The days are getting longer again. And every chance I can, I put my Red Prijon Seayak in the water and paddle. Over Christmas as others have noted the waves were crashing on the beach forcefully. I watched from the comfort of my partners beach front kichen. And I contemplated the day when I would choose to enter such a maelstrom, playing in those breaking waves, spray flying all around paddling hard and confidently, bracing and rolling with ease ............ Sounds like an adrenal high to me. So on the 27th when the sun came out again, the water calm, occasional boat wakes lapping at the pebbles, I launched for a brief recconoitre. Throwing all caution to the wind and staying within 10 meters of the shore I left the wetsuit aside, donning my PFD and shades, I paddled into the blazing 45 degree sunlight. Water temp I estimated at 54 degrees, average for this area almost year round. The Trumpeter Swans had earlier arrived in a great honking display up by the boat launch and had drifted in groups of twenty or thirty birds just off shore. What a melodious racket! Oh and last time I mis-identified those little black and white Scoters, the ones that make a sound like a truck backing up. My favourites are the Loons though, huge birds, much bigger than their freshwater cousins, these ones paddle up and down the beach, diving and popping up unannounced, checking out how close I'm getting but never seeming "ruffled". Very pleasant to again stretch the muscles in my arms across my shoulders and feel the dance of my torso as I turn and brace slightly, feeling that secondary stability or whatever it is holding me at this angle. I feel alive in a way that can only be experienced on the water. Awhile ago someone had the Paddlewise Logo for sale as a decal or sticker. Are there any left? I'm ready to declare myself as a member of this group so that when Dave or Doug drive or paddle past me they'll know I've read all the postings and understand the rules for being an official non Lurking apprenticing roller in a plastic boat. However I do have aspirations to build a skin on frame............ so obviously the boat bug has bit. Michael Justice resting now near 48.48 north and -123.40 west. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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