A FANTASTIC CANOE SURPRISE AND BACK ON THE LAKE!

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"OK everyone - take your places - lets go!  Shove off!  Shade - get on point!  Shade!  Shade - slow down girl - your enthusiastic attitude astounds me!  Shade  - Shade!  OK girl - you can stay back here with dad.

 Its actually been weeks since the boat has been launched at the lake.  Its been plagued by mechanical problems lately and its taken some work to sort it all out.  I've been helping out with fish habitat projects for the lakes.  That is interesting work and it gives one a sense of time well spent.

I visited the boat ramp and campground down at Douglas Dam yesterday and noticed a canoe on top of a car.  It had a canoe cover on it and I could see by the shape of it that this boat was special.  I stopped and asked the gentleman at the camp site if I could look under that cover.  He took the boat off and removed the cover.  I about fell over.  I told him I'd be back tomorrow (today) to photograph it.  I didn't have my camera yesterday.  That's rare.  The boat below is fabulous!

I have the privilege to know of one other canoe builder who is capable of this quality and her name is Catherine Faber.  Cat - if you want to, you certainly may post your web site on the comments section.  Ron, the builder, showed interest in talking to you.  I spoke to him of your fantastic canoes and told him I would let you know.  Ron is from Michigan and is vacationing here visiting his son who lives in Knoxville.  Ron and his wife showed me exceptional hospitality and endured my constant questioning and chatter about canoes.  I can talk a lot when confronted with something I'm really interested in.

That is a water tight compartment in the fore and aft nose areas.

Note the dowel pins used as fasteners instead of screws.

The seats are gorgeous.  Fitment is perfect and flawless.

Look at the nose of this canoe.  The wood fitment is perfection.  I have always been amazed at how all the wood parts can come together with the result of absolute perfect fitment.

The design front and rear is very traditional.  This canoe looks fast, and I'm told it is.

Look at the the places where wood joins wood.  It looks molded. (above)

The above picture is of the yoke.  Look how perfect the pieces fit together.  Amazing!  I admire this quality.

The boat is 17.5 feet long and I didn't get the beam or width.  It is a narrow craft and primary and secondary stability would be questionable I'm guessing.  One would have to be on his game at all times in this baby.

These folks were trying to get things done around the camp and I was beginning to feel like a third wheel so, I packed up and left.   Every now and again a treat is thrown my way down at the lake and today was a treat day.  I never forgot the day almost a year ago when I met Catherine Faber and drooled over one of her boats too.  I'm a sucker for a fine canoe I guess.
Thanks Ron for your hospitality and for showing me your canoe.  You have a fine boat there and  you are a craftsman.  I appreciate you sir.

There was a threat of storms today and the sky darkened a couple times.  The rain never came.  We put a couple hours in on the lake and headed for the barn.  The bilge pump didn't work and I wanted to at least check it out if I could.

What a sweet baby doll!

 She hangs on me like velcro.  She's my baby!

An interesting thing occurred when I neared the boat ramp at the dam.  I swung the boat around and headed to the opposite shoreline to talk to some fishermen I saw there.  When the boat was recognized as a TWRA vessel - half the guys on the bank picked up their fishing stuff and ran for the woods.  Funny!  Wonder if they had fishing licenses.  I won't mention nationality here but they were all of the same background.  I mean they were tripping over themselves moving off that bank.

Above:  There they are having a great day.

The guy on the left with the tackle box was really moving around collecting his stuff.  The guy with the red thing on his shoulder started running toward him. 

Look at the three guys on the right heading for the woods.  Here comes da law.   Funny!

We loaded the boat back at the dam and headed home.
I paid particular attention to the property at the house as we drove down the driveway.  Color.  Color was actually apparent.  I didn't notice until this moment of the flowers growing in "my" yard.

Where did this stuff come from?  I guess whoever built this place planted them.  Thanks to - whoever.

Lookin pretty colorful around here.  One might think I'm adopting domestic attitudes.  Ha - not a chance.  Not even a fraction of a chance!
Chestnut Hound found a toad.  Her little nose touched the toad and the toad jumped.  Chestnut bolted for the house frightened to death.  She's so funny!

I think I'll work on toad habitat restoration.  See ya next time.  Thanks for looking in.