Smooth & Sparkly Water

I haven't figured out this Picasa posting yet, but here goes another try. Looks like you can upload the pictures like before on Blogger, or you can initiate the process from Picasa by clicking on a folder and "Blog this". Then it brings in your pictures automatically and opens up a blog edit window. Oops, I just lost a picture.... got it back by re-uploading it.

Nice break in January. After a rainy, lousy Saturday, the sun came out for Sunday and it was mild and pleasant. We went for a short trip around the bay and bayou.

Look how much the birds enjoy the dead trees by the water. So many vantage points. Impressive, impassive red-tailed hawk. There was also a group of pelicans catching a ride on a thermal; it reminded me of a group of vultures circling above a roadkill.

We took the shortcut through the marsh back to the bay. That shortcut is shallow at high tide, and just mud at low tide. Thought the tide was high enough, but we just barely made it; you can see the mud piles where we pushed and scooted through by pushing with the paddles in the mud...

One of my favorite things about being around the water is how the sun sparkles on it. Who needs diamonds and such? An endless, priceless supply of jewels is always there for everyone on a sunny day by the water. Water covers 2/3 of the earth and the sun lights up half of it all the time... I think that's enough to go around.

Kayaking Past Sundown

I downloaded Picasa and this is a first attempt at linking directly to the blog. I've been putting photos on photobucket, but the advantage here is it may be easier to upload the pics, and you can click on them for a better view.

This photo is from last weekend when Mom and I went out in the evening. January in short sleeves, even after sundown. We commented at how comfortable we were out in the water even as it got dark. Boats hardly ever come into the bay, especially at night, so it feels safe and comfortable, though we wouldn't have thought of doing it two or three years ago when we started out. Wow, it has been three years since we bought the first kayak. To think we didn't own that world before! Now it's like imagining not being able to walk around your block. There are always more dimensions to the world that's right around you. When you're ready, you just reach out and grab a new perspective on life. Not to CHANGE all you know and love, just to add to your experience of it. Living near the water, kayaks bring that to you.

The weather is cold now... time to endure our few days of winter. Before we know it spring will be here. And in the meantime, we'll get some warm days. This is one of the reasons I love Mississippi.

Last of Summer

I'll just bet this was my last paddle of the year in short sleeves. The water is cool and the air is warm today, but not for long... the fish know the cold weather is coming soon and they are finding their way up into the bayous for the winter. Crowding up into the bayous, I would say. Of course the mullet are always around, flying through the air like skipping stones. I caught one in mid-jump!



An egret fished along the edge of the grass. Mom wonders why they are white. What advantage could they possibly have, to be white in this environment...?



The sun seems really out of place as it drifts by day to the south. Prior to watching the sunsets regularly from Graveline, I would never have guessed that it travels so far between the summer and winter solstice.



And I've learned never to assume the sunset is over, just because the sun is out of view beyond the horizon.

+1YR, -12 MIN

Cool weekend - a nice recreational paddle on Saturday in Graveline with two visiting friends from Texas, and the PPP race on Sunday. Couldn't ask for better weather! It was beautiful both days, with sun, slight breezes, and about 80 degrees.

The race was a lot of fun and I'm happy with the results. I knew my running would be better (7 1/2 min faster for the 5 mile run) but I'm surprised with the much quicker paddling time (4 min faster for the 4 mile paddle). Made up a mere 30 seconds on the bike. The course was exactly the same as last year so I must just be faster.
I'm in the water in my blue kayak:

I got to see a lot of kayaks, and appreciate how challenging kayaking can be for those who aren't that familiar with it. Again the GCRC did a great job putting on the event.

I'm enjoying all three these days -- the kayak, running, and biking. How cool is that to do them all together in a challenge like that! So what's next... I want to go back to Longleaf Trace again soon. Can't belive it's almost the end of the year. How time flies. Well, at least these days I'm feeling pretty sure that there can be an active life continuing after the old age of 40, which is coming up quick, before Christmas this year.

Training Run

With 8 days left before the PPP event, I replicated the entire race today for a big training session.
PADDLE - 4 mi paddle (blue line) - 54 min. Last yr time 45 min.
PANT - 5.1 mile run (red line; one way) - 47 min. Last yr time 52 min.
PEDAL - 22.6 mile bike (yellow line; two ways) - 1 hr 21 min. Last yr time 1 hr 22 min.

My goal is to finish under 3 hours and the GPS said I finished in 3 hours exactly. I think I can make up time in 3 areas: transition time, the length of the run, and a better bike path. I was a little long on the run, and my bike path was on some less than ideal roads, so there's a little time. The transition time is key - if I have everything really ready to jump in and go, I can save several minutes. Anyway it went well; I feel pretty good, but like I need a nap. My lower back was tightening up at the end just like during last year's race. Nothing I can't get through. I'll push it more than last time since now I know for sure I can finish. My running time is definitely better. My paddle time was not as good. Possible I was in better paddling shape last year, but could be just that I had some wind today. I think the Wolf River course will be easier.

The weather was GREAT and it's a spectacular time of year to be outside end enjoying things. It's a rare day off and I intend to make the most of it.

Short Evening Paddles

I haven't had time to do long paddles lately, but I try to get out on the water at least once a week, even if for a short trip before dark. Mom gets credit for this picture; I edited it for paint effects. Another paddle a couple of days ago was a real lifesaver. I must have had stress built up, because I sprinted across the bay without stopping and never ran out of energy. It felt awesome and definitely restored my sanity.

There are a lot of fish in the bay, and the water has cooled considerably. There's a feeling of fall in the air and the water.

2 1/2 weeks until this year's PPP event. I haven't trained at all on the bike but have been going to spin class regularly. I'm confident I can run the 5 miles. Even without specific training I think I'll do better than last year, because I'm 20 pounds lighter. But I'll try to get in a few training runs this weekend and next, to make a good show and meet a good challenge.

Horn Island

Finally - the Horn Island trip!

I've been talking about paddling to Horn Island since my very first blog post and practically since I first got a kayak. The logistics, planning, weather, and free time just never seemed to come together, especially since Katrina. Things were looking pretty good this weekend. With today being Labor Day I wasn't sure how crowded the boat ramps and waterways would be, but there was plenty of room at the ramp and I didn't encounter much traffic.

The original plan was to paddle TO Horn Island from Belle Fountaine Beach. I plotted the route along the blue dotted line going to the dock out there on the north side of the island. However the weather was a little iffy so we decided to take the Blazer Bay plus kayak all the way out there, for me to paddle BACK. We put the kayak out as close as we could get in the boat. I went to the island first, took a few pictures, then headed straight north all the way to the beach in front of St Andrews golf course. The red line is my paddle trip - 6.75 miles straight from the middle of the island.





I could see Belle Fountaine beach the whole way. Dale says I wasn't too visible except the yellow PFD so that's definitely a recommended item. He fished a bit here and there, and visited me a couple of times along the way. He got this picture when a pod of dolphin were swimming nearby.



The water was very calm. "Smooth-to-a-light-chop" as they say on the weather radio station. It was great paddling conditions. I didn't see a lot of fish, but did run into three patches of these jellyfish, each about a foot and a half in diameter. Each time there were over a hundred of them around me in view. I knocked into a few of them with my paddle.



It's so quiet out there. It's a neat place; the water only 15 feet deep or so, far from shore but yet in protected waters on the north side of the islands. This is where the shrimp and so many other sea creatures live and breed. I saw a blue crab swimming up at the surface of the water. Just coming up for a look?



Pelican came by to check out the kayak.



At the end of the trip I approached the beach at the same funny round house I've seen on bike trips. And more pelicans... the pelicans just love Belle Fountaine beach.



It's so shallow in there I could only paddle in to about 100 yards from the beach. Turned around and met Dale in the boat and we loaded the kayak back on and went around to Graveline (blue line) to head on home.

The preparation was good, getting to know the route was good. I'm ready to do it again sometime soon. The sense of adventure will be more in heading the opposite direction, towards the island. I could go farther than just the 6.75 miles, but I don't know about all the way there and back. Maybe out there in the morning, back in the afternoon? There's always the weather to worry about. I don't want to paddle in rough seas. The kayak could handle it and the waves themselves don't scare me, but any more than 2 foot seas makes me seasick, even in a kayak. Anyway, today was two big accomplishments -- the Horn Island kayak trip, and getting the kayak to Horn Island, which holds big promise for exploring the lagoons and paddling around out around the island for fun.

Awesome Mississippi Kayaking!