Sunday, July 14, 2024: We woke up to a beautiful view of the sunrise. At 7:03 a.m., it was obvious a few boats had already left. I thought we were the early birds but that was definitely not the case! As I looked around the dock, I was surprised at how much activity there was already. We sat, enjoying our coffee and watching several sailboats leave the harbor. I wish I could ask each one of them where they're going...I'm so curious!!!

By 10:30, the radar showed that the rain was moving away from the area we are traveling towards. For the next 2.5 hours, we followed along the line of weather and experienced a few sprinkles but nothing serious. They were slow moving clouds and just as predicted, clear blue skies were right behind them. There is a significant size reef that we navigate around before making a sharp left turn towards the Port Austin State Harbor. This turn has been stressful for me in our past visits here but today the lake is calm and it's a pleasant experience all the way up to the gas dock. 

Saturday, July 13, 2024: Just as we hoped for, the gas dock was empty this morning and we were their first customer. As the young dockhand was fueling up our tanks, he told us that he's worked there for a couple of summers and loves it. When he's not working the docks, he is working the fields. It was fascinating to hear how ambitious he is. I asked him if they have many transient slips compared to seasonal slips and he went on to explain how each of the docks are designated and then he casually mentioned that one seasonal boater reserves 6 boat slips. "What?!" I asked. I said, "I can't say I know anyone who owns more than one boat let alone an entire fleet!"

He shoved us off just in time for the 10:00 a.m. bridge opening. Moments later we were leaving the harbor and heading back on The St. Clair River. 40 minutes later, we were traveling beneath the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. This is usually a little unnerving for me because the water is often turbulent as Lake Huron rushes into the St. Clair River here, but not this time. We went from gentle ripples in the river to smooth as silk waters in the lake. I believe this is the first time I've experienced calm and peaceful waters right here. The tranquil waters continued and by noon, we were comfortably docked in Port Sanilac Marina. ​

Friday, July 12, 2024: It took 6 months of detailed planning and nearly a lifetime of dreams to get to this day. The boat is stocked and ready for our 30-day long adventure. At 5:24 p.m., we backed away from D dock in St. Clair Shores and headed out into Lake St. Clair.

The lake was calm, the sky above was crystal clear and brilliant blue with some white fluffy clouds, very low on the horizon and the 30 minute cruise across the lake was so serene.  As we entered the St. Clair River, we started seeing a significant amount of debris floating along. There were storms in the area a couple of days earlier and now we're literally dodging logs and boards that are drifting down the river. Thankfully, the currently calm conditions made it easy to identify them. We may have looked like drunken sailors as we swerved our way up the river. :-)

This past weekend, we drove across the state to Holland, MI to watch our granddaughter compete in a swim meet. As soon as she was done on the first day, we drove to Holland State Park. The kids played at the playground with their dad and aunt. Meanwhile, Larry and I took off our shoes, rolled up our pant legs and walked along the beach. This is not typical of me if it's not 80 degrees but it was sunny, mid 60's and no wind so I didn't hesitate to follow Larry's lead and walk in the water for a few minutes. The sky was brilliant blue with some wispy clouds, the sun was reflecting off the water, a boater was heading out into the lake and a seaplane flew right over us. Bliss.

WHOA! I feel so liberated! I made the decision to remove all references of interior design associated with Jody Pear Designs, including the history and portfolio of my projects. It just doesn't fit me at this point in my life. I have a full time job again, working for someone else, and it suits me perfectly!

Over the past few months, I developed a new hobby. I started dabbling in the print-on-demand industry and I'm IN LOVE with the process! I can take white/blank, ordinary, every-day items and design them with something that is meaningful to me. I'm completely addicted and ended up designing many products. Yesterday, I deleted almost everything! WHAT?! :-) Madness or liberation? I'm leaning more towards liberation and clarity because everything I chose to keep is related to boating, my strongest passion, and this  choice feels AMAZING!