Oneida Lake

Phoenix
N 43 13.667 W 076 17.942

We crossed Oneida Lake this morning. We left early, before 0600, so as to avoid the forecast Westerly winds.

The lake crossing was very nice and so was the scenery. Neither Libby nor I have ever been on Oneida Lake before. When we grew up nearby in Manlius and Fayetteville we always had a negative opinion of Oneida Lake. Now, I can't think of anything especially negative about it. It is a very nice inland lake in Central New York.

At the west end of the lake we passed under Interstate 81 in Brewerton. I always think of Annette Funicello when passing that spot. Brewerton was reputed to be Annette's home town. Since Annette and the other Mouketeer girls were almost exactly my age and since they were so pretty, I and other boys my age entertained very undisneylike thoughts about those girls. You know what I mean. We watched year to year as they developed and Annette developed the most of all (If you know what I mean.) I still can't pass Brewerton without thinking of Annette.

We stopped at Ess-Kay Yards in Brewerton to buy fuel and charts. The proprietor is a delightful guy. He and I chatted for a while. He used to own gas stations in Syracuse. Then he bought a boat and the marina in Brewerton. He tended the marina in the summer and then cruised south with his family in the winter. That makes for a much more relaxing life than tending gas stations.

I think Libby and I have flipped our coin. Without any genuine flip, we've decided on the Down East Circle Route rather than the Great Loop. It just sounds more pleasant. One of the pleasant things is that we get to waste some weeks in the Thousand Islands area. Nevertheless, I worry about leaving too late in the season. Our guide says that it should take 39 more days to get back to New York City with no delays. If we left tomorrow and did not dally, we would be in NYC by August 15. If we actually make it by September 15 that would be adequate, so we have about one month slack time to waste.