Off the Tourist Track November 7, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: Beijing, fish, food, tea
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There’s so much to say about what I’ve seen so far, it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve been here 3 full days and we’ve done some tourist things, but also visited some friends. I’ve drank no less than 35 cups of tea — most very small — and had 5 incredible meals. Last night, we went for “hot pot.” There’s a franchise restaurant that has a long counter top that winds its way through the room. There are holes in the counter in front of where each person sits, where the pot goes. Underneath, there is a shelf where the hot plates sit — this place must have a huge power bill! Anyways, you choose what broth you want (I chose “hot and sweet”) and then what types of meat or vegetables you want. Then, you drop them into the simmering broth, fish them out a few minutes later (depending on what it is) and enjoy! Yum. We also went for Korean barbeque, where there’s a hole in the centre of the table too. A man brings red-hot coals in a metal pail, and drop it into the hole, which is then covered by grates of various descriptions where the meat you have ordered is cooked. I think usually they bring all the stuff and let you do it yourself, but since we were foreigners, the waitress stayed and did it for us. She was very cute (all the waitresses are!), feeding us pieces of meat as they were done. We also went for “real Chinese” food, which was awesome! It was sort of tucked between and in several buildings, and on our way down the back-alley-like entryway, we passed a room full of huge aquariums and some really huge fish! I was officially in heaven at the first taste of curry lamb, and the chrysanthemum tea washed things down nicely! Oh, I could go on and on… I’ve also seen live fish, just slightly smaller than their aquariums, at the grocery store, along with live shrimp. I stood among a group of elderly Chinese ladies waiting to order breakfast food at a counter, and was surprised at the amount of deep-fried food. And they have many types of breads/pasta/flat bread/pastries. I’m an eggs-for-breakfast kind of person and I haven’t had them once (although Darren did have a sort of omelette which I will have to try next time). 
We went to a tiny tea house and art gallery that a friend of Darren owns, which was nice. We chatted about what life is like in China, and sipped tiny cup after tiny cup of tea. I loved the lychee black tea, which was sweet and delicious. They all were, except this one very strong Mongolian one (I think), which made my lips pucker and everyone laugh. It was nice to sit and just be, watching people walk by.
Well, we are going to the Great Wall today, and everyone is almost ready, so I will have to leave my description of the back roads and taxi drivers for another day. Oh, yes, and the bathrooms too. And Tiananmen Square!
First Day in Beijing November 6, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: Beijing, culture, jetlag, temple
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We had a good trip, quite uneventful and the plane ride was not even that painfully long. I thought it was brutal, but I napped a little, watched a move, knitted a little, and ate. We had 2 meals (the flight was 11 hrs) and we were pretty tired when we got here, but it was all good. The airport terminal buildings are amazing — from the outisde, they look like prehistoric shelled creatures, and inside they are big, airy and just wow. Before we saw the first custons/immigration person, we had to fill in a short questionnaire on our health, which we gave to a person who quickly looked it over and then stamped it. Then we walked past the “fever cameras” which are infrared and will show if someone has a fever and lied about their health. Pretty neat — I looked back at the display screen and the people were all orange (no fevers). In fact, I was kinda hoping there would be any really bad coughers on the plane, and there weren’t any near us, anyway!
Going through customs was completely uneventful, except for waiting for the luggage which took a long time. We actually went from the international terminal building to the other terminal using a VERY fast subway, so I suspected we might wait a while for the bags. We got there very fast, especially with no fussing at customs.
Then, the ride to the friend we’re staying with. Our friend picked us up at the airport, but had decided it was just simpler to take a cab. So, we did. What fun! The guy would have been right at home in Montreal — fast, no signaling, crazy lane changes, scooting around people, just a hoot. But he was very alert, and I have no problem with fast driving when everyone’s paying attention. This was all on freeways, almost right to where we are staying. Whereas today, when we took a cab back “home,” the driver was nuts! And there were bicycles, cargo-bicycles, pedestrians everywhere, and its amazing we didn’t hit anyone. We had some fun crossing roads today too, as we walked around, but no close calls!!
W went to a Buddhist temple, the Lama temple and a Confucian temple, both pretty close together. It was nice — the buddhist one was crowded and full of golden buddha statues and other statues, and had some amazing painted ceilings and roofwork. The Confusian one was right beside the Imperial college, and both were not crowded at all, had old trees, an Imperial throne room with a moat around it, and lots of stela (or stele) which are huge stone monoliths with writing on them. There was a huge cavernous room with hundreds of them standing, like an ancient library, with writing on both sides of them, beautiful, carved characters. And they were small — like 2 cm high — and I think the tourist sign said there were something like 600,000 characters and it took 12 years to carve them all. Marble, amazing. It made sense, actually, that the Confucian temple area had lots of emphasis on knowledge or widsom, and less on symbolism or mythology.
After that, we went to the Beijing bookstore, which was quite an experience. Lots of people, me the only blonde. I mean, I only saw one other person whose hair came close to mine, and it was quite a sad bottle job. Neat. I have a huge nose! And big eyes, too! The bookstore was more like a library, not like a chapters. I found some photography books to peruse, since all the books were Chinese. Lots of people reading, but no chairs so people would sit on the floor. Security guards in the store, and walking around in the “square” outside. Security guards almost everywhere we went, actually, and bathroom attendants. I’ll talk about the bathrooms another time!
We rode the subway to get to the bookstore, which was good! A bit squishy, but no worse than riding the LRT after a concert (better because everyone was sober)! It was quite easy to find our way, even switching subway lines, but there were some interesting moments! Lots of escalators, many levels, sometimes we had to walk 5 minutes down a pedway to get to the next area. Fun, to be sure!
Well, I think I’ll leave it at that! I’ll try write again tomorrow, but we’ll see!
Note: This is 2 days late, due to internet restrictions in China. Did you know some websites are blocked? Wild.
The Big Far East Adventure October 31, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: China, food, travel
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Except it’s actually west… A long way west… We are going to China! We leave tomorrow, and I am uber-excited about what we will see and do while there. I will try and get on the net while I’m there and blog, but if not, expect a torrent of blogs later on in November! I am planning on taking several hundred pictures — I can’t wait! The weather’s cool there, maybe even snowy, but nothing compared to here, I expect. I have packed lots of sweaters and fleece so I am not cold while I am doing all sorts of fun, touristy things. Food! Amazing, unique food! The great wall! I mean, the Great Wall (with capital letters, you know)! I am so excited!
But for now, a little nap, hopefully my stomach will settle down (it’s queasy again), and then packing and hitting the road! Woo hoo!
Accidents and Angels October 24, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: accident, angel, car, ditch, road trip
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Where does the time go?!? I know, it goes to working, knitting, housework, eating, yardwork, and a thousand other activities that fill the days… It’s interesting that I should think to put knitting second! I guess I’ve been doing a lot of that lately!
Coming home from Thanksgiving (yes, I’ve been meaning to blog since then), we had a little extra excitement. As we drove home, the road conditions were generally good, although we went through several show showers. I took the car off cruise control when I noticed the colour of the road change, suspecting it was icy. Sure enough, with traffic all around me, I started to skid. I tried to get it back under control, but with front-wheel drive, I got into a nasty oscillating skid, left, then right, left, and right. When I realized I was really going to lose it, I started braking, hoping to lose some speed before hitting the ditch. And hit the ditch we did, just missing a sign, skidding, bouncing, sideways down the slope, until we ended up facing the wrong way — but still right side up! — in about 6 inches of wet, loose snow. As we were skidding, it was wild the thoughts that ripped through my mind: “Oh, damn, a sign! Gotta miss the sign, gotta miss the sign! Oh, good, we’re gonna miss it. Oh, man, we’re going fast… don’t want to flip… nope, we’re not going to flip. Oh, whew! Wow, breathe… Oh, man, we’re going to have to call a tow truck…”
Eddie (our cat) was still laying on my lap, apparently unaware that this particular motion was not normal. What a guy!
We sat in the ditch, catching our breath and being thankful things were not worse. And then it got better: we saw a pick-up in the ditch behind us (but we were facing him, because we’d turned 180 degrees). The driver got out, locked his hubs and then drove out of the ditch. He came over to us, asked if we were okay, and offered to pull us out! He was a young guy, 25 yrs old or less, and said that he’d seen us losing control and had taken the ditch rather than hit us. That was awesome — and his helping us out was even better! So we got the rope out of the truck (it had been there for 3 years, never used), hooked it up to his truck and through 3 separate attempts, rigging the rope 2 different ways, with Darren pushing and me backing up, we made it out of the ditch. We were pretty scared that we might get hit on the side of the road while we worked, with the icy conditions and people driving waaaaay too fast. Most moved over to the far lane, though (we were on the divided highway about 20 km south of Valleyview).
We were so relieved. Our angel with the old, red pick-up just gave his name as “Dre.” Thanks, Dre, we appreciated your help that day!
I am surprised how many people read the “Emotional Jellyfish” post, yet didn’t leave any comments… I guess my readership is mostly strong, silent types. Enjoy the day!
Believing the Best October 3, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Ponder This.Tags: assertive, attitude, autumn, ego, fall, frost, peace, peacemaker, shit-disturber
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There’s no question that autumn is upon us. It’s been quite cool here – daily high temperatures are not always in the double digits anymore – and we’ve been having the low cloud and fog that is characteristic of this time of year. Meteorologically speaking, it’s caused by the cool air above relatively warm water, and as the water evaporates, it immediately condenses… but enough science-talk. It’s mesmerizing, and some days the fog makes me feel like I’m living in Ireland, ah, but without the ocean, the lovely people, and the greenery. All of our leaves have changed colour and thanks to some gusty winds this week, many trees are even bare. I have missed a few beautiful scenes for a lack of camera, but I’ve stored them in my memory. Maybe sometime I’ll paint them. I can show you some pics I took 2 years ago.
We had a thick frost the other day, and I felt like digging in my heels and yelling “I’m not ready for this!” But, after a couple of days of brisk temps, I feel better. It’s amazing what a person can get used to, and how a slight change in attitude changes everything.
I was resting a little while ago, just thinking about events of the last few days. I’ve been a bit of a sh*t-disturber, or at best, very assertive. I stood up and spoke quite strongly at a local community consultation meeting about a decision our town council made recently. I was working with a group of other concerned citizens on a proposal, which the town shot down. We were shocked and not impressed. So I expressed that the best way I could, although I was quite tired and could have possibly done better. But I stood up and said something, which I hear is worth a lot (compared to the common Canadian way of complaining about things without ever addressing the people who could change it directly). In any case, it was stressful, my heart was pounding, but I guess it went okay.
My husband stood up and said a few things, too, but his spirit was quite different from mine as he spoke. He was a peacemaker, sometimes standing up to shed light on a situation, reminding people they can get involved, or thanking the town council for having the meeting. I’d say on the whole, he was more present and less-egoic than I was! (I blame being up too long, coming off of midnight shifts with only a 3 hour nap). Ah, just making excuses… sometimes being more tired makes me more present or gentle, but not that day.
I used to be a peacemaker; as the middle child, it was one of the roles in my family! Have I changed? Am I fundamentally different? Perhaps not; we have some sh*t-disturbing tendencies in my family… in a good way! I think I may have become more of a do-er – I get frustrated with talk-talk-talk and politicking. Let’s just jump in and do something about it! But I was like that in university too, so I guess I haven’t changed too much. I can certainly talk with the best of them, but before long, I need action! In any case, I would like to reconnect with the peacemaker in me (I know she’s still there) and only tip the boat when necessary.
The other thing I was thinking about just now as I was reflecting was how I need to keep believing the best. I’ve been a little jaded about things lately, and I don’t want to be. I want to, despite a few facts that might contradict, believe the best about people and situations around me. After all, there are 2 sides to everything, and I can choose to look at one side more than the other, and I choose the good. If Darren is slow to do the dishes, I still need to believe he will do them, rather than think that he’s stalling, trying to get me to do them, etc. Believe the best, right? So, this will be my mode of operating for the next while – and I’ll keep reminding myself if I need to (which of course I will)!
Have a great day everybody!
Emotional Jellyfish September 28, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Ponder This.Tags: awareness, emotions, feelings, jellyfish, life, ocean, present moment, relationships, tank
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I should warn you straight off — I am very tired from midnight shifts and should be in bed sleeping, but I have been wanting to blog and for whatever reason, I felt the urge to do it right now!
I think there are two basic ways to approach the world, in particular, when it comes to emotional issues. When someone you care about has to talk to you about something uncomfortable, or one of you has hurt the other, you can take one of two stances: become a tank, or become a jellyfish. Let me explain.
You can choose to become a tank (as in, indestructible vehicle of war, not vessel for holding liquids!). You can choose to put up your strongest armour so that you are completely un-touchable, un-hurtable, impermeable, etc. Nothing the other person says will sink in, and you have the ultimate in defenses. You also, if you choose to, can go on the offensive; you can hurl the weapons of hurtful words, bring up past issues, or simply bulldoze over the other person by totally disrespecting them, making decisions for them as if they were a child, or making huge, gigantic assumptions about them so you don’t have to really get to know them. And you can thrive in your denial and ignorance — after all, your view is only out one small window in one small direction. This is what it means to be a tank.
Or you can choose to be a jellyfish. You can be free-floating, allowing the emotional situation to surround you, and be in it. You aren’t defensive in any way, simply accept what the other person says, while taking in the full surroundings, including the temperature of the water (the spirit the words are said in). You aren’t mortally wounded by what the other person says or does, it sort of just bounces off you. But you are not in denial either, and have incredible clarity, presence and focus. This is what it means to be a jellyfish.
Now you may be thinking “ah-ha! Jellyfish have tentacles that sting, how come you haven’t talked about that?!?” Well, yes, they do. But these are used to kill their food, and if you’re eating someone close to you, you need more help than my simple analogy can give! Or, we could say that even jellyfish have some form of defense, and also propulsion, so if you need to leave a situation that’s continually hurtful to you, to survive, do it. But you don’t actually have to be a tank to do it. You can be a jellyfish, and be in the reality of your situation, even if it’s something traumatic, and you will not die from it, but be stronger. Denial clouds your thinking, and it’s much better to just breathe deeply, stay present, and realize that you are surrounded and supported by a loving spiritual environment, like warm ocean waters. Get in the flow, breathe.
This analogy can work for life, work, or any conflict, difficult situation or relationship. Be a jellyfish, not a tank. You get to choose!
For an excellent podcast on the truth, denial and awareness, see Steve Pavlina’s page. Thanks, everybody.
Trade Show Fun September 22, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Ponder This.Tags: canoeing, fear, Flow North, kay, kayaking, maps, paddling, shyness, trade show
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Well, the trade show was this past weekend, and we survived! It was actually quite fun, although the rush and stress leading up to it wasn’t exactly. There were a bunch of little details that needed to be done (and several that were optional to be done) in order to have our booth ready, and I have been working many days in a row. I even got a headache, in part from all the work and not enough sleep. But, my chiropractor got me all into shape, so I am feeling better!
It was an interesting exercise in people-watching. I’m sure they were watching me, too… We had our big sign with the logo attached to a kayak paddle, and another one sitting on a small table, with large text saying what we are about. It seemed pretty straightforward to me! Some people, when they saw our booth, got a confused look on their faces, like they were thinking 
“I’ve never heard about this before!” So, I would say “if you haven’t heard of us, it’s because we’re new!” That seemed to clear it up. It’s such a small town, everyone kind of knows everyone, and certainly knows all the businesses around. So, that was one response.
Another one was a rapid “oh, you’ll never get me in a boat, I hate water” or “I’m terrified of water, so count me out.” Interesting. Now, kayaks have a reputation for being tippy, and many people are nervous about getting in them – or getting stuck in one! – but these people weren’t even open to the suggestion. If we had been talking about dinghys or flat-bottom boats, the response would have been the same. Too bad – they are letting their fear rule them and take away their fun! I wonder what other fears they are letting rule them…?
Another response was “I’m too old for that!” We didn’t hear that one a lot, mainly because High Level’s population is so young, and there weren’t many old people there!! And then we got to chatting with a white-haired fellow, who wanted to buy a kayak paddle just like the one we have. I said I could look into it and call him back. As we talked about other outdoor sports, he said he was passionate about cross-country skiing, which I also do. I confessed that I can’t “skate” ski – he said he just learned a little while ago, when he was 66! Wow! He was so funny, gesturing to Darren, saying “he’s too young to learn that!”
And the most common thing I noticed about people was how much they looked down. We had a few maps on our table, which was between us and the people visiting us, and people would invariably stare down at the table. Were our maps that interesting? They were nice, detailed topo maps of the rivers around here, but I think it was more about shyness or not knowing where to look…poor eye contact… did I have egg on my face? I don’t think so!
We met so many nice people, and saw many friends who said “I didn’t know you were doing this!!” It was a great time, and a nice relief to be done it! Still lots to do, to finish the business plan and work out many details! But, the website’s done – flownorth.ca – and at least some of the other stuff can wait!
Big, New Idea September 15, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: bears, business, canoeing, Flow, Flow North, GPS, Hay Lake, kayaking, lakes, Meander River, North, outfitting, paddling, Peace River, rivers, SPOT, summer, wildlife
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We are having the most amazing indian summer here right now, and I hate to be stuck at the computer – or at work, and of course I am working 10 days in a row! – because all I want to do is be outside! The leaves are starting to change colours, and it’s been so nice and warm (reaching 25 degrees C the last few days), 
I just feel like it’s the last chance of the year to enjoy summer! Darren and I went paddling on Sunday morning, which was awesome, but I would love to go every day.
But no, I’m stuck at the keyboard, researching, writing, figuring, designing… And what have I been steadily working on for the last couple of weeks (hence not much blogging)? My paddling business! That’s right, I am starting my own business, which I’m naming Flow North Paddling Company. After deciding on the name, I designed the logo (see below) and I’m currently working on the webpage. My plan was to start this up next spring, but a couple of weeks ago I realized that it would be best to have a booth at the Trade Show to promote it now, even if everything’s not quite ready, just to let people know that I’ll be starting up in spring. But man, it’s been an accelerated path, trying to get everything done. Big sign ordered – check. Business cards being printed – check. Plan for the booth? Working on it…
So what made me want to start my own paddling company, you might be asking! I often hear people say that we have such nice rivers and great wilderness, but no one’s doing anything to promote it. Since I love paddling and think it would be awesome to be paid to do that, I decided to go for it. Through Flow North, you’ll be able to rent a canoe or kayak(s), go out on a river or lake for a day, or a week, and see the amazing scenery around here. Lots of wildlife, too, and not just bears! Everyone thinks of bears – usually in fear – but forgets the beavers, birds, geese, ducks, moose, deer, even elk and bison. I love paddling and just wanted to share that love and make it possible for people to get out there and enjoy the water. Local people can just rent the boat (and paddle, bailer, PFD if needed, and whistle) and put it on their own vehicle and go for the day, or I can meet tourists at a spot along a river with the boats and all the supplies they’ll need for a 2 week trip! I 
get so excited thinking about it! I’m researching dried foods that taste yummy and are filling. I’m looking at maps and calculating distances on rivers. I’ve been contemplating marketing and practical things, like where I’ll store the boats. And I decided early on that I wouldn’t get into guided trips, because a) I don’t feel like an uber-qualified paddle master, and b) none of the water around here is particularly tricky, as long as you’ve been in a canoe or kayak before. If not, you can come a day early and get a quick course and away you go. I want to review safety things with people, but don’t feel I need to physically go with every group. Especially if I give each overnight group a SPOT GPS device! They are so cool! All you do is press the “I’m ok” button and it transmits to a satellite which relays the message to whoever you set up as your contacts, so your friends or family can track where you are. If you need help, you press “help” and if you need 9-1-1 rescue, there’s a button for that too. So, that makes me feel a LOT better about paddling in the middle of nowhere (just south of it, actually) and sending boat renters out onto these great wilderness rivers.
So I had it all pretty much figured out. Renting, outfitting, no guiding. And then, one day driving home from work, I had a real brainwave! Why not offer a buddy service to single women who want to paddle! I remember being single and wanting to do things… and sometimes trying to find someone to go along, and sometimes just going by myself because there was no one to go with. Usually, I would have preferred to have someone to go with, and for people who are nervous about being in the bush (in bear country), I can go along and offer support! I will make it clear I’m no fancy qualified guide, although I will take wilderness first aid and some other courses, but I’m willing and able to offer my experience paddling and camping, and company in general. Being in the bush by oneself is a little spooky, I know. So now I’m uber-excited about this business and the adventures that will follow! You know me, I’m all about the adventures!
To summarize, through my company, you’ll be able to:
- rent a boat (for a day, or a few days, or a week or a few weeks)
- get dropped off at the beginning and picked up at the end of your trip (important for river paddling!)
- use a SPOT GPS to let others know where you are and, in the worst case scenario, if you need help
- rent supplies like cooking stoves or tents if you need them
- order meal supplies, packed and ready for your trip, with cooking instructions included! (And most of it will be homemade.)
- take me along on a trip if you’re all alone and nervous about wilderness paddling! (Women only, sorry guys.)
Isn’t that great?!? I am so excited about it (perhaps you can tell!), and I know I’m really going to enjoy doing this! I have a few crazy ideas for marketing, and hope to connect with Europeans who want to explore Canada. More on that another time. But anyways, I’ll announce my webpage when it’s ready (should have something by Friday, in time for the Trade Show). Ack! I have a lot of work to do!
Please, even if you’ve never done so before, leave a comment and let me know what you think of my idea! I’m looking for input, ideas, feedback, whatever! Thanks!
Paddling the Peace River September 4, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Travels.Tags: kayaking, paddling, peace, Peace River
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Darren and I paddled the Peace River this weekend! It’s a river we’ve been wanting to do for a while, and we finally did it. Well, at least a tiny part of it!
We spent an unusually long amount of time discussing how far we should go and other logistics. We had arranged for friends — we have such great friends! — to drop us off and pick us up, but were a little stuck on exactly where to be picked up. We knew we wanted to start from Tompkins Landing, where the ferry crosses the Peace, and then go downstream. What we didn’t know was what kind of flow rate, or drift rate, we’d encounter along the way. We were hoping for 5 km/hr or so, knowing that it’s late summer and the water levels are not as high or fast as in spring, and not really sure what the current would be like. There are web pages like this Alberta Gov’t one that give the water level (albeit not accurately right now) and the discharge, or cubic metres per second. So I had looked at all that, and read the Peace River chapter of Mark’s Guide for Alberta Paddlers and considered the anecdotal advice we had heard. An acquaintance who had canoed from Tompkins had said that it was one long day of paddling to La Crete or two easy days. But we were in kayaks — surely we’d go faster than that! So, we decided we’d camp at La Crete (about 50 km downstream), or farther, the first night and get up early and paddle to Fort Vermilion the second day (about another 75 km). Were we crazy? We didn’t think so (but what do we know)!
Well, maybe we just didn’t have the gusto, or maybe it was the slow current, but when we checked our progress at the one-hour mark, it wasn’t quite what we were hoping for, only 4.8 km! We needed to average at least 8 km/hr, or better yet, 10, to make our trip happen. So, we paddled and we paddled and we took a lunch break and paddled some more, rested, passed slowly through some shallow areas, and before we knew it, we’d been on the water for 4 hours and only gone 20 km or so. So, the plan changed, and we decided to go to Moose Island and try camp there. It was about 35 km from our starting point, nothing to scoff at! At times, the river was like a big lake, with almost no current — peaceful, but not helping us out at all!
I had the map and Darren had the GPS, but I think I prefer the map (although the GPS does give a speed reading). I knew what curves were coming up, where the islands were, what side we should pass on, and all that. It was always the longer side, that is, we never got to shorten our trip by going on the inside corner of the island; those were all sand bars or even grassy and attached to the shore — no way through. It looks like we would have made it through on the the “short” side of Moose Island, but we didn’t realize that until we were on the other side. >sigh<
But we enjoyed ourselves! It was very quiet, and we saw hardly any birds except Canada Geese. They were certainly on the move, and we saw several flocks of 80+ birds. On the shore of Moose Island, there was a small flock, and they started honking and ‘mooing’ — that’s the word I invented to describe the quiet, “mmm” sound they also make to each other. As we got closer, they got quite agitated. They’d probably never seen huge yellow geese before! (What would a goose think of a kayak?) But as we retreated, they quieted down and went on with their goosey lives.
We didn’t see any other wildlife, although we heard quite a crashing through the bush on one island. We paused and watched, hoping to see a bear or some moose, but nothing. It was probably a couple moose; I don’t think a bear would be that loud.
After 9 hours of paddling, we reached Moose Island (didn’t see any moose there either), but we went past the west shore, thinking we’d find a place to camp near the east end of the island. We pulled over to check it out, but the bank was too steep and the flat bits we saw weren’t big enough for our tent. We even crossed the river to check out a couple spots on the far shore, but again, when we got closer, they were not as flat as they looked. What to do?!? We were both getting so tired, and we really needed to find a spot. Well, I thought I had heard voices (Darren didn’t, so what does that mean?! and sure enough, we rounded the end of the island and there was a huge, wind-sculpted sand bar with about 10 kids and a few adults enjoying the summer evening. So, we’d found our camping spot and a little company too! They left before sundown, and we managed to get a tiny bit of crappy cel coverage — enough to call our friend to change our pick up spot from Fort to La Crete. There was no possible way we would make it to Fort by Sunday evening — and knowing that took the edge off, and we could relax, make camp, cook supper, build a fire and enjoy it.
I forgot my good camera, so these pics were taken using my cel phone.
We slept in and walked along the water and sand and simply enjoyed the morning! There was the most beautiful fog above the water, which gradually faded as the sun burned it off. Idyllic. My mind has been go-go-go lately, and this extra time was just what I needed to relax and stop thinking for once!
And what has my brain been go-go-going on about? That’ll have to be my next post. Enjoy the summer while it lasts!
More Paddling Adventures August 25, 2009
Posted by tkneller in Uncategorized.add a comment
Just thought I’d drop a quick line on the latest paddling adventures. My sister-in-law and her 2 kids were visiting us last week, so Darren loaded up the canoe and took them to Footner Lake. They are pretty little (6 and 8 yrs old), but both had paddles (kayak paddles split in half) and were helping in the boat. Their dog, a small bijon-poodle cross, was along for the ride and behaved well; at one point, he was even sitting on the bow, calmly enjoying the ride. I guess he didn’t know that at any moment, one of the girls could cause a major upset and he’d be swimming! But it all went smoothly and everyone had fun.
And then my sister and her 2 kids arrived! So, we had a house full! We wanted to take my niece and nephew out paddling too — they are older (8 and 11), and my nephew was positively bent on fishing, too. So, we put the canoe on one car, and the rack and the 2 kayaks on the other car. There were 5 of us after all, so we needed all 3 boats! (I’m so glad we bought them!) My sis and I went out in the kayaks first, with a little help from Darren to stabilize the boats while we climbed in. The dock at Footner is so high, you have to step down into the kayaks, which is brutal. We might make a shorter dock that can just be added onto the side of the main one. The dock is meant for float planes — which we’ve seen lately at the lake — and it’s perfect for them. Anyway, my sis had never been kayaking, so I gave her a lesson and away we went. She did great and seemed to really enjoy herself. Then my niece wanted to go, so we went back to the dock and did the boat switcheroo. I took the larger kayak and my niece the smaller one. She’s only 11, and probably weighs 80 lbs soaking wet — which we didn’t get, thankfully! — and she did great, too. She kept up really well and we went almost as far as before the switcheroo. I think she enjoyed kayaking, too. There’s something about having your own boat, that you alone are responsible for, that is so rewarding! Meanwhile, Darren was in the canoe with the nephew and whoever wasn’t kayaking! We are so blucky (blessed/lucky) to have lakes nearby for paddling in!
I finally have some days off (in a few days), so I am planning a paddling trip on one of the major rivers around here. Not sure which one, but I’m excited! I’ll be sure to write about it.
