Like No Other

Today was kayaking, but not like what we usually do (that is, going from point A to B and back again). We pitched a tent, put up some tables and camping chairs, spread out some picnic blankets, and knocked about Spa Creek.

There were nine of us and, while most of us had Hobies, enough variety that we could try other kayaks too. The initial plan was even to get some friends who didn't own kayaks to come out and try ours and have some fun. All of them cancelled on us, though.

But it really was a great way to spend a day. We all had a picnic lunch and even played a few games. It was very different than how we usually kayak. And great fun!

It was also very hot. My mother and I were worn out sooner than everyone else and retreated to the comfort of her air-conditioned home to get some energy back before I drove back to VA. Still, a fun day!

The Best Plans

Somehow, we forgot that we had planned to kayak to Annapolis on Saturday night and watch the fireworks from the water. In our defense, we had this idea a year ago, and Fox and Fae no longer live where there is easy access to Annapolis (though, it's not impossible to put in somewhere else). And then there's that little thing about Fox having to work.

Instead, we planned to kayak on Sunday. Fox called a bunch of people to join us, since it was our regular brunch day anyway. In the end, there were eight of us, the largest group we've ever had for a casual paddle.

We launched from Queen Anne and headed down river to Hill's Bridge. It was about half of the same route my dad and I would have taken on the first day of the sojourn trip, if it were not for the flooding. It took about three hours over about five miles of river. Next, we're thinking we might want to try launching from Hill's Bridge and heading down to Mt Calvert (the rest of the sojourn route) or further to Jug Bay, which might be an easier landing. That should be fun.

It was a perfect day to be out. The humidity was down and the sun was hiding behind some clouds. There was a tiny bit of rain, but nothing we couldn't paddle in. It was like a mini sojourn. Great fun! Kudos to Fox for the planning of it. I had a blast, and it seemed that everyone else did too.

Back on Land

The 9th annual Patuxent River Sojourn was a blast!

Thursday was just a kick-off party, with dinner and a preliminary meeting before we did some drumming around the campfire and retired to our tents.

Friday was more adventure than anyone wanted, and much much less than what the media said it was. The river was flooded due to recent rains, much like the time we went out after a hurricane came through. Unknown to us at the time, the Brighton Dam about forty miles up river had been opened, surging the already swollen river. My completely non-scientific, based on memory and relativity, assessment is that the river rose a good eight feet by the end of the day. When we put in that morning, we were looking at about five feet more than normal. It would have been a great day on the water, but several factors were against us, the main one being that they wanted us all to stay as a group, which simply can't be done with some fifty paddlers and a narrow launch site. There's no way to wait on a fast moving and rising river. The call came in to secure our boats and abandon the river. We did, and reconvened at the 4-H center by the launch site to a gauntlet of EMTs and media. Leave it to the media to get in the way so much that a non-issue became the hot news of the day.

This is what one local station reported:
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/633369.html
There are hardly any facts there (especially in the video version). Jim Bridges is not a spokesperson for the Riverkeepers, and no one was lost on the river for hours, or lost at all for that matter.

I was with one group of paddlers who secured our boats on the river as best we could and walked out. We were intercepted by the owner of the property we ended up on, who called the 4-H center, who sent a van and an ambulance to pick us up. By that time, there were helicopters in the air, making it near impossible for the safety boater among us to keep in contact with the others via radio. The ambulance was completely unnecessary, but the cameras were worse.

Here's what really happened: The dam was opened, causing much more water on that part of the river. It brought the waterline up so much that trees that should have been hanging overhead became obstacles. The sojourn leaders wanted to keep the group of fifty or so paddlers together, so they launched us bit by bit and told us to wait. The thing is, with the water rising and the current increasing, you just can't float and wait. Some people held on to trees, got turned to the side and got pushed over. Some people held on to trees that broke and pushed them over. Some people held on to trees and had their kayaks swept out from under them. Some people came to rescue those people hanging on to trees, got turned to the side and got pushed over. Everyone made it to shore. With so many separated from their boats, and the conditions of the current and rising waters, they stopped putting people in the river. We were ordered to tie off our boats as best we could and walk the half-mile or so back to the launch site. With unknown terrain on the side of the river, and fast expanding at that, some people could not walk out. They were rescued by boat and the empty kayaks were retrieved later.

We all regrouped at the 4-H center, ran the gauntlet of cameras and reporters, told EMTs that we were ok and gave our names, then had lunch, made a plan to recover abandoned boats, and started ferrying everyone to the day's camp ground at Mt Calvert, eight miles down the river. The day was punctuated with some bluegrass and contradancing.

Here is the word from the riverkeeper's official blog:
http://www.paxriverkeeper.org/watch-this-spot-for-the-sojourn-blog/06/17/2009

A few other articles and blog posts I found, filled with inacuracies, have people commenting by calling us all irresponsible paddlers. To those, I say: get the facts first. No one was ever lost, sojourn leaders were in contact with safety boaters on the river, and all people and boats were accounted for. The media turned it into a problem that really was not one. Everyone followed instructions, no one was injured, and we could have taken the river if a few things were done differently, but there were reasons for not doing it that way. I will hit anyone who doesn't know the real story and calls me an irresponsible paddler with my paddle.

Saturday morning had us spilt up into four groups and work on some restoration and education projects. I spent that time making a sign for a nature play area at the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. At one point, the bit fell out of the drill and I picked it up, burning my fingers on the hot bit. It blistered instantly. I had never used one of those tools before and didn't realize the bit would get so hot. My bad, moving on. We got back with the group and had lunch, then split up into three groups for paddling the area. I went up the Western Branch, were we were supposed to have a tour of the water treatment facility, but they cancelled because we were delayed by the rain. It was still a nice paddle. Saturday ended with a sing along show by a group called the Bremen Town Musicians. They played folk songs that most people learned as children (The Fox, Oh! Susanna, and others) so we could all sing with them. It was unbelievably fun!

On Sunday, we paddled five miles or so to Mattaponi Creek, stopping at the rural life living history museums at the north end of Jug Bay. We did a night paddle on the creek, which was spectacular. I love that creek, it's my favorite place to paddle. Seeing, hearing, it at night was amazing. They launched us about a minute apart so we could essentially experience the creek by ourselves (which isn't safe, of course, so they did it in this very controlled way). My dad, who was just behind me though by quite a distance, and I saw two juvenile Barred Owls on our way down. On our way back, we met with the group who had walked to the bridge to try to call out some owls. They played a recording of the Barred Owl's call and at least six owls, two adults and four juveniles, responded. That moment was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced in my life.

We set out on Monday, the hottest day of our trip, for another eight mile paddle (I say another, even though we never really made the first eight mile paddle that should have been Friday). Somehow, we missed the creek that was to take us to the lunch stop. By the time we realized it, it was about thirty minutes back up river, where our final stop of the trip was forty-five minutes down river. Sojourn leaders decided it would be best to fill everyone up with water, sunscreen, and snack bars and press on. A couple kids started to experience heat exhaustion and were pulled to the support boat, a motor boat that could carry tired paddlers and kayaks that was with us for the whole trip except Friday (the boat was too big for that part of the river). I saw two kids run out of water on the way and look like no one could do anything about it. I told the paddle leader we needed to stop and refresh everyone, and we did so. That really seemed to help, and several paddlers told me so after learning that I had called that brief break. Unfortunately, there is only so much that sunblock can to for my fair skin, and I ended up with painful burns on my feet, thighs and forearms.

All in all, it was a very fun trip. I hope to go again next year for the lower part of the river. Now, I want to curl up with some aloe and my fuzzy kitty and sleep! Pictures haven't been loaded yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Litha 2009

I did not have an opportunity to have any kind of ritual or celebration for this Sabbat. I was on a kayaking trip, but it turned into one of the most magickal experiences I've ever had.

The trip brought me to a part of the river with which I was very familiar. It is my favorite place to paddle, and there are many plants and creatures to see.

On the trip, I had an opportunity to paddle this creek at dusk. They launched us well apart from each other, so it seemed like we were on the water alone, but we weren't really alone because that is not safe. We were told not to use any lights and to refrain from talking.

I know this creek. I know its turns, its shortcuts, and its obstacles. Paddling in the growing darkness was no problem for me at all. I think the familiarity of the water made it that much more special for me, because I did not have to focus on where I was going, and what I needed to avoid hitting. Instead, I could listen to the sounds of the night, the sound of my paddle in the water was almost an affront to the gentle murmurs around me.

At one point, just before crossing under a bridge, I saw two juvenile Barred Owls. Some little bird was picking on them, and they flew over the creek, screeching at it. I had only seen an owl in the wild once before; I passed one sitting on the side of the road. This was two owls!

Passing under the bridge brought a chorus of night sounds, where before it had been very soft. I paddled as far as I could, to where navigable water ends at a vast beaver dam. There was a breach, which I knew from an earlier day paddle, and the water joined with the creatures singing their night songs.

On the way back, the paddlers gathered near the bridge. A group from the trip walked there to try to call out some owls. I had already seen two, I knew they were there. At the recorded sound of the Barred Owl's cry, those two young ones and four others hooted in agitated reply. 

It was a family, two adults and their brood of four. They stood in a tree, flapping their silent wings at us, then glided hauntingly across the creek one by one. They hooted there for a while before soaring back across the creek. It is so hard to even attempt to explain the majesty of these creatures, and how being in their presence caused me to weep with the beauty of it, of the night.

I can think of no better way to have spent this Sabbat.

Stuck Between a Rock and a Rock and a Rock

Fox, Fae, mom, dad, and I did something new. We put in at one landing and went all the way south to the next landing. Because of very sore hands, I used my foot pedals most of the way. At the end, there was a lot of swamp grass that we had to paddle through. It was not easy, and it was very funny!


We stopped for lunch at a little marsh that we couldn't get to because of the rocks. It was a little hard to avoid the (very slow) current of the river either, so we all just wedged ourselves against the shore, trees, each other, and rock to take our little break. As my title suggests, there was one point where I had a rock at my bow, one at my stern, and one to starboard. I'm not quite sure how I did that!


I'm pretty sore. That was a bit more than a three hour paddle with no standing up. I hope we can do it again. Maybe when the swamp grass isn't going to eat us!

A New Place

After I got home yesterday, we loaded the kayaks on the cars and went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. The theater we went to wasn't showing it in 3D, and you could tell the parts where that would be a nice effect, but it was quite good. I think we all enjoyed it. I've wanted to read some Jules Verne for a while now, I need to just order some books!

Despite our best efforts, we did not meet Fox at the landing at Governor’s Bridge at 0800 like we wanted. Sorry, Fox! Even so, we spent about two hours on the water. Mom and Fox and I scouted out this landing last fall, but we only just today made it there. This is a part of the Patuxent River that's quite a bit north from where we usually go.



Here we are, approaching Governor’s Bridge. A little further up, we passed under Route 50 (a major highway that leads from Ocean City all the way to Sacramento, though I've never been on that part of it). Shortly past 50 was a double-trunked tree partially submerged in the water, making that part of the river impassable without portaging. So, we headed back towards the landing and went the other way, down river.

On the way, we passed this awesome tree that looks like a knee. We joked it was a missing piece of The Awakening. A little further down, we encountered some rapid, shallow water that required us to get out and launch a little further up from it to get back to the landing. If it wasn't for the fact that we were going down river and we would have to go back up to get to our cars, I would have kept going south for a bit longer.

Now that everything is cleaned up, we're waiting for dad's laundry to dry, and then it's off to the annual pool party. I'd like a nap.

Yuck Mud

With all the rain we've had lately, the shores were very muddy. Fox, Fae, mom, and I put in at Selby's Landing around 1230 or so. It was a little later than we generally like to get started, but today was the perfect, non-humid, day to get out. We paddled Mattaponi Creek and were out there a full two hours before we took a break. Whew!

At the end of the navigable part of the creek is an extensive beaver dam. Sometimes, when it's been particularly rainy, water will spill over the dam in little falls here and there. Another paddler tipped us off (or, at least, tipped mom off) that there was a breach in the dam. Instead of little waterfalls, we had gushing rapids!



Comparatively speaking, of course. It was hard to paddle where the water gushed, and it was a fun ride on the current to the mouth of this tiny little side creek. There was a lot of excitement in those first two hours of paddle.

We stopped on the bridge for snacks, watched some idiot who didn't read or speak English drive the wrong way on the one-way road, and vowed to put the number for the park office in our cell phones so we can call if that happens again. (As it turned out, Fox had the number and I thought he did, but he didn't check when we needed it.)

It took another hour or so to get back to the dock. When we got there, there were more people who didn't read or speak English all over the landing. They were fishing from the pier (against park regulations on weekends and holidays) and from the beach where we had to come in. A handful of these people were there when we put in, and they had a grill, a park no-no, standing by. We couldn't see the grill when we came back, so I was looking for it. I found it, in the trees where casual hikers or park rangers just making a sweep wouldn't see it. Maybe they could read English and just chose to ignore the rules and put the fire in the trees so they wouldn't get caught. I can overlook quite a lot if it's not really bothering me. We've seen people with grills before. But, they put themselves and everyone else who uses the park or lives nearby at risk, as well as the vegetation and wildlife, by moving that grill into the trees. I called the park office (I had the number on a flyer in the car), and the man sounded quite glad that I had reported that. While we were loading, they sent someone in an official truck to order the grill out of the trees, and prevent them from dumping the hot coals right there. The park official followed us out, hopefully they didn't just start the thing up again.

Sometimes people really piss me off.

After our wonderful paddle, we had a nice dinner at home on the back porch and then watched Muppet Treasure Island (newly acquired on DVD, so I can leave the tape with mom when I go). It was a great way to spend the day.

I Forgot

I completely forgot what I was going to talk about today.

How about a fun picture?




This shot was taken in September a year ago. Tropical Storm Ernesto had just come through the area, and I wanted to take advantage of the storm surge. Actually, I wrote about this venture over here. In that entry, I talked about the bridge that usually stands five or six feet above the water. Here it is, not much above the water at all! Certainly not enough for a person in a kayak to get under.

We haven't been kayaking in a while. Looking at this picture makes me long for it. I hope we get a chance to go again soon. It looks like we won't make it to the PA Renaissance Faire this year, though. Of course, it's the year we buy tickets in advance that we can't go! That's the way things work out sometimes.

And I still haven't remembered what I really wanted to talk about today!

A Little Bit of Erin

I'm talking about the Atlantic tropical storm that was a tropical depression when it hit land over Texas. What was left of her moved into Oklahoma and a pressure system there sent some rains our way, all the way in Maryland. Erin was raining on the parade today.

But we were going to kayak anyway! The rain wasn't so bad, in fact they had mostly stopped by the morning, and the clouds kept the sun at bay. We were going to try to sail, but there was not much wind. Fox, Fae, mom, dad, and I put in at Selby's Landing and headed south to Mattaponi Creek around 1115. That's when the wind picked up. And the tide was on its merry way out. We actually had to work quite a bit to gain the creek.

The rain from Erin over the night raised the water level nicely. Fox and Fae and I went without our pedals, because the aquatic grasses get very thick this time of year. With the water level up a couple inches, only rudders got caught in the grasses. That worked out well!

Occasionally, Erin drizzled on us and it was just a little chilly. But we paddled the two and a half mile length of the creek, and then rafted up for some midday snacking, letting the flow of the creek take us creepingly back to the river. On the way back, I discovered that I can turn around in my kayak on my knees (this is a trick of balance, of course!) while floating. And I even had to do a little bit of paddling this way. Before you think I'm crazy, it was because there was water in my seat and I was tired of sitting in it, so I got up to sponge it out with Fox's sponge since mine was in the most convenient place: the car.

We went back to shore after a three hour outing. Fae wanted to stay out longer, and I did too except that I was tired of being wet (remember, I sat in a puddle of water for much of the time). We packed up and heading home to clean up, get into dry clothes, and go to dinner. We tried something new today and went to a place called Lone Star (as opposed to our usual Red Robin dinner). We had only been there once before, and the server made an expensive error on our bill at that time. But things may have changed, right? There was no problem with the bill, but their choices for food were rather limited, and mostly filled with things I shouldn't be eating. I went outside my diet a tiny bit, but I don't feel bad about it because I've been pretty good at keeping it up. It was the lack of beverage choices that was most annoying. Except for water (which is what I had) all they had to offer were things I can't consume in the restrictions of my diet; black tea, soda, beer. The server did have a rather insulting reaction when I asked if they had lemonade. Almost every time we try to change things up a little after our kayak trips ends up not working out as well as Red Robin. Maybe we should just stick with what we know!

So, that's my weekend! Tomorrow is supposed to be more rain. I hope so, because we really need it, and my mom bought a Crepe Myrtle to put out front near where the Maple used to be that should really get planted. I guess I won't be getting a Sakura yet. Do you know how difficult it is to plant a tree when the ground is as hard as the sidewalk? It's hard!

Few Days Left

The time is fast approaching when every day of the week will be full with one activity or another. So, we went kayaking today!

We put in a Queen Anne around 1040 and headed north. It took us one hour to reach the impassable tree and another hour going back to the dock. The water level was really low and we had to get out in several places.

I learned a little during this outing, though. My dad will not blow his whistle if he needs help, and then yell at us for going ahead because he didn't blow his whistle indicating he needed help. My mom thinks that Fox and I always go ahead even when this was the first time we decided to play around a bit, and no matter where we are, we are always keeping our eyes on the less experienced. Actually, the way things ended, it wasn't that enjoyable at all. I didn't think we did anything differently than any other outing except that we went ahead a little. I could kayak like they do; just go on ahead and not care where anyone else is. But I worry for those paddling with me who may have less skill than I do. But it seems like it's also asking too much for them to let me know if they need assistance. Yeah, I'm a little resentful that both of my parents decided to bitch about being behind us when much of my paddling time is spent worrying about what trouble they will get in to. And their complaint sure was not about worry for me. That didn't exactly say "we're glad you're home, honey."

Poor Fox found a wasp nest among the floating dock. They got him twice! I didn't go near once we knew it was there. GAH! We need to remember to call the office and let them know, and come prepared with a can of wasp-be-gone next time ourselves.

I'm exhausted. I haven't been sleeping well, you see, and I have to go to work tomorrow. Pooh!

Back to Where the Waters Meet

Tada!

It's going to darken a bit and get a little less brassy as it oxidises over the next couple days. My hair is not really that fluffy, it's the humidity! I took this image while my parents were outside taking the kayaks off the cars (I came in for a hair tie).

Oh, it was such a great day to be out! It wasn't as humid as it has been, and while it was hot, we still managed a three hour paddle down Mattaponi Creek.

The aquatic grasses are really growing thick this time of year. They gummed up my pedals and latched on to my paddle and threw themselves aboard my little boat.

Wouldn't that be a great horror film? The Revenge of the Aquatic Grass! Ahhhhhh!

So, Fox and mom and dad and I went out today. While we were driving, I saw a turtle, and a doe with two spotted fawns crossed our path at the parking lot. The strange thing about the parking lot is there was nobody there! There was no one parked, no one at the ramp loading, no one was around. Which was nice, because we didn't have to wait for people to get out of the way or rush to get out of the way of others as we unloaded the cars.

We saw no one else while we were out either. One power boat went by just as we were putting in, and that was it. Oh, there was one person on the bridge at the end of the creek too. We went all the way to the end where we saw four neon striped turtles sunning themselves on a log. Then we came back to the first landing to eat and take a break for about thirty minutes, then it was back to the landing around 1400. This time there were a couple power boats and jet skis and a family fishing on the other side of the dock. While we were loading, a couple tried to come down with jet skis but they decided they didn't want to wait for us to get out of the way and so went to the other landing. Good riddance.

I'm rather exhausted now, but I'm so glad we got out today. We haven't been kayaking much at all this season, owing to dad's work at VARF. And this was the last chance I had to go out before my trip to Idaho. I might have convinced my parents to take off that Friday after I return so we can paddle some more.

Maybe it wasn't a perfect day. But it was a great day to be out on the water!

Something

Yesterday, I resolved an e-mail that came in to the box that I have to answer. The problem was that the checks had the wrong attention on them, they were going to C/O WPCA and they needed to go to the Finance Department. This is a simple, easy change to make in the database. The merchant who sent the e-mail said and I am copying right from the e-mail, "It is causing considerable angst for many here when addressed to WPCA." Do you see that, "considerable angst?" Angst, being a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity. Calm down, people! It's ok, I can fix it! Take several deep breaths. It's not worth you getting all stressed out over!

That's it. Deep, calming breaths. Whew! Talk about drama! I'm so glad my office isn't that high strung that a little mistake causes "considerable angst." Wow!

Ok, so I know my Boise vacation is in less than a month, but I still have eighteen work days between now an then (including today because it's just getting started). Soon, soon.

I don't have much to talk about today. We haven't been kayaking this year as much as previous years. Oh, I get to buy tickets for Transformers tomorrow.

I think I don't have a lot so say because I'm feeling particularly tired. I guess I didn't sleep as well as I thought I did. Maybe I'll have more to talk about later!

The Atlantic Hurricane Season

What's left of Tropical Depression Barry brought us a lot of light rain. It's kind of funny that the first named storm of the season started before the season. My name is on the list this year! I hope I become a hurricane and do some damage! I don't want to kill anyone, just some general havoc. It'd be neat if I make it up to the Chesapeake like Hurricane Isabel did in 2003. I'll have to keep an eye out for me!

In any event, rain means that we wouldn't be walking to brunch today. So we drove.

There was a good group who came out in the rain for brunch this morning. Eight of us were there, where there is normally four or five. Believe it or not, in a world of bread, meat, and mayonnaise, I was actually able to find something to eat and stick mostly to my diet.

Rain didn't leave for much shopping either, though we did have to run to the hardware store to get another cork for mom's kayak. We like to plug the scuppers to keep the decks as dry as possible. And there's a lot of sediment in the waters where we kayak, so water doesn't come up through he scuppers, but some totally grody brown foam stuff. Yuck. So, a plug to stop that from happening!

Mom and I did a tiny bit of shopping; groceries at Trader Joe's and some new paddling gloves at EMS. I also found one of those backpacks that can carry water. Then it was off to home, and some movies.

I've been doing a lot of su doku lately. Rain tends to make many people not want to do much but sit around, I guess. Not sure what yesterday's excuse was, then.

Ladies and Boats

My mom and Fox's wife (who will someday have her own alias here, I've got it, I'm going to call her Fae.) and I went kayaking at that really fun spot that has a lot of obstacles. Fae and I both have kayaks with the foot pedal system, but Fox and I broke our pedals last week (we think). That's because they add a few inches to the keel, and this area of the Patuxent is filled with branches and things just under the surface of the water to avoid. So, now we know, and won't bring the pedals again, lest we have to replace another set. I'm not really looking forward to doing that, so I hope they can be repaired.

This area is a floating dock, it's not so easy to launch from, we would all much prefer a beach (for you non-kayakers, there is a HUGE difference). Poor Fae is particularly not good with dock launching, and she discovered that the water of the river was rather cold. But we were able to move her closer to land where she was only in water up to her knees and could get in fine.

The river in this area runs through a town (if you can call it a town) called Queen Anne. There used to be a well-used bridge here know as (*gasp*) Queen Anne's Bridge. Queen Anne's Bridge is fenced off and decaying and one day might fall into the river, but it is still there. When we first kayaked this part of the river, our goal was to reach Queen Anne's Bridge. We could do it, if we got out and climbed over a log. In preparation for the week long sojourn on the river (that we're not going to make it to this year), they've cleared that log. But there are two more trees a bit further up river that impede our path to Queen Anne's Bridge. (The new goal, by the way, is to get to the bridge that carries Central Avenue, a major state route, over the river. We haven't made it that far yet, too many big trees to climb over.)

We've actually had a very dry month, and those two trees that take some work to pass were impassable today. That was a little disappointing. But we had a very nice, relaxing float back down the river to the dock. What a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

Next is a little bit of shopping, and I'll get some alone-time in the house tonight. That's nice!

Memories on the Water

Fox and mom and I went to the landing a bit further north at the Queen Anne 4-H Center today. This part of the river is usually very swift with quite a lot of obstacles. We figure they will be clearing some of it for the week-long Patuxent River Sojourn in June, so we wanted to see what they might have done. We were in the water at 0940, which wasn't so bad.

The first major obstacle was a very very swift current and fairly shallow water. We couldn't paddle through it, so we had to get out and walk. I stepped out into a place that was deeper than I had thought, and the river was taking my kayak! Well, it didn't really take my kayak, I still had one leg in, but that ankle got scraped against my peddle drive. Ouch! Don't worry, this one didn't bleed, but the cold water stung like crazy.

I feel like we got further along the river than we ever had, but I'm not so sure. There was one log that we had to crawl over before, and one that we never made it past. The first log wasn't there. The second may not have been there either, but there was another log in our way and we still couldn't make it to the bridge at Central Avenue. That's my goal some day, you see.

The current is so swift that what took us an hour and ten minutes to get up, it was less than 40 minutes going back. I love this river!

We've got a few minutes to clean up, then we're out again, off to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. My life never stops!

And the Heat Begins

We decided to go to the north landing at Jug Bay today; take the Western Branch up a bit then stop at Mount Calvert Mansion and archaeological site. We tried to get in the water early, but we didn't make it before 1050.

We found a couple little side creeks to duck into to avoid the river tours. Did you know that goslings can hold their breath underwater for a very long time? Three little baby geeses dove when they saw us coming. Fox and I were getting worried. It was a long time before they came back up. But, they did!

The mansion was actually open today. There was a little exhibit about the history of the area with some of the artifacts they've been finding at the dig site. The quartz arrow head was pretty neat.

When we were ready to head back, there was a canoe class who decided to stop there as well. In fact, they decided to land right in our way and take up the whole beach (which wasn't much). The teacher of the group didn't tell the people to leave us room to get out until they were already pulling up, and after my mother had said "you're blocking us in." I thought one pair was going to put their canoe on top of my kayak! Fox and I had to carry it out of 'their' way. You know, folks, a little courtesy in the water wouldn't kill you.
We got back to the cars around 1400 or so. It was so hot by then! The humidity suddenly climbed. The paddle back was actually pretty difficult. We were pouring water over us as we were loading. It was so hot.

Cheers to the air-conditioned house!

No Rest

Why would I want to rest? It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining and it wasn't too hot, so of course, we're going to kayak!

Fox came over pretty early. They just got new cars and he wanted to learn about the Thule rack system that we use to carry our kayaks. He helped us load and get ready and off we went. First, we stopped by the office to renew our park use pass, then it was in the water.

Putting in was a little annoying, actually. There was a couple with a young child who was busy prepping a canoe. There was a family with a power boat who didn't want to wait for the canoers (yes, I know that's not a word!) to move, and there were a ton of people fishing (everyone ignores the 'no fishing on weekends and holidays' sign). We unloaded pretty far back from the water and brought the kayaks forward. The canoers looked like they were ready to knock me to the side to get in the water. Because of their impatience, Fox and I (mom was already out) launched in a very hasty way, and had to finish putting things on and zipping things up on the water. I cut my finger on my PFD zipper pull. It bled. We were off around 1140.

We went down Mattaponi Creek with intention to stop at the first landing and walk to the observation tower for lunch. To our dismay, there was a fleet of some 15-20 canoes at our landing. We floated around for a good...maybe 20 minutes while they launched and headed back up the river. It was a class with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

We didn't really feel like walking the mile there and back to the tower, so ate lunch right at the landing. As we were there, the impatient canoeing family showed up to land and eat. We offered to help bring them in, but they didn't accept it after they said they needed it.

After lunch, we asked them to take our picture and we got back in the water and headed back to the landing. We wanted to go easy, this being our first day out in the season. Back at the dock, we were met with the canoe class. They had parked their hauling trucks right in the loading area and were getting a lesson about the health of the river at the dock. We had to bring our cars down to the water's edge to load our boats (the area that we try to keep clear for the power boaters). Then, while we were loading, the canoeing family returned. And the family with the power boat. It was a very busy landing! Well, we were all pissed off at the canoe class for not moving their vehicles out of the way for the other people who use the area. The canoeing family enlisted some help (oh, now you want it) to load at the top of the hill, and the friggin power-boater pulled his van and trailer right in the middle of everything, so we weren't going anywhere until he got out of the way. When we were done loading, we asked him to move, which he kindly complied (in a manner that suggested that he didn't realize he had blocked us in. HELLO?? Where am I going to go? In the water?????). We were glad to get out of that!

Then it was dinner, a touch of shopping, back home, wash the boats, now we're here! I need a weekend from my weekend!

No Rest on the Weekend

After being out late for Friday's movie, I had to get up early, go to the store with mom, go to the airport with mom, then go to my grandmother's with mom and aunt, all on one bagel at 0900.

Mom and I admit that was pretty stupid. Running around like crazy on no food isn't a good way to spend the day. But the frozen pizza we had for dinner was good. (thawed and heated, of course!)

This morning, mom woke me up before she went to church. She was making rolls for tonight's dinner and needed to leave before they were done. My job was to set the timer for 12 minutes after they were done rising and turn on the oven. No problem. I still would have time to run to the store and buy her flowers (which I couldn't do any other time except while she's at church. I'm not a last minute gift giver, that was just the only time it worked out, and the only thing my mom ever seems to want is flowers, which would die if I got them sooner). Still, no problem. The alarm sounded that rising was done. I set the timer, turned on the oven, and proceeded to get dressed. There was even a fleeting moment when I thought I should make sure I actually started the timer, but of course I did, I was right there.

You know where this is going, don't you?

No, I did not start the timer. By the time I realized this (hmm...I'm sure twelve minutes have passed by now), they had been in the oven, baking away for thirty minutes. I think I could have been arrested for running a suspected deadly weapon factory. The inside of the the rolls were nice and warm and chewy, but you had to break into them. I did manage to run to the store and get mom some roses before she got home, when I admitted to the thorough burning of the rolls. That's life! We'll just have to buy some on our way.

After mom got back from church, it was off to the EMS kayak demo day. Fox and his wife got to show off their new cars, both Hondas. We're trendsetters, I tell you! Fox as a cute little Fit. I want one of those! It's adorable!

Do you remember a couple years ago, before I bought my first kayak the Hobie Lanai? I was looking at a Prowler by Ocean Kayaks. I had tried one then and felt it was very wobbly and unstable. Well! What a difference two seasons of experience makes! I loved that kayak! I tried a Prowler 13 (that number indicated feet of length, my Mirage is about 9.5). It was 54 lbs, up a bit from the 48 lbs of my Hobie. This was a nice kayak. I also tried a Prowler that had a rudder with foot controls. That boat was 69 lbs, it was heavy, didn't sit deep in the water and took a lot of effort to move. I didn't like it at all! I guess if I was going to do a lot of fishing, that would be the right kayak. I'm not a fisher. But I wouldn't mind one of those Prowlers (the non-angler edition seems to suit me better).

They also had some kayaks that I've never seen before. This brand was Necky. I tried the Chatham 16, great lightweight boat for going straight with little effort, even at 51 lbs, but turning was HARD! I need a more sporty boat as it is, with all the little bends and turns in the creeks we like to paddle. The Necky that I really liked was the Manitou Sport. This boat was almost 11 feet long and weighed 44 lbs. It was short so it turned easily, and it was light so it moved through the water quickly. If I were to have a second boat, it would be this one. It's an open cockpit style, very different from the sit on tops of the Hobies and the Prowler, but I really liked it.

Afterwards, I had my last beef hot dog at Johnny Rocket's (if you don't have one near you, I'm sorry! This is such a fun place!). I say last because tomorrow, I'm starting a diet. You might have heard "Eat Right for Your Type" which is a diet that has choice foods based on your blood type. Of course, a lot of my favorite things (bacon, bananas, beef, tomatoes, cashews, to name a few) are on my do not eat list. This will be tough! Then mom and I went to Trader Joe's for a few things. Then it was home, put stuff away, shower and change, back out to the store for rolls, and off to my grandmother's for mother's day dinner.

It was nice. We watched Lady in the Water again. And now that I'm home, I've got just enough time to brush my teeth and fall into bed! I'm tired!

Happy Mother's Day, mom. I'm glad you're my mother, and I'm glad you're my friend.

Good Call

With the passing through of Ernesto, I thought all the rain and extra run-off would fill up our kayak waters nicely. Some obstacles might be gone or underwater, new ones might appear. I really really wanted to hit that area of the Patuxent River where we have to climb over logs and walk through shallows. I was hoping to get as far as the last log that impeded our progress and see if it was easier to get over.

Dad managed to get sick, so mom (reluctantly) and Fox and I went out. At the landing, there is a floating dock, anchored to a wooden dock on the shore. We can drive right up to the wooden dock and unload our yaks, then park the car up the hill and head out. Usually. Today, the water was so high, the wooden dock and surrounding shore was underwater! The floating dock was floating, and the current in the river was swift. It wasn't exactly as I had expected (I didn't expect to have to launch from the road!) but I was so excited! I knew it was going to be great. We got started just after 1130 or so.

There really wasn't a good place to stop along the way because the current was so swift. We had to go off the current river into the flood planes (which wasn't hard to do right now). I expect what we saw today was some semblance of the rivers former glory, it used to be a mighty force before it silted in considerably. We even had to go off the river to get around a new obstacle. There was a tree in our way, we could paddle under it, but the current was very swift and not worth the effort it would take to get through.

In no time (about an hour, actually), we were at the old Queen Anne Bridge. This bridge has been blocked off to traffic for years and usually stands a good 5 or 6 feet above the water. It should also be noted that we passed the first log we usually had to climb over some way back, unnoticable beneath the high waters. So, the bridge was not 5 or 6 feet above the river. The river rose right up to meet it, so much so that Fox tied off his kayak and got out onto the bridge! This was a little discouraging because it was practically impassable (without a lot of unnecessary exertion), so we didn't make it to the other log today. One day, I will make it to that log, and over it, and to the bridge across Central Avenue. This is my goal! I will do it!

Both of my kayaking companions had a lot of fun today. I'm so glad! I was really looking forward to seeing the river like that. Next time we get a big storm, I'm going to hit Mattaponi Creek to see what that looks like. It took us and hour and 15 or 20 minutes to get up to the bridge (with breaks and all) and only 15-20 minutes to get back to the dock in that swift current. What a ride!

By the way, it looks like that little stinging bastard got me twice on my hip. It itches like crazy today!

Obstacles!

Fox and my mother and I went kayaking today. We went to that place on the Patuxent that is really swift. It was great! There were times when we had to get out and pull the kayaks along because the water was too shallow or the current too swift to paddle through. We had to climb over a log too. Sadly, we didn't make it to the bridge at route 214, which I wanted to, because there was a really big log in the way. Maybe next time we'll get to it with more energy and be able to climb over that one too!

WooHoo!