Ruth Silnes ~ Keeping Ahead of Winter

Keeping Ahead of Winter - 4100 Nautical Miles Inside America by Ruth Silnes

KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER - 4100 Nautical Miles Inside America is an exciting tale of a woman living in a world new to her. This true story of a fifty year old artist, a novice to boating, weaves a tapestry of humor, romance and near death-experiences. Ruth honeymooned in the mid 60's by crewing with her new husband Torger, an entrepreneur and yachtsman. The couple think they are prepared for all eventualities, but they are caught off guard by the unexpected as they cruise inland waters in their 38-foot power boat from Joliet, Illinois, to the alligator-infested waters of the Florida Everglades.

To read Keeping Ahead of Winter, provides the opportunity to view inland waterways as though you are there. Feel the pulse of waterway comradery. Experience Ruth's fears when she and her husband are caught in the middle of Lake Huron with a bilge full of gasoline, are shot at in the Chicago Canal and are caught in Navy torpedo practice in the Chesapeake Bay. Delight in the romance with her new husband. Feel the rhythm of boating-life. The story takes you to strange and familiar places. You will pass the Statue of Liberty, tour Mackinac Island, and hover in the Florida Everglades and into tucked away inlets lush with greenery. Grow with Ruth as she learns her way from novice to proficient yachtswoman.

Author and illustrator Ruth Silnes tells the story as it happened rather than reflecting it or reshaping. Her descriptive phrases bring settings and struggles to life. Along the way Ruth and Torger Silnes learn many things about their country, but Ruth learns just as many about herself. This well-told story of a woman's transition from her life's first half to its second, is rich in detail and emotion.

	Before Ruth Silnes was seduced by the sea her paintings were of the far reaches of outer-space, uncomfortable for some, exciting and ethereal to others. She paints as her mood strikes her, according to the way her life is going. Ruth wrote her book “KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER--4100 Nautical Miles Inside America,” at night and drew numerous pen and ink drawings during the day. She originally planned on using the illustrations in the book but decided against it as they may have taken away from the readers’ imagination.

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