Paddled over to San Juan Island Friday afternoon solo. Was blown into Open Bay by a freshening wind and was neglectful to use my rudder (trying to be a Steve Scherrer "no stinking rudder" paddler but failed again, at least in navigation). However, I was greeted by a pod of Killer Whales breaching and cavorting around. Cleared customs easily, though the officer said at first that there was a special alert on that weekend and Canadian kayakers were not being permitted entry into the US. Then he grinned widely as I was just starting to scowl. Got _me_ going after I'd been beating over at 4 knots. Met up with Jolie and the WKC crew later in PM, then some of us went out Saturday and followed whales around all day. Headed back Sunday solo on the "Henry Island Ebb Tide Express." Met up with some VCKC paddlers and Gordin in the Canadian islands, and did some other circumnavigations for the rest of the day. Home to ice and Ibuprofen. Buuuut...back at the beach where my wife met up with me, some of the guys I had joined mid day proceeded to strip and change into dry apparel for the requisite pub rehydration encounter to follow. There was one big hairy butt and another skinny old one in exposure. In deference to the need for ongoing tourism in BC and the requisite goodwill , I left my butt covered this time -- no mid-afternoon moon. I shopped around today and picked up a new in-car gear bag from Bomber Gear, called the Bombbucci 9080. It a backpack. It is made from heavy PVC fabric and mesh with pockets, a stand-on-fleece-foot cleaner and footwear changing matt that comes out of the bag, AND, get this Gordin and John, a 'Rip Away Stow Away' changing poncho. :-) I was going to buy a terry cloth, hooded changing poncho, but this backpack comes with a windproof (but none-absorbent) changing poncho, plus the foot matt, and the backpack. Gear for the yuppie, yup, and for us butt-ugly naked guys. It has lots of room for changing while standing while not exposing one's shortcomings. And for those with modern vehicles who miss that lovely sticky feeling on those vinyl seat covers of old while peeling off your back as you lean forward, I imagine you can wear this nylon poncho in your vehicle while driving home. Just don't wear your changing poncho into the pub. Doug Lloyd (finally giving up a longstanding tradition of standing around in nothing momentarily, in parking lots. Ah, all good things eventually come to an end). Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** 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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