Ready or not, summertime fun about to hit Seneca Lake this weekend

VALOIS, New York, USA - The north wind is blowing a steady 20 knots today, with gusts to 25, (and temperatures about 58 degrees, brrr...) but the weather forecast calls for calm winds and temperatures in the 80s starting tomorrow - and continuing all weekend on the southerly part of Seneca Lake.

And that's a great thing, because this weekend would seem to be the official/unofficial beginning of summer fun at the lake with a beach party Friday, cardboard boat races Saturday and Jen and Karl's wedding Sunday.

Monday has been officially declared Detox Day at this house. The cases of ginger ale stand ready.


A dock party at Cousin Ruth's two years ago

The beach party is being thrown at the Guy Schamel house, just south of Peach Orchard Point and if it is anything like the floating party of two years ago - the weekend when Matt and Shannon Schamel were married - it will be a hoot.

This party is to celebrate Jen and Karl's impending nuptials and while it won't move from place to place, the Peach Orchard waterfront should be a lot of fun. The Schamel clan has plenty of water toys to keep party goers amused.

And keeping hydrated - in the expected hot sun - will be critical, of course.

The Spirit of Louise is likely to be pressed into service to get the Admiral and I the three miles to the party, depending on wind. Or perhaps we might take the Red Rocket sailboat. There's plenty of beach to leave the Red Rocket if sailing home isn't an option.


The nurses' entry in last year's Cardboard Boat Race

Saturday, the annual Cardboard Boat Race will be held in Watkins Glen inside the sheltering breakwater of the marina.

Last year the weather was simply miserable, with rain, wind and cold temperatures. Really cold temperatures...

But even at that, the participants seemed to have a great time, even those who barely made it away from the start line before shipping water and sinking. I got soaked in the rain and was freezing, but still enjoyed watching. It was a lot warmer than trying to swim to shore, dragging a soaked (and half-sunken) cardboard boat.

As with the Friday beach party, if the weather is good (and predictions say 90 degrees and sunny Saturday, woo-hoo), the Spirit of Louise might make a guest appearance at the marina. It would be a great deck to sit on while the racers paddle - or sink - nearby.


That water was cold

And then Sunday afternoon, Jen and Karl will be getting married at the church in nearby Hector, followed by a reception in Watkins Glen at a beautiful new hotel on the waterfront.

If the reception is half as much fun as the partying at Jen's sister Kate's wedding several years ago, it will be a great capper for the weekend. Then again, now that the family already had one wedding, this could be twice as much fun as the cavorting when Kate and Steve were married.

The Admiral and I will be prepared for everything but doing the Chicken Dance at the reception. The Hokey-Pokey might be ok. But the Chicken Dance? No way...

I'll also get to continue field testing my new combination still/video camera again to document the event - between trips to the dance floor, of course.

And if the Chicken Dance does sneak in, well, there will be video.


Karl, Jen and the Admiral in Mexico

A national holiday of boating - if the weather cooperates

VALOIS, New York, USA - Today is a holiday, at least around this house, as the Admiral and I celebrate my birthday, a day I always declare a national holiday, despite Hallmark's continued reluctance to include it with all those other special days of the year that litter the calendar.

And for the day, I have planned some sailing on the new sailboat, a trip on the Spirit of Louise to a bar/restaurant called The Showboat for lunch, and lastly a cocktail tour this evening, going dock-to-dock to check in with friends.

Weather permitting, of course... Weather permitting.


Evening sail, just before the wind died

If the summer of 2009 was a child who had just reached maturity, we would have to say we have failure to launch.

Weeks of rain and cold weather have shifted to, well, less rain and slightly less cold. It's July 10 fer Chrissakes! As I write this, a brisk wind is blowing out of the south - a little too brisk for the new sailboat. And the temperature? Well, at last glance it was 63 degrees, about 17 degrees shy of what I want for today and all the activities planned.

Despite the relatively inclement weather, the annual July 4th party at the Schamel's came off without any hitches and this year featured a great dance band. While the Admiral and I had planned on having a couple of glasses of wine and then beating a retreat to the relative warmth of our house, we stayed until the band ended its run instead.


Travis, cleverly disguised as Travis


Admiral Fox listens to Guy Schamel


Quelle dommage - a spilled beer



The next set of adventures here - once recovery from today's birthday celebration is achieved - will be to give some sailing lessons to my amiga Jennifer who is half-owner of the new sailboat, tentatively dubbed The Red Rocket. She arrives tonight and I am sure will want to be out sailing early Saturday a.m.

The Admiral and I met Jennifer and her family last summer here at the lake and after a few minutes of conversation, cooked up a scheme to buy a sailboat together - provided I threw in some sailing lessons for she and her family.

With any luck, we will get some light winds to keep students - and sailing instructor - out of the water.


Sailing into the sunset (Photo by Admiral Fox)