Almost a day at the Beach

Gypsea and Field Trip are behind us in the canal.

We left Rome in a parade of four boats at 7:00 am today and went through two locks.  For the first time in the Erie, we went down in the locks.  We entered with full water, grabbed ropes on the side, and were lowered 25 feet.  About five miles after the second lock, George and I tied up to the free wall at Sylvan Beach, NY.  Our friends went across Lake Oneida to Brewerton.

Aunt Aggie is on the free wall at Sylvan Beach, NY.

We find it tricky and sometimes tiring to make plans.  We make them and change them daily.  Today was cloudy.  Rain was expected.  Should we go on to Brewerton or stop in Sylvan Beach, a town we had wanted to visit?  Is it fun to visit a beach town in the rain?  We like small towns more than the average bear, so we stopped.

It was not raining at 9:30 when we tied up. We walked to the laundromat on Main Street with three loads of dirty clothes.  I stayed and read a Maeve Binchy novel, and George went back to Aunt Aggie to do some engineering.  He returned at noon to help carry back.  Then we had lunch and did a new chore.

On the way to the laundromat we passed a tiny farmers market.

I bought a tomato, an onion and zucchini bread.

I sat outside the laundromat and watched the rain.  Just behind this park is the beach and the lake.

We have a leak coming from the fly bridge floor into our salon.  Uggh!  We have a lot of rainy days.  Uggh!  George had the idea of reinstalling the isinglass covering on the back of the flybridge to block the rain.  We only get the leak when the rain and wind comes from behind the boat.  There's nothing to block it.  This sounded odious to me, but we went up to do it after lunch.  Boats seem to be designed so that everything fits tightly.  We could zip the panels to the bimini but not to each other.  Why couldn't they give us another inch of fabric? We avoided harsh words and got the job mostly done. There is a space that we hope we can zip once the isinglass heats up - you know, once the sun comes out and shines on it.

In the hot summer of 2014 we drove from the fly bridge. We wanted more air, so we took down the back panels.  

In the cool and rainy summer of 2015 we drive from the lower station. Here's hoping this blocks some of the rain.

We took a nap, I read, and I talked to my friend Anne from Atlanta.  Then I woke George, and we took a walk around town.  The amusement park is across from the canal.  It is charming and tiny, just the right size for my grandchildren.  How I wish they were here to ride the carousel and play mini golf and drive the roadsters!

 See the ferris wheel?  More photos tomorrow.

We will have dinner and walk across the road to Crazy Clams to watch the USA Women's Soccer Semifinal.  The young woman I talked to there did not know it was going to be on at 7:00 pm.  But she took our names and promised us a table and a TV tuned to the game.  USA!