Random Fall and Winter Happenings

The months have flown by since our last update...time for some sharing! Do you remember this guy? And this boat? Back in late September we were able to get back up to Saugatuck, MI, to see some of our favorite friends that we met on our Lake Michigan adventure.

Dave, sailing the infamous Phagawi.

Mary, enjoying the blue.

We stayed on the Phagawi for the weekend - just like the good old days. This trip brought back many fond memories of when we were weather bound on this same dock for 9 days...

Good morning, sunshine.

Mary and Tim, just being clothes and hair twins.

Jam session with friends!

We saw this old wooden sailboat up on blocks in a parking lot in Saugatuck. Amy really wants it.

We're pretty sure it's impossible to restore into a functioning water vessel, but we do think that this boat would make a fantastic treehouse if it were hoisted up in a tree...'Two Girls and a Treehouse Named Boat?"

Time for some playtime! More Phagawi sailing, hammock hangouts, dinghy rides, kayaking, and greenland style rolling lessons.

For our rolling lesson, we put on the traditional tulik and hopped in Gina's skin-on-frame kayak.

 

Tim is well versed in anything having to do with greenland style kayaking, so he was the perfect teacher for our first ever rolling lesson.

Butterfly rolls and balance braces in 20 minutes flat!

Good job, Mar!

Your turn, Amy. Now get in that tulik!

Roll, Amy, roll!

Then Tim showed up everyone with a beer roll. Someday we'll be able to add that to our resume as well.

Our two year tripversary was celebrated on October 1, 2014, by completing a long dune hike and taking a chilly dip into our favorite Great Lake.

This fall was also full of new boat projects. The Blue Heron is coming together nicely with it's new paint job. We cannot wait to take it on Lake Michigan next summer! We might be going on a round the lake book tour in this boat...

We also acquired an old Hobie Cat. Amy wants to call it the 'Banana Hammock.'

We had some fun surfing as the weather changed.

Mary between peaks!

Halloween was our last hurrah...at least until Amy gets a warmer wetsuit!

We also attended the Sandhill Crane Paddle, hosted by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association. There were many friendly and familiar faces seen paddling down the Kankakee River that day.

Mary in the stern and Amy in the bow, as per usual.

Our friend, Jackie, enjoying the falling leaves and bright colors.

The day ended at the Jasper Pulaski lookout where there were thousands and thousands of sandhill cranes flying in to roost for the evening. Pull out your binoculars everyone!

Another random day after a Lake Michigan storm, Amy stumbled upon this log riding in a Sunfish. My, my, my, how the tables have turned...

In December, we finally took a trip up to Muskegon State Park. We won a 2 night stay in their yurt, so we thought we might as well take advantage of the new snow!

We invited our friend Jackie along - luckily she's a barista. Camp coffee.

The essentials. Food, drinks, and good friends.

The Muskegon State Park has some great hiking trails!

Uh-oh, Mary might be stuck.

Best seat in the house.

Nutella. Always Nutella.

A cold winter day on Lake Michigan before the shelf ice rolled in. There was still plenty of ice covering the sand on shore though!

Frozen clay, ice, and sand.

Breaks are always needed from book writing and documentary editing. Some of our favorite work breaks take us outside on long hikes, cross country skiing, and ice skating.

And on occasion dancing. Please enjoy this interpretive mom dance by Amy. She's good, right?