Generic update...

Heron Lake, Monday, July 16, 2007. 11:00 a.m.
7,154.29 ' elevation, 238,014 acre feet.
Up 0.03' (1/4 inch, 133 a.f.) in 24 hours; up 0.08' (1 inch, 352 a.f.) in 71 hours.
Azotea Tunnel flow 69 cubic feet per second (35 - 148 cfs).
Willow Creek flow 109 cfs (48 - 177 cfs).

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Today I took "Tadpole" to his string bass lesson, where he also was briefed on his cat-sitting assignment. Mocha will be left behind while her regular staff is out of town, so Tad now knows what to do to meet her basic needs. Crystal, the service lane manager at the Ford dealership called with the diagnosis for Babe, our Expedition; it seems that the "carbon canister assembly" and "evaporative canister vent solenoid" need to be replaced. $ 505 (same as our area code) will be the bill. The carbon canister filters the fuel tank vent system; with it clogged the car was over-revving on startup and the engine was not running at full power. The mechanic will have to remove some body panels near the driver's side rear wheel to get at the carbon canister and solenoid, which are also adjacent to the fuel tank.

Yesterday (Sunday), Tadpole tried to sail a Sunfish, but didn't have much luck. Winds were very light, oscillating between light breezes and calms. Tad would take a boat out when the breeze came up a bit, only to become becalmed. This happened three times. Eventually, we did some kayaking and I began bolting some boards to three encased marina floats, making the beginning of a raft. The raft will be used to support an old gangway and provide a base for the long gangway when it is re-installed to the south of, and lower than its old location.

Saturday Tad got a tow out into the main body of the lake and sailed the rest of the way to the Ridge Rock courtesy dock, delivering signal flags to decorate the New Mexico Sailing Club exhibit at the Osprey Festival. He then got to sail back most of the way across the lake, but it was very slow going in light breezes. Several of the rest of us talked to occasional visitors. Unfortunately, although the Heron Lake State Park Osprey Festival was successful as a whole, with many hundreds of visitors at the visitors' center, only a small fraction of the attendees made it as far as Ridge Rock. So, the odds of winning a free sailboat ride or discount on a sailing club membership for the small flock of Osprey Fest visitors who registered at our exhibit are very very good.

Saturday evening we ran up to Chama, saw the train, got groceries, and visited with Roger, of the Shamrock Hotel and gift shop. Roger is of course a great enthusiast of the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad as well as motel proprietor.

In the cyberseas, I spent time working on a Notice of Race and logistics for the Rocky Mountain Buccaneer Rodeo, to be held this Labor Day weekend at Heron Lake. The regatta will in a sense be a dress rehearsal for a bid to host the Buccaneer North American Championship regatta in 2009. That's also the year that our in-laws will be having an eclipse trip and anniversary party in the South Pacific near Tahiti, so we'll have to block off a couple of weeks or so for that, including perhaps a possible sailing charter after the week on the ocean cruise ship.