May 31, 2007

Today we cruised slowly past some more very picturesque countryside on the canal and through the city of Utica and down to Sylvan Beach where we are tied up to the city dock and have no services so we got out our generator and it was just like having all the conveniences that everyone has. The town of Sylvan Beach lies on the edge of Lake Oneida in New York. From here it is twenty eight miles across the lake to the next lock. We ate supper and then in the park next to us they were having a car show that happens every Thursday evening in the summer. And who should come by the boat while we were waiting for the show to get organized but some people who were from West Texas where my wife is from. They were born and raised in the Stanton, Midland and Big Spring area and we had a great time talking about that and just many, many other things. The people we have met on this journey have been absolutely wonderful in most all cases. We have been traveling with two Great Harbor trawlers today and it was fun to see all of us in a train going down the waterway and we would meet in the locks, talk a bit and then it was off to the next lock. We woke up this morning to find an 82 foot Hatteras behind us for which Shorty would make a good tender. They were so quiet coming in that we did not even know they were there. The Great Harbors are tied up behind us tonight and I am sorry we did not get to talk to them but maybe tomorrow night we might be together again. We had a beautiful sunset this evening and tomorrow the weather is supposed to change somewhat and this lake has kind of a rough reputation so we will be up early and running across it. Twenty eight miles gives the winds a good run at us from the west to east so we are hoping the winds not be to bad. I will have to check the marine forecasts tonight to see what we are looking at. This is kind of short but with all the visiting we did tonight we have lots to do before the night is over and we get to sleep.