Bedtime for Boat

The boating season has come to a close once again. We had one last ride with good friends on Monday. It was freezing cold but still fun to enjoy driving through the city and taking in the wide open sea. But alas, the chill is coming on strong and the daylight is diminishing quickly so we must bid farewell to this favored hobby once again.
After a crazy rain storm, yesterday broke into a beautifully warm evening. I decided to make my way out to the marina and give the boat a good scrub down. I'm glad I did. It was so lovely and cleaning provides a good stress reliever for me and actually ended up being a pretty good workout! The warm evening with a gorgeous setting sun was a real bonus.
Too bad the boat was never this clean while we were actually using it! But there is an element of satisfaction in watching something really dirty emerge into something really clean. I think this is especially satisfying for those of us who work in professions where a clear beginning and a clear ending of tasks is sometimes ambiguous. Cleaning is very therapeutic for me and I think it's because the end point is visibly different than the start point. Cleaning provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment! But enough about my mild OCD.
What always amazes me is how much dog hair lingers on the boat! Doug and I both enjoy the boat very much but Tanner LOVES it! And there is no lack of evidence of his presence on our boat! But I think I successfully removed most of the dog hair from the surfaces, the wells, and the cushions! Good thing he doesn't have longer hair!
When I arrived home, Doug had found this collection of Tanner jackets! It's quite a size evolution, don't you think? Tanner was most interested in the vests as I'm sure he could tell that they smelled like him! When we first tried to put the puppy jacket on him, he wasn't so sure. Eventually he allowed me to slip it over his head but there was no fastening it! He has always loved the boat. When he was a little puppy, he was the most calm on the boat. I loved being with him on the boat because he just cuddled up and settled down. 
As I stood admire my handy work, the moon was rising up over the clubhouse. It took my breath away with its size and light. All day long friends on other sides of the world were posting about the eclipse and now I was finally seeing that same moon. It was almost as if God was giving me one last precious gift as the boating season comes to a close once again. I left the marina filled with the beauty of our surroundings.
We had a great summer with the Finnmaster this year and those memories will sustain us until it is time to clean it once again...after a cold and dark winter.