Every now and then we do see signs of civilization....right on the water way...what a deal!!!

We loved the Hudson River. Starting west on the Erie Canal we knew would begin another great adventure. Plans for the first day were to travel from Troy to Amsterdam...37 miles...10 locks. The first five to be covered in the first two hours are pretty much back to front...not much wiggle room. Lock masters are friendly and kind enough to talk to each other and get you lined up to move rather rapidly through. Compared to the locks we had encountered on the way down to Mobile, we thought these were just pretty darn cute. The space itself is much smaller. Most lifts are 8-10 feet. All locks have hanging lines you can hold on to (of course, they are covered with icky stuff), some have pipes or cable you can tie up on ... either way you chose, you better wear gloves and be prepared. We all had jobs...Bob manned to front boat hook or the aft rope depending on whether we used lock ropes or tied to cable/pipe; I manned the bow line when we tied and the bow rope when we used their lines; Hilary manned the aft boat hook; and Floyd manned the helm. It became quite routine...easy...now, we don't know how we'll do without Bob and Hilary to help.

Passing through Albany, we couldn't help but notice the preparations underway for a Fourth of July celebration on the river. We arrived as the microphones and speakers were being tested...no band yet...but you knew there was gonna be a P A R T Y!!!!

As we ended our time on the Hudson River, the Captain had grown very accustomed to having crew man the helm. He looks pretty worried, don't you think???

No matter where we go we find signs of home...another Lafarge moment!!!! Thinking of the Bauman's and Fredonia....

Hilary and Bob have brought so much fun and adventure to our boating existence. The battle over Oreo cookies is constant...we HAD to buy re-enforcements yesterday. (Gene, Bob has been taking lessons from you.) When donut holes arrived...the crime of who ate most of them has yet to be resolved. And the Captain is in the thick of it all...ha!

We have loved the Hudson...especially after the bland views of the NJ Inter Coastal Waterway. Grand mansions, cute lighthouses, deep water...so far I think we'd say this is about our favorite leg of this journey. Several stops have had less than desirable marina facilities and we've struggled with electricity in the heat which is never fun. But man, have we had some character building situations....I'm thinking our character is about built...enough already!!!