Keeping in Touch

We finally put out boat back

on the lake last Sunday, 

after more than a year

of it being parked here at home.  

We used the money not spent

on marina fees for the cruise 

we took last summer.

Letting the boat sit  covered

for the year (and four months)

 wasn't exactly good for it.

The impeller inside the motor dried out

and warped in the heat.

We had to take the boat to the dealer

for that repair.

Observing the no wake zone.

All of the vinyl mildewed.

It took two rounds of scrubbing

to get the vinyl clean.

You can't clean it with bleach

 as that would damage the thread seams.

We washed blankets, beach towels,

bathing suits, and everything else

stored inside.

Yahoo!

We launched the boat and

took it out for awhile before

the sun set.

We'd forgotten a little bit,

just how much we loved being out there.

The lake level is at 72 feet below the crest.

We were able to get the same 

marina slip that we had before.

Looking up at the underside

of the train tracks and Interstate 5

as it crosses over Lake Shasta.

The swallows are back 

building their mud nests just under

the eves.  

They show up every year.

Thankfully, it's illegal to disturb 

the nests once they're built.

They usually build on the dock that's 

closest to the shore.

The lupine are blooming on the lake bed.

This photo was from Monday night.

  I made a picnic dinner of baked chicken,

salad, and french bread to take out with us.

The wind had picked up,

the water was getting white caps,

and it was chilly out there.

Oh well,  it's over 85 degrees today,

and will be 90 degrees tomorrow.

Summer's on it's way.

Finally,

yep finally,

I recovered the couch cushions.

I've had the fabric for quite awhile.

  I purchased it

at JoAnn's Fabric store when they

were moving to a new and better location

and that was two years ago...

That project took me four days,

and it was just as tough a job as I 

thought (dreaded) it was going to be.

My fingers were poked with needles

too many times to count.

The fabric is thick and I think

it's micro swede.

It was really tough to pin the fabric.

I bent many of pins as I was trying

to use them.

It was even tougher to hand sew

  the final seams after inserting the cushions.

My hands were aching by the time

I finished.

Boy am I glad that project is over.