wise travelers

"the wise traveler leaves his heart at home." -- african proverb

rebuilding the cairn at hickory ridge was a nice respite from headwinds encountered paddling south on the competine arm of whitebreast bay.  surfing north afterwards to elk rock was enjoyable but slogging back to the ramp was just a workout.  while stopping to talk to anna about her new car i drifted 1/4 mile back to the main lake.  the wonderful early spring weather (82 degrees?) has made shedding the drysuit even more succinctly special.  now to find the time to get out more..

gull able - getting ready to fly

yesterday's trip from the south overlook to the beach found thousands of gulls basking in the sun, as if to say that it's already sprung forward .... pretense or posttense of spring?  if i close my eyes i feel like i'm on an ocean far from civilization, just paddling away against a stiff wind. 

"every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life." -- Grenville Kleiser

inspiration

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twain

when i get to be 65 i want to be just like my friend john craun, aka stripbuilder.  today he is finishing the 300 mile watertribe florida everglades challenge, in first and only place in his solo kayak category.  the rest of the field did not finish.  he has braved and conquered high winds and waves, heat and a trip through the heart of the everglades to now put him just a few miles short of key largo's finish line.  when he finishes this afternoon he will have completed not one but two 300 mile florida races, two 100 mile north carolina challenges, and one 340 mile missouri river race (which would have been two were it not for me).  i got up yesterday and swam 1/2 mile and thought that was a workout.... how our perspectives change when we see we have so much more potential to succeed.  today i am renewed in thoughts of living every day with hope and determination. 

blurring the lines

"the supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." -- arnold toynbee

the contrast between last sunday evening with blowing snow and fog... and monday afternoon w/ clear skies and 73 degree warm wind from the south was amazing.  fulfilling a full moon paddle for this month has to be a record for the past 8 years.  now if i just didn't have to be inside all day.

late entries

"look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -- albert einstein

with weather fluctuating, these days of beauty are past and we are heading into warmer patterns.  my beautiful tree reminds me that there is always a presence of strength and comfort to be found close by.

skillful mariner

 "a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner." -- english proverb

completing the weekend pas de deux, so to speak, involved a late afternoon trip from elk rock ramp to the sea cave and back down to the milelong bridge, before surrendering to darkness and a satisfying feeling of new beginnings....... a new year on the lake starting much earlier than anticipated.

bi-polar weekend

"Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." -- Leonard Cohen

there was Light in my world this weekend with a chance to ski on saturday and today headed out to paddle on a newly opened lake. two hours of skiing at the golf course substituted for a wilderness journey and the snow was perfect for a solo morning on the hills. it feels so good to gain strength both physically and emotionally.