Saturday, May 05, 2012
Cool Water Hot Day
Pauline and Brent arrived Friday evening.
About 2:30 AM, the weather
radio sounded an alarm. There were severe thunderstorms on the way to
Cumberland County. An hour later the storms reached the farm. Thunder
and lightening with driving rain, but not much wind lasted for about a
half hour, then just a gentle rain for another hour. When daylight
arrived there wasn't any damage that could be seen. We had breakfast and
Linda and I took Kyle for a Mule ride with Daisy. Then we rode on the
tractor for a few minutes, all at Kyle's request. Oh and a short trip to
the 'pop sickle barn' for a treat. It was nearly 10:30 AM when we
returned to the house. Pauline and Brent were ready to get outside, so
we went back to the pole barn and messed around in there. The
temperature was going up and the sky had cleared. Brent mentioned that
we should go to the lake and run the boat. Everyone was eager to go, so
we began our preparation for the first boat trip of the year. We had to
stick on the new TN registration stickers, put the life jackets back in
the boat, take the cockpit covers off and put on the road covers, get
the pickup truck and hook up the boat trailer, pull it out of the barn
and tie down the road cover. Then we headed to the house for coolers and
food. Swim suits were next, would we use them or not, no one knew for
sure. Finally we were ready, Julie went with Linda and I in the truck
pulling the boat, Stacey rode with Kyle, Pauline and Brent. After
filling the boat with gas, we drove to the State Park and launched the
boat. I changed the routine, I was driving the boat off the trailer
while Brent parked the truck. The boat started right away and a few
minutes later we were under way. After exiting the dock area, I moved
out of the driver's seat and let Stacey take the wheel while I took a
few pictures.
We
rode for awhile, letting the battery charge and making sure things were
working properly as we enjoyed the view. There were other boats on the
lake and some people were on jet skis. There were a few boats with
people on tubes and skis. Stacey moved out of the driver's seat and let
Brent take the controls before we stopped. Julie and Kyle were ready to
swim and were dancing around on the deck at the back of the boat. Brent
was the first in the water and said it was chilly. Kyle about fell in
and was going in once he saw his Dad in the water. I grabbed his arm and
lowered him in the water before he fell in. Kyle said it was cold, but
swam over to his Dad. Julie went in next and right to Brent. Then Stacey
jumped in. Pauline, Linda and I remained in the boat.
After
they were out of the water and had dried off, we started the boat and
rode around the lake. The lake was 'flat' without much traffic and no
wind. The ride was really smooth and the air temperature was nice as we
checked out several places. Julie was needing a sandwich so we stopped
and had sandwiches for a late lunch. She had wanted to get her float out
earlier, so Brent used the extra time to blow it up and then tossed it
in the water. Julie was unsure how she had got in it last year, so Brent
had to give her a refresher course. It worked and away she went.
After
Julie returned to the boat, we rode around until nearly 5 PM. Then we
pulled the boat out of the lake, covered it up and towed it back to the
farm. After backing it in the pole barn, we went to the house and had
supper around 7 PM. People drifted to the bedrooms beginning around 8:30
PM.
It wasn't a perfect day, the water was a little chilly, but the
air temperature was 87 degrees most of the time we were on the water and
we all enjoyed our first trip of the season.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Busy Wednesday
It seems as if we had to do everything on one day. We left the house a
little before 9 AM.
Stacey
backed the Mule out of the barn and we drove it down to the equipment
shed to get to the truck. Our State
Farm Insurance agent had called and asked me to come to the office
for a short meeting concerning one of our policies. That was our first
stop of the day.
After
about a 15 minute meeting we were on our way to our next stop, the Court
House. We needed to buy the stickers for two of our license plates at
the County Clerk's office. That took another 15 minutes and then we
headed to American
Street Rod Garage. Dave Neff needed some help updating their web
site that I had setup for them. We worked on that and talked with Randy
and Dave until almost noon. We left the garage and went to Kountry
Junction and ordered lunch. We had barely finished our lunches when the
Event's Committee meeting began in an adjacent room. At 1 PM the meeting
was adjourned and Stacey and I left immediately. I drove the truck east
on KY 90 for nearly 50 miles through Monticello to Cumberland
Sea Ray and went inside.
The
service representative talked to me and gave me a run down of what they
had done. Basically, they changed the oil and installed a new battery.
Then he helped me hook the boat and trailer to the truck. Wow, I'm glad
he did. While hooking the trailer to the hitch ball, he noticed that the
ball had become loose and was in danger of becoming detached. That could
have been a disaster. We removed the hitch from the receiver and went
inside and used their tools to tighten the ball on the hitch, then
replaced it and finished hooking the boat to the truck. I thanked him
for his help and we pulled out and headed back to Burkesville.
Linda
came home a few minutes after we arrived and helped move the old cars
out of the pole barn to make room to back in the boat. Stacey picked me
up in the Mule after I parked the truck in the equipment shed. Then we
put the cars back and mowed the grass until dark.
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Boat Service
We woke up early and were hanging around in the living room waiting on
breakfast for a while. Stacey, Brent and I were then going on a mission
to take the boat to Cumberland Sea Ray to have some service work done.
We went to the pole barn and moved the old cars out and then hooked the
boat and trailer to the truck. Brent aired the tires up before we left.
We
went to Burkesville and filled the truck with gas and then headed East
on KY 90 towards Burnside, KY. Just before getting into Burnside,
Cumberland Sea Ray was on the left. Brent pulled the truck into the
parking lot and went inside to talk to the service manager. After a few
minutes he signed the work order and we went back outside to unhook the
boat and trailer. We talked with the service guy a few minutes, then
headed back to the farm. 
We
parked the truck, retrieved the Mule from the pole barn and did a little
bit of farm work before Pauline and Linda returned with the kids. Later
in the day we took Julie and Kyle for a Mule ride with Daisy running
along, then had pizzas for supper.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friday Outside
Friday morning, Pauline fixed breakfast. Pauline's sister, Beth had
stayed the night. Beth and Pauline played with Kyle and Julie most of
the morning as we watched. After the sun had been up long enough to warm
the outside air, we went to the pole barn to do some things to the boat
and old cars. Brent took the life jackets out and hung them on the
rafters and also removed anything else we had left in the boat by
mistake. We checked the oil and decided to make a service appointment
with the Sea Ray dealer in Somerset. Brent took Julie a ride in the TR-3
and then took Pauline and Beth a ride in the 56 Chevy. When they
returned, we put battery tenders on the cars to keep the batteries
charged over the cold months. Beth and Pauline had the kids down at the
edge of the creek playing, so we joined them and watched the little dogs
run around while we were outside.
A
little after noon, we went inside and had sandwiches made from left
overs while Beth was preparing to leave. Beth told everyone good bye and
kissed the kids, then left for her trip back to eastern KY. Lunch
created a 'sleepy field' that over took us all for a while. I ended up
going outside and taking a chainsaw with me to the area where the
loggers had cut down the cherry tree. I sawed up the largest part of the
tree, then returned to the house for the tractor.
By
that time, Stacey, Linda and Brent were awake and willing to help. We
took the Mule with the black trailer and the tractor back to the downed
cherry tree. Brent chained the piece that was unusable to the scoop on
the tractor and I carried it to the edge of the woods and dropped it in
there to rot away. Brent used the small chainsaw to cut the remaining
pieces while Stacey, Linda and I cleaned up the debris and picked up the
pieces he cut.
The
mess was cleaned up! We then took the tractor back to the shed and
parked it. Brent pulled the trailer loaded with wood to the wood shed
and parked it close enough we could split the wood and toss it on a
bench. Stacey picked the wood off the bench and stacked it in rows in
the wood shed. Julie helped Linda rake up the scraps that busted off and
we scooped those up with the scoop shovel and tossed them on the
trailer. Brent and I relieved each other for breaks from splitting the
wood until we had finished the load.
We
parked the Mule after cleaning the debris off the trailer and unhooking
it, then we went inside. Later, we ordered pizza for supper and picked
up some milk at the store while getting the pizzas.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Boat Winterized
Around 8:30 AM a guy from Davidson's Marine called and said they had
finished winterizing the Sea Ray and we could pick it up anytime before
noon. Stacey and I went to the shed and took the pickup truck to get the
boat.
Joe
Davidson had told me he had 48 boats to winterize when I made the
appointment, but they had put the Sea Ray ahead of those boats because
he knew I would come and pick it up right away and get it out of their
way. I told them I appreciated the good service, paid the bill and
hooked up the boat to the truck. We drove back to the farm and put the
boat in the pole barn, unhooked it from the truck and put the truck back
in the shed. Stacey and I split a little more of the wood we had left on
the black trailer and then we went inside. Later in the day, Linda,
Stacey and I finished splitting the wood.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Sondra's First Deer
I've been traveling around the county asking businesses for donations
for the Burkesville Christmas Parade and while I was near Joe Davidson's
Marina, I stopped and scheduled a time to have the Sea Ray winterized.
Stacey and I took the truck to the pole barn and opened the doors, then
I drove the 65 Mustang outside and parked it. Stacey was putting the
cover back on the boat while I hooked the trailer to the truck. We tied
up all the loose ropes, latched the hitch and put the safety chains in
the proper places, then I pulled the boat out of the barn and parked the
Mustang back inside.
We
towed the boat through town and south on SR61 to the marina. I parked
the boat and trailer in the parking lot and went to the office door.
There was a note on the door and I followed the directions, I left my
name, phone number and that I wanted the boat winterized. We returned to
the truck, unhooked the trailer and boat and drove back towards
Burkesville. I made a few more stops, picked up two more checks for the
donations, then took them to the Extension Office. Misty Dubre and I
talked about other possible businesses that might make donations and
then Stacey and I went to lunch. We returned to the farm, parked the
truck in the shed and split wood a little while, then went inside for a
break. When we went back outside and were setting by the creek, Sondra
and Regina rode up on their ATV. Sondra asked if I would help her by
hauling a deer she had shot out of the woods. I said I would, but I
wanted to get the camera first. I picked up the camera and we drove to
where she had shot the deer. I took a few pictures while Sondra called
the DNR and received a confirmation number to make the deer a legal kill.
We
loaded the deer in the back of the Mule and hauled it to Jone's
Ridge Meats just up the road about a 1/4 mile from the farm. Phillip
Garmon came outside and we slid the deer out of the Mule and laid it by
the butcher shop, ready to be processed, packaged and frozen for Sondra
to pickup the next day.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Labor Day Weekend
We asked Carol and Dave Neff to go to the lake with us Saturday. They
arrived at the house at 10 AM and we headed to town, I put gas in the
boat and we drove to the State Park. We readied the boat, then waited
our turn on the dock, launched the boat and idled out of the marina's
cove. There were lots of boats on the lake and they had it rolling with
boat wakes. We stopped in our favorite cove and anchored for a while.
Everyone but Carol quickly jumped into the water. She remained in the
boat and thought about getting in the water. I didn't know it, but Carol
was afraid of the water. After about 20 minutes of standing in the boat
with a life jacket on, she climbed down the ladder and joined us in the
water. We enjoyed the water for an hour or so, then loaded into the boat
and rode to the dam area. While in the large area by the dam, we just
drifted and ate lunch meat sandwiches we made right there on the boat.
The breeze blowing across the water kept us cool during our lunch. We
stopped a few times and swam on the ride back to the Trooper Island
area. We stopped again and ate another round of sandwiches before going
back to the dock about 6:30 PM. Then there was a line of boaters waiting
to take out their boats and it took us a little longer to put the boat
on the trailer because we had to wait our turn. I pulled the truck and
trailer to the middle parking lot and we tied down the cover while
parked there so we were out of everyone's way. Carol and Dave helped us,
then they headed to their house and we drove back to the farm and put
the boat away.
Sunday morning, I went outside early and mowed the
grass on the hillside behind the house and the slope in front of the
house. It was supposed to rain later, so I wanted to mow the sloped
areas before they were wet. After going back inside, I contacted Brent
on Skype and we planned a trip to Sam's Club. Stacey, Linda and I drove
the HHR to Pauline and Brent's house. We arrived at 1 PM and played with
Julie and Kyle for an hour or more while we talked. Stacey rode with
Kyle, Pauline and Brent as Julie rode with Linda and me to Sam's Club.
Sam's was packed with people shopping. I shoved a cart with Kyle riding
in it and Stacey pushed a cart for Pauline and Brent. Julie was running
around with Linda. We wound our way through the aisles and tried to
avoid disrupting the other shoppers as we found most of the items we
wanted to buy. After checking out at the register, we pushed the loaded
carts out to the car and packed the items in the back. We sat Kyle in an
empty cart next to their Traverse and had Julie setting in her booster
seat right by him, then we hid behind a big truck when Pauline and Brent
walked up. It looked like we had left the kids alone, but we really had
not.
We
had a little chuckle about that with Pauline and Brent, then said good
bye and headed back to the farm. The rain poured down on us several
times as we drove back to Burkesville. We pulled the HHR into the garage
and unloaded our supplies as Coco ran in and out of the house with each
load.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Day On The Lake
Friday, Chuck Anderson was visiting with Cindy and Bruce Beck near Star
Point on Dale Hollow Lake. Chuck had asked us to come over for a "Surf &
Turf" supper. When we arrived, Chuck and Bruce cooked fish and some
large T-Bone steaks for everyone to enjoy. We visited with them until it
was nearly dark, then we went back to the farm and found that Pauline,
Brent and their kids and dogs had came to the farm while we had been at
Cindy and Bruce's place. We played with the kids and chatted with
Pauline and Brent until bedtime.
Saturday morning after Paulilne
fixed breakfast, we headed out for a day on the lake. Brent drove his
Traverse and I pulled the boat with the truck. We filled the boat's tank
with gas and the coolers with ice, then on to the Dale Hollow Lake State
Park Boat Dock. At the dock, everyone transferred to the boat and we
launched at 9:45 AM. Brent drove the boat out of the dock area to our
favorite cove for everyone to get wet. The air temperature felt cool as
it was still early in the day and the water temperature was warmer than
the air. We were swimming when Chuck, Cindy and Bruce pulled in on their
pontoon boat. They wanted us to meet them in Ashburn Cove after they
picked up Brenda and Gary Brown. We told them we would be over there in
about an hour, so they went on. We let the kids swim a little longer,
then had them get in the boat to dry off so the wind chill wouldn't
bother them as we boated over to Ashburn. We were looking for Beck's
pontoon along the shoreline when they rode up from behind us, then we
followed them into a small cove where a couple of house boats were
beached.
We
mixed and mingled with the other people for an hour or so, then returned
to the boat.
We
told everyone so long, then left the cove and rode around the lake for a
bit. I pulled the boat into Willow Grove and we tied up to the dock.
Everyone went in the dock store and ate ice cream while looking around
at their shirts and things. After the ice cream, Brent pulled the boat
into a cove near the State Park Dock where we lounged on the boat and
took a last swim of the day.
After
drying off and running back to the dock, we put the boat on the trailer
and loaded in the vehicles for the ride back to the farm. I backed the
boat, trailer, and truck in the pole barn, Brent closed the doors and we
went to the house. Pauline and Linda quickly made a couple of pizzas
that everyone scarfed up. One, by one, we went to sleep in the living
room and then went to bed.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Boating Day
We started the day with cereal and sticky buns (cinnamon rolls) for
Julie and Kyle, then let them play while we waited on a call from Brent.
He called at 10:15 for us to deliver the boat to the dock at 11 AM. I
went to the pole barn and pulled the truck out while Stacey carried the
empty cooler from the back of the Mule. Stacey and I went to town,
filled the boat's tank with gas, put ice in the empty cooler and drove
to Dale Hollow Lake State Park. Shelly, Jeff, Michael, Maxx, Pauline and
Brent were waiting at the Marina Shelter House when we pulled to the
front and stopped. Ethan and Frank were supposed to be there shortly. We
uncovered the boat, transferred the ice to the cooler they were using
and loaded everything into the boat. Right before they climbed into the
boat, I took a picture of their crew.
After
everyone was in the boat, I drove to the dock and backed the boat
trailer in the water. Brent started the boat's engine and backed it off
the trailer. I told them, "Have a good day!" and then pulled up the hill
and parked the truck and trailer in the middle parking lot. Linda had
drove the HHR to the dock and she picked me up. We went back to the farm
and ate lunch. We had a thunderstorm at the farm about 5 PM, so I asked
Linda to wake Julie and Kyle up from their naps and get ready to go to
the State Park to get the boat around 6:30 PM. We drove to the parking
lot and I got into the truck with the boat trailer. Linda, Stacey and
the kids went back to the farm. I pulled the truck and trailer to the
front of the shelter house and parked it. I walked around the building
and sat down at a table and waited for Brent to drive the boat into the
cove. About 15 minutes later, I saw the boat on the other side of the
cove, so I went to the truck and pulled the trailer to the dock, backed
it in the water and by that time, Brent had idled around the boat slips
and pulled the boat on the trailer.
I
winched the boat the rest of the way on the trailer, chained it down and
pulled up the ramp and stopped. Everyone climbed out of the boat saying
they had a good time. Frank was still there and Ethan had showed up too.
We covered the boat after taking all the stuff out and then I towed it
back to the farm. Pauline and Brent and their crew went back to the
horse farm to stay the night. It started raining as I went through
Burkesville and by the time I was ready to pull into the pole barn it
was pouring down rain. I closed the doors and went to the house.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday On The Lake
We took a break from the lake on Thursday. We intended to skip going to
the lake on Thursday and the weather cooperated by being cloudy and
cooler. It even rained a little.
Friday morning we ate a light
breakfast and then off to the lake again. The plan was to get there
early and leave early when the weekend crowd began arriving. There were
parking spots in the dock area after we launched the boat. I think we
rode out of the idle zone about 9:30 AM. A short time later we stopped
in the Pulsey Creek area and anchored. The lake was still calm with only
a few boats passing by the cove where we anchored. We just enjoyed a
lazy and relaxing time of playing around in the water. Around 2:30 in
the afternoon, we pulled up anchor and took a ride, looking around at
all the boats that were out on the lake. I remarked that we had already
saw more boats this day than the three previous days we had been on the
lake put together. We eventually rode past Wolf River Dock to the area
where people jump off the cliffs into the water. We anchored there for a
little while, then Brent swam to the bank, climbed the rocks, and jumped
into the water from about 35-40 feet above. He came back to the boat and
we headed back to the State Park Dock. The weekend crowd was taking over
the lake, so we put the boat on the trailer, pulled it out of the water
and headed for the farm. After backing the boat in the pole barn and
uncovering it, we went to the house. Pauline and Linda were working on
dinner. They had a turkey breast cooking in the slow cooker while we had
been at the lake, so with some mashed potatoes and fresh sweet corn, we
had a great tasting dinner.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Good Day 3
We ate breakfast a little earlier and headed to the lake at 9:30 AM.
Brent and I traded jobs for the day. He drove the truck and trailer to
the lake and my job was backing the boat off the trailer. We had been
talking about what our 'jobs' were as we had been driving to the lake
the previous days, so things went fairly smooth. We idled out of the
dock area and then drove to Ashburn Creek and met Lana & Frank Dial and
Cindy and Bruce Beck. Everyone went swimming until other boats began
making runs past where we were anchored.
Ashburn
Creek is a popular place for people to ski, tube and play on their water
toys, we knew that and decided to get out of their way. We rode over to
Sunset Dock for lunch, went inside, waited for a large table and then
ordered. Pauline and Stacey took Julie and Kyle to look through the
marina's store next door while the food was being prepared as the rest
of us sat and talked until the waitress brought the food.
After
lunch, Kyle and Julie slept as we drove the boat on the return trip. We
pulled into a cove across the lake from Star Point and everyone was
ready to get into the water again. 
We
played in the water for a long time as it was a real good place to stop.
We could see boats racing up and down the lake, but none of their wakes
were hitting our boats. Another plus for that cove is that there was
shade on the water.
Brent
and I had talked about getting Julie started on a knee board, so as the
wind died down just before sunset, we rode to Pulsey Creek and began the
training. Brent played out two ski ropes and pulled two knee boards out
of the ski well for them to use. I stopped the boat's motor when they
were ready to jump in, Brent showed Julie to toss the board in the
water, then jump in and climb on it. I had worked with Julie the day
before on paddling to the rope and holding on. When they were both
ready, I started the motor, took the slack out of the rope and when
Julie yelled "Ready", I slowly started the boat moving. I picked up a
little speed as I heard Brent telling Julie what she needed to do. A
minute or so later, Brent told Julie to let go of the rope and the her
first ride was over. They went once more, then Julie climbed into the
boat. Brent took a ski run and then we joined the Dial's and Beck's
where they had anchored. After telling everyone good bye when they left,
we ate PB&J sandwiches on the boat before taking a slow ride back to the
dock right at sunset.
Brent
and I continued our job trade off, he walked up the dock and retrieved
the truck and trailer, backed it in the water and I drove the boat on
the trailer. After covering the boat, Brent drove the truck and boat
back to the farm. We both learned some new things about the jobs we each
do. It was a good day!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A Better Day
Day two began with breakfast, sun block, ice, towels and a quick pit stop for gas, then to the lake. The boat started with no problems and we were out of the idle zone shortly after 10 AM. We cruised for a little bit then headed to the area where we were to meet several other boats. We were planning on going on and riding a little longer but spotted Lana and Frank in their boat. We pulled alongside and surprised them. It was good to see his boat was doing fine. We both boated to the cove and anchored the boats and dove into the water. Several other boats and pontoons joined the group around 11 AM. We ate lunch meat sandwiches as more people stopped. At one point there were a dozen boats and at least forty people swimming and talking with each other. Julie and several kids were jumping into the water from one pontoon boat. It was just like the country song "Redneck Yacht Club" and Stacey loved it. Pauline was in a raft with Kyle for a while, then I took Kyle and we tossed the floating sponge ball to several people to keep him busy. Brent was keeping track of Julie while he was swimming around the boats. Stacey and Linda were in a group of a dozen or more women. About 2:30 PM the party began breaking up and boats were leaving the cove. Our littlest crew needed a nap, so we headed towards the dam area. I wanted to check at Mitchell Creek near Livingston to see if the restaurant was open for lunch later in the week. We cruised into the dock and I pulled the boat up to the front of the restaurant, Brent stepped on the dock and went inside. When he returned to the boat he said they didn't have a short order cook, they had chicken wings, pizza and ice cream. We left the dock and headed back to Pulsey Creek. Both the kids were sleeping by then, so we eased the boat into the back of Pulsey and quietly anchored, then went swimming until they woke. Julie wanted to swim some more, so she began jumping out of the boat and climbing in, but not as quickly as earlier in the day. She was winding down. Kyle stayed in the boat this time. We rode back to the State Park Dock and pulled the boat out around 5 PM. After parking the boat in the pole barn, we went to the house, let the dogs out while we showered and changed clothes. Near 6:30 PM we took the Traverse to Albany and ate at Major's Pizza, then went to Star Point a little late for the cook out. Most of the people that were in the cove earlier in the day were also at the cookout along with a few additions. We mingled, sipped drinks and laughed at the stories everyone was telling for a couple of hours before leaving about 9:30 PM.
Monday, July 18, 2011
"A Bad Day On The Lake"
Linda and Stacey had picked up Pico and Poco Friday evening and brought
the dogs to the farm while Brent ran a swim meet in Louisville. Pauline,
Julie and Kyle had went with him and were visiting P's family and taking
in the zoo during the weekend. They came back from Louisville to the
farm on Sunday afternoon. We played with the kids and listened to their
stories about the trip till bed time.
Monday morning began with
Pauline fixing breakfast of sausage and eggs with biscuits while we
prepared for a day on the boat. Kids were lathered up with sunscreen and
dressed in swim trunks after breakfast. Linda had towels gathered up and
had saved iced for the coolers, so we had plenty of extra time and were
ready to go by 9:15 AM. We towed the boat to town, filled up with gas,
put the plug in and headed to the lake. I backed the boat down the ramp
and we uncovered it, then transferred our things into the boat. Everyone
loaded in the boat and I backed the trailer into the water. I put the
truck in park and walked into the water to unhook the boat from the
trailer. Brent stopped me. He said the boat's batteries were dead. Both
of the batteries were discharged and the motor wouldn't start. Crap! I
stood there a minute and looked around, the first person I saw was a
woman walking to the courtesy dock, so I asked, "Do you have any jumper
cables?" She asked her husband... they did. We used a long rope and
pulled the boat to the courtesy dock where they hooked up the cables to
their boat and we jump started our boat. We thanked them several times
as they pulled away. I parked the truck and walked back down to the
boat, we were under way out of the idle zone. Brent ran the boat for
about a half hour to charge the battery and enjoy the smooth water of
Dale Hollow Lake on a weekday. We pulled into the cove where we were
supposed to meet Lana and Frank Dial and Bonnie and Donnie Cox. He shut
the boat off and tried restarting it to check the battery. It started
fine. We began swimming and then had lunch.
Around
noon, Bonnie and Donnie arrived in their boat with their daughter, Julie
and her husband, JR and granddaughter Callie. They joined us in the
water as more people from Anderson started arriving. Susan and Danny
Rockhill were there too, but the stories they were telling weren't
sounding good for Lana and Frank. I guess their boat was giving them
problems and they were riding with Dave Wilcox in his boat. Around 2 PM,
JR was watching the sky and took a look at the color radar on his phone.
He reported that a rain shower was headed our way and would be there in
a few minutes. We all broke up the party, swam to our respective boats
and headed for Star Point to take cover in the rental slips. JR's
forecast had been right on as it sprinkled rain on us as we sped across
the lake and pulled under the covered slips. We tied the boat to the
slip and began talking and joking with a bunch of other people from IN
that came over to check out Pauline & Brent's new Sea Ray while the rain
was coming down.
Dave
Wilcox brought Lana and Frank back to the dock when he came in for
shelter, so we walked around the dock and began 'trouble shooting'
Frank's boat problem. Donnie turned the wrenches as we stood around
watching and offering our ideas. He removed the gas line at the carb and
had Frank run the starter to try to pump some gas into a plastic bottle.
This would let us see if the fuel pump was working and check the filter
to see if it was clogged. There was some stuff in the filter, but the
problem we found was water in the gas that was pumped into the bottle.
About a third of the liquid in the bottle was water. Donnie sent JR for
a bottle of stuff to cause the water to mix with the gas. They pumped
out a couple bottles of gas and water, then put the line back in place.
Frank pumped the accelerator lever in the boat and hit the key. It
started and continued to run. All this had taken about a half hour and
during that time the rain shower was over. Brent and I returned to the
boat, untied and backed it out of the slip. We made plans to meet again
on Tuesday and drove out of the dock. With a questionable battery
charge, we headed back towards the State Park where we had put the boat
in the water. The lake was nearly empty of boat traffic, so I asked
Pauline to take the wheel for the first time. She drove the boat a
little past the dock and stopped out in the middle of the lake. If the
boat wouldn't restart, we wouldn't have far to be towed into the dock.
The clouds broke up and the sunshine returned and we swam till nearly 6
PM. The boat started without a probem and we put it on the trailer and
in the barn when we returned to the farm. We also hooked up the battery
charger to charge the batteries.
Brent
and I agreed, "A bad day on the lake, beats a good day working!"
We
went to Columbia to eat Mexican food for dinner, then stopped and bought
groceries to take on the boat again tomorrow.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Weekend At The Lake
Pauline and Brent drove over Friday afternoon and we went out for pizza
and then grocery shopping. We bought lunch meat and stuff to eat on the
boat. Julie and Kyle had been staying with us so they were really
excited and glad to see their Mom and Dad.
Saturday morning we had a
light breakfast and then it was time to get everyone ready for boating.
Sunscreen on everybody, hats, sun glasses, t-shirts, towels, coolers and
a half hour later we were ready to go.... to the pole barn. Then pull
the truck and boat out of the pole barn and transfer all the stuff to
the truck. "Load up", finally on the road... to the gas station. Nearly
every pump was being used. I filled the boat with gas while Brent put
the plug in and put a bag of ice in the cooler. Now, to the lake, a
short 20 minute drive and we're at Dale Hollow Lake State Park. Wow, so
were a LOT of other people. We had to wait in line to take our turn on
the boat ramp. The 4th of July is the busiest day of the year on the 5
lane wide dock. We launched the boat and I drove the truck and trailer
up the hill, past the secondary parking lot, past a hundred cars parked
along the side of the road to the new parking lot that will probably
hold 500 vehicles and their trailers. Linda followed me in the Traverse
and took us back down to the ramp area. After parking the car, we walked
to the courtesy dock and Brent picked us up in the boat. He idled the
boat out of the cove that held the marina and we were under way at about
10:30 AM. The lake was busy, but not over crowded. We soon stopped and
cooled off in the water for a hour. We headed to a section of the lake
that was not as popular to avoid the rough water caused by other boats.
East Port is a marina that is on the East end of Dale Hollow where the
water is almost like a river. We stopped a few times and took dips to
cool off, we also ate our 'hoageys' during one of those stops. We picked
up a brochure from East Port around 2 PM and then started the trip back
towards the state park. We pulled over where there were 25-30 boats
watching people jump into the water from 40 foot high cliffs. While we
were there, we were approached by the TWRA
and asked to show our life jackets and fire extinguisher. We were legal!
We pulled out and maintained our course back past Sunset Dock and to the
large part of the lake. The ride had been nice and smooth until we
started meeting more boats. We took our last swim break around 5:30 PM.
We were pulling the boat out of the water about 7 PM as fishermen were
putting their bass boats in the water. I towed the boat back to the farm
and put it in the pole barn. We went to the house just before dark.
Sunday
morning, we figured out we had used up our food supply for boat
sandwiches and needed a new plan. After breakfast, we were slower to get
ready, in fact we decided to wait until 10:30 to leave the house. We
went through the same things, except we called and ordered take out
sandwiches at Subway to eat on the boat. I stopped at the gas station
and filled the boat with gas while Brent picked up the food. We drove to
the lake and it seemed there were more vehicles than the day before. I
guess it was because it was later in the day. We launched the boat and
did the parking thing again. It was hotter launching the boat in the
middle of the day. As soon as we left the marina we hit the water to
cool down. We went to our favorite cove and anchored for a long time. We
took a short ride looking at a lot of the camp sites that people had
setup. The lake was buzzing with boat traffic as many of the people
probably had to head for home. We stopped and played in the water until
7:30 PM. The lake was noticeably empty as we ran the boat wide open back
to the State Park Marina. After loading the boat on the trailer and
putting on the road cover, we headed for the farm. It was dark by the
time I backed the boat in the pole barn and we were all tired. Julie was
sound asleep and never woke up until the next morning. Kyle went to
sleep pretty quick and so did the rest of us.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday Boating
When we returned from IN, Pauline and Brent were at the farm with their
kids and dogs. They stayed overnight and we made plans to go boating.
Those plans were put on hold when thunder and lightening woke everyone
Sunday morning about 6:15. We checked the weather radar and there was a
large area of rain heading our way. I began breakfast by making pan
cakes and sausage. After eating we sat around and talked about what to
do. Pauline and Brent were leaving Julie and Kyle with us for a week
because their baby sitter was gone to Texas on a vacation. The kids were
playing and having fun and I was watching the radar. I decided that we
were going to the lake and asked Brent to help me hook up the boat to
the truck. He said that he had just decided not to go. I explained that
I figured the weather was going to be OK and that we couldn't wait for a
perfect day or we would only go once or twice a year. He agreed, so we
went to the barn and readied the truck and boat. We went back to the
house and told the girls to get ready to go. Linda made sandwiches while
Pauline was getting ready, then Pauline finished the rest of the
sandwiches while Linda was getting her suit on. I dressed Kyle while
Brent fixed a cooler of drinks. We put the stuff in the Mule and drove
it down to the pole barn, pulled the truck and boat out of the barn and
transferred everything into the truck. Linda, Julie and I pulled out in
the pickup with the boat and headed towards town to buy gas for the
boat. I realized that I didn't have my billfold with me, so we waited on
Brent to drive his Traverse to the filling station. He pulled in and
handed me my billfold and mentioned I had drove to town with the
tailgate down and the cooler setting on it. Hmm, good driver or just
lucky? Both! After filling the boat, we were on our way to Dale Hollow
Lake. I turned the truck and boat around on the dock and backed it down
to the water's edge. Brent pulled his Traverse in front of the truck and
we all made the boat ready for launch. Brent rode in the boat as I
backed the trailer and boat into the water. He started the boat and I
unhooked it, then he backed the boat off the trailer and I pulled the
truck up the ramp and parked. I walked back to the courtesy dock and
they pulled the boat to the edge of the dock and I stepped in. We were
under way, idling through the 'no wake zone' and out to the lake. Brent
punched the throttle down and away we went. With the rain delay, it was
just a little past noon. We decided to eat at Wisdom Dock since the
temperature was still a little chilly after the morning rain. Lunch
there wasn't that good. Back out on the lake, we found our favorite spot
and anchored, then took a swim for about 3 hours. 
We
moved to another spot on the lake while the kids took naps. We ate our
sandwiches about 5:30 PM and.they played a little more, but about 6:15
PM we took a slow ride back to the State Park Dock and loaded the boat
on the trailer. We wiped the boat down, put the cover on and headed back
to the farm where we parked the boat and truck in the pole barn and went
to the house. Pauline and Brent packed up their things and said 'good
bye' to everyone and they headed back to their house. We took Kyle a
short Mule ride and Julie watched a movie with Stacey until bed time.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Boating & Pauline's Birthday
Julie, Kyle, Pauline and Brent came to the farm Friday afternoon. Brent
had two new ski ropes and a "Stingray Tail" to mount on the boat to
enhance the ride attitude by using the trim setting. We drilled the
holes and bolted it to the lower unit, then returned to the house. We
ordered pizza and just dinked around with the kids during the rest of
the evening.
Saturday morning we were on a mission. Going to Dale
Hollow Lake. Linda fixed breakfast and everyone ate fairly early.
Pauline and Linda began working on sandwiches for lunch on the boat and
Brent readied a cooler. I gathered up various items we needed to take
and kept the kids busy putting on their shoes, shirts and swim suits.
Linda and Pauline covered them in sun screen before we left the house.
We drove the Mule to the pole barn, opened the doors and pulled the
truck and boat outside. We transferred all our things into the back of
the truck, loaded into the HHR and the pickup truck and headed towards
town. We stopped for gas and ice at the filling station, then drove to
Dale Hollow State Park. Once we were on the ramp, we uncovered the boat
and transferred everything into the boat, including all the people. I
backed the trailer into the lake and Brent started the boat. I unhooked
the chain and winch strap and Brent backed the boat off the trailer, I
parked the truck and trailer in the lower lot and walked back to the
courtesy dock. They were waiting for me to step in the boat and then we
idled out of the dock area. Brent took off and just went a short way,
then stopped the boat in a small cove and we jumped in the water. Wow,
it was at a perfect temperature. Julie and Kyle already had their life
jackets on, so it didn't take long to have them ready to get in the
water. They were both scared at first, but soon were having fun in the
water. Pauline and Linda thought the water temperature was nice too. We
played in the water for a long time, then boarded the boat and took a
ride. Around noon, we stopped out in the middle of the lake and let the
boat drift in the wind as we ate lunch on board. We power boated over to
another large fingerlet and picked a secluded spot to swim. The kids
really had a good time at this spot after being used to getting in and
out a few more times. A while later, we decided they had enough sun and
we should be going, we loaded into the boat and began to leave. The boat
died and was a little hard to restart, but it eventually fired up and
ran good all the way back to the dock. Brent took the wheel as I stepped
out on the dock and I walked up the ramp to the truck. I backed the
trailer into the water and Brent drove the boat on. I secured the boat
to the trailer and pulled it to the top of the ramp and into the tie
down area. We unloaded the stuff back into the truck and put the cover
on the boat. Everyone picked up a cold drink and loaded into the HHR and
pickup truck for the ride back to the farm. I backed the boat into the
pole barn and we rode the Mule to the house. We had a little over an
hour until time to drive the old cars to Columbia for a cruise-in. After
letting the little dogs out, we chose the car we wanted to drive and got
ready to go. Linda, Stacey, Julie and Kyle were in the 65 Mustang, I was
driving the 56 Chevy and Pauline and Brent were in the 58 Triumph. We
pulled down by the road and waited for the Cumberland River Cruisers to
come by. We had agreed to take our cars and follow along with them to
the cruise-in at Columbia. We ended up with 11 or 12 vehicles following
one another North on SR 61 to the Cumberland Parkway and then to the TSC
parking lot. We pulled in and parked, then registered and talked with
other club members about the day. Our group picked the fast food place
they wanted to eat, went and bought the food, then met at one location
to set together while we ate. We were fried from the day on the lake and
the temperature was over 90 degrees, so we didin't last long at the
cruise-in. Brent won a door prize before we left though. We pulled our
cars out of the lot and headed back to the farm, put them away and went
inside to cool off. The AC felt great! We had one more job before the
day was over. We had to remove our couch and love seat and replace them
with the new pieces we had bought on Thursday. We hooked the red trailer
to the truck and pulled it to the garage, then unloaded the furniture
and carried the pieces in and out of the house while Linda and Pauline
carried the cushions and held the door.
Sunday
morning, it was Pauline's Birthday. We fixed omelets for her for her
birthday. After breakfast, we sat and decided whether to go to the lake
again or not. It was a close call, but too much sun was the main reason
we decided not to go again. Julie, Brent and I had baked a cake for
Pauline, so we sang "Happy Birthday" to her and she cut the cake. I
dipped ice cream for everyone to eat with their piece of cake.
Pauline
and Brent left for their house about 4 PM.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Maiden Voyage
The weather was a little 'iffy' for a boat ride Saturday morning, but we
had some things to do before we could try it. Brent and I had to find
vinyl numbers for the side of the boat. We searched Burkesville and
finally found a set of letters and numbers at Cumberland Sportsman
Supply. We then hooked the truck to the boat and trailer and pulled it
out of the pole barn. We measured and marked the spots for the numbers
and KY stickers and applied them to both sides of the boat. Pauline,
Stacey and Linda had the kids and a picnic setup just a few feet away
near the fire pit. We stopped working and ate a frozen fruit over cake
dessert, then returned to the boat work. We knotted rope for the boat
bumpers and did a few other things, then pulled the truck and boat up
the hill to the house. I opened the garage door and pulled the water
hose to the back of the boat. We used the 'ear muffs' to start the boat
and try out the controls. The new 350 cubic inch motor started the first
try and everything worked perfectly. I also put the plug in the bottom
of the boat. By that time, the weather had cleared and Pauline, Stacey
and Linda had followed us to the house and were packing things for the
trip to Dale Hollow. Linda and I took Julie with us in the truck and
Pauline and Brent had Kyle and Stacey with them in their Traverse. We
didn't get far down the road when Brent called on the FRS radio and said
the cover was flapping on the back end of the boat. I pulled to the side
and we used the straps that hold the boat on the trailer to secure the
cover. The next stop was the gas station to fill the boat's tank, then
to the dock. After Stacey and Linda climbed in the boat, Pauling took
Kyle and Julie to the restroom while I backed the boat down and into the
water. Brent started the boat and backed it off the trailer, then pulled
it to the dock to pick up the rest of the crew.
Brent
backed away from the dock, then idled out of the idle zone and moved the
throttle forward. The bow raised as the motor revved and we were under
way, cruising on Dale Hollow Lake. The wind was blowing briskly and the
lake was in a chop as we passed Trooper Island and headed towards Sunset
Dock. As we ran along a hillside where the lake was protected from the
wind, Brent pushed the throttle down and the boat smoothed out and began
showing it's speed. As we moved back into the windy part of the lake he
eased the speed back down and went back to cruising. On a big stretch of
wide water, he stopped the engine and we unfurled the Bimini top, then
he restarted the engine and we went on.
I
took the controls for a little bit and noticed how well the power
steering worked. I moved out of the driver's seat and told Stacey to
take over. She had been waiting patiently to take her turn because Brent
and I had teased her about her not being able to drive the new boat.
Stacey was excited that she was driving the boat and very happy we all
were having fun on the lake again. I took the controls and pulled the
boat into the dock at Sunset. Brent jumped out and tied the front end
securely while I held the boat away from the tires lining the dock. We
hung out a boat bumper and secured the rear with another rope, then
everyone stepped out on the dock and went inside the restaurant. We
ordered our food, then the girls went shopping in the 'ship's store'
while I watched Kyle. Brent went back to the boat to get Kyle's sippy
cup. Julie and Pauline fed the ducks until our waitress brought our
dinners.
We
returned to the boat after finishing dinner, untied from the dock and I
headed the boat back to the State Park Dock. Stacey took over driving
for a while, then Brent drove into the dock area. He pulled the nose of
the boat to the edge of the dock, I stepped off the boat and onto the
dock and walked up the ramp to the truck and trailer. I backed the
trailer into the water and Brent drove the boat on the trailer. I hooked
it and then winched it forward about a foot, hooked the safety chain and
told everyone to set down while I pulled the boat to the top of the ramp
with the truck. I parked and we began readying the boat for the short
tow back to the farm. We used the bow and cockpit covers instead of the
road cover for the trip back.
We
saw a couple of deer as we were leaving the park, but by the time we
were back at the farm, Julie was falling over in her seat asleep. After
unloading a few items out of the pickup truck, Linda opened the pole
barn door and I backed the boat into the barn, then closed the door. The
"Maiden Voyage" was over. Brent and the rest of the family picked us up
in the Mule for the ride to the house.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Sea Rays
The weather was cold and the roads were clear, just what we needed to
pull the Sea Ray out of the pole barn. Brent aired the tires up to 40
pounds while I hooked up the lights and safety chains. We threw the road
cover on the boat and tied it down. We put the floor jack in the pickup
bed along with the spare tire. Stacey was in the back seat of the truck,
so we were ready to take the Sea Ray on it's last trip with us as the
owners.
We
turned north on 61 and drove to Elizabethtown, then took I-65 to
Louisville. We pulled into the parking lot at Sea Ray of Louisville and
went inside. Brent had talked to the manager a couple of weeks ago and
they had made a deal, so Brent told him we had our boat outside the
shop. He came out, took a quick look and told us to unhook the boat
right there and we could leave for about an hour. That worked into our
plan, we drove about a mile and ate lunch at Kingfish Restaurant. After
lunch, we drove back to the dealership and Brent finished the trade of
the old Sea Ray for a new Sea Ray. It took a while to get the paper work
done, but finally it was finished and they moved the boat outside. We
hooked it to the pickup truck and were ready to head back to the farm.
The traffic was heavy in Louisville as it was around 4:30 on a Friday
afternoon and a lot of people were starting their weekend.
The
trailer has electric surge brakes that gave us a scare when we first
pulled away from the dealership. There is a slipping back and forth of
the brake control unit as the truck stops or takes off and the trailer
felt like it wasn't locked down on the hitch ball. Once we figured out
what was happening, it wasn't a problem. We drove south and stopped at
the first rest stop to take a restroom break and check out the boat to
see if anything was loose. All was well, so we grabbed a cold drink at
the vending machine and continued south on Interstate 65. At
Elizabethtown we left the interstate and took 61 South. The new boat was
great to pull with the tandem axle trailer spreading out the weight and
causing it to track straight. 
Brent
talked to Pauline on the phone while we were on the road back, he also
talked to Linda and let her know when we were almost to the farm. Linda
went down and opened the pole barn doors and I backed the new Sea Ray
into the barn. We unhooked it, talked about the trip a few minutes, then
went to the house. Brent headed back to his house about 20 minutes later.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Boat Clean Up
The weather warmed up but the ground was soppy with water from the snow
melting, so we went to the pole barn and worked on cleaning the Sea Ray.
Stacey was eager to work on the boat, so she climbed into the interior
and started handing out things to Linda. When she had the small stuff
unloaded, Linda went up the ladder and climbed on board. We took
everything out, then Linda swept the boat with the shop vacuum.
I
started the salamander burning in the 'Club House' so that we could set
in there and warm up while we took a break. Stacey sat down and it
looked like she was just going to wait until it was time to go boating
with her being right by the Dale Hollow Lake sign on the wall.
We
finished the work, shut the salamander off and went to the house talking
about going boating this coming summer.
