Filler?
Published March 31, 2006 | 
The kind where I meet you
By sending words into the vacuum
Bounced by cables and by satellites
And it’s an ordinary day
With rain upon the window
And every sound’s an echo
Of the music of your voice
- gwen knighton/three weird sisters
Daily posts were something I hadn’t really intended, but something that just sort of happened. And there is a certain amount of risk of becoming redundant, boring, irritating and just plain “stale”, by posting daily. Besides, writers make terrible editors. Bloggers. . well, we’re a lost cause. Someone recently said that it was much more classy to post a blog only on occasion, when you had something really important to say, or when you just got that perfect photograph. “No Filler”. I can see their point, but on the other hand I talk to my friends daily. It’s not a particular effort to do so. Sometimes their emails, or calls give me a great opening to my day. Yeah, even the really bad jokes (we won’t mention anyone’s name DS). I take that back. . .not the jokes. . more the joviality behind them. Sure posting so often I’m sure I’ll really lay some eggs now and again. But then if truth be told, some days I don’t bother to comb my hair either. It’s life. But if you’d like, you’re welcome to grab a cup of coffee (or tea, or Jameson) and come sit down for a chat. I’m glad you’re here. Let me crack open a window and let in this nice fresh spring air, and I’ll tell what I’ve been thinking about to day. . .
Book Club
Yep, I got my copy of Paul Caffyn’s, “Obscured By Waves” 2nd Edition too. You’ll note that a couple other of our blogging friends have as well. The caveat here is that they are now only available in Europe, well the second edition anyway. Here in the States I’ve found the first print available between $50 and $80 bucks. Yikes! Luckily work is in progress to get Paul’s book over here. One of the major issues is cost. Sure, you can order it from New Zealand, but the shipping will take your breath away!! You could just as easily buy one of the older versions. But then you don’t get the new stuff Paul added since then. One thing that surprised me when I opened my box from “Kayak Dundee Press“, was how really big and heavy the book is. Those pictures of the cover don’t tell the story there. Obscured By Waves is a big coffee table sized book with really big photos, and for my slightly older paddle buddies, it’s easy to read as well!!
So. . Instead of showing you another picture of the cover I thought I’d share with you something really interesting ……….the box.
Now the problem I’m having is that I’m just a bit past half way through Jon Turk’s book, “In the Wake of the Jomon“. I told Mary I dare not read these two together (as is an old habit of mine), or I’ll start thinking the “South Island” is somewhere off the coast of Kamchatka.
Following Freya. . .
Just letting you know too that to stay updated with Freya Hoffmeister’s goings on check www.qajaqunderground.com/freya/ I know there will be updates coming.
Tom’s Blog
Ok everyone should be aware of Tom Heineman’s upcoming attempt to circumnavigate Lake Michigan (minus the big bays). He has a new blog that you can book mark if you would like to follow along http://caska.org/Heineman_Trip_2006/ (right now you may like to read Tom’s recent experience in the Lake Michigan surf. Now, that’s got to be cold!!)
Skill Work
Hmmm, we’ve not talked about straight skill work in a bit have we? If you’re looking for tips, and that sort of thing just check out the past posts in “About Skills” or some of the other “Selected past posts“. Thing is, you can only write about sweeps and draws so many times. I do have to update my sweep post however. . hmmm. . . On the other hand with summer coming, and my first official class of the new season scheduled, I’m sure I’ll be rambling on again about every little learning tip I can find. You see. . as much as instructors like to feel like they know something. . . we do most of our learning in our classes right along with the students. We learn together, and that’s a cool thing.
*personal archive note: Devil’s Lake completely cleared of ice on March 30th, this year. Last year it was like mid-April
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3 Responses to Filler?
As my uncle told me one time: John, there’s no such thing as a bad “blog” it’s just that some are better than others. (Of course this was in the mid-60′s, long before “blogging” was even a twinkle in anyone’s eye, and probably long before many of you were even a twinkle in your parent’s eye(s). Derrick, I for one look forward to your daily blog, and as you know I give you a pretty big load when you are late. And, here it is 10:00 am and already 3.5 hours after you posted, and now it is me that’s late. My newspaper was at my door before 5 this morning (when I first checked), and the coffee was ready at 5:30, before I finished with my morning stretching routine. Today is the last day of the month, we spring forward an hour this Sunday for Daylight Savings Time, and it seems to be me that’s late today (though I did get to work before the 8:00 start time, ok it was 7:59).
Just like the large formatted books for these aging eyes, I appreciate your daily entries, sure some are better than others, but they’re all good! Keep them coming. . .and DS and I will keep you supplied in our humor, along with our friendship and camarderie.
Paddle-on and blog-on dude!
thanks for that!. . (and your check’s in the mail!!!!!!!!!!
keep ‘em coming derrick!