Travels of Mark and Pat: July 2021

Saturday - July 31

Sunny start to the day; however, we are trapped with all the debris floating across the width of the Ashtabula, OH. Who would've thought??? Mark was up early and walked to the bridge. He and several fishermen (moaning, groaning and frustrated) were checking out conditions but for now....not going anywhere!!! Mark went to Harbor Perk and brought back a latte for me! He is the BEST!!!!!!!

So, on this nice Saturday morning with clear blue skies and calm conditions on the lake, we sit here and wait till there's a clearing OR just hang it up and stay over till Monday (rain in forecast all day tomorrow).

We left the dock before 9 to check out the situation seeing many fishermen tied up or also checking it out and then returning. Sure felt for these guys who have charter boats and reservations to take guys out for the day. Even though the 9:00 bridge lifted, we were not going anywhere, so tied up at the yacht club and did a pump out. Waited some more and then 4 guys on a pontoon came along with boat hooks and went thru making a path and clearing the way. We then followed a small fishing boat and although there was plenty of debris, it wasn't totally solid and my Captain just plowed on thru with me on the bow with the boat hook. It didn't take long till we were past all the crud and then a little further, we were at the mouth of the river and onto the lake! ALLELUIA!!!! A first for us and hope to never see that again. It was a chilly ride and we were wearing our fleece jacket and heavier coat.

53 miles later we were off the lake, past Presique Isle State Park and getting fuel at the Erie Yacht Club. Tied up along the wall at Wolverine Marina where we were 6 weeks ago and where we first met Beeb and Frank on "Phoenix". We've both covered alot of miles since and in the past few days, Beeb and Frank met up with our friends, Paul and Kathy on "Katapault" on Drummond Island.

It was around 2ish when we arrived, checked in at the office and then time for lunch so walked to The Cove where we ate last visit - such a pretty day to dine outdoors and of course, "off" the water, very pleasant. Last time we were here they had a sign apologizing for any delays as they were short handed and please be patient. Today the sign said "Due to delivery issues, we are out of fried pickles, giant twists (pretzels), Coors and Coors Lite. Mark had a burger (- pickles) and I had a lobster salad sandwich on a croissant - both very good and had leftovers.

We walked 20 minutes to St. Patrick's for 5:00 Mass (we were at this beautiful church 6 weeks ago tonight) with Monsignor Henry Kriegel. Just a 35-minute Mass but good homily and the same guy who sang the Our Father (night before Father's Day) was also the cantor tonight and ended Mass with the Irish Blessing!!! Wow! That was sung at Patrick's funeral - always gets to me!

Jesus in the beautiful gardens next to the church

Back to Catrina - such a pretty evening and this transient marina is almost full tonight with just 3 empty slips. There were 3 main reasons we wanted to return to Erie (as far east as we plan to go) on the weekend. It's close to church, has a nice laundry here at marina and we are just across from Presque Isle State Park which we did not visit by boat last time but want to do some hiking/biking. We shall see what the weather brings in the next few days. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.

Very eerie sky tonight in Erie

Bye bye July!!!

Friday - July 30

Much cooler today and the same coming (low 70's) for the next several days. A mix of clouds and sun all day. We walked to Harbor Perk (love this place). Enjoyed our coffees and biscotti which is delicious (several flavors) and made in Jefferson, Ohio (straight south of here). Read, nibbled and sipped as customers kept coming and going - very popular place and once again, these small towns just have thee friendliest people!

Back to Catrina to do some light housekeeping, open the windows and let the fresh air in. And then back to reading. I've read sooo many good books this summer. Love, Love Love to read!!!

After lunch we decided on a long walk but in a different direction. Ashtabula sits on a high hill and after getting some ice cream (chocolate for Mark; sea salt toffee crunch for me - Mark says we need to support the local businesses - I agree), we started up a steep hill which overlooks the lake. Winds are at 15 mph, so some whitecaps out there and despite the cooler temps, there were these hardy souls on Walnut Beach.

Walnut Beach

We came across the Hubbard House (also known in the day as "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard") and where Mr. Hubbard hid fugitives in his basement and hayloft. The African Americans managed to all escape successfully to Canada. It is now a museum but sign in window, says

"closed until further notice". Probably another victim of the Pandemic?

Further down the street was the Ashtabula Maritime and Surface Transportation Museum which Mark wanted to check out. He enjoyed the museum. I came on back to the boat and along the way, saw this debris nearly covering the width of the river.............arghhh!

So much crud!

Earlier we had walked across the bridge to an industrial area, then residential. We heard the other night about the "Bum Boat" which is across the river from Catrina. This part pontoon, part working boat is the last of its kind on the Great Lakes which used to take supplies and provisions to the freighters and other ships in port. It's now a bar that seems to be pretty popular.

Bum Boat Bar

We have enjoyed our 3 days in Ashtabula - we'll miss the Harbor Perk Coffee Shop, beautiful flowers and friendliness of the locals especially at the Ashtabula Yacht Club (AYC).

Someone sure has a green thumb!

Welcome

Nice spot for Catrina and us

We had a 6:15 reservation at Rennick's Meat Market. This place got rave reviews and is in another neat old building (tin ceilings) downtown where T. J. Rennick had his meat market in the late 1800's to the early 1900's. The owner has tried to keep much of the ambiance including iron hooks that would've held the pork/beef. We both ordered pasta dishes and they were excellent topped off by sharing a fruity creme brulee. Wonderful restaurant and food!

Mark got this memory today on his phone (via Shutterfly) from 12 years ago in Fairbanks, Alaska

-40 degrees inside!

The milk-chocolate colored river and all the debris continue on. Sure hope we get out of here tomorrow without too much stuff in our path? Heading to Erie, PA.

The temperature tonight feels more like September/October instead of late July? We decided not to walk down and check the bridge colors.....but could see a little bit of it from Catrina.

purple/blue/green

Have a happy weekend!

Thursday - July 29

Very dreary and overcast when we got up - had just a little bit of rain although the forecast was for 90% all day. Things certainly change up here and 2 separate systems seemed to go around us (1 to the north and 1 stayed south)! We had breakfast and later walked downtown taking the umbrella with us. It was all calm.....before the storm

The Bascule bridge

Going up for boats to pass under

Mark is walking along the Ashtabula walkway and seeing big conveyor belt which we came under yesterday

We got back before the sprinkles started and then a little heavier but around 11:30......holy moly, strong winds and very heavy rain with thunder and lightning. Crazy,,,,,

Mark read that the waves on the lake were anywhere from 4.9-7.5' this afternoon. Yikes!

We had lunch and then a quiet afternoon after all the rain. Soooo much debris floating in the river as far as the eye can see....nasty stuff and sure wouldn't want to be going anywhere. We had over 3" and a reported wind gust of 62 mph. Here's what the river looked like.

Nasty stuff floating along at a good clip

Some little tyke lost their inner tube

Late afternoon we walked downtown. The sun came out and whoaaa..really hot 'n sticky. Got some iced coffees at Harbor Perk and here's another "sign of the times" outside their 2 bathrooms.

We decided to order some BBQ pork nachos to go from Briquettes Smokehouse. I planned to make a salad when we got back to Catrina and that would be supper. So, after our very sticky walk back, we came inside, opened our "nachos" only to find it full of St. Louis style ribs? Nooooo! We were really looking forward to the nachos - ribs were ok but someone sure goofed!

Short walk this evening and visited with Glenn (Commordore) and his wife from Pittsburgh (2 hours away). We were talking about the bridge and found out it is lit up at night? Each night changes colors, so we walked down around 8:45 to check it out.

But more yucky stuff still floating tonight

And then tah dah...

Tonight's featured colors are blue and lavender.

A young lady from the Coast Guard (stationed across the street) told us the bridge is

red, white and blue on holidays and sometimes the color of the rainbow.

We'll plan to check it tomorrow night, too.

Lots of rain in Bloomington, too, so Connor's golf tournament was cancelled. After yesterday, he was in 4th place out of 11. Way to go!!!

Wednesday - July 28

Up and going early leaving the dock at 6:05 AM.....34.5 miles to Ashtabula and going into the wind, made for a chilly ride. Very light winds, though and arrived at the yacht club at 8:35 after an 8:30 bridge opening . This is quite an old yacht club (at least the facilities) but happy to have a spot for the next 3 nights. We had the help of Sherry (she called herself the "maintenance" gal who was out pulling weeds) take our lines as we backed into an end slip we were good to go.

We walked downtown - short jaunt but along the way, it started to rain! Arghhhh - no umbrella as hadn't expected this. We ducked under some trees and waited out 2 separate showers and then on our way to "Harbor Perk" - cute coffee shop with great music, brick walls, wood floors, etc. Enjoyed our coffees and pastries but Mark was hoping for something a bit heartier (breakfast sandwich, etc.) Sat and enjoyed our goodies and used our I-pad and tablet. We walked around downtown (mainly 1 block on Bridge Street) - some cute shops and a few restaurants.

Back to Catrina, Mark checked in with the Commordore (another friendly face) the sun came out and a nice day. After lunch we walked back to town - Mark got some ice cream and I hit some shops. Nice job of restoring these old buildings.

The dockmaster, Niles who was so nice and friendly yesterday when we made our reservation drove past as we were walking and stopped to chat. He had been out fishing but not much luck today. The limit is 6 fish per person and this is all walleye. In fact, he said there's not much perch at all and the supply has really dwindled in the last 10 years while the walleye population has exploded.

Read and took naps this afternoon - this is the life!!! Plenty of boat traffic (sailors and fishermen) cruising by,

Twice since we've been on this trip we've seen charter boats go out full of Amish men/boys wearing their blue shirts, suspenders and straw hats. And today Mark saw 2 Amish men and 1 woman out in their own boat? Not a common sight.

Ashtabula is derived from "Ashtepihele" which means "always enough fish to be shared" in the Lenape language. We noticed bumper stickers, baseball caps, etc. that just say "bula" and "1803" when this town was founded. We are in the rust belt and the population has been going down due to closing of many industries. It is currently around 18,000.

As we came into the Ashtabula River this morning, we passed piles of gravel and coal + a big freighter.

Mountains of black coal

Huge freighter

Piles of gravel

Sweet little coffee shop

and luscious flowers everywhere!

Tonight we walked downtown to the Bascule Bridge Grille (named after the bascule bridge in town that has to lift on the 1/2 hour and hour for boats to pass thru.) We had a wonderful meal (pork chop for Mark and walleye for me). Excellent place and ambiance! Walked another 6/10 of a mile to find the post office and mail some cards. Strange that we never saw a blue mail box anywhere till we got to the post office. Oh well....we needed the exercise!

Our family is on the move doing this and that these busy summer days. Ryan is in Germany, Drew in FL, Connor playing in a 2-day golf tournament in Peoria, Liam in a baseball tournament in Indianapolis this weekend, Brady is in a golf tournament (he shot a 76 a few days ago) in NC.

Tuesday - July 27

Nice start to the day with a cup of coffee (prepared by Mark - no lattes near here)! We enjoyed the lights from the little sheds last night. Even though folks aren't here they keep the colorful lights on (or use a timer) around their rooflines, inside, etc. Nice display...

We were in no big hurry to leave as a very short day of just 6 miles to Mentor Harbor (not to be confused with the town of Mentor with a population of 47,000+ about 5 miles south of here). Mentor Harbor has around 7,000 folks. Mark has been doing more logistics for the next few days checking weather, winds, etc. We need to be somewhere by Wednesday night to hunker down as Thursday, rain is predicted and strong winds for Friday. Saturday looks good but more rain on Sunday, so.........we left Eastlake and the Chagrin River at 10:15. Enjoyed our short stay here and would definitely come back. An uneventful trip to just outside Mentor when we saw several small sailboats (yachting club student sailors). We dodged them and on into the Mentor Yachting Club but wow....the wind had really picked up and once inside, even younger kiddos learning to sail in their little boats and we're trying to keep out of each others way. We were told to tie up at the gas dock for our slip assignment. Thankfully, the dockhand (Sean) was there to take our lines - winds were crazy....how did that happen? Certainly not predicted. Lake Erie conditions can change so quickly!

Catrina is 17' wide and sometimes a challenge to find a spot wide enough for us. The young man told us which slip and that it was 17 1/2'..............WRONG! Sooooo grateful to a couple from Cleveland who came to help us and after 4 (FOUR) different spots, we finally are on an outside dock (short) but does the trick as we were NOT going back on the lake!

Young sailors (teens) having a lesson

Younger sailors (7-10ish)

So thankful to be settled in by noon, have lunch and stayed indoors as it feels like 94 out there with the strong winds continuing (gusts to 19 mph).

If you are not a yacht club member (we are not) you usually are not allowed to stay at one. However, Jim Hayward who we met yesterday in Eastlake told us Mentor Harbor will take in transietnts or non-yacht club members. Otherwise all yacht clubs have this reciprocal agreement that you can stay at any yacht club IF a member. So we were happy to hear we could stay here, made a reservation for one night but what a challenge with the winds and not-Catrina-width friendly.

The 2nd spot we tied up to was actually the ferry dock which takes us across the river to the facilities. That wasn't going to work, so onto onto #3 and then finally #4.

Around 2ish we saw the little "scooter" boat (never heard this term) was leaving the dock so we called out for Sean who helped us tie up at the gas dock this morning to come pick us up. He gave us a ride to the yaching club - restaurant, sailor camp, pool, etc. We walked around but there's no way out - need a key to get thru the gate by car. So, Mark decided we needed some ice cream treats at the gas dock, and then back to Catrina.

Here comes the scooter (ferry)

Sean

Pretty flowers around the yacht club

Mentor Harbor Yachting Club

Found out at 3:30 that we have a slip for the next 3 nights in Ashtabula - yeah! We shall enjoy this charming port (or so we've heard)!

We've been thinking of and praying for our dear friend, Charlotte from Annapolis who is having very serious back surgery today at Johns Hopkins. She has one of the top spine specialists in the country but a very invasive, complicated, scary surgery which started at 7:30 AM and ended at 6:30 PM. My oh my....Charlotte will be in PACU (post anesthetic care unit) for 24-48 hours, then hospital stay for 1 week and months of therapy, But so thankful the surgery is over!!!

We took the scooter to the yacht club for "Taco Tuesday" which was a nice selection of several kinds of meat/fish and all the fixins for delicious tacos and other sides. After the crazy winds and hot temps earlier, tonight was very pleasant sitting on the patio - wind died way down and cooled off.

Just before we left Superior Marine in Port Clinton, the new pedestals (for electrical at each slip) had finally arrived. Now to wait on the electrician to come and install. So, our "home" port for 2021 is all brand new with great docks and future amenities coming (pool, hot tub, tiki bar), etc. but something very unique and neat is that each slip (27) has a name (red sign on post in front of boat) that bears the name of some port on the Great Lakes. We've been in "Toledo" but once the pedestals are installed, we'll move to #20 (LeCheneaux Islands). And what's really neat is that we've been to every one of these except for Munising and Isle Royale both on Lake Superior (still a goal for Mark). Picture coming later. Mark thinks these partcular ports (Lake Ontario excluded) have been visited by one of the owners, Dr. Dennis.

1. Gore Bay, 2. Little Current, 3. Killarney, 4. Tobermory, 5. Bayfield, 6. Windsor, 7. Buffalo, 8. Cleveland, 9. Sandusky, 10. Put-In-Bay, 11. Toledo, 12 (no sign yet?), 13. Port Huron, 14. Lexington, 15. Port Austion, 16. Harrisville, 17. Alpena, 18. Presque Isle, 19. Mackinac Island, 20. LeCheneaux Islands, 21. Charlevoix, 22. Bay Harbor, 23. Harbor Springs, 24. Drummond Island, 25.Saulte Ste Marie, 26. Munising, 27. Isle Royale.

Monday - July 26

Ahhh, today was my kind of cruising - sunny calm seas on a beautiful morning as we left Lorain at 8:20. We went 43 miles but were not sure if we could stay on the Chagrin River in Eastlake, Ohio. Mark tried calling Saturday, but they are only open weekdays. So, we came in today (our draft is 3' and we are at 4' here along the wall from Chagrin Marine.). The lady on the phone had no clue what a catamaran was? At any rate, it all worked out and this is a quiet spot with lots of trees but many boats (weekend boating). Something unique we had not seen before are all the little gazebos or sheds that the owners have which are a social gathering with fridge (sometimes a full outdoor kitchen). They have vinyl shades to stay warm or out of the rain; otherwise are rolled up. Ohioans are definitely into fishing big time and partying.

After checking into the office, we walked a short jaunt to the Chagrin Tavern (#1 in Eastlake). Beautiful sitting outside and shared a wedge salad and perch sandwich - yummy!!!

Back to Catrina where Mark worked on the dinghy (one fun thing the grandkids always enjoy, but not for Luke and Blair as "Tigger" is having some engine issues.) Parts were ordered several weeks ago and still not in? Arghhhh. Mark was hoping to see what he could do for a short-term fix as this Chagrin River would be fun to explore on a lazy Monday afternoon with minimal boat traffic.

Around 5ish we went for a walk around the Chagrin River which makes a big circle. Some bigger boats but no sailboats as they would not make it with the 4' draft. Had a nice chat with Jim Hayward, a local who was enjoying a nice breeze in his "gazebo", "shed" or whatever they call their little getaway.

Ohio has lots of yacht clubs versus marinas like we're used to......interesting. After tonight Mark has another port to cross off his list! He's on a roll.....

Did facetime with Anne and her "boys" - Liam, Connor, Gibson and Frankie. They are busy busy with baseball and golf + the boys are now mowing 8 lawns.

Sunday - July 25

Mark was up early (as always) while I slept in this rainy gloomy morning. We heard the rain overnight which makes for good sleeping on Catrina.

Mark has the logistics somewhat planned for where we'll stop, visit and spend the night(s) for the next 7 ports heading east. There are more marinas along the way, but so small, they can only handle 28' boats, so we'll pass those by.

We left arouond 8:30 for the Monkey Island Coffee House which is in an old Shipyard Building. It was 6/10 of a mile away and already humid when we started out. Walked past very nice condos, town homes, etc. and boats in the Shipyard Marina on the Black River. What a lovingly restored building. It now houses an event center, wine/cocktails, brewery, restaurant and the coffee house. Enjoyed our coffees and pastries at Monkey Island.

The Shipyards

And then we were off for another mile to St. Anthony of Padua for 10:00 Mass with Father Edward Smith. The AC felt so good after our "warm" walk. This church is in an older residential secion of Lorain and backs up to Lake Erie. The congregation consisted of almost all seniors and no children (except for one girl altar server). Unnfortunately, it was not that well attended. We've noticed that while some churches are pretty full these Sundays since the pandemic, other folks are still not returning?

St. Anthoiny of Padua

Walked back to the marina in the warm sunshine and as we were coming down our dock, several fishermen were standing around admiring their "very successful" catch of the day. A charter boat had taken these guys out and wow............check out all the walleye!

Yum....some very good eating coming up! This is just a portion of them as captain was still taking them from cooler and hanging them up.

A quiet, cool afternoon on Catrina reading and doing computer stuff. Around 4ish we walked to The Shipyards (actually the name of the entire complex) and had an early dinner in The Boiler Room. Mark had the salmon, rice and asparagus and I had the seafood flatbread - all very good. Love the neat atmosphere and all of this is just 1 year old.

7 siblings were on zoom tonight -good visiting as always! We missed Joan, Theresa, Nancy, Jim and Tom Henkel

Wishing you a cooler, healthy, safe week ahead!

Saturday - July 24

Very overcast and although rain had been in the forecast, it all went north. We had breakfast and then left Superior Marine to make the 9:30 bridge opening. We cruised 44 miles with some lumpy waves but nothing too bad. Arrived in Lorain, OH at 12:13 and thankful to have 2 strong young men help us with the lines as the wind kept veering Catrina away from the dock. We are at Lakeside Landing (another Oasis marina and we plan to stay here 2 nights.).

Entrance to the marina

We were hungry and warm as we left for the office to check in. They told us about a good place to eat "The Shipyards" but also to check out Summer Market happening this weekend on the banks of the Black River in downtown Lorain. There is also The Erie Steak and Seafood Co here at the marina, but we were told the food was just so-so.

So, we decided to check out the Summer Market and lots of people and tents set up for a big-time festival in the good ole summertime. Lots of vendors selling their wares, 4 food trucks, several beverage tents and all having a good time. While Mark got a nice cold beer, I stood in a short line for a lemon shake-up. Then we walked around checking out the crafts and other businesses selling their special items. Cafe Melissa was one of the food trucks and we ordered 1 chicken and 1 fish taco along with an order of crispy brussel sprouts with a sweet chili sauce - everything was delicious!

Entrance to downtown Lorain

2021 Summer Market

We came back to Catrina and enjoyed the AC and naps. I went for a walk late afternoon - crazy windy out there and very glad we're settled in.

Met our neighbors, Ed and Jen from Lorain and had a nice visit. This is a very large marina but mostly smaller boats - big-time fishing here.

Friday - July 23

Cloudy and overcast with threat of rain. We were up and leaving Flo at 7:35 with the car loaded with laundry. 1st stop was Biggby Coffee (little outdoor walk or drive-up shop). Mark helped get all the laundry inside (with help of our trusty little blue wagon) and then he was off to get a haircut and pick up a few things at Rite-Aid. After we got the clean clothes loaded up we stopped at Cheesehaven a big shop we've driven past numerous times but never checked out! What a gem with sooooo many cheese selections, meats, candies, wine and much more.

What a great selection of cheeses

Then to Bassett's grocery. A first for me and after seeing all their wonderful produce, meat selections (Boar's Head) and even Racine kringle, this was a winner all the way! $234 later, we walked out the door. Catrina is well stocked!

Nothing like kringle from Racine

Brooke had almond from Trader Joe's (O & H Bakery in Racine) so we enjoyed that and did not buy any today.

Despite a very wet looking radar, we only got a few sprinkles but thankful we got everything emptied from car and put away. Dave (dockmaster) suggested we put my car in the building near Flo while we're gone. Just one more nice thing Dave and the owners here at Superior Marine have given us.

Around 4 we left the boat and decided on a walk downtown. It was very sultry out....decided to stop at the Gristmill (across the street from the Jet Express ferry). We've been past here many times and crowded especially at night - a bar that is open-air with upper deck and main floor. Had some refreshing adult beverages and so nice and pleasant sitting on the main level. Berardi's food truck (famous for their fries since 1942) is in the parking lot, so they provide the food and Gristmill the drinks - great combo. Definitely a return place and next time, we'll try Berardi's.

Supper tonight was ribs from Bassetts that were all prepared and ready to eat after heating! Delish along with their peaches and strawberries and some bacon/cheddar cheese spread from Cheesehaven.

Tomorrow we are back on the water cruising to ports that Mark has not been to (nor me) and some return favorites.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday - July 22

A really nice day in Port Clinton with mid 70's for a high and plenty of sunshine. We had omelets and toast for breakfast and then set to work - lots of projects and organizing the next 2 days inhopes we can leave Saturday for a little mid-summer getaway cruising on Catrina. First up, was unload the car, unpack and return things to Flo and get Catrina all back in order. Also need to do laundry (sheets and towels from our lilttle guests), grocery shop, and a good scrubbing of Catrina.

Forgot to mention yesterday that we took a little side trip north of Charleston (after lunch) to the Rippling Waters Church of God Campground near Kenna, WV. We'll be at this pretty spot in mid October for 2 nights with our friends Bill and Nancy from TN and Bill from PA. With all the trees, trees and more trees, it should be beautiful with fall color. I've always thought WV was gorgeous!

So much rain in NY that the Erie Canal has pretty much been shut down but the latest updatethis morning said it is starting to open up - sure feel for those stranded boaters! Dave (dockmaster) told Mark that while we were gone, some parts of Port Clinton had over 3".

Mark worked on a bathroom project and I went for a walk - so need the exercise and he needed peace and quiet and some space to do his thing. Downtown Port Clinton has some nice restaurants, bars, shops, and businesses, but several buildings are empty, too, like so many small towns. The really sad thing is the absolute disgusting mess the seagulls make with feathers and poopie doo everywhere. And then there's the mayflies which totally cover the buildings, windows, etc. UGH!!! One of the shop keepers was telling her friend who was visiting downtown that there's a big revitalization project in the works to bring back Port Clinton and open new businesses, etc. I wonder how they'll deal with the "other issue" ???

Hard to believe that Catrina is 17 years old - she was 9 when we bought her. So as in all things, parts wear out and need replacement and that's what Mark tackled today with the potty. So thankful he's handy and can do these projects himself - not always fun or easy to get at. When I returned from my walk, I was his assistant handing him tools, etc. as this procedure was underway and then finished with success!

When I was downtown this morning I saw a big sign for "Bash on the Bay" - concert coming to Put-In-Bay airport with Blake Shelton on August 25 and Keith Urban on the 26th. Wow....2 big names coming to that happening place!!!

Next up was give Catrina a much needed scrubbing from all the bugs, dirt, grime, etc......

We went to Docks Beach House - such a fun place on the water and enjoyed drinks and appetizers.

A successful 1st day back and planning to finish rest of the chores (laundry and groceries) tomorrow

Wednesday - July 21

Hello from Catrina..............so good to be back "home" after a long day of travel (11+ hours with some stops including lunch at Wendy's in Charleston, WV and an afternoon pick-me-upper at Starbucks in New Philadelphia, Ohio). Friends, Mark and Brenda from Cypress Trail live here and would've been fun to check in, but we were on a mission to get back to Catrina. Mark owns a salon/spa in town but semi-retired now.

We left Michael and Brooke's at 8:10 after hugs and good byes and looking forward to being together again in October in Iowa City. We shared the driving on this mostly cloudy day. The sun came out around 4 and very pleasant mid 70 temps.

Along the way, we decided to stop at Jolly Rogers here in Port Clinton for supper before heading to Catrina. This place is always packed and tonight they were lined up out the door. You order from a counter watching the young man make the breading for their onion rings, mushrooms, hush puppies, perch and walleye. What a happening place and the food was all delicious! Brought home some leftovers for tomorrow but will definitely return to this place!!!

"The Breading Maker"

Just the right amount - not too thick or crusty!

The water level is high (must've had a bunch of rain while we were gone), so quite a big step to get on the boat and Mark had to adjust some VERY tight lines.

We just unpacked a few things from the car - there's always tomorrow. While Mark was off the boat, he noticed a looper flag on a boat we hadn't seen before. He had a good visit with Kate and Tim from Washington, DC on "Sweet Day". They had lots of questions on doing the Loop.

After 9 days with Luke and Blair, 6 days in NC and partying for 4 straight days with the birthday people, we are tired but happy boaters tonight. Sure will cherish our memories...

Tuesday - July 20

MAEVE IS "5"

Happy Birthday sweet girl

July 20, 2016 we were blessed with the birth of our 2nd granddaughter and 8th grandchild, "Maeve Kathryn" born at 5:12 PM. At age 5, she is a sweet, precocious little darling who loves her baby dolls, play dress up in princess gowns, tiara, etc., tea parties, hair and nail salon pampering, hot pink and dark purple, etc. She's growing up much too fast and will be starting kindergarten soon!

Cloudy and cooler day. BUT.....success with the lab work I needed done at LabCorp in Connelly Springs. 3rd time was the charm! We got there early and I was walking out the door 10 minutes before my scheduled appointment.

We drove thru the country and stopped in Cajah's Mountain at the Coffeehouse Diner for breakfast and had James, a nice young man who was in training (probably 16ish) as our waiter. He did a good job. Had some good comfort food and on our way. Stopped at Ingles for a few things and on home.

Blair opened her presents from yesterday's camp birthday party and I recorded the gifts so she can write her thank you notes.

Mark and I sat on the porch this afternoon - we both read and took a little snooze. Brooke did laundry, Blair had fun playing with all her new gifts, Brady was golfing and Michael, Davis and Drew working. Later in the afternoon, Mark and Michael were off to run an errand.

We all went to Philip and Annette's at 6 (missing Ryan, Anne, Liam and Connor) to celebrate with Maeve. Annette had a delicious lasagna dinner with salad and garlic toast followed by confetti cake.

Earlier, the guys and Brooke played some badminton.