It's not goodbye...It's farewell, until we meet again!

My father always told me that a lucky man can count his closest friends on one hand. What he wanted me to understand was that the people we meet will come and go. Close friends come and stay.

In two years at Knife River we have been lucky with friends. We met Scott and Yolanda Moody the day we arrived in July 2013. They had driven from Oklahoma with their Ericson 27, Della Grace towed behind them. We met by chance and our connection was immediate. Scott and Yolanda left Knife River soon after we met for their journey dubbed "Lake Superior Summer." Later that fall, we visited them in Oklahoma and ran the Tulsa Marathon with Yolanda. Every time we meet, it's as though we'd never parted.

Scott and Yolanda Moody aboard Mystic, Duluth, MN

Della Grace; The Moody's Ericson 27

We met Jim and Linda Weckman, our new dock neighbors, after moving our boat to a slip on the outer dock at Knife River. They were preparing to leave Minnesota on a journey to navigate America's Great Loop aboard their Nauticat 38, Pemion. With Jim and Linda, there was always something to talk about. It didn't take long before we were spending a sizable chunk of our weekend aboard Pemion sharing stories, food and good cheer.

Dock neighbors ~ Pemion & Mystic

Pemion, approaching Knife River, MN

When it was time for them to leave on their journey, we bid them an emotional farewell. We did not know when we would meet again but we were certain that this was not goodbye. With close friends, it's never goodbye; It's "farewell until we meet again!"

Jim and Linda Weckman on the Knife River bench

Beth, Linda, Jim and Dave September 1, 2014 ~ Knife River, MN

Footnote:  Jim and Linda fell victim to a massive Lake Superior storm after arriving at Bayfield, WI. They had to chain Pemion to the Bayfield city dock while 26 foot seas pounded the big lake and 12 foot seas crashed over the dock. Pemion sustained damage and Jim and Linda were shaken by a night of rage from Mother Nature. After a series of mishaps they headed back to Knife River to regroup. We found them snuggled into a slip a few spots north of us. We picked up right where we left off, sorry that they had run into trouble but so happy to have more time with them. Life is generous when it offers more time with close friends.