derrick
Black Leather Pimps
Published January 12, 2013 | 
Boogie nights / Aint no doubt we are here to party
Boogie nights / Come on now got to get it started
Dance with the boogie, get down
‘Cos boogie nights are always the best in town – heat wave
It’s one of those things you’d never notice. I mean, you don’t notice at first. It sort of sneaks up on you. You see, I’m 5’7″ verging on 5’8″ and she’s 5’8″ verging on 6 feet. As I said, you wouldn’t notice, not barreling down the hiking trails in your tennis shoes, talking across a table or paddling a kayak. It’s something you really only notice when you’re up close, really close.. Then you suddenly feel the urge to ask, “Hey, what are you standing on?” Still, what’s an inch between friends? Continue reading
Don’t Harass The Eagles
Published January 11, 2013 | 
I’m not talking about a wade in the shallows
I’m not living there any more
You can spend your life fighting the river
Or you could look me right in the eyes – shearwater
This time of year, the lakes are the domain of the fisher people and the rivers are a risky proposition as well. I’ll tell you one thing though, every year when I see the Bald Eagles gathering on the Wisconsin river I feel an urge to hop in my kayak and paddle out for a visit. Thing is, that would be a bad idea.
In the winter eagles are already stressed by the cold and scarcity of food. Scaring eagles into flight or away from their food could deprive them of the energy they need to maintain their body temperature. So as much as I like to watch the eagles, I’ll be doing it from shore. Continue reading
Posted in Learning, Nature & Wildlife, Outdoor Recreation, Paddling, Photography, Random Thoughts | 
Leave a commentAstral Buoyancy Sea Wolf
Published January 9, 2013 | 
Hey cowboy I hope you’re fast
‘Cause I’m the baddest gunslinger ever was
Hey outlaw, follow me outside
And keep your fingers on the triggers while we party all night.
Welcome to the gun show
- in this moment
The Astral Buoyancy Sea Wolf is a great new life vest introduced in 2012. The only downside is that strangers may come up and start touching you like this…. (see pic above!) Well, hopefully not, but you know how those old sea wolves are! Well, regardless of the questionable feel-up from Astral’s promo video we decided to buy a new Sea Wolf for Sue. . . Here’s why, Continue reading
Shhhhh, It’s a Secret!
Published January 6, 2013 | 
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating
in a most peculiar way
- david bowie
So the deal is.. I have to learn to swing dance, and she has to learn to roll. Well, that’s not really fair, I like to dance, and she likes to kayak.. so it’s all good.
So for our first pool session of the year it was time to take my favorite novice kayaker and teach her how to balance brace & roll. Sadly, I still feel like I’m teaching something dark and mystical among the euros and paddle floats of the C2C crowd. Oh, and the secret… Well, we’ll get to that! Continue reading
Pool Sessions in Baraboo, WI.
Published January 4, 2013 | 
Baraboo might be a small town, but we do have a great pool for winter kayak sessions. Local paddler Jack Burton has organized a series of monthly pool sessions to work on rolling and other skills here at the Baraboo Middle School Pool. Cost is $3 per person ($4 for out-of-towners) and $5 for your kayak. So for about 10 bucks you can kayak the warm waters of the Baraboo Pool. The dates in 2013 are Saturdays; Jan 5, Feb 16, Mar 2, and Apr 13; all sessions from 4-6PM. These sessions are open to all paddlers, and there are some experienced rollers there to help you master your skills. I’ll be there as well of course.. I’ll be the one who rarely comes up for air! For map and other details download the info sheet below.
Back To Center
Published January 3, 2013 | Whenever I want you around, yeah.
All I gotta do,
Is call you on the phone,
And you’ll come running home,
Yeah, that’s all I gotta do.
- beatles
This morning I warmed up the old Victrola… (Um, opened my Itunes.) and felt the urge to listen to Meet The Beatles. Yeah, I go vintage sometimes! Actually as a kid of the late 60s and early 70′s the Beatles were just turning “vintage” by the time I first picked up a guitar. Anyway, the thought that entered my mind as the song, “All I’ve Got To Do” started playing was that sometimes we just need to go back to base, to re-center ourselves. I’ve learned to do that many times in my kayak when the conditions around me started making me feel a bit twitchy. Continue reading
Give me my money back, Give me my money back, you b*tch, I want my money back
(And don’t forget to give me back my black T-Shirt)
- ben folds
So in the sports world, this is the story that keeps on giving. Did he or didn’t he? Will he fess up or won’t he? If he’s considering fessing up, well, that’s sort of like fessing up right? It’s like that bit from the old Muppet show, “It’s the story of a quack who’s gone to the dogs”. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually am pretty supportive of Lance Armstrong.. it’s the soap opera that makes me laugh. People just love taking others down. It’s a popular past-time that makes us all look bad. But really, the question I have has to do with his past sponsors who are suing to get their money back… Really? Continue reading →