The theme of today’s post is don’t believe what the weather people in Wisconsin tell you. They are just guessing and probably don’t have a clue. I’m sure they do the best they can, but the reality is that this big ol’ lake we’re on is in complete control and she can be as fickle as they come.
Let me take you back a couple weeks. We had a nice run south from Port Washington to Milwaukee. On arrival we pulled into the fuel dock for a pumpout and when Tim found out the current price for diesel, it was a no brainer that the time had come to fill up the tanks. 300 gallons later, we were on our way to our dock.
I have to be honest with you, I was not expecting much from Milwaukee. I’m not sure why, but I guess I pictured an older big city that was somewhat run down. After our first stroll into town, I felt I was right. We walked down Brady Street into an older section of town that reminded me of Baltimore and brought images of NOLA to Tim. It was lined with sad bars and was kinda dirty, just not a spot I’d want to walk through in the dark. Hoping to find something better, the next day we put the dink in the water and headed up the Milwaukee River.
It started off as a nice day, overcast, yes, but “the weather person” said we had only a slight chance of rain and if it did come, it would be around 4:30.
Heading up the river, condos and apartments lined the waterfront. Many of them were constructed in old warehouses, some were newer construction, but they added a warm feel to the riverside. I was really liking how the city kept a lot of its history by repurposing the old brick building.
As we neared this bridge, horns began to blow announcing that the bridge would be rising. No way that bridge was going to go up for us in our little dink, we figured somebody big must be coming. Tim decided we ought to wait before going under to see who was on the other side.
Sure enough, glad we held back.
More views from the river.
After an enjoyable cruise, it was time for lunch and a beer. As we ate, Tim did a radar check on the weather. To give the weather person credit, yes, storms were in the forecast, however they were not predicted until 4:30. Looking up at the dark sky and rolling clouds barreling between the rows of condos along the water, we thought otherwise. Tim had barely time to ask for the check when the clouds were upon us with a blast of wind. Unoccupied chairs began scooting across the deck and full ketchup bottles were tossed in the river as the full force of the storm hit. We ducked inside the restaurant with Maggie and the rest of the customers as we waited for calm. Back into the dink once the worst had passed, rain was still falling as we made our way on a now very choppy river. As we rounded the corner to leave the river and head out into the harbor, the chop became waves and then became rollers. Emergency boats were being called into action and we did not want to be the ones in need of them, so Tim turned our little craft around and we sought shelter at another restaurant along the river. Luckily the waitstaff took pity on the three drenched boaters and allowed us to wait out the rain and let the waters settle before we attempted to cross the harbor again.
The Milwaukee Munincipal Marina is huge, and we were happy to be placed on a T head, away from the crowd. This keeps Maggie quieter since she has fewer people to greet. Being on the end also allows for a bit of badly needed grooming. Both Maggie and Tim got a good trim by me.
Again, we decided to set off to explore Milwaukee. This time we chose to take the bikes. Of course we checked the weather and again the weather people said we were good to go. So off we went. Milwaukee has some of the most amazing bike trials. I am totally impressed as trails go off in many directions- North and south, along the lake, into town, to the beach, to the park. We chose a trail that runs north along the lake and then took a turn onto a more wooded trail. All was great until we again looked up at the sky. The sky and the radar weren’t telling us the same thing. Having learned our lesson well, we decided to head back to the boat. Sure enough, you know the rest of the story. As soon as we got onto the dock, the sky let loose and the winds began to blow. We were soaked to the bone by the time we got to the boat. Maggie and I dashed aboard while Tim laid the bike down on the dock to keep them from being tossed into the lake by the wind.
That 40mph gust seemed to come out of nowhere.
I can’t have you thinking that we spent all of our time in Milwaukee avoiding storms. We had some beautiful days as well.
The day finally came that our dear, old friend, Lisa arrived. (As blog editor, Lisa is taking the opportunity to note here that she prefers the description “long-time friend” as opposed to the more accurate “old friend”…just sayin’!) Tim has known Lisa longer than he has known me and Lisa was a major factor in my getting together with Tim. We only had one day in Milwaukee with Lisa before we untied the lines and continued south to Racine. We decided a dinghy trip up the Milwaukee River was the best way to show her the city. Do I need to say more? Yes, rain was in the forecast, but in our defense, it wasn’t predicted to hit until later. Yes, this time we did bring rain jackets, but it didn’t keep us from getting drenched. There are many things in life that I am thankful for and the fact that I don’t melt has just topped my list.
Indeed, I bet you were getting tired of getting wet!
Well, I don’t know what to say, other than you guys should stay out of the rain – or else you will catch a cold!
Life is dry here. Had a good yoga class, David joined us (he had Labor day off, of course). Next Monday we are ‘eating out’ after class, we will be celebrating 6 years of yoga (time really flies by).