To the victors go the spoils

Well there you have it. Du-pt by Olga, Ron and Gala (Ron's pup). They are the first around Rock Lake 2009. This is what we lake paddlers call a golden moment. (you have to hug the shore and go all the way around or it doesn't count) - bragging rights down at the Blue Moon.
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It was by shear chance that I caught them out there on this beautiful spring day. "Out of all the gin joints they paddle into mine!" This is why retirement is so sweet and what working for the airlines will do for you. Lots of expendable time to play and frolic.
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I did take honorable mention with my early season shore paddle on Sunday... but the rules are the rules, To the victors go the spoils.
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- Hey my SPOT just arrived - The Capt'n

Nothing to do with paddling

"Dramatization"

I have been over run by squirrels! But this is the little bastar* that has been digging up my yard looking for his stash! "Dude, you didn't bury anything in my yard! But now I have little holes everywhere!! STOP!!"

Photo by Christy, I'm too traumatized to shoot any pictures - The Capt'n

Spring has arrived

Saturday brought cool temperatures early in the morning and a dusting of snow. Koa and I hit the trail and hiked around for awhile waiting for the warmth of the sun to crest the ridge. What a morning to hump around in the woods, beautiful!
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I grabbed a coffee and headed into Madison and met up with John at the Paddlin' Shop. We dropped the Sea Wind in for a test paddle. - He likely!!

John has been bitten more then once by the WaterTribe bug, following along online as the event unfolds year after year; 2010 may be his year. We'll see...
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It got well into the 60's late afternoon so I dropped into the mill pond and took a couple of laps. Man the pond was alive; Spring has arrived. The sounds of nature, ducks geese cranes all announcing their presence.
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I went out into the main section of the lake. The ice had receded quite a bit and I was going to try to make it around skirting the shoreline. I got into a narrow section and could see the ice shifting towards me. I was paddling in 3 feet of water so there was no danger; though it took me some time to get turned around and get headed back to the landing.
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The ice had shifted with the southern breeze and it pushed up on to the north end of the lake. Upon my return home, my neighbor Pete said he saw a lone ice fisherman out for one last jig of the rod. From what he could see, he had no safety measures. Hopefully he made it off with out incident?

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Crazy... The Capt'n

Fool's Paradise

Now a week ago we had warm weather and clean ice. Yesterday the ice started to turn like sour milk all crusty and stuff.

I came down to the beach yesterday afternoon to play with Koa , half expecting to see ice fisherman out for one more jig of the rod. It's great entertainment as long as nobody dies. But, I was denied this year, though with a handful of fisherman out the day before (morons), I thought for sure I was in for a treat; It was 70 degrees and the sun shone bright. We only had one truck go in the drink this year and I missed it.

No paddling for the Capt'n today - a nasty ice shelf and fast moving water on the Crawfish River made for dangerous conditions. You get sideways and swept under, your not coming back. Plus I was a tad worried Koa might want to go for a swim and get sucked under.

Life ring anyone - The Capt'n

Shenanigans

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Valerie Fons introduces Hannah and Boo at her Canoecopia presentation "Paddling Beyond the Pond."
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What sort of shenanigans can these two get into if we keep them in a canoe all summer long? Time will tell.
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Look to our youth, to foresee the future - Unknown

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!!

Seventeen!! WOW - I can't believe it!! Happy Birthday, Love Dad

Bumped...

With Boo's passion for paddling and finding a cure for breast cancer, I've been bumped to the chase boat. Boo and Hannah will be doing two major events this summer, the first the Hugh Heward '09 and the Missouri 340 '09. The dads will paddle along side making fools of ourselves and embarrassing the girls when ever possible. It's our duty!!

With our visit to Canoecopia this past weekend, and ole picture was displayed at the MadCity Paddlers booth. It was a picture of Boo and the Capt'n in our 24 year old Sawyer Summersong at the Callie Rohr Canoe Race. Held at the headwaters of the Wisconsin River, lots of tight corners and bumping going on. Nothing like grabbing the inside and forcing another participant into the shoreline scrub. A grand memory.

This was a jumping off point for Boo. She loved it! She had done the Paddle and Portage at 6 years of age, but this event is where she had identified that she had a passion for paddling. She was 8 years old.

So we are 4 years later. A couple big events loom on the horizon and more in the works. So...

Here it comes - "Boo, What are your thoughts about going back down and participating in the Everglades Challenge 2010 with dear ole dad?"

Now to see if she reads my blog - The Capt'n

Hannah and Boo paddling beyond the pond

Like two Peas in the "Pond"
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Hannah and Boo try on a pair of matching splash jackets for the Hugh Heward in April. This will be their first challenge together as a tandem team. This is a ramp up to the Missouri 340 that the girls will be competing come August.
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Hannah and Boo(with Gabe) pose with Valerie Fons and her kids after her outstanding presentation on "Paddling Beyond the Pond". Valerie has quite a few adoptive children that love to paddle as well. It was very nice to meet her and her family. You gotta check out her L.A.U.N.C.H. program on Washigton Island.

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Valerie was very supportive of Hannah and Boo and what they are accomplishing personally and for Breast Cancer Awareness. Gave some good advice - "Keep it moving" - Now where have I heard that before?

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We talked briefly about http://www.peakcamp.com./ and adventures for kids. She has been pondering some trips for youth for quite some time. Valerie wants to explore an across Wisconsin paddling trip with kids. Sounds doable to me, let me load up a Cruiser.

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Planning

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A great weekend for the girls and the parents as well. It's not over yet. They are all asleep so I thought I would pound out a few words for the blog.

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Not sure what the weather will do, but we might drop a boat in the water for the girls.

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It's a balmy 27 degrees, but it's a dry heat - The Capt'n

Tests

We must become the change we want to see in the world- Mogandas Gandhi

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality - Dr. Martin Luther King jr.

Playing with the options

As we venture out into the world with paddle in hand, options to share our adventures abound. With a mobile devise like a wireless phone you can up-load pictures and text on the go.

I got the text thing down, but up-loading video and pictures seem to be a mystery to me on Blogger. It keeps coming up. your not registered... But I am. "???"

Now the tests conducted on FaceBook have proven successful as I have been able to put up video etc... Now to figure out the world of Blogger/Video/Pic on the go.

Super Boo and Hannah reunite for Canoecopia, it would be nice to upload pics video on the go straight from my mobile devices... as my laptop has taken a hit and trying to up load images to and from a ten year old desktop has proven not to be the best option.

The Capt'n maybe forced to go to me Ship's log of old- "Arrr Maitie this is the Capt'n, Me needs a parlay with Blogger to resolve me's issues with uploading pics on the go...a arrr "

So you...

So you think the mud at CP 2 Chokoloskee is tough... what about this poor "bas....d" frozen in time as temps. dropped.
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Not whining, just say'n; Two days ago it was almost 60 - today it was 7 - The Capt'n

It's that time...

Well it's that time of year when I really start pondering the possibilities. So much adventure to be had.

Kruger Canoes has posted more information on the Bushwhacker 2009 and the Ultimate Hugh Heward 2009 on the Verlen Kruger Memorial site. Canoecopia is this weekend and surprisingly enough the Paddlin' Shop has sent me a little post card letting me know my new boat is waiting at their shop for me.

Yeah, Yeah, John and company know I budget for a new boat or gear each year, but did they have to make it so obvious by sending me a personalized card? :-)

There is quite a list of female presenters this year at Canoecopia. If I am reading it correctly though there is no mention of it in her bio but, I think Valerie Fons author of "Keep it Moving Baja by Canoe" is presenting? Valerie paddled with Verlen Kruger during a portion of his 28,000 mile canoeing odyssey around the North American Continent. Very interesting indeed.

The Everglades Challenge is coming to a close, but don't stop watching the action. For the next week or so the participants will be posting of their adventures and sharing stories.

Oh and I have been bumped to a 1990's Dell Dimension Desktop computer as my laptop took a dump on me. There is a whole lot of bumping and grinding going on as Windows 98 loads up. We're talking measurable seismic activity.

When using heavy equipment please wear proper safety gear and keep your hands away from the moving parts - The Capt'n

Spring cometh

Open water - sort of... Rock Lake March 2009

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After having dinner with Olga and Walt and talking paddling/trekking adventures all night along with too many cocktails for a Tuesday night (one I'm a light weight), I followed with a phone call early this morning to John at the Paddlin' Shop in Madison Wisconsin to see what in the heck he was up to.

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We normally get right to the crux of things and wager on when my Balogh Boss Sail Rig will arrive, 2009 0r 2010; or I give him crap about his Klepper double ender sailboat design, but not today. No today we pondered the possibilities of John entering EC 2010. Hmmm has a nice ring to it.

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Yeah the water in the picture is as cold as it looks. Koa took a swim and got out rather quickly. Her fur froze almost instantly as it is maybe 18 degrees with the wind steady at 30mph.

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Burr... -The Capt'n

EC up-date

Sew Sew - an update

Information on the high tech tri by Randy Smythe can be found here on the Sailing Anarchy Forum.

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=87284


SandyBottom - an update

Sounds like SandyBottom is really nursing some rib pain from a fall at the pre-start but hanging in there. She is paddling with KiwiBird and KneadingWater so she is in good company.

Hang Tough - The Capt'n

Drama on the high seas

photo by the WildSide

I MAY HAVE MIS-SPOKEN IT APPEARS SEW SEW PER CHIEF'S UPDATE SHOWS SEW SEW STILL IN THE RACE... AFTER HIS COAST GUARD RESCUE.

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It would appear that Sew Sew aka Randy Smythe is out of the EC after capsizing off of Fort Meyers. He designed a very unique trimaran (main hull off of a class A catamaran and a bunch of custom made parts). Very high tech.
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The Coast Guard did the rescue and if I understand the post correctly, he was unable to right his craft and his boat was still adrift upside down as another EC participant saw the boat and called it in. The key is everyone is safe. We wait for more information, tall tales and from drama on the high seas.
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From the comfort of the recliner; adventure on - The Capt'n

Let the story be told

EC Pre-start 2006

as the adventures unfold...

Dances with Sandy Bottom will tell the tale... check in for updates on the EC and follow along at::

http://www.sandybottomkayaker.blogspot.com/

EC pre-race photos

http://watertribecrazyrussian.blogspot.com/2009/03/everglades-challenge-2009-march-6.html

Pics from Crazy Russian - The Capt'n

WaterTribe - Everglades Challenge

Tomorrow the Everglades Challenge starts! It makes for a fun week of checking updates, blogs and the standings as watercraft of all shapes and sizes make their way down to the Florida Keys.

If you've never followed the EC, now's your chance. It is very entertaining, stirs the imagination. By posts on the website and blogs, you get to know the participants at multiple levels. They will inspire you to follow your own passions on or off the water, no matter what it is.

So sit back, grab a cup of java and check in once in awhile. I will! Welcome to the start of the Everglades Challenge.

Good luck to all challengers; Be safe! - The Capt'n