Life is good on the river

I have been remiss in keeping this journal up to date, and will blame it squarely on the river.  It has a way of slowing everything down, and everyone with it.  The recent 80 plus degree temperatures (that's 27C or so, for you northerners) also work to keep things moving more slowly, note the lower inside temp. courtesy of the on-board A/C .



I am continuing to do some work for the AOHC, and take part in teleconferences from my office on the bridge.  That's just lemonade in the glass, folks!! Honest.

The view through my office window.....






We have, of course, been busy preparing for the new toilet system.  Most of the pieces have arrived  new toilets, lots of new hose to replace the smelly old ones, and various other necessary bits and pieces.  The holding tank, arguably the most important piece, has yet to arrive, but is expected this week.  So we are still waiting for the final assembly.


In the meantime, we have been enjoying our new home, and getting to know the neighborhood. 




We have launched the small boat ( a 14ft Rossiter we brought down with us) and have been out on the river a few times.  






We saw our first bald eagle last weekend - not close enough for pictures, I'm afraid, but a magnificent sight.  There are osprey here, too, but they are quite shy.  They nest on platforms or channel markers just like the ones on Georgian Bay.






There are many others like us, who choose to live on or near the water.  Some of the homes we see from the water are quite spectacular.

We heard that this area has not suffered from the recession like other areas of the country, mostly because of the aerospace industry work in Huntsville.  With all that government money, they have managed to keep the economy fairly strong.

There are a lot of boats for sale in the marina, and now a new idea for river condos.  Outright purchase or timeshare on a riverboat!  This 'model' arrived in the marina last week, and is tied up at the end of our dock.  We haven't had an opportunity to go on board yet to see what they're offering, but the idea is certainly different.



But these condos are the most interesting that I have ever seen.  These tiny swallows have worked feverishly to build their mud nests in the rafters above our heads.  They make a terrible mess of the decks, dropping mud and other stuff all over.  Many of the boat owners here use their water hoses to spray the nests down, but once it looked like it was ready for eggs, I didn't have the heart.  We will watch for the babies, and try to get pictures if we can.