S/V Paradise Cafe

11/10/2023

Interesting!

A slice of England's iconic A303 road shows how it changed over thousands of years.

More about the layers of the A303: https://bit.ly/3LWGOB3

11/10/2023

And this was our day;

10/10/2023

Wow!!!

Quetzalcoatlus northropi is an azhdarchid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous of North America and one of the largest known flying animals of all time.

More details/photos: https://bit.ly/3ZA1bJ8

09/10/2023

I suggest to everyone to read “Sierra”, Summer 2023, ‘Oil & Water’, Jeremy Miller. You will be afraid for yourselves, your children, your grandchildren, and the future of the world. What are we doing to ourselves just so the rich corporations can get richer and not give a damn about any species present or future?

09/10/2023

Vasa, a Swedish warship, sank during its maiden voyage in 1628, less than a mile into the journey. After spending 333 years on the sea floor, it was recovered remarkably intact. Today, it resides in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm and is the most well-preserved 17th century ship in the world.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3rpG93B

07/10/2023

❤️

The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle whose shells slightly changes colors, depending on water temperature.

More details/photos: https://bit.ly/48FrRwZ

[📷 Orazio Fargione]

06/10/2023

Spent a fun day with Aunt Marion. Breakfast at the Crystal Restaurant where Mom first caught Dad’s admiring eyes 78 years ago💘. Then we went to an apple orchard beside a waterfall for cider and donuts that we took to a beautiful Park overlooking Watertown to enjoy!! Back to her (& Uncle Ed’s - RIP since ‘19 about 2 weeks before his sister/my Mom passed away) home of 67 years. Then goodbye 😘❤️❣️
Headed for a drive through Adirondack Park then rerouted to drive along the St Lawerence River to get to Grand Isle, Vermont instead.

04/10/2023

Onward from Erie, PA to Watertown, NY.

01/10/2023

Our host’s, Mary Ann and David ‘s blissful, peaceful, comforting backyard 🥰❣️❣️❣️

30/09/2023

Here’s our camp site for the weekend via Mary Ann (1st cousin) and hubby David’s graciousness.

29/09/2023

Left Dunewood CG and into beautiful and “Pure”Michigan. Mary Ann and David here we come👏🏻❤️.

20/09/2023

Perfect weather❣️

20/09/2023

That’s a pretty boat!
The wind went from 5 knots, gusting to 8, down to 3. Ah, the inland variable winds and direction. Inland we get both land and sea breeze all of the time at anytime

20/09/2023

Another picture of the west shore. The wind is loverly.

20/09/2023

Yes, we still do have Paradise Cafe. With traveling on land, this is the first and probably the last sail for the year. Next week we land travel out East for a couple/three weeks.

25/10/2022

Took the boat out today. Came up yesterday to unstep the mast and get it tied down laying flat on the boat but wow the wind. We didn’t even try it. It certainly was a sporty, restless night on the boat. About 10 am this morning the winds died down so we could lower the mast; take out at 2:15; started to rain a little; on the road at 2:53; rained light but steady all the way home; home at 6:05; Gin Gimlet to celebrate!!

21/10/2022

We be sailing, barely - wind is only about 3 knots. This is the first we’ve been out all year. The weather’s been too hot, or we’ve been traveling, or trying to keep up with the acreage, or, or, or…. Too much to do, too little time 🥴.

03/08/2022

Aerial views of the Lake City Marina's parking lot rebuild. The underground utility work is mostly finished at the north-ish end of the lot. The other end of the lot is still being trenched and backfilled.

03/08/2022

July 30 and 31 were the dates for the Lake City Yacht Club's 25th Sail 4 Leukemia. Guests make a donation then take a one-and-one-half hour ride with a club members on the member's sailboat. We had around 350 pre-registrations! Aerial view of the registration tent at the end of the parking lot,(still under construction).

30/07/2022

Sail 4 Leukemia is tomorrow and Sunday. Tonight we enjoy a scotch and soda in the cockpit and soak in the view.

11/07/2022

The only thing left to do before sailing is to hang the jib on the CDI Flex Furler. This is a job best done by two people, and I will bring my Best Mate to the marina for that job. With her help the jib will be ready in pretty short order

11/07/2022

So, a little while later, it's time to head to the lake and get Paradise Cafe ready. Today I got the boom and main sail rigged and installed. The turnbuckles for the upper stays and lower stays needed attention, so they were slacked, lubricated and adjusted. New water filter for the fresh water system, (the old one leaked our fresh water in to the bilge and the bilge pump moved it overboard). Installed the dock lines with the Dyneema end loops run through the bits. Installed the LifeSling and set up the lanyard for the swim ladder shackle. Someone in the water can yank the lanyard and the swim ladder drops down for use. Otherwise the ladder stays up and out of the water.

11/07/2022

We are late getting to the lake and late getting to post updates.
Wet and cold April weather kept us behind schedule. Then we took our long-planned trip to Italy for two weeks in May. It took a while to get the long grass and untended gardens under control. Then there was a delay at the Lake City Marina because of the parking lot improvement project.
On June 26 we made the run to the lake.
The parking lot has been stripped of the asphalt surface and new underground utilities are being dug in. Storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water, probably electrical and fiber optic cables, too.

19/10/2021

Then this morning, what a beautiful sunrise!

19/10/2021

10/18 Up to Lake City Marina to get SV Paradise Cafe ready for takeout tomorrow. We stayed overnight on the boat. It’s been two years since we’ve done that. Reminded us of 2017 and our partial Great Loop adventure. We were blessed with mild weather and a full moon!

09/09/2021

Got to go sailing today! We didn’t go yesterday because of the 30mph wind gusts. Went today with a forecast of 5-10 and got 1-3 actual. Oh well. It wasn’t so hot that we were ‘bobbin an bakin’. We were bobbin and relaxing! Beautiful 70’s temp day!! We got as far as Maiden Rock near Stockholm, WI up River.

30/08/2021

30/08/2021

21/08/2021

Also peaceful with a little more wind!

21/08/2021

Peaceful. At the beginning you can hear a train’s air horn ❣️

21/08/2021

Another featuring the White Pelican.

21/08/2021

The White Pelicans were quite active on Lake Pepin Tuesday. As far as I can tell, they are having a comeback in MN lakes since a decline in the mid ‘80’s.

21/08/2021

We took a day, Tuesday 8/17/21 to be exact, and went sailing. We had WIND this time. About 7-9 mph. It was still hot and humid but that sits a whole lot differently when we could catch the breeze!

12/07/2021

Yesterday we went sailing. Actually it turned out to be a picnic in the open cockpit ‘bobbing and baking’. There turned out to be more wind at home when we set out then there was when we got to Lake City Marina, Lake Pepin.

05/06/2021

The 2021 season has finally begun! Photo series...

30/07/2020

How’s this for social distancing 😁?❣️ Good ventilation too❣️

30/07/2020

It’s a beautiful day for a sail so that’s what we’re doing- we be sailing. Others are too!

21/06/2020

Well, it was GREAT seeing Tracy and the guys. The lunch was GREAT. The weather was yuck. The drippy turned to drops and there wasn’t much wind. We tried. The weather doesn’t obey just because we have the time. We gave it up, came in, battened down the hatches, and went to the LCYC (Lake City Yacht Club) to dry out. After we got in the clubhouse, it just poured. So, we timed that part right. Tracy, Carter, & Logan no sooner left the parking lot to go home than the sun came out and the wind picked up. That’s boating.

20/06/2020

Arrived after dark last night, 6/19. Had a beer and went to the vee berth for the night. Expecting daughter Tracy and Grandsons Carter and Logan today for onboard lunch and sailing. It’s cloudy, drippy and not windy but, we’ll get to see and be with them for the first time this year❣️❣️

07/06/2020

It’s a breezy morning at the marina.