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.

Only a professional could come up with a phrase as daft as “Mental Refreshment”.

Happy Monday!

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.

Autumn has moved past it’s glorious stage. Opulent colors in massive display are giving way to the subtler tones of black, silver and occasional reds. Raindrops cling to a barren dogwood outside my office window. The sun is slipping lower each day. The sky is bluer when it’s blue, and darker when it rains. We’re entering the land of contrast and sticks.

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.

This article is SKY news a few days back was certainly interesting. It seems a woman was out in a “canoe” in Hawaii and when the wind picked up she got knocked out. Now being the UK canoe of course could mean anything. The article shows a picture of a white water kayak. . I’m pretty sure that was NOT what she was in. (it was captioned: “Canoeists put their lives at risk”). Well, there she was floating in her bathing suit in 80F water holding on to a water bottle for flotation. When night fell, she apparently took off her top and wrapped it around her head to keep warm. After 19 hours at sea she was picked up by a charter boat and the rest as they say is “history”.