It has been almost 2 months since I last wrote in this blog. Kim and I have been enjoying life at the ranch and the lake during that time. We have fallen into the normal routine that feels like a trap of "normal" life. We still enjoy the freedom to get up each day and decide what WE want to do, so there is that. So much better than going to work to make rich people richer.
Our time at the ranch has been made up of mowing grass and doing myriad of other projects that keep the ranch operational. We have also assisted with putting on two motorcycle races. Both went well with excellent weather.
While all of that was in process, Kim and I did go on one adventure of sorts. We did a three day cruise on our little lake. Lake Stockton can only be sailed for 9 miles. It is kind of hard to make a 3 day trip out of that short of a distance, but we managed to make it work. The main thing is we slept and ate on the boat for 3 days to see what it would be like. I have to say it was very enjoyable. We had cool nights and good wind for the first two days. The last day was a 5 hour down wind (what little there was) sail back to the marina. I think we averaged about 1 knot per hour. The good news is that the water was still warm, so we just jumped in and swam when we got too hot. Here are a few sailing shots of the trip.
 |
| Here we are at anchor on the first night. |
 |
| Sunrise on the second day. So quiet |
We had a great day sailing the second day. Kim was at the helm for much of the day in about a 15 knot wind. She is becoming a very good sailor. I was able to relax and play with the sails.
 |
| Here we are at anchor on the second night. Another comfortable night. |
We had a nice sunset on the second night, so I took a few shots.
 |
| I like this shot that includes some hardware on the side of the cockpit. |
After that fun adventure we have become more sure that we want to travel by boat. We will keep moving in that direction, who knows how it will turn out.
We did take a weekend trip to Arkansas to see Michael, Audrey and the kids. We took a fun hike up on Mount Nebo.
 |
| Michael and Cameron at an overlook. |
 |
| Three generations. |
 |
| Michael at a rock outcropping |
We got in two last days of sailing on October 3 and 10. We sailed along side our friend Jerry and Diana for a bit and took some pictures of his beautiful Catalina 32. He took one shot of our Hunter 22 under full sails.
 |
| Jerry and Diana in the lead boat. |
 |
| Captain Jerry on Midnight Rider along with crew Diana, Larry and Susan |
 |
| Our little Hunter 22 under sail |
On October 10 we took our god friend Doyle out for a sail, but sadly did not take any pictures. I need to get back in the practice of taking pictures to help with the memory recall.
On October 18, we took the boat out of the water with the help of our friend and partner, Bob. Thanks again, Bob! It was a difficult day, but that was the first time we have put the boat back on the trailer and we learned some important lessons. We lowered the mast and got the boat ready for travel. The boat is now at the ranch, covered with a large tarp, and ready for a long winter.
I can really feel the excitement as we get ready to leave the ranch and head south. Our plan as of now is to depart on November 2. I know as we move I will be more motivated to write, so you can check the blog for updates as we make our trip to the tip of Florida.
