Repetition Cycles
Published October 28, 2011 | 
”Ladies and gentleman, let me lay on you a so-so entertainer,
not much of a humanitarian, and this cat was never nobody’s friend.
In his final appearance on the great stage of life – uh, you can applaud if you want to…”
We’re always looking for something new. New events, new toys, new gear, new apps, whatever. Even a new us occasionally. Probably ever since the phrase “24 hour news cycle” was invented, we’ve been on a continual race to a state of constant boredom. I mean let’s face it, for most of us not much new really happens. Instead were distracted by repetition cycles, where the same stuff, the same actions and the stories are repackaged in slightly different ways just far enough apart that they seem like, something new. Continue reading
Miles
Published October 25, 2011 | 
Alone and bored on a 30th century night. / Will I see you on the price is right?
Will I cry? Will I smile? / As you run down the aisle.
It’s all been done – BNL
There’s no one out here but me and the guys working on the railroad tracks along the shore. Day 18 of my “100 miles to Winter” paddle is in the books. Each day I can feel winter getting a bit closer. There was ice in my boat on Saturday and the last couple days have just been cool and cloudy. Occasionally I catch glimpses of the sun through the thick, late October clouds. Today I made a mental note, there are now fewer miles ahead than behind. 56 miles down, 44 miles ahead. I’m reminded of a story I read about a guy who took his bike across country awhile ago. He said that when he started, everyone he met said, “Wow, you’ve got a long way to go.” They would often look at him as if he’d somehow fail in the end. People often assume that big things can’t be done. It’s something in our DNA. Then one day he noticed something… People he met were now saying things like, “Wow, you’ve come along way.” That’s when he knew he must have crossed the half way mark. Not paying close attention, he had to go back and check the math. He found that he had come just a bit over half way. Continue reading
Vultures Circling
Published October 5, 2011 | 
Oh yeah, I’m still circling the little lake like a dizzy vulture. I’ve got about 70 miles to go. At least the last few days have been pretty much perfect autumn days. Where else would you rather be than on the water? Oh, and speaking of vultures circling I just returned from my annual check up. I always post about it because way too many men are simply too scared to go each year, especially when you pass that 40th birthday. I’ll tell you one thing.. I’d rather go each year and act preventatively, than only go when nothing can be done. Now, I’m not going to say every minute of it is fun, but once it’s over I can get out the door and feel pretty good for the next 365 days or so… until the next check up…
impossible walls
Published September 28, 2011 | 
oh then it’s alright
when with every day another bit falls away
oh but it’s still alright, alright, alright
and like words together we can make some sense - Gabriel
What if you were the last person alive on earth? You could be standing out in a prairie somewhere watching low clouds scrape across the distant hills, feeling the chilled air of an autumn morning tingle at the tip of your nose. You could stare all you wanted to. You could try to lock every line, color, sense and sound into your mind with deep concentration. You could will your eyes to pull out every last detail of the panoramic image before you. It wouldn’t matter though. With the passing of just a few minutes, a few minor distractions, and the moment would fade. The problem with moments like these, is that they have to be experienced in their fullest as they happen and that can’t truly happen when you’ve got no one to share the moment with. Continue reading
Backyard Adventure
Published September 19, 2011 | 
What amounts to a dream anymore?
A crude device; A veil on our eyes
A simple plan we’d be different from the rest
And never resign to a typical life – broken bells
It’s raining this morning and not quite 60 f. The weather seers say that the day will turn warm and sunny… eventually. Oh well, if I’m going to get my paddle time in today, I need to do it right away this morning. This will count as day two of my “100 miles to winter” paddle to celebrate the 100th anniversary of my local state park. I think it’s cool that in a month of days I’ll be able to see the world pass from the greens of summer, through the jubilant colors of fall and then in the end, to the charcoal sketched environment of late fall, all from the seat of my kayak. It should be a fun little backyard adventure, only requiring an hours paddle time over about 35 days. For the most part I’ll be posting the log over at devilslakewisconsin.com. I fear many über kayakers will find it a bit silly, a bit “quixotic” if you will, but I look forward to having an opportunity to spend the next month talking about paddling and our amazing state park with folks may not yet suffer the addictions. 
OK, time to head out for day 2.
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Posted in Enviroment, My Paddling, My Weird Life, Outdoor Recreation, Paddling, Quixotica | 
devils lake, wisconsin | 
1 CommentBetter Than Leaving The Bike At Home
Published September 12, 2011 | 
I don’t care where we go
I don’t care what we do
I don’t care pretty baby
Just take me with you – prince
O.K. I know what you’re thinking. Dogs are meant to pull humans, not the other way around. What’s worse is the perception that you treat your dog like some sort of 4 legged diva. Well, there is a reason for this.. and I certainly don’t advocated dogs as pint-sized debutantes. On the other hand, sometimes you find yourself in situations you’d never thought of before. Take this summer for instance, where we found ourselves giving up on family biking when on vacation because we had no place to leave the dog. Continue reading
Don’t wash the dirt off of your hands, doing the same mistake twice,
making the same mistake twice.
Come on over, don’t be so caught up,
it’s all about compromising. I see problems down the line, I know they’re not mine.
Don’t let the darkness eat you up. – 6pm
October rains remind me that all things are temporary. I tend to walk the trails a lot in October and November. I know I’m running out of time. Sure, I can get out the snow-shoes.. but winter is well, limbo. Winter is the time of year I spend trying to remember what a warm, wet, wind feels like. When late in the evening I sometimes strain to make my mind recall the sound of a thunderstorm or the earthy, tea aroma of a wet, autumn day. Late autumn sometimes feels like the last desperate opportunity to grasp the pulse of life. Continue reading →