The weather has dominated the news lately. The good news is that all this rain that I am so tired of is filling up Fern Ridge. The US Army Corps of Engineers plans every year to have it filled on April 15, which is Saturday this week. And while many years they are unable to do this, there is little doubt they will have it full this year and on time. Storms can be good. The water level can be followed here.

The season is upon us. The first intrepid sailors are out on the water. The college sailors are into their season and are practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And Dean Mitchell has Camelot in the water. If Camelot can go in, the rest of us have no excuse. The first race is only three weeks away.

EYC is beginning to wake up and look forward to the new season. The lake should be full in about six weeks and the racing to begin shortly after. Cruisers like me will probably not be putting in at the absolute beginning of the season, but we too are very ready to put this awful winter behind us.

So what has been happening?

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope that thoughts of how nice it is going to be on the water this coming season has been able to sustain all of you through the Ice-Pocolypse and the ensuing snowstorms. This was finally going to be the year my wife got jewelry for Christmas, but instead she got a chainsaw to help clean up the yard. Maybe next year.