Post summerfolk post

Riding Train (Amtrak 284 Empire Service) back to Hudson, NY
Thought I'd try and load some photos that really belong in the previous posting...Oh well.
:)

the HERD at the campground
Summerfolk 2012 - Owen Sound - Georgian Bay

we're BACK !!!!   Back in the USA that is...after the Summerfolk Festival 2012 at Owen
Sound (Georgian Bay - Lake Huron).

It's Monday afternoon, (when I first start to write)...8/20/2012. 
It was an event filled "weekend...".
We actually started our trip on Thursday, because we like to get up to Owen Sound in
the daylight, and set up camp in the KOA camp ground; play some guitar, enjoy a
campfire, and just talking with the "herd"...(as they say in a song "catching up on
the things we've tried to do"). 
 
The Festival starts Friday PM...so Friday we get to sleep in and "veg"
The first change in plans was when one of the Herd members, (Gary) decided that he
wouldn't be traveling with the Herd (caravan of three vehicles)..but he would be
traveling separately Thursday NIGHT!!!! (Buffalo to Owen Sound)... WELL..he made
it...sort of... to Owen Sound but finding our campsite was a little more difficult.
So...he was basically "UP" (as in awake) all Thursday, AND Thursday night. 
So..Friday he was working on marginal sleep...
Anyway...The Festival started with a great Concert on Friday night...lasting until
after midnight...(typical for all three night concerts at Summerfolk). Obviously that
makes for a short night's sleep... because by the time we drive back to the
campground, start a fire...have a beer or two...talk, and get ready to 'crash' it's
around 2:30 AM.  Daylight comes not too long after that....(for three days).

Passing information about the festival will take a few emails, and blog posts...

One thing that was painfully obvious is that Susan and I have gotten used to the
Florida Keys, or Island temperatures... Owen Sound nights were "COLD"...
(I even resorted to wearing socks at night...which if you know me.. is a very large
STEP.... because I hate socks!!!!
 :)
Days, at the Folkfest, were wonderful, but had the potential for torrential downpours,
coming off Lake Huron.  Fortunately most of the downpours, and t-storms came at night,
after the campfires, and when we were nicely tucked into the tents.  :)  yeah!!! 
Gary did get to play in one OPEN Stage, and Bill Pomerhn sang in the Summerfolk Choir
again. 
We had one hospital event, when Gary, ostensibly started to pass a kidney stone..(i.e.
extreme pain)... So that took Gary and Gar out of the festival grounds for Sunday
afternoon... (Gar had to drive Gary to the local hospital...).  
Several stories surround that incident...which will have to wait 'til later to be
told.

But the hospital did erroneously KEEP Gary's "enhanced Drivers Licence" after issuing
him some pain meds...so that made getting back into the USA a bit of a scene.

Kelvin and Bill also had a few tense moments at the Peace Bridge when Bill accidently
dumped Kelvins NEXUS card into the back seat, and under all the camping gear...when
they were one car from the customs/immigration inspector station.  :(   BUT, with a
lot of out of the car scrambling...they found the card, and were allowed to come
home...;)  yeah !
The music at the festival was phenomenal...we did get to see a lot of Nathan Rogers
(Stan Roger' son).  Wonderful.
OK... more to follow...company has just arrived...

Monday was a busy day... We (Susan and I) met Ruth at the Fleetwood property at about 11:45 AM, and began work to further raise and stabilize the garage roof.

After a short while we discovered that main ridge pole was, indeed, rising, but we were also flexing the existing roofing shingles, to the point where they were becoming unstuck from each other... showing slight signs of buckling... Not bad but...we decided that enough was enough, before we "broke something"... ;)

So we started installing the collar ties to keep the roof rafters in the present position.

the day was filled with a lot of "up and down ladder" stuff...but the job is done... a nice feeling.

It's a good feeling to be able to assist Ruth with this sort of thing, while we're in the area.  

Good to be back home on AB

Nice to be 'home' on the AB. Still amazed that there wasn't more mold inside,... considering how HOT the weather was, all the time we were away. 

I guess we left the correct portlights, and hatches open (to give some air circulation).

We did "luck-out" with the creek flooding too... Scott send us an email at one point during our 'lake cottage' stay... saying "THE CREEK FLOOD WARNING IS NOW OVER".

wow..
We never knew it was "ON"        ;)

 Yesterday I pumped up the dinghy...

It was pretty deflated after nearly three weeks away...I knew there was at least one 'semi-major' leak. 

So I sprayed it with a soapy water solution, and discovered two leaks... one new one where the rubberized fabric has been worn away from the fabric, near the transom, and one old leak where the patch, near the bow, is coming loose.      :(

SO...over the next month, I'll have to complete the patching, and internal sealing (with the liquid "fix-a-flat" stuff for inflatable boats...

Mid-Week - Second Week at Cottage - Angola, NY

Wed. August 1st 2012 -- Now, mid-week of the second week at the cottage.  We had a wonderful crowd here over the first week, and the middle weekend.   On Wednesday of the first week, Ruth, Matt, Charles, and Billie showed up at the cottage.   That same day Gar, and Sandy Davidson drove in from Bethlehem PA, and the place began to "humm" with activities.  
Ruth had one of her best friends from High school come that first week (Gretchen Kampf).  Gretchen brought her children (pic below).  
As the crowd at the cottage grew Matt pitched in with the cooking chores (breakfasts, lunches, dinners), which was a Godsend.   He even volunteered to use the charcoal grille for one huge meal;  talk about nerve!!
I (dean) elect to use the propane grille that Ed Speidel lent us for the two weeks... (just lazy I guess).
All the kids from the Speidel clan (i.e Eddie, Katlyn, and Danny), and Charlie, and Billie (Matt's kids) seemed to get along and have a great time in the pool, and playing games in the cottage.   

Some of the pictures were posted before, and now some add'l pics are streaming in from family, and guests.  NICE!     Here's some with brief captions.

Ruth, Matt, Gretchen and families.

Ruth, Billie, Charlie, and Matt enjoying the pool.

Gar and Sandy Davidson - relaxing on the back porch.

Beverly and Rob's 30 foot travel trailer at the cottage.

Susan, Ruth, and Billie enjoying the pool.

Dean and Ruth cooling off in pool.

Dean and Gar providing entertainment while Spaghetti Dinner is being prepared.

Sunday's Guest line-up (actually several are missing).
Rob;Bev;Gar; Susan; Matt;Billie;Dean;Charlie; Lauren;Sandy;Kelvin;Ruth

Ruth, and Billie keeping the Styrofoam ball supported in mid air.

I did take my guitar into Buffalo to have a certified Gibson Technician take a look at the inlay-type binding that's coming off the face edge of the instrument.   He did take a look; and gave me a price to fix it that 'stunned' me... (probably more than the instrument is worth on the market). 
SO...............the end result of that is that I'll patch it up myself with 'stuff' on the AB, and keep enjoying the great sound of the Gibson, as it is.... :)

Billie, and Gary S. (floating ball - science experiment)

Susan and Debbie Kampff

Herd members at Mickey Rat's (traditional Fish Fry night)
Gar; Bill; Dean; Susan; Sandy

Sunday Evening music makers (The Herd).

Matt cooking dinner on the charcoal
grille -  Delicious.

One of Susan's best friends from East Aurora came out too... Debbie Kampf.  It was great catching up on the stories from EA. 

Gary S. came to the cottage as usual, with a science project, and kept all the kids (and some adults, busy...at keeping a ball suspended in mid-air with flow from a lung powered nozzle (aka straw).  (See photos above).

At the end of the first week, Gar, and Susan took a bike ride toward Sunset Bay, for exercise.  

more later.