Tuesday, October 13, 2009

We pulled up the anchor at 9:06 am and set sail for Ken Lake State Park at a very leisurely 2-3 knots. We were expecting Gale’s nephew, Tony, and sons later on this afternoon for another family barbeque so we wanted a spot that was convenient for them to meet us and spend a few hours. Tony and his family live in Cadiz, KY, which is east of Ken Lake State Park about 15 or 20 miles.

We arrived at Ken Lake State Park at 12:15 pm and secured a slip alongside a very nice new 890-foot transient dock. There were a few sprinkles in the air and the forecast was for rain all afternoon and evening. We were hoping to be able to pick up a few items for our meal tonight and inquired about a courtesy vehicle and a grocery store. The vehicle was in use; however, the guy at the marina said the store was only about a ½ mile walk from here. We decided to haul out our wheeled cart and walk to the store before doing anything else and, hopefully, before the rain really hit. As we were leaving the park, we ran into a young couple who gave us alternative directions to the store that they thought were a little better than the direction we were heading. We made it out of the park and to the main road and couldn’t see a store in either direction. Maureen expressed some doubts and we made a decision about which way to go from there. The showers were beginning to turn into rain and things weren’t looking so good. We saw a stop sign up the road and thought we might get someone to pull over and give us additional directions. After two or three unsuccessful attempts to wave somebody down, a young couple stopped to offer assistance. They said that if we continued in the direction we were walking, it would be another 12 miles or so before we found a grocery. They offered to take us to the store – even with Lucy and our wire cart – and we jumped at the chance to ride! Gale stayed in the vehicle with Lucy and visited with the driver while Maureen and Diana, the young woman, went inside. The grocery store was a very small ‘Ma and Pa’ type, but it had the hamburger, buns and other miscellaneous items we needed most. After making our purchases, Diana and her husband (we didn’t get his name) gave us a ride back to the park.

The young couple that was so kind to give us a ride was preparing to move to northern North Dakota. He was an engineer and had been offered a job that he was very excited about. Even their teenage daughter was up for the adventure. We hoped the coming winter wouldn’t dampen their enthusiasm too much!

Note for Maureen for the future: Never doubt Gale’s sense of direction – especially since she is “directionally challenged.”

There were no shower facilities at the marina, so we took our showers on the boat and got ready for Tony, Eli and Buddy’s visit. We enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, grilled burgers, shared a nice meal, and played some Yahtzee while the rain continued to come down. The Kubiks left a little after 8 pm. It rained off and on all night.