My church always helps.

only out a few hours, and nothing wild or crazy going on; almost zero wave activity, but some stiff breezes that made crossings a little more challenging.   The skeg helps immensely with those, but ya still have to ride an edge to keep inline.   Lyssa’s skeg is not as aggressive as BlueJeans.

much needed solitude away from everyone and everything.   Mist/drizzle sort of day to start, and that kept the riff-raff off the boat ramp.   Clouds didn’t clear off until nearly 4pm, and by then, I was long gone.   I would imagine when the sun came out, the hooligans would too.   Believe me, I am understating my opinion of those I wish to avoid at that location,,,,   The last run in was with a BLM type nut-job, tattoos on face, fresh off Pen-yard,,,     That seems to be the norm up there in summer months when the weather is nice.   Big reason why I started making that hump to Laurel a weekly thing. (that, and wanting actual waves, not only fetch chop.)

I really enjoy paddling in drizzle/rain,,, peaceful only begins the description of what I feel in those conditions.   That one time when I was caught mid-lake by a downpour was one of the funnest times I have ever had kayaking.   Rained so hard I could barely see the end of BJ, and the compass was in exactly the right place to see my lubber line.   I needed it then since I couldn’t see any landmarks, and I was trying to out race a thunderstorm.   But I was laughing, and having a blast even as mama-nature was hammering me with rain, wind, and waves.

I want more of that.   That’s the problem.   I don’t get that on rivers, even when the water is standing up.  I definitely don’t get that in the short boats,,,,   I can’t explain it completely either.  The closest I have come to getting that feeling on a river was the time I took BJ on the Khorn and hit DamWave full on.  

It’s counter intuitive that I can handle waves like that without tensing up, but flat water, like I was on today, causes me to start getting tense, and then the next time I am on ‘vertical water’ it takes me a bit to get back in the groove.   Doesn’t seem to matter what boat I take either; I get tense in them all if I haven’t played in waves for awhile.   Yesterday I started tensing up when the big waves from a houseboat cruising by came at me.  What I SHOULDA done, was turn tail to them and try to surf,,,, What I did was head straight at em, BJ’s strongest position, and rode them out.   And when they were past, grumbled ‘well that’wern’t-nuthin,,,’   And they weren’t:  I probably could have rode them broached and been fine.  Nice tall waves with an easy set and no breakers.  They would have played hell with my heading, but that happens in any wave set.   I honestly think BJ could handle waves five times that size with glee.   Much more than that, and we are talking storm surge and I really have no desire to face off with that shit; even if the boat could handle it.

a land locked seakayaker: tha’s me!!!  mumble grumble,,,,,,sigh,,,,,

That VRBO my sis has reserved in Charleston is REALLY tempting the hell out of me right now,,,,   I could get Lizzy out of my reach (and idle hands,,,) to a place where she is more likely to sell than here, get me and Lyssa into some salt water (Charleston harbor is NOT flat,   and I would likely stay near the marshy areas due to “solo” and inexperiance with tides,,,) and maybe figure out if that is the real calling or if I need to reassess my desires,,,   As in: do I need to bite the bullet and get off my ‘training wheels’ and go full bore white water,,, Or,,,   (if that last, it would be green-boats/slalom style boats, since I LOVE having that long front end to help absorb wave energy.   So what if they like to submarine a bit, its a wet sport.)

Well, I ain’t ded yet, and no one really knows what their future holds, I may end up coastal yet.  Or (not as likely, its cold up there) Great Lakes area.  Or Gulf,,, Kali is not so likely anymore since it has gone left of Lenin since the 90’s when I lived there (and it was in Lenin’s lap then,,,)  Pacific north Wet,,,  mehbe, but not as much pull (though it is home to the sexiest kayak manufacturer ever!!!*) as say SC GA or FL.   I don’t like cold weather like I used ta as a kid,,,, and I am very much a solar kat these days; likes me sunlight,,,  The PNW is not known for that,,,

Nuff of Dio whining about his land-locked status,,,  Self-inflicted wound and one that can’t be recitified easily, or soon.      Finished the move in on new phone, and still tweaking the drapes and mood lighting, but things are working and all log-ins that aren’t special and super-secure (banking stuff) are all in place.   Being a dood that works with his hands, NO fingerprint ID’s,,,,  BTDT and its damned nightmare when little nicks eat at your fingerprints and muck up log-ins.  (learned that one working at the hospital,,,)  tomorrow is back to the J.O.B. and muhndaze are always such a joy and a treat,,,,   Gotta get the mindset correct now or, well, bad stuff is the usual result.   At least I have some water time in to help temper my temper if/when things go sideways tomorrow morning,,,

*not some “cheap Okinawan dancer sexy”, but “high dollar escort from Montenegro sexy” type kayak.  Look at the prices on those things!!!!