Aug. 2-9 Crooked Lake Lodge

By on August 14, 2026 in The Pearl

“To be lucky enough to live by the lake is to be lucky enough.” -Unknown
We got to spend another wonderful week with family on Keuka Lake. We all agree it’s our favorite lake. The lake is smaller and nowhere near as deep as Cayuga or Seneca so the water is warmer and unbelievably clear. 

The house
We had lots of porches to relax on…taking in the view of the lake.

The living room.

Kitchen

Basement

Bedrooms

Our little private getaway over the garage.

We spent most of the week in or on the water. Swimming, tubing, knee boarding and riding on the runabout. All the kids love the water. But we did a little exploring. We found a nice gully to hike in although the water fall was almost nonexistent. We still had fun playing in the little pool and climbing on the rocks.
The kids had fun dropping large rocks into the pool.
Climbing up to the next little pool.
The view from the top.
After our hike we stopped for lunch at the Abandon Brewing Co.
We sat outside with this nice view and enjoyed our lunch.

Another day was spent riding bikes along the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail. It’s a 7.5 mile trail that follows the historic canal that connects Keuka Lake in Penn Yan to Seneca Lake in Dresden. There are several small water falls along the trail making it a beautiful spot to ride. After the ride we had a picnic lunch in the park in Penn Yan and no trip to this lake would be complete with a stop at the Spotted Duck for ice cream. 
Seneca Mills Falls along the trail.
All the ice cream at the Spotted Duck is made from the eggs of their own ducks.
We spent our evenings roasting marshmallows, swimming and playing silly games. It was a great week spent with the ones we love, doing the likes we like and relaxing with a great view. 

A lake vacation is mostly about playing in the lake.

This was Hattie’s first time on the knee board and she was amazing.

Tubing is fun too.

Driving the boat is also exciting.

But even just riding can be fun.

Kyle and Cora took a kayak out one morning.

The water is the reason we come, but there are a lot of other things to do when we are together.

One rainy afternoon we painted, baked and put puzzles together.

The girl’s creations.

The hot tub felt good after a swim in the lake.

Thanks to Kyle we always eat well.

Evening campfire.

and fun on the dock.

Goodnight Keuka Lake

Aug. 2-9 Crooked Lake Lodge

By on August 14, 2026 in The Pearl
“To be lucky enough to live by the lake is to be lucky enough.” -Unknown

We got to spend another wonderful week with family on Keuka Lake. We all agree it’s our favorite lake. The lake is smaller and nowhere near as deep as Cayuga or Seneca so the water is warmer and unbelievably clear. 

The house

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Seeing Tiki Tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA

By on August 12, 2026 in Kosmos

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Ottawa

By on August 11, 2026 in M/V Dirona

Ottawa, Canada has played a big part in our lives. James lived in Canada’s capital for much of his formative years, and we first shared an apartment together there in 1984 during a Co-Op student work term. When we lived in Toronto in the 1990s, we often visited for the Winterlude winter festival. But we’ve…

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By on August 11, 2026 in Kosmos

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Peats Bite

By on August 10, 2026 in M/V Dirona

We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary and Jennifer’s 60th birthday in style with a crazy weekend trip to Peats Bite in Sydney, Australia to. The restaurant, famous for its long, relaxed, multi-course gourmet lunches that sometimes extend well into the evening, has hosted many celebrities, including James’ doppelganger, Queen guitarist Brian May. In planning the…

Part 3 of The Clewiston Museum in Clewiston, Florida, USA

By on August 9, 2026 in Kosmos

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Part 2 of The Clewiston Museum in Clewiston, Florida, USA

By on August 8, 2026 in Kosmos

continued… The next exhibit was on the early inhabitants of the Kissimmee River Valley and Lake Okeechobee areas. The Kissimmee River Valley, which began just south of Orlando, was the primary source of water to Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee was … Continue reading →

How a Boatbuilder Accidentally Created America’s Roadside Giants

By on August 6, 2026 in Wind Horse

– BuzzSprout – Spotify – Apple – YouTube – iHeart (US Only) The remarkable story behind Steve Dashew, the Muffler …Read More

Seeing Special Blend at The Clewiston Museum in Clewiston, Florida, USA

By on August 3, 2026 in Kosmos

Dawn on Friday, April 10, 2026 In school, Keith was currently studying about the United States’s rapid expansion during the 1800s. As part of the expansion, Native American people living in desirable locations were forced off their land and moved … Continue reading →