Summer is trickling away and it is so pleasant. Last week we dug the Regal Jug, our 23 foot sail boat out of storage and commissioned it for the summer. We launched it and arranged for moorage on the Columbia River here in St. Helens Oregon.
So far we have sailed with Audrey and Al Sinner, long time friends from our church, and with Neil and Renee Tice with grand daughter Georgia.

The first sail with Audrey and Al was quite exciting. We had winds gusting to 20 mph. Audrey kept ducking when the spray danced over the bow. I finally had to explain that her primary duty as crew was to keep the skipper, me, from getting wet.

Today we cruised about in lovely 10 mph winds. Georgia was reluctant to wear her life jacket, but other than that it was a very nice sail. The Regal Jug is an Aquarius 23 and we bought it new in 1974 when Renee was about five years old. I guess it is harder for a two year old to understand the need for the life vest. Our rule then as now was anytime they are in the cockpit they have to wear a vest. We probably put Renee in and out of her vest 30 times in an afternoon of sailing.

To start off this near perfect day, we went to church and I joined forces with Fran Pickering and Jill Simmons on fiddle and autoharp respectively. We did a variety of tunes during the service. A couple of beautiful waltzes featuring Fran’s fiddle, and then we performed “Whispering Hope” and closed the service with a rollicking version of “Down to the River to Pray,” a gospel tune from “O Brother Where Art Thou.”

Judy passed her final exam with the dental surgeon on Friday, and she is cleared to have her new bridge built and installed. I expect after that we will be free to move around the country again. Does anyone have some good ideas of places we just have to visit this fall?

As usual I will have a couple photos below. Be sure to check out the photo of Georgia at the petting zoo last week.

With love to all,

Good bye from Gary and Judy