Now here’s something you don’t see every day! It’s Justine Curgenven at the Falls of Lora. You may wonder why she’s upside down in her new tigress, and I just might know the answer to that. I’m betting she’s checking for drift divers. Well, that’s one excuse anyway!! The Falls of Lora in Scotland is from what I can tell, not only a wild ride, but a bad ass dive as well. This is from UKdiving.co.uk:

“Entering Loch Etive from the south bank next to Skerries Bridge, swim out into the flow and then descend to about seven metres. Keep working your way into the tide or you can easily end up in an eddy that will simply deposit you at the side of the loch. You will see various bits of debris on the sea bed from the building of Skerries Bridge. This is where your speed picks up – don’t be surprised if you experience an easy six to eight knots.

Suddenly, you go over a drop-off and you’ll really begin to fly. You’ll be pulled down to about 30m (despite the figure on the Admiralty chart, which states only 20m). Watch out for the eddies at the base of the wall, which are caused by the uneven sea bed. They can hold you there, so swim hard away from the wall and you’ll pick up the main current again.

As the water becomes shallower, the current will slow, as this is where the loch widens. You will surface downstream from where you started – swim from here to the shore or, better still, have your boat pick you up. The dive itself lasts only about ten minutes, but it’s definitely worth it.” Read Complete Article Here.

The first time I read that, I was quickly convinced being in a kayak was the better choice. Preferably right side up. Read more about Justine’s adventure here. (and don’t tell her I was teasing her again. . . )

Thanks to Simon Willis for use of the photo. Simon has many more fantastic photos on his website, SeaKayakRoutes.com as well as his new podcasts. From the moment you start listening you’ll know Simon was made for this medium. You could listen to him for hours. Fantastic! Now if we can just get him to narrate Proust. . .

I wonder if they make Jack-o-lanterns on the international space station? They could certainly get away with it. After all, “In Space, No One Can Hear a Pumpkin Scream!”

You can grow old without really trying. You just check your face in the mirror each morning and you know it’s happening. Another grey, another line under your left eye . . . Growing old happens without much effort. On the other hand growth, mental and physical growth, seem to take an awful lot of work. Especially when growing old tends to make you more inflexible every day, both in mind and body. It’s a battle.

So with that in mind I’ve been thinking about kayaking and winter pool sessions. Right before the lake got too cold to be immersed in for hours on end, I got my first off-side hand roll. Just one, mind you then I was failing miserly again. But anyone who’s worked at this long enough knows that once you get the first one, it’s just a matter of time. So one thing I want to do this season is get my offside hand roll. I’ve managed every other roll I know on both sides, but that one! Also on my list for the winter are; a forward norsaq roll, brick roll, and back deck roll. So that’s my pool session goals for winter. Probably more than enough to keep me busy until the ice thaws. If some miracle gets me through this list before spring I’ll add to it. But I’d be shocked. . that forward stick roll seems impossible.

On the path of growth within the BCU, I’ve worked out going to Geneva, Ill. next weekend to do my 3* work shop & assessment. Yeah, it does feel like going backwards a bit. But I know one thing, as time goes by we forget and we tend to get sloppy. I’m going to take advantage and play total newbie and see if I can’t learn a thing or 7. I know all those new BCU changes are coming our way soon enough as well so it’s as good a time as any to stay sharp.

I’ve also been working out a lot more on the bike recently as well. Every other day I’m out battling the evil “Upland Trail” as it’s called. Finally I can do the first two big rocky inclines without taking a rest. Of course then I can’t feel my legs, I’m dizzy, and my lungs feel like I’d been sitting around a hukkah with my caterpillar friend for about 10 hours. . .

In truth though, I’m finding mountain biking to be a good time and I know it helps build up over all endurance and a stronger forward stroke. (remember part of your forward stroke is peddling with legs and feet). The only bit I’m not liking is the part where you try to climb a steep rock covered hill. I’m not sure how to do that without kicking rocks all over the place and losing momentum. The third hill on the trail is akin to a Martian landscape, covered with loose rock. I’ve not made it up that one yet. But it will come.

One thing I’ve learned over the last few years is that I’m very goal driven. A sign of weakness I fear! If I don’t set those goals, I don’t keep moving. The couch is so compfy after all! Luckily working and succeeding at a goal is addictive. Accomplishing each goal along the way is like a chrysalis opening or a flower suddenly blooming over night. Achievement is a wonderful high. For a while at least. . Then it becomes common place. New goals are set, then you start all over again. Such is life.

Now that summer has settled and I have my pool session goals in place I’m comfortable enough until spring. Then what? Elbow roll maybe?? BCU coach 3? Weight down to 160 lbs?? Learn to speak Welsh? NOT BLOODY LIKELY!!

Have a great weekend!

They used to say you need to learn to read between the lines. These days you just have to accept that whatever you’re being told is complete ‘rot’. Or, to save some anquish, just accept whatever you’re being told.

This from the BBC. . .

“The Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky, told the BBC that the US was now acting urgently to tackle greenhouse gases – then later admitted that the country’s emissions would continue to rise.

Another US delegate agreed that the world would face inevitable sea level rise because of climate change. But when informally asked if the US opposition to mandatory CO2 cuts had changed in any way in response to a surge in concern over recent science of climate change, economically replied “no”. – full article

You could choose a variety of subjects. This happens to be about Global Warming. But whatever the subject, governmental or corporate, right or left, pro or con, it seems the new plan for anyone in the public eye is this; If you say something long enough you can make it true. Even if the evidence supports the opposite. Truth is after all what you make it. No need any longer to sugar coat, just blatenly say whatever you like. Once said, it becomes truth. That is until you say the opposite. There is no contradiction. What was, is not. Simple. And it’s working like a charm. It will do. So if you think it’s getting deep around here, be assured it’s only going to get deeper. Good thing we have kayaks. Funny, I think I’ve seen this all before. . .

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him. . . Read On

So I woke up this morning at 4 am to constant lightning flashes blasting through the house. The effect was much more like that of a strobe light than a storm. In the blue-white light I could see the trees thrashing around in the turbulent air as little glimmery wet leaves swirled in all directions. Then the hail began to fall. Almost golf ball sized comets came sailing down through the swirling clouds. With crashes and pings they smashed against glass, brick, metal and anything else exposed to the weather. Including. . . fiberglass. My warhorse is on the top of my Jeep. I’d have run out to put it inside, but frankly the hail was large enough to keep you indoors. I’m only hoping it’s ok. I’ll have a look when the weather settles and there is some light. We’ve had more storms in the last few days than I can ever remember for this time of year.

Monday afternoon I decided I would head up to Wisconsin Dells and paddle among the many sandstone formations that make up the upper dells. A region first made famous through the photography of H. H. Bennet who has become a bit of an icon of Wisconsin history. He was carrying around his big old box camera recording the Wisconsin Dells long before it became the waterpark and power line filled monster it’s become. Still behind all the tacky facades the river runs quietly past. In a few little spots trapped between cliff-side condos and hotels, you can still see the beauty that Mr. Bennet was trying to share. Funny how that works. “Wow, this is beautiful. . Let’s cut down the trees and put a high rise here. We could make a killing!!” Greed is disgusting. And as it happens, the main reason it’s hard to find a launch spot. Access to the river is limited at best if you don’t know the right property owners. Luckily there are a couple spots where you can sneak in with a kayak.

When I got home and changed into dry clothes, I sat down to read my email and check the news. Locally just a couple hours before, about the time I was on the beach pondering my next decision a man just miles from where I had been was struck by lighting and killed.

So that’s the day I almost went for a paddle. . or maybe the day I almost died. . . Well, it’s 6:30am. It’s still dark, and thunder is rumbling around outside my window. I thought I would go paddle today. I may just go biking instead.