Last Saturday morning, April 3rd, Lovely bravely ventured out in the fenced yard. She’d done this with Kevin, but last Saturday she was so eager to get out that when I opened the door she screwed up all her courage to rush past me outside.

She was delighted to find the catnip plant which is getting bigger by the day.

Here’s a short video of Lovey, Sweetie and Riley.

Riley loves being outside the most.

Later in the day Kevin showed me the latest destruction down by the dock. Animals are always desperate to dig things up down there. Not sure what the animal was, but it must have been very strong to push the bricks out of the way. Maybe it was the mink? A mighty mink!

On Sunday morning we prepped the boat to launch it. This is the earliest we’ve ever put it in the water. First, Kevin had to take off the giant tarp and the structure that held it together. We’re quite pleased with the durability of the new cover and it was much easier to disassemble than it was to put it together last fall. It was easier for Kevin, that is, who did it all.

We then cleaned the boat, starting with waxing the pontoons. When we started I was grumbling in my mind, thinking that just the pontoon waxing would take hours. But Mom came over to help and it only took us an hour and a half, including cleaning the interior of the boat and I even went a little crazy and waxed the motor.

And then we launched it! Kevin expertly backed the truck up, unhooked the boat, then drove forward and quickly backed it to get the boat to glide free from the trailer. A family was picnicking and fishing there by the boat launch, and later Kevin told me that they all cheered when he’d successfully backed the boat into the water.

Mom and I motored back to our dock and Kevin was ther, waiting to jump on the boat for an inaugural ride. A great ride and it was interesting to see all the trees with their naked branches.

Kevin and I wore matching “Mutts” t-shirts, because why not? Such a beautiful day.

In the early evening I relaxed in the fenced yard. A truly lovely weekend.

Ok thenn,

Mrs. April Hughes.