All Good Things...

The last day of the cruise - a short jaunt from Fairport back to Macedon where we needed to turn over the Onandaga by 9:00 a.m. Unlike the rest of the week, we woke to a cool, misty morning. After getting the coffee squared away (job one every morning), we pulled away from the wall, turned the tiller to the Fairport lift bridge and cruised slowly east, trying to get the full measure of the time remaining.

It was almost too cool for short sleeves, but everything else was already packed away. Cool as I always am (don’t say it!), it was a literal state this morning. As we had become accustomed to, the canal was still and quiet, our wake the only disturbance. A serene hour to end a week that was mostly serene.

During our time on board, we looked through and added to the on board log book. One of the entries contained this note, "When we returned the boat to Macedon, Tom backed it into the slip." Thwump! (sound of gauntlet hitting the table). Pulling away on Monday afternoon, I was aware that the boats had been backed into the slips. I thought then that when we return, I'm just driving straight in; they can turn it around if they want. However, two-and-a-half days of experience at the controls of the Onandaga got me to the point where I was pretty sure I could pull off the backing in thing. So that and Tom's challenge pretty much sealed the deal. How did it go? Flawlessly. Beginner's luck, more likely than not. But flawless nonetheless.

I hit the "engine stop" button, turned off the key and it was over. It was a great experience, one I'd recommend to anyone looking for a way to just relax and unwind in a quietly beautiful setting.

Here are a few pictures from the last hour on the Erie Canal: