Setting out from Brewerton, NY at 7:00 am, we were soon through our last Erie Canal lock, turning North on the Oswego River/Canal, with 7 more locks ahead.
The free city docks, like here, really help with the overall boat budget. 
The ducks were so excited about our leaving their yard. 
The Mohawk, Seneca, &Oswego Rivers converge.
The sign says Erie Canal LEFT (West) and Oswego RIGHT (North). The Erie Canal continues West to Niagara Falls, but our journey now turns North.
The Oswego has 7 locks, though numbered through No. 8. Apparently, somewhere in the planning, 8 locks were designed, mapped, and numbered; they were able to eliminate 1 lock, but kept the numbers as originally assigned.
Not all the scenery was beautiful. 
Welcome to Minetto. 
Ho hum. Just another pretty bridge, to me. 
NYSCC Maintenance Facility 
Phoenix (New York)
Early afternoon, we arrived in the town of Oswego. There were 3 locks very close together, with the last 2 in sight of one another, and our marina.
The bridge from the lock.
The lock, from the bridge. See my Facebook page for operation of Lock 8, the last one.
As I pulled into the fairway at the marina, the dockmaster (female–so maybe she’s the dockmistress?) pointed me to my slip. As my mentors have warned me: never pay attention to those watching you maneuver your boat. Focus on the wind direction, your speed and direction, and go slow. The bystanders will only distract you and cause you headaches. So far, I have avoided doing damage to anyone else’s property or my own. I want to keep that record in tact. As I began to back “stern-in” to the slip, I saw 5 folks on the finger piers of my slip. Ugh! But within 20 seconds, I realized 2 were marina hands and 3 more boaters had joined in to assist in getting our boat into the hole. BOATERS are great. Within 5 minutes we were settled in and instant friends with those on both sides of us. As previously stated, Southerners have nothing on the Northerners we have met. Nicest people ever.
Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, we enjoyed the Oswego Harborfest. This is obviously the biggest event of the year. Four different parks host food trucks, a carnival, live bands, and a huge fireworks show over Lake Ontario. We ate well, watched the fireworks from the bow of Honey Queen, ate well again, washed the boat, and we may have eaten well again.
This pic made me miss my grandkids even more. Wishing they were here. 
Reminds me of the Liberty Mutual commercial. 
I am hungry. 
Sandy and Amanda in front of “the cutest little place” 
Trust me, music was playing. 
Trump flags are still everywhere. 
Tug Syracuse 
Born the same year as my dad. With the same horsepower! 
Starting to see Canadian flags more and more.
The plan was to leave Sunday and start the 48 mile Northbound crossing of Lake Ontario, but the weather forecast called for a little wind and maybe rain, so we opted to stay close to Oswego for another day. We moved out of the marina and took advantage of the free city docks again, as we were gassed up, pumped out, watered up, and really ready to go. There was no need to waste that money when there’s plenty of good food to waste money on just ahead.
This mural is painted on a building on the canal. This life lesson applies to much more than lighthouses.
Lord willing, tomorrow morning, we enter the foreign waters of our friends in Canada.