As in many areas of the USA - people are out walking these days in greater numbers than we've seen since the West was settled.
But, pup and I were the only ones out for a walk at the reservoir this sunrise.
A little horizontal rain and wind - and they stayed glued to their Cream-O-Wheat bowls at home!
Our lone Chevy F-150 there in the parking lot!
That shore over there to the right is France.
A few years ago I was set for a crossing attempt of the Channel - but a light chop came up……
Good eyes!
Yep, Ford Silverado, A/C, rubber carpet and roll up windows. New blower, regulator, and big Chevy battery. Paint matched cap, new brake line kit and factory sealed owner's manual too big to start reading at my age. Several glowing dash lights of various colors - but runs great!
Fish
Hmmm...huh??
I know a few classic car collectors who would slap you silly for putting a fuel injection system in a 1957 Chevy instead of a Holley 4 barrel Carburetor.
...and a mixed up Ford-Chevy truck? Poor thing doesn't know if it is suppose to look good or run good...(we use to say buy a Chevy if you want a car that looks good, but buy a Ford if you want it to run good.)
A friend of mine, now deceased, had a houseboat that he called his "money pit in the water". He also said that you have to pay if you want to play...talking about his houseboat as a party boat. He was there on the lake, working on the boat, every spare moment. It looked great to me, until he started pointing out the rust on the chrome, and wood rot, and things like that.
As for the Ford vs the Chevy. Every experience I have had with Fords...and I have had a lot of Fords, mostly Mustangs...proved to me that the engines are great, but the body is a piece of crap. Heck, one of my Mustangs, new from the showroom, had pieces fall off of it before I could get out of the dealer's lot! Still, it ran like a rocket...and the styling was great on most of them (except for those after 1970 and before the current frame).
As for Chevys, well I had less problems with them than my Pontiacs, which were still General Motors products. I think the Pontiac was a mix of parts from multiple General Motors models, some of which were not meant to be mixed.
(Being a boat owner we also say that Boat stands for 'Bring Out Another Thousand')
Speaking of boats . . .. (I saw the word Channel)
You can get on the water fairly cheap and have a great time for not so much with good quality inflatables. Just be sure to wear an approved PFD.
It took me years to "get it".
I think I heard it best said from one of the all time great comedians, Bill Burr, on a Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode, "Don't be the guy who owns the boat . . . be the guy who shows up like a hero with a 12 pack", or something like that.
I was a victim of "3 footitis" but fortunately recovered and came to my senses before I turned my life inside out with boat expenses. Instead I had more to spend on bikes and scooters.
Here's a sample of what's out there. Whatever you're on out in the water the view is the same. That said you do have to be discrete where and when you use it. The upside is no fees and no storage problems and if you can patch a bike tire and know how to row or paddle your all set. Plus it's free exercise.
Old Grinner wrote:
Speaking of boats . . .. (I saw the word Channel)
Well - this is mine. Bought it in Colorado but got fed up of lakes. Towed it down here to Florida right when Michael hit us. Now I get to play in the Gulf of Mexico and the Inter-coastal Waterway.
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My "pie in the sky" boat was going to be a 17 ft. " Boston Whaler Montauk" but the prices kept going up and the simple original concept started becoming more elaborate etc . . ..
So I got a 16 ft. "Sturdee Dory" instead. Simple it was and totally enjoyed it for over a decade. It would go anywhere.
The only things I added to it were a compass and speedometer. It would do 25 MPH with a 15 hp Nissan 4-stroke on it. I got the long shaft so it wouldn't cavitate.
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I also had a 14 ft. Hobie Holder sail boat at the time. Had a blast in that too.
I know what you mean about lakes. It can be like going around on a carnival ride when you travel at speed. But I never lost my interest for getting out on the water.
So I eventually sold them both and now I just use inflatables.
Speaking of boats, I used to have a hard-drinking friend who had a boat.
I've always liked those Boston Whalers like that. Very similar to an old boat I had in England growing up. Used to often go out a couple of miles or so from the Devon coast when I was about 15 or so. My mother worried herself to death, but I always came back!
Since we're talking boats...Mine isn't quite so impressive as the others here, but it does float. A couple vids.
Nice kayak.
Another one similar to yours that I was looking at was a Wilderness Systems Aspire 105. The Vapor 10 is a lot less expensive though. Maybe a 240 cm paddle would be better?
I'll probably end up getting a Sea Eagle but at just around 10 ft. a hard shell kayak would do the job and still be able to fit in my trailer.
That said I like the minimal stowage area needed for the inflatables and price. It's nice to get a package that comes with comfortable seats, paddles, and a pump (plus the storage bag).
Right now I have a couple of Intex Seahawk 2s and an Excursion 4. All were bought on sale. The problem is finding time to use them.
One thing I will say though is that paddling a hard shell kayak in windy conditions is tough but with an inflatable it's even more tough due to the high profile and configuration.
Thanks for sharing the videos. Your dog is well mannered and a good sailor. Very calm waters indeed!
