Wine With Friends in Willow

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Hi Blog!

Last January we spent a wonderful  two weeks camping with our fellow Escapee Boomers in Quartzsite, Arizona. As we said our farewells, we promised to meet up again on the road this summer. Cathy and Bob have a summer place in Willow, Alaska. We made sure to adjust our itinerary so we could spend the day with them at their lakeside cabin. As it turned out, our friends, Tony and DeeDee, made plans to join us as well.

Here, DeeDee, Cathy and Kathy are ready to get the party started!

While we left our rig in Palmer in order to prepare for our holiday in Seward, Tony and DeeDee brought their rig and backed it into the driveway. After they got settled, we had a great buffet lunch and prepared to set sail on the lake. Here Tony gets ready to lower the sunfish into the lake.

The rest of us piled on the "wine barge." Because the lake freezes solid, folks on the lake have floating docks. Add a small electric motor, unhook from shore and you have a floating barge. Add a box of wine and you have a floating wine barge!

After we shoved off, Tony got some help from neighbor Tim to hoist the mainsail!

As the wind took Tony across the lake, Cathy fired up the little engine that could on the wine barge and we set out to circumnavigate the lake.

All Kathy, Claire and DeeDee had to do was sit back and relax.

As we puttered about, we were joined by momma duck and her brood.

We had perfect weather for our day on the lake. Langston Hughes once said:

How still,

How strangely still

The water is today,

It is not good

For water

To be so still that way.

We disagree. While Tony might have wanted a little more wind, we did not want our barge to rock and roll. It might spill the wine!

Just in case we got into trouble, Mike had the motorized canoe all ready to come to our rescue.

Tacking back and forth builds up a powerful thirst. Tony stopped by for a quick drink and to cast an admiring glance at his wife.

When Escapee Boomers get together, its called a "Boomer-rang." When small groups of Boomers get together its a mini-rang. We had a wonderful time at our mini-rang in Willow, Alaska!

Thank you Bob and Cathy for a great day on the lake. Can't wait until our paths cross again.