Thanksgiving Day ride

For at least the past ten years I have tried to get out for a ride on Thanksgiving Day before doing the turkey thing, weather permitting and assuming I am home.  I guess that makes it a tradition.  Yesterday the weather forecast was not looking good, and sure enough it is wet out this morning with intermittent showers.  I try not to be *too* much of a fair-weather friend when it comes to riding, but 35 degrees and rain is not my idea of fun.  Maybe next year.

So far I have not accomplished much this morning other than pet the cats and surf the internet, but I'm thinking pancakes and a little time working on the canoe will be in order before heading over to my parent's house to stuff myself with turkey.  Grace is off with her sister, Ruth, and her family, and her other sister, Pauline, and her boyfriend, at a rented house in Saugatuck.  I have to work tomorrow and will head out after work.

So, about this canoe? My brother-in-law, Jeff, and I decided about a year ago to build canoes together.  Time constraints being what they are we have not had much time to work on them together lately, but I have kept mine moving along.  I keep saying it's possible mine might get in the water before the end of the year, which is not entirely a pipe dream yet.  Whether it gets wet this year or not is not really a big deal, but it is coming along nicely!

This is where it stands as of November 14, which is the most recent pictures I have.  The strip-built bow and stern decks are just set in place here, but once installed, will make air-tight compartments for buoyancy if the canoe becomes swamped.  There are still several details to tie up, but the final finishing is not too far away anymore.

And if the thwart looked a little low in the previous pictures, here is why!  That is a removable seat that slips over it.  When paddling with two people the middle seat can be removed for more room.  When paddling solo the center seat can be slipped over the thwart and the canoe is paddled the other way; i.e. the bow becomes the stern.  The seat will get some foam before it's done since I don't relish the idea of sitting on a hard piece of plywood for very long.

I will get some more canoe pictures up at some point, but I think it's pancake time!