get to eat out :)

I touched base today with John Galnville Sr who is taking care of our home for us in June. He seems to be just fine and we are told that everything at "home" is just fine too. We make arrangements with my sister to come by today and pick up mail. This is going to be kind of cool..well, for mail anyway. I mean , unless it's a big lottery check in the mail, how exciting is mail, really?

Sis hooks up with us on Skype and opens the mail in front of us. We can then decide what she really needs to send. As it turns out, after not quite 3 weeks, there are 3 pieces she will forward to us via general delivery at The Oswago Post Office.

Weekend Photo Extras

When Mom's away, the kid's will play!Duck and Geese get their own place to hang out.Art class on The Erie Canal.

Tied up in Brockport. Great place.Sandstone buildings the norm in this area.Captain Ron doing what he likes best.Tug boat ready to go to work,We pass through the town of Albion.Local artist rendering of the old canal days.Lot's of agriculture in this area.

Strawberries ready for harvesting.Wetlands for the local critters to hang out.Settled in for the evening.Visiting with a local in Brockport.

  

Day 16 Tuesday 22nd Back to Nature

We wake up to a light rain that has begun early this morning. The already warm sun gives the rain a "summer smell" with all of it's mugginess. I inhale deeply so that I may savor this first feeling of a real summer.

The canal ride today is calmer since we now have the routine down. I have extra time for photo's of the wildlife along the countryside, preserves, and the backyards of locals. Our path reminds me of a mixture of The St. Clair River in MI, The Black River in Port Huron , MI(back past the municipal park), and The Mighty Maumee River  (west of downtown Toledo, OH) and even areas of The Huron River on the western side of Washtenaw County, MI.

As we pass by the many geese, ducks, birds and the occasional deer, Ron mentions that THIS is what our boat was made for. And moments later as a funeral procession rolls along side of the canal, I knew he was right and am glad we chose to do this trip.

By 1PM we are already at locks 34 & 35 which run back to back. We become the tourist attraction as we enter the first lock and get our lines ready to gently be lowered 25' at a time for a total of 50'. It was rather neat watching everyone watch us. It's always nice to hear someone say "nice boat",

This drop has changed the scenery dramatically and we are now boating our way through luscious tree farms, rows of strawberries being harvested by migrant workers, flat lands, and rolling hills with golfers swinging away. We also see cornfields that are at the appropriate height of "knee high by the 4th of July".

Paths along both sides of the canal are starting to become more apparent and well kept with an occasional jogger or cyclist. We learn that on these same pieces of land, mules had once walked with lines attached to the barges of which they tugged. This early network of  transportation helped to established New York the "Empire State" and The Nation's premier commercial and financial center.

 For this to have taken place, the mules and barges were bumped out of service by the railroads. I mentioned earlier how low these bridges are and how much we have to pay attention to them as we moved along the canal. The reason for this is because back in the day of the canal barges and mules, the powerful railroad industry wanted to eliminate their competition. By building the bridges at a low height crisscrossing the canal, the barges had to reduce their loads of cargo and therefore their efficiency. The railroads eventually won out.

 Over the years The State of New York with A Heritage Commission worked very hard to combine efforts with locals, commercial enterprise, and the National Park Service to complete 524 continuous miles of paths to cycle, walk, fish, camp or rent one of their replicated canal boats to live aboard by the day or week for a great vacation. Bicycles are usually attached to the roofs as a means of exercise or land transportation.

We feel privileged to be be a part of this legacy which began in the 1400's with the Iroquois, continued in the early 1600's by those courageous explorers and blossomed in the 1800's by hard working people heading West.

Day 15 Mon 21st New Experiences

Left Buffalo this morning to start a new adventure together. I have watched Ron go through locks when he raced on Stripes with Bill Martin and crew, however, this will be a first for us together on our own boat

This morning I pick up on The Captain's tension and my stomach feels like the inside of a pan of Jiffy Pop over a blazing campfire..

The bridges come quickly and we begin a game of Duck-Duck-Goose on the third bridge #E247 Delaware fixed bridge. We both are hunched over not knowing exactly how much clearance. On approach, it sure looked like we would be colliding with it and I am having visions of The Goose in a sling for repairs.

By noon we had passed under numerous bridges and will get practice with our first of many locks. This is the "baby one" as it is only a 5' drop. We go through alone and with great ease thanks to tips from Marty, Lou, Barb and Dave back home. 

We had sat around the picnic table at North Cape Yacht  Club and took in all the advice we could from those wiser than us. Former Commodore Bob Pollock's words of advice also kicked in.

We are still close to The Niagara Falls as we see street signs on the expressway we are following alongside and The Captain sees the moisture forming clouds in the direction of The Falls..

Gateway Park will be our first stop and it could not happen soon enough for me. I walked to town a couple times to work off the nervousness that I no longer needed to feel. My butterflies lingered like a bad penny, so, Ron and I strolled a mile or so to the market and did some provisioning.

 By 6PM we were both ready to relax and we grilled outside and enjoyed the pleasant breezes.

Great Day, again.