HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANK !!!!!

We were awakened this morning with Linda & Charlie off Freedom’s Turn singing Happy Birthday to Hank!  They delivered a card & homemade cookies to him.  A wonderful start to our day – even if they can’t carry a tune (“just kidding”).

We left Canajoharie (the home of Beech-Nut) & continued our trip west on the
Erie Canal — a cloudy, warm day, but no rain.  We left Freedom’s Turn at Illion so they could tour the Remington Arms plant & we continued on west of Utica for the night.  We tied up just past Lock 20 – a quiet dock with shore power but nothing else.  We did 7 locks today.  At Lock #14 yesterday we locked thru with a mother duck & her 9 babies – I feel certain that she had done this before!  Today we locked thru with a canoe – a pair of brothers from Peoria who are camping along the way & doing 200 miles on the Erie Canal for their vacation.

We enjoyed traveling with Linda & Charlie Thomas on Freedom’s Turn.  Had a wonderful time with them since we hooked up in Baltimore & especially thru New York harbor & up the Hudson River.  They will complete the loop in August at Cheboygan on  Lake Michigan – we’ll be sure to look them up when we’re up on the lake…..I think Charlie & I must be related in our past lives (my maiden name is Thomas)!

Tomorrow we continue our trip on the Erie Canal.  I don’t imagine that we’ll miss these locks when we get to Oswego on Lake Ontario.  We’re getting closer to our home yacht club at Youngstown NY & we’re getting excited to see all our friends from many years ago.