This weekend we met with long time friends, Tim and Sheri Gale and their son Andrew for a weekend of ballooning at the Albany Air and Art Festival. We seem to have a need to do everything the hard way. The bicycle instead on a car, a sailboat instead of a speedboat. Now we joined a balloon team over an airplane. The balloon is named Checkmate. It has a red, white and black design that includes a knight chess piece. Photos are included at the end of this post.
All posts by Gary
Sailing
Today we took some friends sailing on the Columbia River. In the early morning our Pastor, Rev. Marilyn Allen joined us at the boat in the early morning to beat the predicted 100 degree heat. We had lovely winds and the temperature was delightful at about 65 degrees. We motored out into the center of the channel and popped out the sails. We first sailed up wind and down river about three miles. Continue reading Sailing
Wind Power:
How would you like to travel 140 miles on a half cup of gasoline and a big friendly dose of wind? We have just finished up a trip with several of our friends using a centuries old mode of transportation, sail power. We gathered up our flotilla at the city docks in front of the Columbia County court house in St. Helens, Oregon. The wind was right on the nose at 10 to 12 knots. (That’s miles to a sailor; however, you get a 12 percent bonus over land miles)
Lazy Sunday
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. Continue reading Lazy Sunday
It’s a Different World
This week we are camped within a mile of my maternal Grandparents’ home in rural Stevens County Washington. Stevens County is tucked in the far north eastern corner of Washington State. It is rugged, mountainous and very rural. We are camped in a primitive campground on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. We have a fire ring and a vault toilet at our disposal.