I always wonder what those buildings used to hold.

The park in Phoenix, N.Y.

Little businesses in Phoenix

We left Oswego on September 8^th and made our way to Phoenix, N.Y. Phoenix is a little town that we passed by on our way west on the Erie and I really wanted to stop there going back. On the weekends, in this town, a group of young teens called the Bridge House Brats gather at the dock. They get boaters food from restaurants, escort them to stores and carry packages, and generally do anything they can for tips. They also work on keeping up the park’s grounds. Although we were not there on the weekend, evidence of these young entrepreneurs is everywhere. The whole area is very eclectic. Duck houses abound, flowers are planted cheerfully around the grounds, there are tables and chairs along the docks and picnic tables on shore, flags of every sort are flying and the whole little park is colorful and charming. We took a walk through the tiny town with a population of about 2800 in the evening and found everything closed up and looking a bit depressed. In the morning, though, all the little cafes and restaurants were open and things seemed much brighter. I found a produce stand with fresh fruits and vegetables and bought, among other things, some wonderfully delicious peaches that seemed to be just picked.

Our next stop, on September 10^th – 11^th, was Brewerton, N.Y. At lock 23 on the Erie Canal, Brewerton is known for having the least expensive fuel in the area. While we still really had plenty to get us as far as Norfolk, VA according to John’s calculations, he wanted to put in a few hundred gallons to allow for any side trips we decide to make. Norfolk apparently has very inexpensive fuel, so that will be our next big fill up destination.

We stayed at a wonderful marina in Brewerton where the people were very friendly and helpful. They offered us a courtesy car, which I used to get a few things while I had the opportunity. While driving to town I passed the fire department on the 11^th and saw their very simple and tasteful display of remembrance of that terrible event 14 years ago.

We left Brewerton the afternoon of the 11^th and motored to Sylvan Beach. We arrived around 5:00 and while enjoying happy hour we noticed a lot of fire engines heading to town.   A quick check online showed us that there would be a memorial at 7:00 PM. Of course, New York is especially sensitive to the happenings of 9/11 and Sylvan Beach was no exception. We walked to the town green in time for the ceremony and we were really touched by what we saw there. Firemen from all over the area came with their trucks, the observance was beautiful, and we left feeling very touched by all of the sentiments expressed during the event.

We stayed in Sylvan Beach an extra night as the weather was predicted to be rainy. Although it was never too bad, we enjoyed our time relaxing, reading, and working on projects. Late Sunday morning we left and headed to Utica, N.Y. We stayed at Lock 20 along the Erie Canal and along the way we noticed that there are signs of autumn in the air. When we were traveling west last spring, the leaves had just come out and were bright green. Now we are starting to see the change. It is time to move south for those of us who are Floridians at heart. We need to beat fall and live in our never-ending summer!

Our anchorage was enveloped in a heavy fog when we awoke on Tuesday, September 1. It was predicted to lift by 10:00, which we were happy to hear, because the day was to be another fun day of meeting up with our long time good friends, Ned and Anne. We hadn’t seen them since we left Florida back in March, but before that we spent a lot of time together when they were in St. Petersburg. They live part of the time there and the other part of the year in Connecticut and they were the first to set up a date to visit us on AfterMath when she was first purchased. We didn’t want to miss our time with them!

Anne is always ready to toast a good time.

And Ned is ready to cruise.

Clayton, NY

The houseboat once owned by Mr. Boldt – the man who built Boldt Castle.  Clayton has an antique boat museum.

Because we had cleaning and tasks to do, we worked until the fog lifted and then set out to Clayton, NY. It was a short ride from the anchorage and we arrived around noon. I needed to do some serious provisioning and John had read that a grocery store in town would pick up customers and then return them to their boat. I called the store’s office and, sure enough, minutes later, they came to pick me up. I bought enough to fill the freezer and stock the cabinets and was returned back just about when Ned and Anne arrived. As soon as I put all the groceries away we met up and had a wonderful reunion. They treated us to dinner at a very nice restaurant and then we all gathered in the lounge at the hotel/marina where we were all staying. The next day we got together for breakfast, John and Ned went to do an errand, and then we all went out for a ride on AfterMath before sharing a great dinner aboard. We were able to have one more breakfast with them, enjoying some delicious bagels they brought along with some banana bread Chris sent, while I did some laundry on Thursday, before they headed back to Connecticut. We traditionally spend New Years Eve with Ned and Anne and we all vowed to do so again this year.

The Department of Environmental Conservation where we docked for a few nights

A park in Cape Vincent

What an interesting name for a pizza restaurant.  It actually only sold ice cream!

The center of town in Cape Vincent.

At the aquarium.

Inside the pottery shop.

Hostas in full bloom.

Old lace curtains in these windows.

The most interesting shop in town.  You really worried about turning around at this shop for fear something would fall down!

Our next stop after leaving Clayton was a little town called Cape Vincent. The town and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provide free docks and we found a beautiful one at the DEC right in front of their fishery building. I really loved Cape Vincent. It was a quaint town with a little center just a couple of minutes from our dock. There were shops, a post office, a tiny aquarium, a market with anything you could need, and restaurants right near us. We decided to take advantage of the local American Legion fish fry on Friday night where we could mix with the locals. In Cape Vincent, we also met a very nice group of Canadians who invited us to join them. We ended up staying there three nights and had a great time exploring the town, relaxing with our new friends, and watching the tankers pass on the St. Lawrence Seaway. We probably would have stayed longer but the weather a few days out didn’t look favorable for crossing Lake Ontario.

Yesterday we left our dock and headed to Henderson Harbor. It was a bumpy ride for the most part and the dogs were a little nervous, but we all did just fine. Henderson Harbor is a big port for sailboats on Lake Ontario, but we found a nice spot to anchor right outside of a mooring field.

Today we left our anchorage early and motored over to Oswego, NY where we again re-entered the Oswego Canal. We have vowed to take our trip down the New York canals at a slower pace than we did when we were traveling north. I will spend some time making canvas covers for the dinghy, the spot light, and whatever else John has planned, and he will get some more routine maintenance done and we will spend time exploring the towns along the way. We will also try to post to the blog more often than we were able in Canada!

Here is where we are now.

Monday morning, August 31^st, found us on our way out of Canada and back into the United States. Our anchorage from the previous night was only a few miles away from this landmark, which also serves as a port of entry. The castle, with the slight haze on the water, appeared to rise straight out of a fairy tale. I couldn’t wait to see it, but first we needed to clear customs.

Our first view of the fairy tale-like Boldt Castle

The Powerhouse

AfterMath at the Customs Dock

Stained glass ceiling in the castle

The currently un-refurbished swimming pool in the basement

The castle came complete with an underground tunnel where supplies could be brought in

The children’s playhouse

A waterfront view of the playhouse.  I guess my children were deprived!

Inside the playhouse

The arch that was to welcome all visitors

The boathouse.  A water shuttle runs to take tourists back and forth between the castle and the boathouse.

AfterMath from the boathouse

Arriving at the castle, we immediately were directed to a dock where a friendly customs officer came quickly to our boat. He looked at the name, asked for our passports, and said hello to Kirby and Jake, who are always willing to make another acquaintance. In a matter of just a couple of minutes we were told we were free to leave the boat, once again back in the U. S. We asked where we might dock if we wanted to tour the castle before leaving and were told that we were welcome to stay right there on the Customs dock as it was not a busy day. We were so happy with our experience at the island as other ports of entry in the past have not been so easily dealt with.

Boldt Castle was the brainchild of George Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria, who wanted to build a castle to show his love for his wife, Louise.   Beginning the project in 1900, he set no price limits and held back nothing. He planned a six-story building with 120 rooms, a powerhouse to power the castle, and a tower to be used as a children’s playhouse. He even paid to have the island, on which the castle stood, blasted into the shape of a heart. Boldt wanted to give the castle to his wife on Valentine’s Day in 1904, but, in January of the same year, Louise passed away. George ordered all work on the castle to be suspended and he never returned to the island again.

Over the next 73 years the castle was left to the elements and to vandals, but in 1977 the structures and land were purchased by the Thousand Island Bridge Authority. Since the 1980’s the organization has been slowly refurbishing the buildings and the gardens and it is now a very popular stop for tour boats from New York and Canada. The first two floors have largely been completed now and they are spectacular. Tourists can see all of the floors of the castle and walk through tunnels and into the powerhouse and the children’s playhouse, even where the refurbishment is not completed. The powerhouse now has a picture history on the ground floor that is fascinating to see. The children’s playhouse has not been restored yet, but will hold a bowling alley on its first floor. Also available for touring is a boathouse across the river from the castle. Inside are gorgeous boats that were part of Mr. Boldt’s large collection.

Crossing under the 1000 Island Bridge, now on the American side.

We spent a few hours touring the castle, the grounds, the playhouse, the powerhouse, and the boathouse. It was a gorgeous day to spend at a beautiful park that is a testament to a man’s undying love for his wife. After our tour was over we headed to a nearby anchorage where we enjoyed a quiet evening, happy to be back in the United States of America.

The transition had to be made eventually, but it was hard for us to leave Canada knowing that we would not be back again for at least a couple of years. We were leaving a country that we learned to love after discovering the friendly people, the interesting history, the beautiful towns, and wonderful cities. And, it just didn’t seem right to be leaving before I ever caught a fish! But we had to prepare to leave, so we took the last several days to tour the Canadian side of the 1000 Islands.

Ft. Henry, Kingston, Ontario

Kingston powers 72,000 homes with its 86 windmills

Shortly after leaving Kingston we were greeted by Shrek and some friends.

We stayed an extra day in Kingston as the wind on the 24^th was strong again and the general consensus of boaters was that it just wasn’t a good day to leave shore. Not ones to miss enjoying our day, we went to town where we ate gelato for lunch at the waters edge park. We then walked around the city and found a great little butcher shop where some provisions for the freezer were purchased. The next day was much calmer so we started out on our way to an anchorage.

On the way from the Admiralty Islands to the Lake Fleet Islands, we saw this large Canadian police boat.

After anchoring, this boat, which was based on the big red ship above, came up to us to make sure we had checked in with the border patrol in Canada (which we had done 2 1/2 months earlier).  They were the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and they couldn’t have been nicer.They even happily agreed to this photo.

A few scenes from Gananoque (pronounced GAN-a-NOC-way).  It took us a few days to be able to say it correctly!

A peaceful sunset at anchor.

The skies changed constantly and were very beautiful.  

Even with that threatening looking sky above us, we barely felt a drizzle that day.

Passing under the 1000 Island Bridge on the Canadian Side.

Tour boat traffic

Sparkling water near sunset time

Dinghy touring times

The water is crystal clear

Weeds are really pretty underwater – but not on your anchor when it’s time to pull it up! 

It seems that a lot of dogs like paddle boarding.  I really loved that the basset hound rode with this guy.

A busy weekend day 

Kirby and John taking a little walk in the sun

AfterMath in its most active anchorage.

The 1000 Islands area really number over 1800. To qualify as an island the land must be above water year round and contain at least one tree. About 2/3 of the islands are in Canada with the rest being in New York. They are grouped in clusters that have names and each island is also individually named. While touring we anchored in the Admiralty Islands, Lake Fleet Islands, Navy Islands and Grenadier Island and the North Shore. Our trips were short these days, and we enjoyed sleeping in a little, relaxing with coffee in the morning, taking a short ride and having time to explore in the afternoon. We were able to use the dinghy a lot, as nothing is better for exploring than a little boat that can go almost anywhere.

While the scenery was lovely, I found that the waters just didn’t have the same atmosphere as many of the places we had frequented recently, and I think my photos reflect that change. There is more traffic in this area and, while we found nice anchorages, many were just not quite as secluded and tranquil as those we had left farther north. There are a lot of tour boats in this area and the weekend is a busy time for boaters here.

Homes on islands along the way

The boat house and the Winnebago

It might be fun to live in a lighthouse

No house at all – just fun and a sailboat

All along the way we enjoyed looking at the variety of homes on the islands. Some are tiny, some are huge, some take up all of the island and others have glorious green lawns. One had a wonderful boathouse, but the home was a Winnebago. We wondered how they got that RV to the island and laughed thinking that the boats may have a more luxurious home than the people. Another had docks for boats, a gazebo and a shelter, but no house at all. Apparently the people live in their sailboat while on their island but use land for meals and other fun.

Our last Canadian sunset

The end had come for our Canadian adventure. August 30 was to be our last day before re-entering the United States. When we started out last spring, I wasn’t even sure that I really had an interest in heading north, but now I am so happy we did. Unforgettable memories were made here, and some of the time was shared with friends and with family.   What could be better?

We are not city people as a rule. John and I love the rural spots, the quiet places, and the out of the way destinations. But, surprisingly, this trip, we loved two major cities in Canada, and we were lucky enough to have our good friends, Chris and Sam, accompany us as we traveled from Ottawa to Kingston. Along the way we stayed in the small towns and rural spaces at the lock walls.

On August 12, we made the switch in our company from Alex, Sasha, and Harris to Chris and Sam Alesevich. Chris and Sam came loaded with meals, supplies, and goodies for provisions along with their luggage, so we all helped unload the car and then packed everything away on AfterMath. After a quick run to a couple of stores, the keys were turned over to Alex, who set out on the drive to Kingston, where he dropped off the Alesevich car and picked up his own.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The change of the guard at the Tomb

Parliament East

The main Parliament building

Amazing metal work and detail

The top of the flight of eight locks in Ottawa.

Along the canal.  Do you see AfterMath?

Twilight on the canal – again, can you find AfterMath?

Fireworks on the Ottawa River

A few of the sights from the Northern Lights show.

Chris, Sam, John and I took a nice walk around Ottawa and we watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the evening, after Chris accompanied me on a short photo shoot and after John grilled a delicious dinner of fresh salmon and vegetables from the nearby market place, we were thrilled to be able to witness Belgium’s entry in the international fireworks competition that takes place throughout the summer in Ottawa. The show was absolutely beautiful and we were lucky to have caught it, as it takes place only on Wednesday nights in the Ottawa River. Afterwards we quickly walked to Parliament Hill where the Northern Lights show runs nightly on the Parliament Building. It is a show that displays the history of Canada and ends with their national anthem. Seeing both shows on the same night was amazing!

The next day, Thursday, August 13, Chris, Sam and I went back to Parliament Hill to watch the changing of the guard. Canada loves its traditions and pomp and circumstance and we really enjoyed watching the show. We then made a quick trip to the market place to pick up a few fruits and vegetables before we got underway. John had the boat ready when we finished our shopping and we began our southward journey on the Rideau Canal.   We traveled to Burritt’s Rapids where we ate more of that fresh salmon and spent the night at the lock wall.

Kirby and Jake were given extra special treatment by Chris and Sam.

Everyone enjoyed happy hour in the fly bridge one night.

Walking around Merrickville.  

Westport Harbor was a quaint little town.

The one car ferry.

Beautiful sights along the way.

The top of the flight of 4 locks at Jones Falls.

This swing bridge is operated by pushing it to open and close.  Unfortunately, when they pushed it closed it broke the lock crank and they had to push the lock closed by hand too!

The only businesses at this lock were an artist studio and an apple orchard.  We bought apples and got a delicious dessert that day.

Jake was sure that Sam wanted to share his breakfast!

We retraced our steps along the Rideau Canal, stopping at most of the same stops we made on our way north, but adding the town of Westport to our itinerary on the return trip. Sam became an expert at locking and gave John a nice break from having to do double duty of piloting and working lock lines. Chris could always be found with a camera in her hands, sometimes toting one along when even I didn’t have one, and she was a great help in the galley, making salads, dinners, and doing those never ending dishes. Along the way we had lots of laughs, delicious meals, wonderful happy hours, refreshing swims, walks with the dogs, and unforgettable experiences.

The blue dot shows our position in the rainstorm.

We will always get a laugh out of the night we were at a restaurant in Merrickville and a huge rainstorm broke out. When John looked at a weather map it was obvious that the only place within miles and miles that had rain was right where we were and, of course, we had left the windows and hatch open on AfterMath. Sam kindly ran back in the pouring rain with an umbrella borrowed from the restaurant to close up. By the time we were finished, the sun was again shining and all was well.

Thursday, August 20^th, we made our way from our last docking at Lower Brewer’s Lock to Kingston. What a day it was! After leaving the locks, the wind began to pick up and soon it was gusting at 30 miles per hour. While we were comfortable enough on AfterMath, we knew that holding for the bridge at Kingston, which only opens on the hour, was going to be tricky. We made our way as slowly as possible to the bridge to make the 11:00 AM opening, but we still arrived about 20 minutes before opening time. John expertly controlled the boat, but we were all very happy to finally see the bridge open that day. The next trick was getting AfterMath to the dock at the marina in Kingston. Although it was incredibly windy, John made it look easy and we were all happy to be tied up and safe and sound.

Captain Daniel

The gorgeous Dolphin

After docking we were able to appreciate the gorgeous boat that was perpendicular to us. It was a 65-foot commuter boat built in 1929 and, after speaking to the captain, we learned the same family has owned it continuously for all of its years. It has never needed a complete refinishing as it has been carefully maintained throughout its time and it truly is spectacular. Daniel Perot (who says his name is like Ross but without the money) is a second-generation captain of the boat and has been in charge of it for the past 10 years. He is a kind gentleman and offered us a tour of Dolphin, which we quickly and gratefully accepted. Daniel, therefore, is my interesting person of this post.

John and Sam walked to the nearby park where Alex had left Chris and Sam’s car and then returned to pick us up. We always take advantage of the use of a car when we can so the four of us headed off to the boat supply store to get deck soap and then to the grocery and liquor stores to replenish supplies. Back on AfterMath, we had a delicious dinner of pasta and pesto, made from Chris’ basil in Connecticut. We finished off the huge bag of chocolate chip cookies she brought and all felt a little sad knowing we would part the next day. It truly was a wonderful visit and we are all so happy we reconnected last spring in Mystic after all those years.

Saying goodbye to our good friends, Chris and Sam.

One of the towers built to protect the Rideau Canal from the Americans if they decided to attack.  Thankfully, that never happened.

A locomotive built in 1913 in Kingston.

The old train station

An old hotel that is now really an apartment building.

Kingston City Hall, originally built when Kingston was the capital of Canada

The nighttime view from AfterMath

The farmers’ market

It seems something is always going on in this city.  These performers tell the story of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John McDonnell

A street magician

I’m not sure what this guy was doing, but he was great!

And no one seemed sure what these men were doing, but they paraded through town and stopped at City Hall.

Chris and Sam left us Friday, the 21^st. John and I spent the afternoon relaxing and doing some trip planning. Friday night we attended a free big band concert in Kingston and yesterday took the sight-seeing trolley around town. We also shopped around the farmers’ market here and went to dinner in a nice little Italian restaurant nearby.

Today is a workday. I will do a little cleaning and laundry and John has tasks to take care of. Tomorrow we leave Kingston after enjoying this city far more than we imagined. Originally we planned to head back to the states after completing the Rideau, but neither of us are quite ready to leave Canada, so we are going to spend an extra week or so here boating through the 1000 Islands.

Here is where we are today.

The next part of our adventure was about to begin. The Rideau Canal was waiting! I have been intrigued by the thought of this part of the trip since before we started. The canal is the oldest continually operating canal in North America. It was built by Canada in the 1830’s because Americans were invading from the south through the St. Lawrence Seaway. The French and British were concerned that they had no way to get the supplies needed to fight off the Americans, so they built the canal as a means of transportation. The locks have mostly remained unchanged from the time they were built, including their method of operation. The canal ends in Ottawa, and the wall where we will tie up is in the middle of downtown. In the winter, the canal freezes and claims to be the world’s largest skating rink. All we needed to start was to meet our friend Alex and his two grandchildren, Sasha and Harris on August 3^rd.

Leaving Trenton

Sailing ship along the way

Our first sight of Kingston

Opening the bridge for us to pass through in Kingston

The marina where we stayed builds fire boats.  John got a tour of one.

We spent the night of August 1^st in Trenton and were treated to a beautiful moon. The next day, we took an enjoyable ride from the Trenton marina to the Prinyer’s Cove anchorage where we spent our first night in Canada back in June. The weather was questionable on the morning of the 3^rd, but, after careful consideration, we decided to get started and head out to Kingston. We arrived a little after noon and Alex and kids came soon after. A quick provisioning trip and a great dinner out left us all tired out and ready to relax for the night.

Sasha and her math packet.

Boats in the lock waiting to be lowered

Little plants in the lock walls

Our first meeting with Red Owl.  We have enjoyed spending time with Dave, its owner, along the way.

A scene from The Birds???

Peaceful scenes along the way.

Everyone was excited to get started Tuesday morning, but we lost a couple of hours downloading the navigational charts of the Rideau that we had asked Alex to pick up along the way. Although the charts are electronic and you would think a download would be easy, Canada has some very strong regulations that make this a difficult task at times. After a lot of time lost, a lot of money spent using data, and a lot of time on a phone call to a very nice man in Newfoundland, we were finally ready to get started. Sasha worked on some summer homework while we sat on the bow and, of course, I was thrilled it was a Math packet. Maybe it’s not completely After Math after all!

Sasha and Harris started fishing right away.

The start of the canal was beautiful and the very first lock was gorgeous. Lots of the locks along the canal are multiple ones and the first was four locks in immediate succession. Alex was introduced to locking in Canada quickly and took over the bow duty for John while I remained in the stern. We tied up along the wall at Lock 45, Lower Brewer’s Lock, for the night and cooked aboard. Following the Daigle tradition of a long time at the dinner table, we sat, got to know Sasha and Harris a little better, reminisced with Alex, and had a great evening.

Scenery along the way.

Kids everywhere love to jump from the rocks

Fun umbrellas on the lock wall.

The Kawartha Voyager getting ready to enter the lock.

The bow, which is a patio normally, rises to of let the ship fit in the small locks on the Rideau

Ready to enter.

Jones Falls is a historic site.  This picture was from the original dockmaster’s house looking down on AfterMath.

The following morning we got a little bit earlier start and had a beautiful ride to Jones Falls. When we arrived we were told that the river cruise boat, the Kawartha Voyager, would be coming the other way through the series of four locks.   The lock was full of boats going up, so, if we had to wait for the Voyager to descend, we would have been stuck waiting for two hours before we could go through. In a strange stroke of luck, we would have had to wait on the dock that the cruise ship needed to dock, so the lockmaster agreed to have us lock through on the step behind the boats that were ahead of us. We were especially happy to be at the top of the system before the Voyager because John had met the captain of that ship in Orillia several weeks earlier.   There he learned that, because the boat was too large for the locks on the Rideau, the bow folded up to fit in. In was great fun to be able to watch the process! At this lock there is a nice trail that passes the historic buildings and brings walkers to an old, European style restaurant where we had a delicious dinner.

A peaceful morning.

Lot of people gather at the parks at the locks to watch the boats pass through

A busy day at the locks.

Is it a house boat?

Sasha spent hours grooming Kirby who sat next to her and ate up the attention.  Kirby is now tangle free!

Dave, my interesting person for this post.

Dave’s Ranger Tug, Red Owl

August 6^th we traveled to Smith’s Falls. and there we met Dave, who we found to be such a fun and interesting man. Therefore, Dave is my “Interesting Person” of the week. Dave, we found out, lived just a mile or two from us in Bradenton. He towed his little Ranger Tug up to Canada and then began the Rideau Canal. We had a great conversation with him and he joined us for dinner. I won’t go into all of his stories, but let’s just suffice it to say that we hope he and Shirley have a great time in Maine this fall.

On our way to Merrickville

Merrickville.  Settled in the early 1700s.

Friday brought us to Merrickville. I really loved this little town, which has multiple restaurants, great little shops and pubs, a fun gourmet shop, and even a little carnival the weekend we were there. There are ruins of buildings from the 1700s that are amazingly preserved and the town pre-dates the Rideau Canal by at least 100 years. I can’t wait to get back to Merrickville on the return trip when I will have more time to do some exploring.

The ruins in Merrickville

Traveling to Burritt’s Rapids

In the town

The lock bridge

Kirby was spoiled rotten by Sasha the whole trip

Saturday, after a little more exploration in Merrickville, we made it to a lovely lock wall in Burritt’s Rapids. There, Sasha and I took Kirby for a walk to the town, which did not seem to have one single business. The dock, though, was peaceful and bug-free. (People, by the way, who think Florida has bugs should spend a weekend in Canada. We almost never saw mosquitos or bugs in Florida, but Canada seems to have a monopoly on the creatures!) We found a nice little restaurant with an outdoor patio and enjoyed a fun dinner where we again ran into Dave and another couple boating on the canal along with us.

Sharing the water with the airplanes

And Jake got his share of attention too.

Yesterday we made it to Lock 13 on the Rideau, Black Rapids Creek, a peaceful dockage and the last we made on the northbound route before reaching Ottawa. We made a great pasta dinner, which we ate at a picnic table along the wall.

Our first looks at Ottawa

We arrived in Ottawa around 1:00 this afternoon and are all excited about spending time here. Alex and the kids chose to move to a hotel for their stay – probably something to do with lack of Wi-Fi for teens and pre-teens, as well as allowing us to prepare for our next guests – but we will see each other a couple more days. There will be the changing of the guard at Parliament Hill, light shows at night, a large marketplace and many other attractions.   Chris and Sam will arrive on Wednesday when Alex will meet them at our boat. He will then drive their car back to Kingston and leave it at the marina for when we finish the return trip on the Rideau. It’s been a great trip so far! It’s hard to believe we will soon be ready to leave our neighbors to the north.

Here is where we are tonight.

I always feel some regret when any part of a trip ends. It was sad to leave the North Channel and the Georgian Bay because I’m not sure we will ever get back there. Of course, it was very sad to see Kelly’s family leave because I love spending time with them and I miss those hugs and kisses and the funny things that can only come from children. Today we left the Trent-Severn Canal for the last time and I felt another pull on my heart that this section of our adventure is complete. There is so much left to do and so many places left to explore, but I can’t help being sorry to see this part end.

We left Peterborough on Tuesday morning and headed to Hastings, a very small town where we stopped on the way north. Back in the locks again, this time we had only drops to make. Lowering through the locks is much easier than lifting. When we enter to be lowered, the lockmasters take our lines and wrap them around the cable and hand the end back. I can tie my line to the boat and, as long as I am monitoring what is going on, I can pretty much take it easy as we are lowered. John usually holds onto his line because he is in between two cleats, but I have the stern set up so it’s really easy.

Wednesday we traveled to a very nice park near Lock 8. The park there is very rural and quiet and we took advantage of not being in any rush the next morning. John worked on the generator, which needed a little maintenance and I enjoyed some time to read and relax. After a picnic lunch we motored for about two hours to Lock 6 in Frankford and spent the night there. It was a full moon last night and I took advantage of the clear sky to get a little photography done. Just before we went to bed, John noticed the little clouds that had developed and the way the moon lit them up. I had to get a few more shots, of course!

Today we re-entered Trenton, where our journey on the Trent-Severn Canal began over a month ago. When we were here last, many people in town talked about the new marina that would be opening soon. It is a town marina and the old one where we stayed last is now closed. The new marina is really beautiful. Although the pictures below were all taken with my iPhone, I wanted to post them for our boating friends who will appreciate the luxury here compared to that of others. I know that some of you have stayed in the town marina before and I thought you might like to see the new building, too.

Beautiful private bathrooms

FREE laundry including detergent

A beautiful lounge with a fireplace right near the laundry.

The new building.

Tonight a storm started moving in and the sky changed colors and looks continuously. A rainbow even appeared for a little while.

Now we are preparing for our next set of visitors. Our friend Alex is meeting us in Kingston on Monday along with his two grandchildren, Sasha and Harris. We will traverse the Rideau Canal from south to north from Kingston to Ottawa and then, after they leave, Chris and Sam will join us for the return trip. At the end of August Ned and Anne will come along wherever we are! We are so happy we can share the fun with our friends!

Here are the maps that show where in the world we are today.

Strangely, this will be a rather short post. Traveling with kids and grandkids is busy, fun, and exciting! Although you might think we would take more pictures, the activity limited the photography a bit, but we have some photos that show the excitement of being together on the water.

Michaela learns to tie boat knots.

Cheating a little on the fishing!

Kirby found a new place to relax that he had never discovered before – the Pilot house berth.

I came upstairs one morning to find these two comfortable as could be.

Michaela was great at tending the locks.

A dragonfly landed on Michaela’s hand!

One day I walked in and found Carter at the wheel without Bop anywhere in sight!

Picnicing on land.

Best of Friends?

Maybe, but Madison had cheese and Kirby loves cheese!!

My bow of the boat buddy.

On the Peterborough Lift Lock – Kelly and Michaela

Sadly, time for the kids to return home.

We met Kelly, Craig and family in Orillia Monday evening. They drove from Jacksonville, FL to Niagara Falls, NY between Sunday and Monday and they stopped and did the things you must do at Niagara Falls: the Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds. Then they drove the 3 remaining hours to meet up with us at the Port of Orillia.

John and I had decided to spend Tuesday in the marina so everyone could become accustomed to AfterMath and the little ones could spend the day enjoying the town of Orillia. There is a great playground and beach in Orillia and both are adjacent to the marina.   John and Craig went off to rent a car and bring Kelly and Craig’s van to our final destination while they were aboard, which was Peterborough. It was Kelly’s birthday, so the ladies of the group were off duty for driving and we really enjoyed the park and the 95 year-old ice cream stand with the little ones.

Over the next few days the kids were able to swim, go for dinghy rides, drive AfterMath and the dinghy, eat lots of ice cream and have a great time overall. Michaela carried on the family tradition of learning boat knots, we stayed on lock walls and fished (Kelly caught a few sunnys, but I still haven’t caught an edible fish), we ate picnic lunches and pizza dinners on shore, went to a concert in town, swam, played on playgrounds and just had a wonderful time. We stopped in the little towns of Fenelon Falls, Bobcageon, and Lakefield along the way. It was sad to see the Kirk family leave today. We can’t wait to see them again in Jacksonville and to have them ride with us again!

Note: We realize that our posts have been delayed, but we have not had any Wi-Fi service since we left Killarney on the morning of July 9th. We truly were in the wilderness much of the last couple of weeks, but we are now re-entering civilization and should be able to post more frequently.

Killarney

Killarney even has a drive in theater for boats!

Covered Portage Cove

It was hard to leave Killarney, the gateway to the North Channel. The Killarney Mountain Lodge marina there was beautiful with its manicured lawns, beautiful flowers, brand new docks, and inviting red Adirondack chairs where one could sit and watch the boats go by. Before we untied I took a quick walk to the local fish market to buy fresh fish for dinner. Then off we went to Covered Portage Cove, a lovely anchorage near Killarney, where we took a dinghy ride and stayed for the night.

The next day, Friday, we took one last ride through Killarney on our way back to the beautiful anchorage in the Bustard Islands where we had stopped on our way north. It was a longer day of motoring and we were back out on the open bay, but the payoff was that after that day most of our travels would be in the small boat channel on Georgian Bay.

The Small Boat Channel

The small boat channel is fascinating. It is a challenge for the helmsman (John), but a joy for the photographer (me)! For much of the trip on Saturday the seascape was dreamlike. If you can imagine the surface of the moon covered with water, but with rocks and craters sticking out in a random pattern with just a little vegetation, you will have an idea of the scene. Besides photographing the channel, I sat far up on the bow to watch for boulders that may not have been charted. John did an amazing job of weaving his way through, sometimes with barely enough room for AfterMath to make the turn between the closely placed red and green buoys that guide the way. Because there are so many intersecting channels on the bay, to make matters worse, it is sometimes hard to remember which side the red or green should be on as it’s difficult to tell if you are returning to or leaving the larger body of water. (Generally, the saying is, “red right returning”, but you have to know if you are coming or going to make that work.) In our case it changed several times a day!

Snakelike in curves, one of the especially tricky areas was next to an island that is apparently owned by the Cunninghams. At first I just noticed the big letters painted on the rock, but soon we discovered that the Cunninghams have a sense of humor! It is possible that the only alligator in the Georgian Bay exists on their land, and the blonde fishing skeleton with her dog reminded me that it may take a long time for me to ever catch a fish larger than the one 5 inch one I caught a while ago!

After piloting through the rocks, we had to detour out into the bay again, as one part of the channel has turns that are too short for any boat over 40 feet. The detour brought us back past a lighthouse we passed days ago and past landmarks we have seen before. Apparently, Pointe au Baril is named for the barrel shown here. It marked a treacherous point where a canoe was once lost. The story says that a barrel of whiskey was found the next spring that had fallen from the canoe. Fur traders drank the whiskey and then left the barrel as a beacon to mark the dangerous area. Eventually a torch was placed there for the first returning fishermen to light each day to guide the other boats. The cross is a monument to Samuel Champlain who first came to the Georgian Bay in 1615. He was the first European to map and explore the bay, which was named for King George IV in 1822.

While making our passage on Saturday we passed a milestone for us! We could now proudly state that we had traveled 1000 miles since the beginning of our voyage and we did it without any mechanical delays or groundings! I still knock on wood every time I even think this thought.

At the end of the day we anchored in Hopewell Bay feeling successful and happy. There we met a loon who calmly approached the boat until Kirby decided to greet it with a few too many friendly barks. Those of you who live where loons reside will probably agree that they are beautiful birds with a haunting call that is easy to identify and long remembered. I was happy I snapped a shot of our friend before he ducked underwater and swam away from the cheerful Wheaten Terrier who only wanted to play.

Sunday took us a short distance to Killcoursie. There we anchored in a Killdeer Provincial Park. It was a bit of a change from our normally calm and quiet havens, but it was fun for a day. There were campers lining the shores and beaches with the noise of summer everywhere. Jet skis and water skiers zoomed around, but thankfully, were not allowed in the anchorage or the swimming areas. We hopped in the dinghy for a ride to a nearby marina to look for a casting rod for me (It must be the rod that is the issue, not the fisherwoman!) and we passed a wedding taking place on the rocks with the bride and groom standing on a rock out in the water. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera so that event will go undocumented, and the marina didn’t sell rods, so it was an unsuccessful adventure.

During the early morning Kirby proved to us what a great watchdog he is. Along the way he has been alerting us to boats if he thinks they are too close and he has been very helpful at times, but Monday morning while we were all sleeping, we heard him run full speed up the stairs from our room and bark wildly. We couldn’t imagine what the fuss was about, but he was so adamant that John got up to check it out. What Kirby heard from down below was someone from a neighboring boat who was swimming parallel to AfterMath, but only about 15 feet from her. Apparently that is in our personal space, according to Kirby and he was alerting us to the terrible danger! While there was really no threat, of course, it was nice to know that no Pirate of the Caribbean will be coming onboard quietly. Of course, if any pirate makes his way aboard, he will be greeted with Wheaten kisses and requests for pats and cuddles along with the Golden Retriever imitation of a throw rug. Watchdogs, maybe. Guard dogs, not at all.

On Monday we made our way again through the channel of rocks and obstacles to Indian Harbor with a stop at Henry’s Fish House. Henry’s is famous for its fish and chips and is a destination for most boaters on the bay. The meal was delicious, and, almost not surprisingly anymore, we met a couple that spends quite a lot of time with friends in Bradenton, Florida. They were so excited to talk to us that we would never have told them what a common occurrence this is.

The rocks are so beautiful and varied in color

Back through the rocks and complicated channels

Dumbo has nothing on Jake when he is on a dinghy ride!

We arrived in Indian Harbor and were greeted by a large Indian made of stone at the entrance. It was a fun way to start our adventure in this little stone-surrounded cove. We anchored and put the dinghy in the water right away and then took off to do some exploration. Along the way we discovered lots of stone Indians. It was almost a treasure hunt to look for them.

While we can say that AfterMath has never hit a rock, we can’t say the same for the dinghy! The little inlets here can have depths of 25 feet one second and just a few feet farther have just a few inches. While the water is clear and it is easy to see down at least 8 feet to the bottom, one look up at the scenery is enough to make a person miss the next boulder under the surface. We never hit very hard, but we are quite happy we had a keel guard put on when we ordered the little boat!

It was such a beautiful anchorage and we needed a day to catch up on cleaning and tasks, so we decided to stay another night. Also, we knew a storm was going to pass through and we were safe and secure where we were. Unfortunately, we didn’t get back out on the dinghy, but I think both of us looked at that as a mixed blessing.

Traveling from Indian Harbor

Another momunent for Champlain

Frying Pan Bay

Wednesday brought us to Beausoleil Island, a Canadian National Park, where we entered Frying Pan Bay. It’s a very small anchorage, but a popular one. There are a couple of docks for a few boats, space for a few boats to anchor, and some space along the shore for those that both anchor and tie up to a tree with a stern line. We got AfterMath settled and had a relaxing afternoon and evening there.

After a lazy morning in our anchorage, pausing for extra coffee outside in the warm sunshine, it was time to raise the anchor and be on our way. Leaving Frying Pan Bay was bittersweet as it meant we had reached the end of our trip on the Georgian Bay. We enjoyed our time there so much, but we have a date to meet Kelly and her family in Orillia on July 20^th and we are so excited to see the kids and grandkids. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost four months since we have seen them as, in the past, we were together every few weeks. Thursday, though, was a gorgeous day and we fully enjoyed slowly winding our way through the narrow channels of rocks for the last time.

Before we knew it, we had traveled back into the Trent-Severn Canal and once again traversed the first of our southbound locks. We made our way back to the docks at the bottom of the Big Chute, but, as it was late afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the safe harbor there instead of continuing over it. We were surprised by a rainy day on Friday. John had built in a couple of rain days and it’s not fun to do locks in the rain, so we stayed put on the dock and took care of a few jobs such as defrosting the refrigerator and neatening up Kirby’s hair a little bit.

At every lock on the Trent-Severn, there is what is called a “blue line” on the wall. Boats tied up along the blue line are ready to go through the lock and are awaiting a signal from the lockmaster that it is safe to enter. Most of the time a green light appears, but at the Big Chute and the two pan locks at Kirkland and Peterborough boats are called in individually. We moved AfterMath to the blue line at the Big Chute early yesterday, Saturday, in preparation for her transport again over the hill and the road and then back into the water on the other side. This time I wanted to get pictures of AfterMath in the system, so I hopped off when we were called and went up the stairs next to the railway. It was great fun to see how it all looked from shore and, even though I really enjoyed staying on the boat when we were traveling north, I am happy to have the pictures I took on the southbound leg. John picked me up on the other side and we headed on through a couple more locks before stopping for the night.

Today we are in Orillia. We are so excited that we will be meeting up with the Kirk branch of the family tomorrow. They are stopping at Niagara Falls on their way here but they will be here late in the day and in time to celebrate Kelly’s birthday, which is Tuesday. There is a large park near the marina in Orillia with a beach, a playground, gardens, and a splash park for the kids. We will stay here tomorrow and Tuesday nights and then go on our way with everyone aboard. This quiet boat is about to come to life and we can’t wait!!

The Georgian Bay and the North Channel. Those words mean a lot to John and me. This is the area, on the east side of Lake Huron, of which we have read so much. Every single person we have spoken with who has been on these waterways has told us about the beauty here. Also, every single person we have spoken with has told us that the channels can be dangerous as they are rocky and shallow in so many places. The guidebooks all warn that in the length of a boat the depth can change from 100 feet to just a few inches. There are marinas in the area that derive most of their business in fixing bottoms and replacing propellers and shafts on boats damaged on the rocky ledges. There is a small boat channel and a shipping channel farther out in the Georgian Bay that freighters use. Even in the freighter channel, depths can change quickly. Charts MUST be followed and, in many places, it is a good idea to have one person on the bow looking for rocks under the water. Boaters in the small boat channel must make their way slowly. But, all that being said, these two waterways were our goals and we wouldn’t miss them.

Midland

Last Wednesday, while John was working with a service tech on getting the oil in changed in Midland, I decided to provision again as we were making preparations to head to some very remote places where no supplies could be found. I went to the marina office to ask how to get to a grocery store and was offered a ride by a man who works in the marina. This worked out great. He took me to the store, waited while I shopped and then drove me back with all of my groceries.

Moonlight at Gowar Bay

We were able to leave Midland early on Thursday morning. We decided to do a long trip that day, but I hadn’t realized that it would be such open water. The seas were not as settled as I like, so I made the decision that I would wear the seasickness patch the next day. We anchored in Gowar Bay and it was a restful place after about 8 hours of motoring.

On our way to Bustard Island

Bustard Island

Friday was much more comfortable for me! Those patches really work! We had another long day, but we ended it in one of the most beautiful anchorages I have ever seen. Pictures of the Bustard Islands just can’t do justice to the beauty and the serenity in this anchorage. It was spectacular and we decided to spend an extra night there to enjoy the atmosphere. We were able to take the dinghy out to do some exploring and really had a wonderful and relaxing day on Saturday.

We left our piece of paradise and moved on to Heywood Island Sunday. There we found another lovely anchorage and again did some dinghy exploration. The water was the most beautiful emerald green you could imagine. While we had read that this was a popular anchorage, there were only four other boats there. In fact, our experience through this whole trip so far has been that there are far fewer boats anywhere than we would have expected.

Baie Fine

Monday was a day we had been waiting for since we started this trip. We had been told over and over again about how gorgeous the North Channel is and especially how spectacular The Pool is in Baie Fine. This stop was the last of our northbound route for a long time. except for a brief trip up and down the Rideau Canal after re-tracing our path down the Trent-Severn. The anchorage at The Pool was our goal and we couldn’t have been more pleased to arrive there. The scenery exceeded our expectations; there are mountains of white quartz, sparkling clear waters and lots of space in which to anchor. They say that the Georgian Bay and North Channel cruising is only exceeded by the cruising in the Greek Isles, and we have to believe this is true. We sat outside eating lunch, tucked in between hills of granite and quartz where trees grow thick and lush and the water is calm and clear and we congratulated ourselves for accomplishing this huge goal in our lives.

After lunch we decided to take a hike to Topaz Lake, which is high up one of the hills surrounding The Pool. We packed the dogs in the dinghy and took off for a short ride to a dock where the trail began. No sooner did we step off the dinghy than we realized the mosquitos were thick and vicious and we had not brought any bug spray. John said he would return to the boat and get a can while I, who tends to climb much slower than he does, took the dogs up the path. The plan, of course, was that he would meet me along the way or at the lake.

The path was, unfortunately, a tough one. It was not difficult because it was too steep but because it was really a creek that dries up in the summer and is made up of rocks. Lots of rocks!!! The rocks were not smooth creek pebbles, but irregularly shaped large rocks. It was tough walking, but I trekked along, anxious for the climb to be over, but taking my time so that I didn’t trip and break an ankle along the way.

I met a man and his two sons coming down and he assured me I was going the right direction and that I would see a sign pointing my way to the lake after a while. I found the sign and was not too thrilled that it pointed me up a path with more rocks, but I kept going. Jake, our old golden retriever, was beginning to show some signs of distress, and, as he has had heat stroke in the past, I was starting to get a little nervous.

I kept wondering what was taking John so long, but I refused to give up. Finally I came to the top of the hill and saw that the path was going downhill steeply! At that point, I decided that this was going nowhere fast and I could not ask Jake to go downhill knowing that we would eventually have to go back up to get to the boat. We turned around and started heading down the path, through all of those horrible rocks again when I started getting really worried about where John was. I thought something must have happened or he would surely be back. There was no cell phone service at all in this area, so I couldn’t call anyone, but I thought I would have to run into him on my way down hill. All of the sudden, though, Jake lay down on his side, rubbed himself in the dirt, and refused to walk. This was what he did when he had heat stroke 7 years ago, so I was really worried. I couldn’t imagine how we would get this 90-pound dog down the hill and where we could ever get him vet care once we got there. I started yelling for John but got no response. And still those mosquitos were vicious!

I encouraged Jake to get up and we descended really slowly, watching our steps and letting Jake take it as easy as possible. Of course, John had the backpack with the water for the dogs with him! After walking about half way back I heard John calling from behind me. He had been equally worried about me because he had found the lake and I wasn’t there. Somehow I missed the turn that would have brought me to Topaz Lake.

John had asked several people if they had seen me and, while the man with the two boys said yes, no one else had. He was sure I had fallen off a cliff and I was sure he was hurt somewhere. He said he had been yelling for me and tried calling Kirby as well, hoping to hear a bark to lead him towards us (Jake is hard of hearing, so calling him would not have been of any benefit). He climbed up to and down from the lake twice searching for us.

The first thing I wanted, after we asked each other where we had been, was that bug spray! John then took Jake and got him to walk down the hill to the bay. Jake went right in the water and so did Kirby and all ended well. We rode the dinghy for a while longer for the dogs to cool and dry off and then we all headed back to AfterMath for some relaxation time on the bow. It was a scary experience for both of us, but we made it. The really sad part is that John had my camera in the backpack and, although he saw the lake twice looking for me, he never took a picture! I guess I will never see what Topaz Lake looks like, but we were all happy to be safe and sound and back on the boat.

Tuesday, yesterday, started out as a rainy day. Because we were so happy in our anchorage in The Pool, we decided to stay where we were for an extra night before heading to Killarney. This morning, we woke to beautiful weather and a light ground fog that was quickly dissipating. I grabbed the cameras and made sure to capture those few magical moments before we set off for the day.

Weeds on our anchor chain

When it came time to pull up the anchor, though, we agreed that everything comes with its price. While we knew the anchorage was weedy, we never expected the amount of weeds that we found wrapped around the chain before we even got to the anchor itself! By the time the anchor was up and John finished cleaning it off I am sure he felt as though he had done a day’s work.

Every guidebook mentions that there are a lot of bears in this area. Of course, I have been looking every day and today I was thrilled to see what appeared to be a young black bear on the shore of Baie Fine as we motored past. He took his time walking up the rocks and into the forest so I was able to get a good look at him and take several shots.

In Killarney – Even the chef helps boaters tie up if he is nearby!

The rest of the ride to Killarney was a beautiful one and we arrived around lunchtime, docked at a marina and set out to have some fish and chips at the town dock. We took a nice walk through the town, which is very small, but really a wonderful stop.

I have met so many interesting people along the way that I decided I am going to start asking them if they mind if I take their pictures and put them on my blog. Today I met Hardy when we were both in a laundromat. Hardy is full-blooded Ottawa Indian. He told me that almost 75% of the people living in Killarney are Indian: Pottawattamie, Ojibwa, or Ottawa. Their main source of income is fishing. Hardy showed me his card that proves he is Indian and told me that if he travels back and forth over the border of the US and Canada, he does not need a passport. The Indian card allows him to travel freely.

These two maps below show our location when we were in The Pool.  Although it is a few miles as the crow flies from Killarney, it is a couple of hours away when navigating.

Although this post is already realy long, we thought it might be fun to list a few observations we have had while in Canada

• Days here are very long now. Sunrise is early, at about 5:30 and sunset is late, usually around 9:20. Even after the sun sets it takes quite a while for the sky to completely darken.
• The temperatures here are usually 65 – 70 degrees during the day, but the sun is warm and, if the wind is not blowing, the days are comfortable and people are swimming. Not me yet, but it will happen I’m sure.
• Lots of people in this area of Canada are very familiar with our hailing port of Bradenton, Florida. Everyone has a relative on the Gulf Coast of Florida or winters there themselves, it seems.
• Canadian paper money is beautiful. Besides each bill being a different color, there is a clear, cellophane like portion. Interestingly, the bills don’t fold easily. There are no one or two dollar bills, however. The one-dollar coin is gold colored and has a loon on it. It is called a Loonie. The two-dollar coin is a silver donut shape circle filled with a gold colored section and is called a Toonie. There are no pennies in Canada. Purchases are rounded to the nearest nickel. At this time $1.00 Canadian is worth about $ .81 American.
• The scenery here is rugged, similar to what we have seen in Alaska, and parts are very remote and natural. At Baie Fine on the North Channel, and on other islands, there is no Internet, no cell service and no facilities. In Baie Fine we were 24 miles from the nearest town of Killarney, which is 60 miles from the next nearest civilization.
• All of the Canadian people we have met have been extremely friendly. They make it a point to talk to visitors and to ask where they are going. Canadians are proud of their beautiful waterways and seem very happy people are here to see them. One gentleman who spends a lot of time on these waters told me, “I wish I could go to the Georgian Bay and the North Channel as you are and see it again through your eyes for the first time. It’s that beautiful.” I loved that sentiment.
• In the towns we have noticed that the public works people are very efficient. Every morning they are out making sure their town is spotless and watering the beautiful flowering plants that are planted everywhere.
• While in the locks, we were very impressed with the lockmasters. Every single one of them was friendly, professional and informative. While boats are raising or lowering they place themselves near the crew of the boats and carry on a conversation. They make a point to speak to someone on every boat. Lockmasters also have information on towns and the restaurants and facilities there and they suggest which lock wall is the prettiest for an overnight stay.
• Accents change throughout the region as they do in the United States. Everything is written, of course, in English and in French, and I believe most people are bilingual, but we have never encountered a person who did not speak to us in English.
• Eh!!!!! The word is used all the time! Eh (pronounced like the long vowel A) seems to mean something like, “do you agree”, or “am I right”, or “do you know”.
• Although we are in the middle of nowhere and there are no city lights anywhere around us, the stars do not show as brightly as I would have expected. I’m not sure if it is because the light of the moon is dimming them, or if it is because it just never seems to get completely dark before we go to bed, or if it is because there is a very fine cloud layer over the sky some nights. I am hoping that, as it gets closer to a new moon, I will be able to see them more clearly.