No Boats weekend

The club's annual "No Boat Regatta" is exactly that - NO BOATS. This year, in an attempt to provide equal access to all members, the party was held about as far away from the boats as possible. Indeed getting to the lake from the party site would mean getting on I70 and heading east for several miles. Cross a river, head east some more. Miles later cross the border into the city of St. Louis. Note the Arch, cross another river, find one's self in Illinois. One is also in East St. Louis, a city with some infamy in its history, (which is probably why I kind of like the place). Get on I64 to go many more miles, get on 50 (east of course) more miles still...well, you get the idea.

Instead we went across the street to spend a night with Daughter Youngest in her new apartment. This morning was pancakes with Grand Daughter Youngest offering a running commentary as to the history, tastiest recipe, proper cooking techniques, and most attractive presentation for the world's best pancakes. At least that's what I think she was saying. "Pancakes", "juice", and "Mmmmm" are about the only words from her not-quite-two-year-old vocabulary that we share.

I love the folks in our marina and it was a pretty good party. (Come to think of it all of our parties are good.) The only real hitch was a lack of dessert, the ordering of which somehow got lost in the dinner translation. A deficiency easily fixed when Deb joined a rescue party which popped over to the nearest store. They returned with gallons of ice cream with all fixings necessary for sundaes. Sugar fix secured, alcohol flowing easily, band playing, many of the assembled dancing the night away, jokes and quips and sea stories flying...

That I still missed being on the boat this weekend is clear evidence of my favorite personality quirk.

As mentioned earlier winter weather never really showed this year in St. Louis, just a few nights of sub-freezing temps and a trace of snow now and again. The mid-western spring winds are already starting to fill in. (For those not familiar with land-based trades, the trees in the mid-west often grow at a slant due to having the sky leaning on one side for a good part of the year.) It will be in the 60s again this week. In just a weekend or two the silence of the marina in the cold months will give way. Sounds of "do-lists" being cleared and boats being readied to splash will join the buzz of insects and the chirping of baby birds. Spring will be good, Kintala may even be ready to power off the dock by the time the Corps. puts enough water back in the lake for her to range free of the marina. (She is, at the moment, sitting in the mud at the pier, which is like the best of being both on the hard and in the water. She can't fall over nor can she sink.)

But I have enjoyed these last couple of months of sharing the weekends with just a hand full of the faithful.