Up earlier than usual, but there was a lot to be done so there was no laying around in bed this morning. Finished up washing the clothes and laid all of my stuff out on the bed. I'm glad there have been so many river trips over the years as it helps to know what will be needed and what won't. It also helps that Tom has a great list compiled that is always available to look at.

 

    Tom, Donna, Rhonda and I met up with George and Marge over at Three Margaritas for lunch this afternoon. We had a great time talking to each other over good Mexican food and gallons of ice tea. A very pleasant couple of hours of talking before heading off to run a few last minute errands. Basically I had to go get a small bottle of bug spray and a couple cases of beer. Pretty much done with packing everything now, or at least I hope so. We will be leaving tomorrow around noon time and going only as far as Green River Utah. It was our idea to get at least half way there in case we ran into construction along the way or maybe car trouble. Hopefully it will all come off without a hitch.

 

   We meet everyone else, there are 26 of us, as well as the people from the outfitter, on Friday night for a short meeting about the trip. On Saturday we all hop on a bus for the put in point and the adventure will begin sometime that afternoon. Boy am I excited!

 

Here are a few more pictures of the boathouse down at Washington Park. Sorry for the delay, but there are still problems with up loading pictures for some reason.

A view of the west facade showing the door where we use to move boats in and out of the building. The upper connection for the new handicap ramp is now located on this side as well as two real bathrooms with sinks, toilets and hand dryers that really work.
 



A view of the new handicap on the west side of the boathouse.



Every Thursday during the summer, for the past 42 years, 'Sugar', Sukar Basinov, (probably not the correct spelling), has been coming down to the park to hold free folk dancing from 7:30 to 10:00 at night. This is still very early in the evening, most people don't show up until after 8:00-8:30.
 

Another view of a few of the dancers in the park. On a good night 50-60 people will show up and have a couple of hours of fun. I can remember crowds of 150-200 back in the late 70's and early 80's. Back before video games and 150 channels of TV.
 

A closer view of some of the building details.

 

42 years ago 'Sugar' showed up with a beat up old card table, record player and stack of folk dancing records and started playing and teaching any one walking by who wanted to join in. I had been boating all day when I heard the music and poked my head around the corner. Not sure why I, as a 13 year old boy, decided to try it, but I was hooked at that point. A life long love of dancing was born that day and continues even now.



Sugar has slowed down somewhat, but he still comes most nights and acts as the ambassador of dance that he is. A truly remarkable person since he gets no pay for doing this. His smile will be even bigger next week when his new dentures are suppose to be done.

 

The front facade of the Rec Center just up the hill from the lake and the boathouse. My first job was here back in the early 70's. A family friend, JoAnn D. hired me on as a summer pool attendant at the ripe age of 15 1/2. By fall I was 16 and a full timer. I worked here for a little more than 5 years ending up as a lifeguard in the winter and teaching canoeing and sailing in the summer. I still can't believe that they actually paid me for doing something I would of actually paid them to do. That idea never came up thankfully.

 

Sunsets over the lake were always beautiful. This year they are even more colorful because of all the smoke from the forest fires that are burning west of here.

It was a wonderful sunset.

 

The only thing missing are canoes and sailboats on the lake.

 

This is most likely the last post I'll be doing until I get back from my trip down the Grand Canyon. That should be sometime around the 7th or 8th of September. Have fun and I hope you all come back and visit the site at that time. If all goes well there will be a few photo's some time soon after that date.