The Hudson

We are in Waterford NY where the Erie Canal (Mohawk River) meets the Hudson.  We'll hang here for a couple of days to do some chores that weren't completed because we said we were going to leave on the 22nd ad by God we did.
Boats running well.  Point Bay to Whitehall in 8 hours with strong wind on our nose.  Old friends on Sunday night and Monday morning meant we only got to Ft Edwards Monday night.  (Ain't no "there" there.)  That's where the Champlain Canal dumps into the Hudson River.  Four locks, 2 up and 2 down.
We've been accompanied by just one other boat, a Ranger tug from S. Caroline with one old cuss on it.  Why no Quebec navy this year?  One dock master said "Trump!"  Another said the hurricane.  Another said the weak Loonie.  I think it's Trump.  Anyway, we've had the canal and river to ourselves.  Big thunderstorm though.
Today we did the remaining 7 locks.

Waterford loves Tugs.  The have a Tug Parade in September and tugs come from all over the northeast to participate.  We feel welcome.

So it seems to us we've been gone a long time already 3 days!) because we are still stowing stuff and getting our processes down.   Haven't settled in yet.  8 months can be a very short time, like walk through a store and it's already Christmas.  And it can be a long time, like yesterday was the autumnal equinox but the leaves still have to fall or be blown off in that last wet windy day followed by "stick season? and then the first ground-covering snow before December 21st.  A lot has to happen just to get byAutumn.  Then there's winter.

But 8 months is a perfect amount of time for us to wander south, visiting friends and family, running from the cold.  We're going to take it slow, try to be at anchor by 3 each day and exploring places we didn't visit last time, like Savannah.

Before we left we had to lower Rosie's mast for some low bridges.

 but we also fitted her with a new dress.  A stabilizing sail that will also come in handy if the wind every gets behind us.

So all is good with us.  As long as Verizon, Hewlett-Packard, Google and the whole world of freakin' technology doesn't object, I'll post again in a couple of days.  Expect we'll be in Castleton-on-the-Hudson and Catskill next.  Hope to see some family in the Big Apple this weekend.