Archive for October, 2007
Networking

Networking, I’m user friendly
Networking, I install with ease
Data processed, truly Basic
I will upload you, you can download me
- warren zevon
As it was with blogging some years back, forward thinking companies are taking steps into the networked world. Trak Kayaks has begun their “Friends of Trak” group on Facebook and already has a nice group of over 100 people. Members can chat about their boats, share pictures, get the latest information from Trak and of course network with other members along the way. Good idea for a company that wants to stay in touch with their customers. Yes, you do have to have a Facebook account to access their group. I have a Facebook profile just so i can check in on the Trak site.
For my part, I’ve played around with social networking as well. I put a site up on Yahoo360 and limited access to only those I wanted in. That gave me a way to write more about the things I wanted to write about that were way off the kayak trail. Then when Y360 announced they were changing their system, I along with thousands of others moved my stuff to Multiply which is a very simple to manage networking site. (My site is here) In fact a couple paddlers have found me over there already! The advantage of a site like this is that i can store everything easily in one spot; video clips, photos, blogs, links, whatever. You don’t need to be web savvy to do it. You also have the advantage of making anything on the site only available to those people in your network that you wish to have access. Then when you add content an announcement is posted to a bulletin board to people on your “network”. They of course can comment on your site in general or about any specific item. Usually these sites have functions to allow you to post from your cellphone as well. It’s a great way to stay connected.
These days when we tend to have lots of material on the web, a network site makes a lot of sense. It’s much better than having videos in one place, photos in another, blogs in another, and on and on. Which site you use certainly depends on what you are looking for. Research has shown that Myspace tends to be a younger crowd whereas Facebook tends to trend toward college students, business, and the more affluent among us. Multiply, even with 6 million users is a bit of a quiet backwater, which suits me just fine. Certainly online networking is not for everyone. Computers are not for everyone either! But for those of us who do spend a lot of time in the online world a social networking website can be an enjoyable place to talk to friends, make new ones and store all your stuff.
Missing Paddler – Lake Michigan
This morning the search continues for a paddler who went missing off the coast of Waukegan, IL., on Sunday. The details now are sketchy as usual but apparently a boater saw Walter Doroba paddling earlier in the day and when returning to the harbor, he saw the the kayak about 500 yards off shore. The paddler was missing. The Coast Guard reported finding Dorobra’s life jacket as well. His keys and cellphone were also in the boat. The search has been somewhat hampered by the choppy conditions of the water. Suffice to say Lake Michigan is pretty cold this time of year, and it’s not looking good. See The News Video Here.I’m sure you know what I’ll say next but it’s worth repeating; The Great Lakes need to be taken seriously by paddlers. You must approach them exactly as if you are on the ocean. This time of year a drysuit is a must. You really shouldn’t paddle alone but if you do, having the proper safety & signaling equipment is important. We certainly don’t know the details in this case, but it’s worth taking a moment to remind midwest paddlers that the word “lake” should not lull us into complacency.
* photo: derrick in lake michigan
Cranes
Yeah well, I’ve had so many jobs in my early years, I’ve lost count. Some were pretty interesting though. I spent one season as a guide for the International Crane Foundation here in Baraboo. ICF’s primary goal of course is the protection of Cranes which are like most animals, under threat. Of course in addition to eduction, breeding and such, they also address many environmental issues as well.
Here in the states we have two native cranes. The Sandhill and the Whooping Crane. The Whooping Crane is white with black tipped wings and a red marking on the head. What really makes them amazing as well is that they stand over 5 feet tall. Most of us have seen how ICF has been using ultralight planes to teach captive born cranes their traditional migration routes. Something fantastic and sad at the same time in that it shows how far gone the population was and to what efforts we need to go through to bring them back.
The other (photo above) are Sandhills. Sandhill Cranes were in trouble as well. However, their population came roaring back once the indiscriminate hunting was stopped. These guys live right here, so I get the joy of seeing them regularly these days. In fact their population has so recovered that they guys with guns want a chance to shoot ‘em. You know, I can’t help but express how crazy these loonies are. It’s not so much that I’m against hunting, as it is that I’m really amazed by those guys just waiting for a chance to kill something for the pure joy of taking life. I can’t help but wonder about their psychology. Maybe their mothers should have hugged them more!
To learn more about ICF & Cranes in general go here.
I’ve also added a “Wings & More” gallery here.
dogwood drops
My Rockpool is sitting out among the grass and leaves as the rain washes off the river. Like a magician I will wave my hands over it’s hull and cut it into thirds. I will wipe it down and levitate it into the laundry room for a warm rest. I fear our next outing may be in chlorine.
all’s well that ends well. . .

What a lonely way to be
Lost at sea
-the bengals
When you dig into the details of the article the questions come popping up everywhere. Why did the boat she launched from leave without knowing where she was? Where was her PFD? Apparently she tried to right the “canoe” many times until she got tired. Lack of training? Weather conditions? It’s hard to tell. That’s the problem with these sorts of stories. We just don’t have any details to make good judgments. SKY news certainly did not give a very good account of the situation or do much research to show their WW boat in foam to accent the story.
I have to admit the bit about taking off her top and wrapping it around her head was met with a teenage-like snicker. Yet after I thought about it a bit, that may have been the one wise thing she did.



