[Paddlewise] Kayakers helping others

Does helping stranded critters count?  So far I have rescued
a very frigid garter snake and a hypothermic mouse from the
base of the sandstone cliffs in the Apostle Islands along
the Squaw Bay sea caves.  The snake I just slide under my
paddle jacket on the deck until he warmed up and he then hit
the beach no worse for the 40 degree water temps.  The mouse
needed more encouragement.  I slipped the beast into my day
hatch on the old Romany and then made a nice hot little tent
on the beach out of a black paddle float.  After a quick
warming and some chocalate flavor "Gu" brand energy gel -
food only for the most desperate of creatures.... he charged
off into the bush.

On the local inland lakes I have give a sailboat a tow to
their mooring bouy as a favor, and we once righted an
inverted sailboat after a violent thunderstorm, but no one
was there to thank us.

Bill Newman

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