Adieu, Lake Katherine

Hard to pick which photo to lead off Saturday, August 6, 2011.  Above is me, in Pete's kayak, last paddle on Lake Katherine, photo by Clare.  It won out over one of the best flying bald eagle photos I have taken.

 And, the Thunderbirds, from Pete's sailboat, on Lake  Michigan.

I missed an ever better shot, an eagle, flying low across the water as I walked to the dock for the sunrise photos.

I took my brother's kayak out for a quick paddle, as we had to be out of the cabin at 9:00 am.  Plenty of time when the sun rises at 6 am. An eagle was on the island to the left of the dock.

Maybe I got to close, or maybe it just time to feed. The eagle flew to one of the other islands, dove into a grassy area, then back to a pine.

Smooth paddling.

Loons

.Final view of the outside as I landed for the last time.  Last time this visit, I hope.  6:50 am. Eagle and loons in a 50 minute paddle.  Not bad.  I carried the kayak up the hill to Pete's car.

 A few photos of the inside of the home

Thank you, Clare and Larry.

I drove south with Pete, whose goal was to be on his sailboat, in Milwaukee at 2 pm.  After a stop at his and Jackie's home to unload his kayak and get the dogs outside, we were on our way.  Through Oconomowoc.

On to Milwaukee.

To our destination, South Shore Yacht Club.

 We under way at 2:10.  Would have made the 2:00 goal, but the parking lot was full and we had to park a couple blocks away.

The crowds were there for Milwaukee Air and Water Show  We motored out of the slip, then we, mostly Pete, hoisted the main sail.  I was on the tiller as we approached the south gap to head out of the harbor and into Lake Michigan.

Jib now raised, engine off, we sailed north to Bradford Beach.

Now, that's a dinghy.

Captain Pete

Crew Dave

 The crowd gathered

 B-1.  I only know that because Larry and Aidan walked down from my Mom's house and heard the announcer.

Thunderbirds.

The atmosphere reminded me of a Space Shuttle launch.  Lots of boats, a restricted area patrolled by the Coast Guard, hundreds of heads looking up.

It's difficult taking pics of fighter jets.  I learned to follow the contrails.

My Dad, a WWII pilot, and a lifeguard at Bradford Beach, would have loved this.

Pulling up the anchor.

Sailing south.

 Miller Park, through the Hoan Bridge

Back at the slip.

Had to stop at the Pryor Ave well and fill our water bottles. There's an aquifer under southeastern Wisconsin, too.

To the Chancery, in Mequon, for dinner. The Up North group joined by nephew Tyler, sister-in-law Jackie, Jack's friend Ethan, and best of all, cousin Courtney, her husband, Andrew, who I met for the first time, and Aunt Carol.

The view from the other end of the table, by Pete.

I was not familiar with the Chancery, it wasn't around 25 years ago.  I was thinking jambalaya, but when I saw the hamburger, with kielbasa, Merkt's cheese, and onion strips, that was my choice.

Desert was at Kopps.  The former Milky Way.  Famous for being the first "real job"- ie not paper route or caddying, for brothers Chris and Pat.  They can correct me if I'm wrong.   Perhaps more famous among non-family members as the inspiration for Arnold's Drive In in Happy Days.