Those darks clouds behind us? Ummm...don't worry - we'll be fine."

LEFT - On a hot summer day - the best place to be is in the water.
RIGHT - Marcie & Cyndy...all smiles.

LEFT - There's only one way to REALLY drink a Marquarita.
RIGHT - Todd & Shelly Mechling, B.O. (Before Owen).

"As the son of a son of a sailor,
I go out on the sea for adventure.
Expanding the view
Of the Captain and Crew
Like a man just released from indenture.

As a dreamer of dreams and a traveling man
I have chalked up many a mile
Read dozens of books
About hero's and crooks
And I've learned much from both of their styles."

"Haul the sheet in
As we ride on the wind
That our forefathers harnessed before us
Hear the bells ring
And the tide rigging sing
It's a son of a gun of a chorus."

Son of a Sailor - Jimmy Buffett

Sailing is communal acitivity...the only people who single-handedly sail around the world are the same people that got REALLY low marks in Kindergarten in the "works well with others" category.

Sailing is also credited with peppering our lauguage with some very colorful phrases and idioms:

Hunk-Dory
Loose Cannon
Bottom of the Barrel
Down to the Bitter End
Feeling "Under the Weather"
Hotshot
Grin & Bear it
Chewing the Fat
Blood is Thicker than Water
And of course...
Three Sheets to the Wind

Anyone who's been out sailing with me knows that it's not about pulling ropes and running around the boat (well, maybe a little bit) but it's more about enjoying the company of friends, meeting new people and making the most of what summer in South Dakota has to offer.

Just another on-the-boat concert with Aaron...

...the King of the flower-pot drum.