Fat Chance
Published April 13, 2011 | 
Sittin’ with the fat man
Tryin’ to get a loan
Talkin’ about horses
And the women that we’ve known – randy newman
We have to be careful about the assumptions we make about people’s sizes. Yeah, I’ve been on about this before. (And will be again I’m sure!) First, let me say it again, as a population we are getting way too fat. We know it. That’s why I so love what Darrin Kimbler is doing with his Canoe Across America Trip. I certainly don’t have the nuts to do the classic belly-side-view shot he did! I’ll never be one to say it’s OK to be obese either. What also is not “OK” is when folks trying to get into shape can’t find clothing or gear in their size, or when they have to put up with sales people simply writing them off as “fat”. Continue reading
Fun & Safety
Published April 9, 2011 | 
Seasons don’t fear the reaper / Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..we can be like they are
Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper / Baby take my hand…don’t fear the reaper / We’ll be able to fly…don’t fear the reaper
Baby I’m your man… – BOC
Not only do I finally (And I mean FINALLY!) get to get out on my little local lake again, but I can get started on a great opportunity to promote paddling & paddling safety as well. As most of you know my local state park is just 3 miles from my home. Devil’s Lake State Park truly an amazing place by any standard, part of the national Ice Age Trail and the most popular state park in Wisconsin. Over a century ago caring and forward thinking people fought off continued privatization and development this natural wonder, and exactly 100 years ago Devil’s Lake State Park was officially opened. To celebrate the Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park are holding a “100 club” event where hikers, bikers and runners can earn a cool badge for doing 100 miles on the trails. Paddling was.. well, left out. I’ve got that one covered though! Continue reading
Touchstone
Published April 7, 2011 | 
So The Next Time You See Rain, It Ain’t Bad / Don’t Complain, It Rains For You.
So Lay Down Your Umbrellas / Strip Off Your Plastic Macs.
You’ve Never Felt The Rain My Friends, / Till You’ve Felt It Running Down Your Backs – McCartney
I often speak of the great disconnect between us crazy humans and our environment. It truly is amazing how we can walk through our world each day and still manage to be separate from it. I’ve thought that this is probably why so many people don’t like rain. They hate rain because when it rains the environment will not be ignored. They have no choice but to feel and be effected by it even when it’s outside of their environmentally controlled norm. Rain can be a loud, wet, obtrusive, sensual attack on a sleeping spirit. Some people swat at rain like a fly landing on their noses during a midday nap. Some make faces at just the mention of it.
I think of this separation, this “nap” away from our environment, as a battle with madness. As if our sense of reality is not real at all, but a sort of drug induced coma, as though we’ve all been fed some wild hallucinogenic in our food supply. (This theory is NOT supported by Monsanto of course!) .
To fight the madness, I reach out each day and touch my world; A lichen covered stone, the bark of a tree, damp moss along a path. I take time to feel the textures, the cool, the damp, the hot, the dry… When I paddle, I be sure to get the paddle out of my hands for a time, stop “doing” anything and touch the water. Let my hands feel the temperature, the wet and the current if there is one. This is something I’ve always encouraged those around me to do. When out on a family hike I see my 10-year-old randomly reach out and touch a big rock along the path, I feel like I’ve actually accomplished something.
Call it what you will, distraction, preoccupation or drug induced hallucination, we are being systematically disconnected from our world. Have been since long before I was born. Truth be told, even some outdoor types get so lost in the gear and the “sport”, that the world they play in becomes little more than a playground. The thing is, when we lose touch, it’s easier to let go. I think we have to be careful about that. Myself included. Food for thought…
Good Day
Published April 5, 2011 | 
My day hasn’t even started yet, but I could go back to bed right now and call it a good day. You see, one of the amazing things about our home is the abundance of wildlife. It wasn’t always that way of course. I’m sure you’ve all seen those yellow, dingy and lifeless films from the 1970′s right? I’d bet you’ve always assumed that the lack of vibrance was due to the aging film… Well, no. It actually looked that way! The 70s was ugly, really. Thankfully a lot of people have done a lot of work since then and fought hard against those who think the environment is simply a place to own, pillage, kill, pollute and profit from. Continue reading
Signs of Spring
Published April 4, 2011 | 
What are the signs of spring’s arrival around a paddler’s house? A life jacket over the porch rails? A dry suit draped inside-out over a clothesline and surrounded by a tow rope spider web? 3 kayaks upside down in the lawn? Around here every guest is greeted by a jungle of water shoes on the steps. Nice.
Back To The Water
Published April 3, 2011 | 
While the lake closest to home is still frozen, Lake Wisconsin some 15 minutes away is opening up. Yesterday I grabbed my old Romany and went for my first outdoor paddle of the new season. Even now many of the bays, including the one where I normally launch my kayak, are still closed in by ice. I’m glad I did a bit of exploring last year because I remembered a second option. This little park in the town of Merrimac. It’s not the easiest place to launch a kayak actually, but in April who’s complaining!? Continue reading
I need someone to love me / the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes / and you can tell that’s true. – neil young
Yeah, it’s time for another rant!… Must be spring. I can tell. You see, I can read the signs. I know when spring has a arrived and summer is coming because I get to start pulling rubbish from the lakes again. OK, so let me do my best Red Green here, “We’re all in this together!” If there is one thing old white guys love to do it’s complain, right? It’s how we validate our quickly passing existence. So let me do a bit of “validatin’ of my own: What the hell is wrong with these people!!?!?!?! Continue reading →