ZippySails

Life with the all or nothing phenomena, I dislike it. How can we create a life where there is balance? Is it possible? Some people SEEM to have it. Are they master controllers who can make their days be just what they need and want them to be? What does balance look like? I have pondered these questions for miles and miles as we make our way down the canal. How come sometimes there are to many exciting events and moments and sometimes not enough, sometimes to many people and sometimes not enough, sometimes to much work and sometimes not enough, sometimes to many opportunities and sometimes not enough. Oh the roller coaster it all creates. Some times I ride that roller coaster just fine, other times I find the car has come to a crashing halt and I need to get out. Our journey thus far has been a little like this. A beginning full of people and thrilling sails and a sensory overload of new dynamics daily and things to figure out and now a slow quiet time, the towns shut down, the boaters gone home, the waters flat and zippy motoring along.

It is pretty along the river though, with the leaves starting to turn and the locks full of history. Most of the operators of the locks take pride in what they do, keeping the old brass handles of the electrical controls polished until they shine. One person does the job that 12 used to. They open and close the gates at one end, raise or lower the water and then walk all the way to the other end to open the gates there. All so us boaters can get our boats to the next elevation. Today we reached the summit. So far we have been going up in elevation, tomorrow we will start going down, all the way to the ocean. I think we have this locking business down by now although we have never experienced multiple boats in the locks with us. This is the advantage of the off season. I can only imagine the chaos in the summer when lines of boats are waiting to go in, walls are crowded in the lock and everyone is trying to find a place to tie up for the night. At this time we have everything to ourselves. So I will ride the rollercoaster this time and be thankful for slow times as the car might start screaming down the hill again when we hit the Hudson River with its tides and currents.