The sucky weather continues, unabated. We are getting stuff done, though. For instance, Barb has made some great strides in getting Peri and Al ready for the trip this fall. They both will require three separate trips to the vet for multiple rabies shots and blood tests to prove that they have built up the necessary antibodies, shots for feline leukemia, lime disease and a host of others. Plus the results have to e signed off on by the provincial vet. We have also made contact with officialdom in Bermuda, the BVIs and the Dominican Republic, the three major places where we plan to stop this winter. They are very responsive to our questions and really most helpful so there is a light at the end of the pet tunnel. For a while there I was getting very concerned with the horror stories that I had been hearing.

The big Town Hall meeting was held at AYC last night and we were presented with the most business like, well prepared presentation of a committee's findings that I have ever seen in a volunteer run non-profit organization. Without going into the details, it now appears that in very short order the club will have full food and beverage service returned to it which is really good news for both the senior and the social membership alike. The new way ahead will even most likely be a revenue source for the club. Moreover, one of the major themes for the presentation is that unless the membership makes use of the club, there is no solution that will succeed. A couple of years ago there was a change initiated that there would be a minimum required involvement with club activities of $200 a year. Chicken feed really for people that do use the club, but it was aimed at those members that use the club as a marina and never support the social activates there. With the $200 minimum they will have to either, use the club bar and dining room for at least that amount, or they would have it added to their bill anyway. Even that was hard fought to get implemented and last night there were questions about it again! Personally I don't think that is enough. At RNSYS the minimum amount is $300 a quarter or $100/month! That amounts to only two dinners a month something that anyone who uses the club will easily spend. I think that the same thing, or close to it should apply to AYC. I have heard some of the marina people complain that if the $200 is re-implemented, that they will leave and go elsewhere. Frankly, I think that is an empty threat. Where would they go except to a private dock or mooring? Armdale is very much among the cheaper places to keep your boat, especially if it's smaller. The intent of the minimum usage fee is to encourage members to use the facilities as a club, for that is what it is, not a marina.

Anyway, that's enough of that. Let's speak of other things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax; of cabbages and kings.....

In spite of the rain, progress has been made even though I have decided to only work ½ day on Canada Day. There are just too many other things to do here at the Squadron, including a pig/lamb and salmon roast, all day BBQ, a Canada Day Regatta and our own fireworks display tonight. However I have almost completed the companionway cupboard as you will see from the picture accompanying this post today. The brass screws will be hidden by the cupboard doors which I will be cutting tomorrow and Barb will be staining and varnishing ready for me to install on Friday, which will be another day off for me. The material that you see in there is all stuff that was in the cupboard where we will be building a space into which we will be able to slide the freezer to get it out of the way, so that means that there has been progress on that project as well. After the stairs are completed the next project will be to install the new fridge as it's component parts are taking up a lot of space in the boat's salon.

If you will look back a couple of days to where I was speaking about the upcoming 20K viewer and where I mentioned the 10K winner was Abhi Bhade, the husband of a friend of Barb's. I had intended at the time to post a photo of the winner but I was terribly remiss. So, with apologies to Abhi and his family, I am posting it both in the gallery but also on the day where I mentioned the 20K contest.