Oahe Trip Day 10, Tuesday, May 24

0500-48F/43F. Heat is on. Solar 83%. I will make coffee to have with cookies before departing.

0600-Preparing to depart so I can get started early today.

0700-Backed away from the site and on my way! Took almost an hour to get rigged and going!

Nav Chart - Leg 7, Day 10

Destination Detail - Leg 7

0900-Traveled 11 miles and arrived at the new site.  It took about 1.5 hours enroute but 30 minutes to get tied up. I froze enroute working against the wind with only fingerless gloves!  My down vest with rain jacket over was not sufficient with the wind chill factor!  I need to bring warmer gloves and more layers next time.

All Around Protection-No Stern Waves Will Threaten Here!
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Good anchorage with protection all around I made sure I would not experience stern waves while tied to shore. A also tied into the wind on a relatively featureless anchorage. 

High clouds, partly sunny.  Will make an omelet for breakfast.  Solar 81%.

1145-Brunch was a cheese and veggie omelet (onions, peppers, mushrooms) and lots of bacon on the side along with toast with raspberry jam and several glasses of O.J. It took the chill off and filled me up.

Great Breakfast To Warm The Body And The Soul!
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Finished dishes afterward, of which there was an abundance after the big breakfast.  Listened to music while I planned my next stop.  Based on the weather, it looks like tomorrow will be a good time to move again.

Started my third 4 gallon water jug of the trip. Each one lasts about 4 days, a gallon a day is not bad.  I carried a total of 20 gallons in five jugs.

Aux Tanks, etc.
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Equipment
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More Equipment
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1245-Just got back from a walk up the hill to take photos and look around a bit.  No firewood in the area. I may take another walk and go a little further next time. Right now it's time for a nap. 

Gang Plank Fully Extended-Notice The Anchor Spread
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1407-Did some reading followed by a nap. 75F/71F so I cracked the aft door and downwind window to prevent heating the cabin up too much.

Had a cold beer.  I need to stock up the fridge since it was the last cold one!

1645-Reprovisioned the fridge with beer and brought out another box of cabernet. Now sitting on the aft deck listening to music, sipping some wine and watching a pair of mallard ducks napping on a shelf of the shore.  Other than the ducks there is little activity, no cattle in sight anywhere. 71F/71F. Will close up the windows since it has clouded over and beginning to cool off.

Switched from auxiliary tank to main tank #2 to use up some of the older fuel.

1745-Finished dinner of roast pork, potatoes, salad, roll, and red wine.  Now completely overcast. 72F/68F.

Sun Dogs
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2000-Had my evening libation on the stern deck while listening to more music and glassing the slopes in the hope of seeing some critters out and about this evening. Mostly meadow larks and red wing blackbirds so far.  I watched a redwing blackbird take a thorough bath along the shore, just as sun was about to set.  Overcast, but also hazy so you could see the sun. 68F/66F. Solar 96%. I tweaked the freezer down to 5F from 7F since the solar is doing so well.

Shadows
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Notes: Need a way to stow paperback books to keep them out of the way. Next time bring birds and mammal books to I.D. critters. Contact Scepter Tanks about a modified gas tank fitting to make it easier to hook up the hose in the confined space. Need a towel rack above heater.

2120-Went up the hill to get some sunset photos. It was less spectacular than expected, but still beautiful.  I will listen to my audio book and then hit the sack.

Sunset
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High Cirrus
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Closure To A Fine Day On The Water
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  YouTube Video-Leg 7, Day 10

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Oahe Trip Day 9, Monday, May 23

0600-51F/43F, solar 81%. Checked weather and will move before breakfast to minimize the wind factor of increasing winds later in the morning.

0655-Preparing to move. 66F/46F

0930-Arrived at new site. 57F/57F, cool! Heater is on warming up while I make breakfast. Move was timely!

Stiff Wind From SW - Later Would Cause Problems
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1000-Finished breakfast but I'll wait to do dishes. Breeze is up as forecast now out of southwest. Will let outside temps rise some before trying to the rinse dishes in lake water on the aft deck.  Just too cold on the hands! 73F/61F, solar 88%.

1240-70F/63F.  Took a hike up the hill to check the harbor out from above. Wind has come up to at least 20 mph, with gusts higher. Nice walk with plenty of firewood again.

Overlook From A Hike Up The Hill
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On return I got worried about the kayak pounding on the corner of the boat so I let it slide ashore after removing the tow rig.

Then I observed waves splashing against the stern and water coming over the transom and into the bilge, not good!  Mostly just wet now and not much accumulation. I will set a one hour timer to check on it later. I don't want to move if I don't have to. Unfortunately this wind is now kicking up white caps in fairly restricted fetch off the stern. No way did I think it would be a problem in this sheltered harbor, but it is! I made a note to myself yesterday but I completely underestimated how much wave action you can get in such a small harbor like this one.

Wind has increased even more. Temp did not rise significantly so I went ahead and washed the dishes anyway. Listening to music now and trying to relax. Pandora looked like it was not going to open the app on my phone, but it finally did.  Not sure what is going on with that again?

Weather was nice early this morning but now it is cloudy, windy, and dreary. There will not be much outside activity until the wind moderates. So, more reading, audio books, and music!

Note: Used up Osmo Action SD card. Need to purchase spares. 

Note: Even small anchorages can kick up waves that can be hazardous! Look for all around protection, particularly for the stern.

Adjusted the stern lines to keep the boat from being pushed up onto the shore potentially stranding me.

Took down the forward Bimini & aft Bimini windshield to reduce sail area and associated forces pushing me further onto shore.

Further repositioned the boat with the stern guys to try to get a better angle so waves are deflected rather than taking them perpendicular to the transom. With the stern at a steeper angle the waves are no longer splashing over the transom. 

YouTube Video-Early Morning Start

(Click to Play)

1430-After the first hour watch on the bilge, I pumped out a lot of water, but the second hour I had none. Maybe the problem is licked. 

I was considering taking a nap but that isn't going to happen, it is just too nerve racking to nap with all this wind and the hazards it presents.

1530-Third hour of bilge watch I had more water in the bilge again, but not too much, maybe a gallon or two. 

I've been reading but it's hard to concentrate and relax with the wind and wave action causing such a tense situation. Wind is still unchanged and it is still cloudy. I stoked the heater to take the chill off. Even with my fleece vest I became chilled.

1645-Finished a chili dinner with salad, roll, and a beer while listening to music. Wind remains unchanged. But the last bilge check there was nothing, a good sign! 

Based on today's weather I will set an alarm for tomorrow morning and depart after sunrise. It should be okay first thing in the morning, hopefully. Lots of cloudy and windy days on this trip! I'm self-contained enough not to be too much bother but it does limit what I can do at each site.

Chili Dinner With Salad, Hot Roll, & Cold Beer
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1700-Wind is backing more to the south, a more favorable angle for waves hitting the stern. May not have to worry about the bilge filling up anymore.

1730-Wind is still strong but waves are no longer threatening the stern, though now there is more side pressure on the hull from starboard. I checked the starboard anchor and it appears to be holding okay. Hopefully the wind will drop later on.

1820-No water in the bilge. Wind is now down and out of the south so no splashing over the stern. A little sun peaking through. 72F/64F

Will go to bed early to be rested for the early start tomorrow. 

Oahe Trip Day 8, Sunday, May 22

0600-41F/30F. Even colder today, below freezing! 

Again, I got up and lit the propane heater and immediately jumped back into bed to let it warm up to something reasonable inside the cabin. Solar is 76%

0830-Began prep for departure after my morning coffee and breakfast.

0900-Got delayed when the local rancher observed the boat and came down with his two young boys (6 or 7) to check me out. 

I invited the boys to come aboard to look around. They acted like they were full of caffeine and practically bounced off the walls, grabbing everything in sight, and asking rapid fire questions. I finally got them off the boat and subtlety closed the door so they could not get back in, though one of them grabbed the door and tried to go back in anyway! Fortunately, his dad stepped in. Obviously, the two boys had few social skills living on an isolated ranch and perhaps discipline by the parents was lax too.

I had just untied the boat and was ready to back away when they showed up.  I just kept the motor in gear so it would hold the boat while I did the impromptu tour of the boat. The dad was very cordial and we visited a bit. They were out fixing fence, a chore that never ends!

The boat was stuck in the mud so they all helped push the boat off but in the process sank up to the tops of their boots in the mud. I commented about that, but the dad just said mucking around in mud was normal for them!

0945-Finally I departed but soon discovered there must be some kind of fishing tournament going on. Boats were everywhere along my route.  I observed at least 25 but had not seen but two boats in the last week!  Quite a contrast.

It is a Sunday but nevertheless, there were too many boats for just local activity in this sparsely populated ranch country where everyone has higher priorities than fishing, especially in spring.

A little later I discovered my tracking on the Zoleo satellite communicator was not functioning. I turned it on twice already and had to do it a third time. I brought my phone into the cockpit to ensure it stuck this time. Unfortunately it will be confusing to those following me since there is a break in the track from yesterday.

1200-Traveled a total of 14.4 miles and arrived at the new site.  I tied up to shore and walked around a bit to take some pics. Lots of firewood around.

Leg 5, Day 8, 14.4 nm

Destination - Leg 5, Day 8 - Low Water Levels
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Note Dry Ground Area - Estimated Water Level Is About 25' Down
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1245-I was hungry so I made a boat lunch and had some chocolates for dessert. May take a nap before doing the dishes. 70F/59F.  Windows still closed. Charged up the Zoleo and the tablet.

Rocky Shoreline - Waves Were Coming Into Inlet
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1400-Got up from a nice nap. Should do the dishes and maybe take a shower later.  Warmed up more than I expected given the low early morning temps. 72F/60F. Forecast last night was 41F but it got down to 30F at 0600! Quite the rise in just a few hours.

1500-Dishes are done. Will work on dinner after 4 pm or so. Had to move the kayak ashore because the north wind is coming into the inlet and was working it against the boat hull, irritating, and hard on the kayak. Too cool and breezy to set up the shower.  

I'm a little upset with the wind direction since I deliberately chose this spot due to overnight winds clocking E through SW.  I was protected from SW winds, but now exposed to N winds! I did not anticipate waves this strong on my stern from that direction.

Note To Self: Because winds are the greatest problem on this Lake, always consider un-forecast conditions and potential adverse wave action. 

1720-Finished dinner. Grill was not working well due to the strong breeze.  Chicken took 20 minutes and should have taken only about 12-14 minutes. Haven't decided what to do this evening.

2000-Took a walk up on the hill to see if I could get a cell signal and get my music back. Success! Got a good signal and I am back in business. 

Walking In Sandals I Had To Be Careful!
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On Ridge Above Boat Looking WNW
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Looking Down From Ridge Top
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Had a nice evening walk among the prairie hills. Came back and put my chair on the foredeck while I listened to music and glassed the slopes looking for evening wildlife activity. Turns out there was a lot of action!

One That Didn't Make It!
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Feeding 1/2 Mile Away-1200 mm Handheld
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Periodically Watching For Predators
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 First I observed an antelope about a half mile away. First of the trip. Apparently alone but constantly looking to the north which made me wonder why.

Then I observed a hawk hunting the slopes to the south. Followed by some type of plover feeding and preening on some of the big drift logs.

Later I picked up the antelope again, she had moved and the reason why she kept looking north became obvious. Turns out her fawn was hidden in that area and she was keeping an eye out for predators that might go after the fawn. As I watched through the field glasses the fawn suckled off and on but seemed half hearted in his effort. 

Antelope Hill
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While I watched the mother and her fawn three mule deer walked into the field of view about 3/4 mile out.  They were just beyond the antelope and fawn on the same hill complex. I tried to get a photo of the antelope but with a 1200 mm zoom lens, hand held, they are out of focus.  

Finally I came in after sunset since it was approaching dark. I listened to music for a while, then my audio book, before heading to bed.

End Of The Day
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I did some computations and decided I need to average about 8 miles/day over the balance of the trip to return to Spring Creek Rec Area on schedule since I'm about 42 nm from the launch. This location is my turn around point.

YouTube Video - Leg 5, Day 8

(Click to Play)

Oahe Trip Day 7, Saturday, May 21

0540- 43F/32F. Cold, cold, cold! Turned on heat and jumped back in bed to let it warm up.

0810-Finished my study time. Temps now 72F/41F. Time for breakfast.  Solar 84%

0840-Breakfast done. Mostly sunny 74F/44F. Solar 87%. Checked weather.  At first I was worried since it did not update properly and gave the impression I would have strong winds again! But finally it updated to my relief indicating much better wind conditions.

I will begin preparation for departure.

0900-I'm off! 59F/52F, warming up a little. 

Finally A New Site After Two Days Layover
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1130-Arrived at new site.  Heat is on to warm up.  I'm really cold! 

Started out with blue sky, but now it is cloudy. Even some rain experienced when I tied up to shore. Takes a while to tie up when you have to set three auger anchors.

    Note: Today I observed my second fishing boat since I've been on the lake.

Leg 4, Day 7, 15.6 miles
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Destination Leg 4, Day 7
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I will hold off doing dishes until I'm warmed up and may eat something first. I'm chilled to the bone from exposure to the cold morning air while underway.  The prevailing wind combined with boat speed further increased the wind chill. It would have been wiser to dress warmer before starting the leg rather than waiting until I got chilled. A lesson learned!

There was more wave action than anticipated so occasionally a wave splashed over the bow onto my sandals and a pair of boots drying out on the foredeck. I should have put them inside before I got underway but failed to do so. Another lesson learned!

Winds were between 12-15 mph and though the wind was NW it tended to follow the river and therefore was mostly on my bow until I turned into the inlet I was headed for.

YouTube Video

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1340-Had a boat lunch while I listened to "Die Trying" by Lee Child.  70F/56F.

1825-I spent most of the afternoon trying to get the sound to work for my remote mic so I could film the departure tomorrow. No luck! Worked before, but now it's a no go, not certain why? 

Gave up on remote mic and made dinner: grilled burger, chips, and a cold beer. Then I finally did the dishes.  It warmed up into the lower 60's and was comfortable enough to rinse them in the cockpit.

I later walked up to look for firewood and take a few photos of the site. I found an abundance of firewood so I'll go up about 8 pm to cut some of it up and build a fire.  I don't want to stay out too late though. I'll listen to my "Reacher" audiobook in the meantime.

Another Nice Evening Fire
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2200-Had a good fire and just returned to the boat because it was getting late. 56F/41F.  Already cool in the cabin. Solar is 92% even though mostly cloudy all day. The new solar panel system is working as I'd hoped. I will listen to "Reacher" again and hit the warm sack. I expect another cold night close to freezing.

Plenty of Wood
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 Oahe Trip Day 6, Friday, May 20 (Second Layover Day)

0630-Mostly cloudy, 45F/44F, cold! Solar 80%. Slept fitfully because my nose was plugged even with a nose strip.  Must be the dryness of the air?

1025-Had the remainder of the coffee cake with coffee this morning during my study time. Cereal and toast for breakfast, always a favorite. Wind is not as gusty as yesterday but still moves the boat around with force.

Looked at the charts for potential destinations for tomorrow. The trip will likely be over 11 miles to make up some for the lay days at this place due to wind. Winds will finally drop tomorrow and over the next several days. Rain on Monday.

Need to do the dishes. 71F/55F.  Cold outside with considerable wind chill and 45F water for soaking the dishes.  Very cold on the hands, fortunately there is not as many dishes as yesterday.

Another Cold Windy Day!
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1115-69F/59F, solar 100%. Finished rinsing the dishes with lake water but my hands froze in the cold water and wind chill. I hurried to get back inside.  By that time the water heating on the stove was too hot and I burned my hands in the hot soapy water! One extreme to another! 

Clouded up again but I had sun and blue skies for a while early this morning. Hope it comes back. It's always uplifting considering how cold it is outside. I may venture out again for a hike if the sun comes out.

1200-67F/60F. Cooling off so I stoked up the heater to take the bite off in the cabin while reading. 

Nothing Left From Last Evening's Fire
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Winds should begin dropping and rotating clockwise from WNW @ 40 k/h down eventually to NW @ 31 k/h (18 mph) by 4 pm. I think I'll walk up to see what is left of my ashes from the fire last night.  Turns out there was nothing left at all.

Wind Stronger Today But Less Gusty
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1346-69F/54F. Solar 100%. I've been reading and sipping some red wine. Not hungry enough to snack.

1610-Took an hour nap then got up and made dinner: chicken wild rice soup, salad, roll, and white wine.

The Sunshine Bodes Well For Tomorrow
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1730-69F/55F. Solar 98%. Walked north along the shore around the north side of the saddle that is blocking the wind, but about froze to death in the strong wind.  Air temp is 55F but the wind chill must be down to about 40F. I quickly turned around and retreated to my "sanctuary" and the warmth of the heater.  

YouTube Video

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Poured a second Baileys while I listened to "Blood Hollow" by William Kent Krueger. Cloudy and cold. Quite unseasonable weather.  I will likely hit the sack early since I have no music and not much to do outside.

1850-69F/52F, solar 98%.

Signs Of Clearing-Wind Dropping
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Oahe Trip Day 5, Thursday, May 19 (Layover-Weather)

0645-53F/54F. Solar at 81%. Heavy dark overcast.  Looks like rain!

0820-Checked weather and it seems about as forecast: NW windy and mostly cloudy. Made some coffee cake to have with my morning coffee and study time. 

1050-Finally finished my morning study and prayer time. 68F/66F. Solar 87%. I will make a late breakfast of an omelet, toast, with jam and some OJ.

Wind is still down so I probably could have moved. Wind is scheduled to come up by 1 pm to 19 mph and 22 mph by 3 pm. We'll see how that plays out?

1320-I knew I was unlikely to move today, so I made a huge breakfast and generated so many dishes between the steak dinner last night, baking coffee cake this morning, and then a big breakfast today, that I could not get all the dishes in the rack so I took out another towel and put them on top of the heater grate. Nice to have that extra counter space!  

Cooking Up A Storm On A Stormy Day!
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Wind from the NW has arrived and the hill is blocking most of the wind, but some gusts come down or around the slope. Lines and anchors are holding so far.  Need to send out a "check in" message via Zoleo to let folks know I won't be moving today.

TIED UP BEHIND RIDGE LINE TO BLOCK WINDS

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1400-Gusts are getting stronger so I folded up and secured the forward Bimini so wind doesn't get under the canvas and create a lot of force that could pull me off my anchors.

First water jug is low so I pulled out another container from under the aft deck stowage, along with a couple of beers and some LaCroix waters.

Hooked up the fuel to the engine and started it just in case my anchors pull out and I have to respond quickly. Tried to read a book but wind gusts are so strong they rock the boat.  It is hard to relax!

1440-Washed the windows since the outsides were dirty due to dust on the road on my way here. Cleaned the solar panels as well.  They were not too dirty but best to get to them while I'm already on the roof. Had to do the side windows from the roof since I have no side walkways. I nearly took a dive overboard in the process of trying to reach to the very bottom of the window by the dinette, which is quite a reach from the roof!

I went ashore and checked the anchors since the gusts were often severe and sudden.  I tightened them a bit since the bow was working out from shore and threatening to pull the gang plank off the boat. But I didn't want them too tight either since I need some slack to minimize shock loading to the anchors.  

Screw Anchors Holding

I'm still stuffed from breakfast so dinner will be late tonight.

        Note: Consider longer augers for soft soil. Currently 18", may need 30".

1523-Went to gather some firewood since it is cool, now down to 64F/59F, and collected enough wood for a nice fire.

I noticed on return to the boat that boat was trying to shed the gang plank due to the bow slowly moving NE along the shore. Wind was slowly pulling the anchors out of the soft mud, but not completely out yet!

Cloud cover is 100%, but solar is 100%, which is great performance considering!

Not sure what to do about wind tomorrow.  It's supposed to be similar strength and for a longer period.  I may have to consider anchoring away from shore if these anchors continue to slowly move, either that or reposition the anchors further up the shore to drier soil. 

1716-Wind dropped, but there is still a few gusts that hit from time to time. I made it thorough this day without pulling the anchors out so far! Still cloudy. 69F/57F.  Cooled off a lot a outside. Wood is stacked for an evening fire, if it calms down, and isn't too cold. Still not hungry enough to make dinner.  I've been reading the novel "Assassin" by Bell.

 

YouTube Video

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1905-Tried to play Pandora on my phone but it will no longer open the app. Very strange and no reason is given?

Went ahead and listened to my audio book "Blood Hollow" by W.K. Krueger while I made dinner: spaghetti, salad, hot roll, and red wine for dessert.  Also prepared my shore kit to take up to the evening fire.  Wind has dropped enough to make a fire feasible. 

1940-Went up with my Swede saw to cut up some of the firewood and then reset all my anchors in higher and firmer ground for tomorrow's wind. I'm really unhappy about not being able to play music. Should have loaded some MP3's and not relied solely on Pandora downloads. Maybe they shut it down because there were too many days since I last used the app online? Though I would expect a message in that instance. It just says it is trying to connect, but there is no cell service here!

2300-Just came back from the fire. It worked out great and the wood was very dry making a hot fire. No stars out due to the cloud cover but enjoyable just eh same. Disappointed having no music.  I intend to have backup in the future. Or, may have to move to Spotify if Pandora is going to pull this trick. I will listen to my audio book and hit the sack.  57F/49F, solar 93%.