August 23 Fultonville to Scotia 23 miles

We should have been able to get started earlier being right by the ramp with the boat already to go. But I had walked next door to Dunkin Donuts to get our breakfast. We had had a noisy night near the revelers who had partied outside our door until the wee hours and the people in the next room had left their TV on. It finally went off at 4:00 a.m. So the Econolodge had only one good quality: a boat ramp! We were rowing by 10:30 and made pretty good time for the first few hours.

After a wonderful day of rowing we came to the Arrow Head Marina and campground in Scotia which Bill had recommended the day before. I asked if we might be able to tie the boat between two corners of a slip. I had expected to pay for the slip and campsite but when the manager gave me the bill the charges were marked as $0.0. She had heard about what we were doing and was very gracious about letting us stay. I wish the hotel managers had similar points of view. I am sure they could better afford it.  This made it quick for us to get out and Bill Almy was back with his older daughter, Morgan, age 13, who has started to row out of the Burnt Hills Rowing organization in Scotia, NY. What a delightful young girl!  She had told Bill that she liked crew because there were no “Stars” as in other sports. It is pure teamwork she told him. It heartened my soul to hear these words because I have been a fan of the sport since I was her age for the same reason. Bill and Morgan gave me a ride back to the Ilion boat ramp during which we had a good long chat about all of these things. I persuaded them to come to dinner with us when we returned. After we got back and parked the car and trailer in the designated campsite which was almost in view of the boat, we piled into Bill’s car and drove to a restaurant just outside the park.

Bill and I talked business for part of the meal while Heather and Morgan became friends. The main course was good and then it came time for desert. Heather and Morgan ordered chocolate lava cakes and I had their last piece of Key lime pie. Shortly after being served  there was a loud bang as Heathers glass plate exploded into shards of glass and the molten cake was ejected onto the table. The waitress and manager came running and cleaned up the mess among many apologies and expressions of wonder how this could have happened. I supposed that the cake had been warmed in the microwave and when the non-Pyrex glass had been put on the cold table the temperature change had caused a stress relief that shattered the glass. Why it did not happen to Morgan’s as well I don’t understand.  I shared some of my pie with Heather and we all agreed that the lava cake had been a blast!