WOW, times flies, it sure does. We are enjoying life as always and really into a NEW sport now.... Stand Up Paddling. Racing and recreational paddling with friends but always having fun. Mark is more into the racing than I am but I have done well in the ones I've entered. The thing that is the MOST fun here in the Gorge, in the summer-time, is down-winders... upriver (against the current) and with the wind (sometimes up to 35mph!) at your back, riding the swell and trying NOT to fall. Mark is a natural at it; it's been a little more work for me! I have gradually been working my way from the sides of the river to the middle where the swell is cleaner and generally bigger.

The only sailing that we have done is aboard our friend Kent's Santana, Fastbreak. He spent almost 2 years fixing her up and she is a beauty again. We took her out for a maiden sail this month on the Columbia.... loved being among all the windsurfers and kiters and some SUPpers as well...

We will be getting back to sailing in the future but for now are happy to be boat-less and crewing on friend's boats, whether they be motor or sail and to be out there paddling our SUP's!

Well, we are happy that the summer is well on the way. Winter was SNOWY and cold which meant lots of skiing and snowboarding as well as days off school and work. It's all good.

Spring brought the usual rain and grey days but it has now given way to blazing hot weather and lots of FUN: water activities rule the day... be it kite-boarding or outrigger canoeing and perhaps some sailing later in the summer aboard Pierre's Hobie 18...

Stay tuned to more fun reports and photos...
Heidi and Mark

Photo above is of Mark next to the van after the snows... it snowed even after this picture was taken!!

Wow, what a fall it was.... sunny and no rain for the most part! Mark and I were hiking and mtn biking into December... of course wondering where the snow was but appreciating the SUNSHINE.

Then BAM, all of a sudden were hit with a TON of snow here in town... all the way down to the water! It kept snowing, and snowing... and snowing from about the 16th until the 26th of December... So we had a wonderful snowy white Hanukkah and Christmas... complete with getting snowed in and walking to town. I LOVED IT.

Unfortunately a sailboat sunk under the weight of the snow (we think) in the Cascade Locks marina, but Aquarius was snug as a bug in her slip with the heaters running.

The snow is now melting but not as fast as some people would like. It is a novelty for Hood River but we are used to it from back in Montreal. However, I am thankful that we won't have to deal with it for the entire winter!

The skiing & snowboarding (and snowkiting on the snowy sandbar last week) has been great and more snow is on the way... this time pretty much only up at the mtn.

SO, Happy New Year 2009 to everyone. More adventures await us in the year to come, whether afloat or ashore!

Photo of Aquarius at the guest dock in Hood River before heading back to Cascade Locks.

We had a couple more weekends in August and early September for sailing including one memorable one for Mark and Pierre. But, well, looks like it is that time of year again! Mark and I have been cleaning up the boat, and getting her ready for the winter. First thing I did was take off all the FOOOOOD.... can you imagine how much stuff was on the boat? A lot. It seems that every trip someone went on, they thought we needed MORE SOY sauce or more WASABI.... and HOW MANY cans of things (tuna... on a boat... in MEXICO where we can catch FRESH tuna?) does one actually need?? AND how MANY packages of EARL GREY TEA? And we have enough ziploc bags to outfit several boats... I got such a laugh going through it all.

Gotta do it sometime, right?

Happy Fall... more sailing adventures await us in the spring.