Sailing

Mondays are pastors' days off, so Todd invited us to go sailing with him today. He picked us up at about 10:30, along with Granddaughter Havela and Greatgranddaughter Kahlyn, and we drove about an hour to a reservoir near Eugene where he has his sailboat in a slip. This sailboat has quite a story. For our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Forry organized a trip for us to a sailing school in the Virgin Islands. After some initial training, we went on a two weeks trip around the Islands on a forty foot sailboat. When we got back, Forry started looking for a boat of his own and found a 23 foot San Juan sailboat and trailer in Oak Harbor, Washington.

We sailed that boat during the years we lived on the ranch. Then we moved to Spokane when I went to work for the AHEC at WSU Spokane. We parked the sailboat on its trailer in the driveway of the Spokane house with the intention of looking for a nearby boat slip so that we could use it. But life got busy, Forry found other interests and the boat sat in the driveway for 18 years! Finally, he gave it to our son-in-law, who completely rebuilt the trailer and the inside of the sailboat, repainted the outside and re-rigged it. Now he and his family are enjoying it.

It was a lovely day for sailing. There was a nice breeze and it was very comfortable out on the water. Kahlyn was not real happy about having to wear a life jacket, but she enjoyed playing in the cabin. We made a loop pretty much around the reservoir, getting a bit of suntan in the process. It was a wonderful day.

Kahlyn has been a bit skeptical of her Greatgrandfather and his beard. Forry's spent enough time with her the past couple of days that she's decided he just might be okay and started making up to him. She is just a little character and we are enjoying her immensely. She is a good eater and game to try anything. She shared ice cream bars with her mother and I on the way home and I think she ate more than we did!