We are Outta' Here...

Friday morning at dawn we woke up in our comfy bed in our comfy condo and I wondered if we were REALLY ready for another departure. It would be so easy to stay. It is so much work to go. Gary calls it the "Easy Chair Syndrome." Some days that easy chair beckons so strongly to us that we are tempted to just plop down and stay there for the winter. But not yet!!! For the third year in a row, Bryan DiVeto tossed off our dock lines and bid us bon voyage. Rich McCleary and Captain Kirk were there to send us off. Got under the 5:30 bridge and away we went toward the Detroit River. We plan to do an over-nighter and meet up with Walt & Vicky and David Underwood, our good friends from Clinton Reef Club, cruising on their yacht "Takin Care of Business". They also departed today and plan to "buddy boat" with us all the way to Fort Myers. We will all follow the same route we took last season, on the river system south toward Mobile. Preparing for departure was as hectic as usual. Chas arrived this past Monday morning to accompany us as far as we can get before his leave is up on October 11. He and Gary worked frantically to complete all the boat chores that had to see closure before we left. Chas worked so hard that I now have a new nickname for him. SON SLAVE. We would not have gotten out of Port Clinton today without his help.

I spent the last couple of days concluding the summer chapter of our lives in Port Clinton and Put-in-Bay, and planning and provisioning for Season Three of Adventures of Tessa. D-day always comes upon us too fast, and from the looks of Tessa down below, I am NOT getting any better at an organized departure. No worries, there will be plenty of time to stow everything during the next 24 hours. Weather is expected to be calm. Even though we are motoring, it feels great to be out here with Jimmy Buffet playing and Lake Erie cooperating with Tessa beautifully. Lamb chops are marinating. The three of us are taking deep, relaxing breaths. The hard part is over, we are away from the dock and on our way. The new canvas enclosure and crystal clear strataglass is AMAZING. It is like we are looking out a big picture window with fantastic visability. (THANKS to Rick and Sue and Rick's Mobile Marine Canvas!) Much more to come........