Posts Tagged ‘Paddling’

Many miles away there’s a shadow on a door
Of a cottage by the shore
Of a dark Scottish lake
– the police

A new day, a new bowl of Haggis! Well, something like that anyway.  Thanks to everyone for their emails and encouragements. It’s hard sometimes to translate emotions to print but I’m certainly not down or out. Speaking with Kelly last evening I’m sure he’s more disappointed than I am, at least in the fact that I can still get my stuff together continue my Nessie hunt. The only real change comes in that I have to pick up on some logistics and at this point, maybe even those original plans will still go through. Plus there are lots of good folks around that I’m sure I can pester someone to give me a ride to the water’s edge.

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I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment’s gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
– kansas

It’s that time again.  The time where I can’t let another day go by without making one decision or another about my upcoming paddling adventure. This time of course,  it’s Scotland.  Some of it is easy enough.  Buy this, buy that, read this, read that.. take notes!  What is different is that with a little experience I’m trying to travel as lightly as I possibly can.  Traveling light is harder than you may think given my past BCU training.  You come to believe that anything less than everything is irresponsible. I still remember the days when I carried practically 2 weeks worth of gear just to teach a class because that’s what a “hard core” coach did. Or at least I thought so.  Read the rest of this entry »

I was sitting quietly in my room sorting quarters from Euros when a knock came at the door.  A man that I did not recognise appeared.  He said he was there to take me somewhere.  It was ok he told me. We would go to the home of the owners of the club.  I walked with him down to the car and we drove off into the night. driving along a secluded road his cellphone rang, he answered a couple quick questions.  Plans had changed.  Soon we arrived at the gate of a high secuity area along the coast.  He talked to the gaurd in Hebrew.  After a short conversation we turned and went to a side gate.  Slowly the 12 foot raser wire gate began to open.  I wondered what would happen next. . . Read the rest of this entry »

we were all basically alone / despite what all his studies had shown
that what’s mistaken for closeness / is just a case of mitosis
sure fatal doses of malcontent through osmosis
and why do some show no mercy / while others are painfully shy
tell me doctor, can you quantify?
the reason why
- andrew bird

In 2005 two teams of sea kayakers jostled to be the first to circumnavigate South Georgia Island. A “British” team consisting of Peter Bray, Nigel Dennis, Jeff Allen and Hadas Feldman (of Israel) were first to announce their intent. Up until this point “announcing” was for lack of a better word, traditional. By announcing your plans, paddlers had time to build up interest which is of course important when seeking funding for such excursions. As we all know now it also gives others an opportunity to beat you to the punch. Read the rest of this entry »