Mad river

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step on to the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept of to. " (Bilbo to Frodo) - J R R Tolkien

The river today was absolutely gorgeous. It was clear, cool and glistening. I set off in the morning with the lead boat to get to Buzzard Island Dam early at 7:30 so as to get ready for another portage. It all went very smoothly as the boats were lined done the shoot while the people walked down. My boat actually went down twice and pulled up once. I was set at the bottom and then needed at the top. It worked out well and all 300 boats passed thru by 1:30. This picture is from the bottom of the Dam structure. The boat is a solo wish list boat for myself :)
I swam for a long while once again in the cool water. I saw two otters on the bank in the early morning, fish, herons and many other birds. It was a great day. :)
We have 3 days left to complete the 106 mile trip. Tomorrow we will paddle another 15. Four down and three to go. Its going too fast. :)

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Lake Oconee

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. " - St Augustine

It was 100 degrees today here in GA. We paddled 6 miles on the river and spilled into Lake Oconee for another 6 miles. I spent a lot of the time in the water cooling off while holding onto the painters line so I wouldn't lose the kayak.
We found a 4ft gar that was floating in the water with a hook in his mouth. Some guy pulled it out of the water to look at its teeth! Yikes! I took pictures with my camera before he tossed it back in. Unbelievable that we were swimming in the water with those fish! They were literally jumping all around us. In a couple of days we could see the alligators that hang out below the fault line.

We moved camp today to Milledgeville. Getting up early to pack, we finished by 8 and was on the water. We got on the last shuttle again at night and just made the dinner being served at 6:30. Long days but fun days :)
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Friend for the day :)

"The river is a promise of things to come, a ribbon of hope shining in the sun. The river is life for the great and small" -Walkin' Jim Stoltz

Day 2 on the Oconee and what a nice day it was as I had a new friend that paddled with me. :). Sitting at the dam and waiting for all the people to portage around, I was getting a little bored. That is until someone handed me this little turtle. What fun I had watching it crawl all around my boat. At one point I had it in my pfd pocket when I had to pull my boat out. It was a tiny little thing with a great pattern on the shell and great color. All the young kids were excited to see one that small. After paddling down the river the 15 miles, I gave it to a young girl who put it back in the water. :)
Dan and I had a great day paddling together and swimming outside our boat. We were on the water at 7:30 and off at 5:30. It was a long, but fun day. :)
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Noooooo!

"The past does not repeat itself, but it rhymes. " - Mark Twain-

Getting on the water at 7am and directing the safety boaters was easy. Getting myself ready and positioned on the last big shoal was just the same. What happened next still makes me want to yell nooooo from the top of my lungs. My paddle decided to crunch between two rocks as I perched myself on a rock waiting for the 300+ paddlers. Anyone that has a lightweight carbon\carbon paddle knows what a great friend it can be. As I looked at my paddle, day 1 of 7, mile 1 1\2 of 106, I closed my eyes in disbelief and opened to an onslaught of paddlers heading our way. With no time to dwell, the work began. There were deer in headlights people, boats flipping and gear floating as some newbies tried their best to make their way through. As I stood there directing with my paddle and holding the broken blade in sorrow, low and behold, floating by me was half of a kayak paddle! I scooped it up waiting for the owner to claim it. No one did. They must have decided half of a paddle was better than none. Four hours later when all 300 people went through, I set out to paddle the next 10 miles with one borrowed paddle, one broken paddle, and one half of a lost paddle.
I absorbed the lush green scenery, chirping birds and beautiful flowers at the botanical garden that was along the river. Took pictures and talked with friends floating by.
But getting off the water at 5pm, shuttling back to camp, buying a paddle from an outfitter parked at camp that only had one choice of a paddle, I made my way to the lost and found and dumped the lost paddle into the box. I wonder what story the owner of that paddle had to tell about their day.


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In the beginning

"There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it". -Charles Dudley Warner-

The moment has arrived and Paddle Georgia is here to show itself for the next 7 days. How exciting it is to finally be here. Reuniting with friends one time out of the year to experience yet another beautiful river in Georgia puts smiles on everyone's faces. Arriving in this state 10 years ago, I never thought I would be seeing Georgia quite this way. This week will have us traveling from the Piedmont Plains to the Coastal Plains. The river, its scenery and wildlife will change before our eyes. The beauty of spanish moss draping the cypress trees will come alive later in the week along with alligators peering at the 300 paddlers while wondering who is evading their territory... and why. Birds will sing their river song as the paddle georgia navy swims, play and paddle their way down the river. Not to forget the rope swings and jumping rocks that seem to call everyone's name, beckoning for the joys of youth to sprout from their adult bodies.
I lay here in my tent in anticipation of tomorrow. Dan and I will be ready to hit the water at 7am. We will paddle 12 miles on the Middle Oconee and go through a thicket of rocks and shoals called Ben Burton Shoals during the first few miles. I can't wait. I plan on having a great time. :)


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Paddling into the wild...

 

Here we are, the day before we leave to make the 106 mile journey on the Oconee River from Athens to Dublin GA, and I sit here feeling to be quite the lucky one. This will be our 7th year going into the wild enjoying yet another river on one of the 14 different water basins I plan on paddling in Georgia. After next week, I will be halfway there with 7 rivers left to paddle the next 7 years. :)

Setting forth, my kayak, backpack and tent will be my best friend for the next 8 days. I can't think of a better way to see the outdoors. The excitement is mounting on just what lays in store for us. Dan was 11 when we both started this journey and now at almost 18, he is just as excited as that first day 7 years ago.

We will encounter nature at it's best in seeing new sites with new experiences. We start in the Piedmont Plain of Athens and end up in the Coastal Plains down south in Dublin. Passing the fault line (what I like to call the gnat line :), we will see the river change many times. We will be hot, tired and sore by the time we hit the pillow each night, but there will be a smile on my face that will stay there all night. :)

I hope to blog my trip this year instead of writing in a journal book. I just need the cooperation of my blackberry to do that. :)

Leaving it all behind, I start my journey.....

Nurturing my financial future the easy way. :)
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Shining brightly

 

Thousands of words swirling in my head

Volumes more jotted down in books tucked away

Intense in their meaning, barely heard, barely understood

Paralyzed in their state, but on an avenue full of promise
 

Thousands of words imprinted...

shining brightly in it's own light...in that perfect sphere

 swirling...

Watchful eye

This squirrel seems to be always have an eye on me.  I took these photos while gazing out my window instead of working at my desk. :)  But sometimes during the day, he's the only one that hangs out with me.  On this day he was chewing all the new leaf buds from the tree!  I assume those buds are a delicacy this time of year.  Now when I see him eating my rose buds like I caught him doing last year, that will be a different story.   :)

What's in a snowman?

 

How fun does this snowman look? :)   With red potatoes eyes, walnut nose and a pretzel smile, I'm pretty sure this snowman has loved standing there waiting for the chance to make everyone that passes by smile back.  He has adorned my front yard and definitely had me smiling!  I see his friends along my daily walks, scattered here and there in front of homes that took the time to make them come alive.  Some had hats, while some kept warm with scarves. Most had "buttons", but never any boots. Some even had arms that seemed to call out for hugs.  Each one was different in stature, but each one had a smile from ear to ear.  A simple smile. 

What is it about a smile that automatically has us smiling back?  :)

Magical things

 The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.  ~Eden Phillpotts~

The month of December now seems like a blur with highs and lows that flew by as time refused to slow to a leisurely pace.  I had a much needed visit to Pittsburgh the middle of the month that proved successful.  Seeing family and friends was definitely a welcomed site. Hence, it put me way behind with the Christmas shopping,  but it also had me moving even faster getting those gifts upon my return!  I enjoyed the decorating, wreath making and baking till my home looked and smelled of holiday.  Then, I had the lose of my friend the week of Christmas that stopped me in my tracks and forced me to change course.  Christmas arrived a few days later with everyone home for the holidays. Though somber in thought, my support foundation of family kept me going with smiles and laughter.   

As I sit here looking toward the coming new year, I can't help thinking of the anticipation of what it will bring. The possibilities of change sits on the ledge of any year, but time itself is always up to us to take advantage of.  :)

Inception

     I knew in an instant when I looked up at this artwork that it would work. In the little town of Sitka, this totem spoke my name. It was one that I knew would be needed to emerge from my dreams. Big dreams. :)
 
     I started at a young age awaking from those illusive dreams that seem to conquer my nights. Grasping at tidbits during daylight, I knew that in my dreams, life was intact. Feeling the strength of will, knowing the substance of purpose, I embraced it. Although, awakening exhibited reality had also shown completeness.

    
     Nonetheless, reality or dream? Sometimes it's hard to decipher, but I like to think my dreams are always part of my future. Why not?  

Needless to say, the totem stayed put.  :)

Eclectic

While walking the busy street of Galway in Ireland, I walked toward a man riding his bike with his dogs tagging along.  What stood out to me at first was the man's different look in nature.  He was older and very unique in his appearance.  He carried a look of knowledge but teetering on bizarre.  He had long hair that was matted and tied up in a bun on top of his head.  Clothes that resembled mismatched rags with a worn flair that screamed stylish. He had on his shoulder an expensive leather bag that seemed to be dated but stuffed with treasures I suppose. Not quite sure where he fit in, I knew that he caught my eye with his incomparable look.  He stopped outside a cafe and propped his old bike against the wall.  Out from the leather bag came a black rope that he attached to one on his dogs.  And then turning to the other dog, he proceeded to attach the other end.  Casually he walked in the cafe, sat down, pulled out a book and waited to order.  Huh?  Am I missing something?? His dogs stood there and looked at me.  What was holding them back from leaving?  Did they think they were actually tied to something solid?  My thoughts went from "that man IS crazy" to "maybe he really does have something quite right".  They seemed content, but alert.  Protective of each other or the man?  Free to leave...but then, why not just stay? I apparently had the wrong piece missing.

In pursuit of happiness...

In between the much needed rain yesterday, I went outside to check on the turtles to make sure they weren't in a flooding area.  Having found out this past spring that my turtles of 6-8 years were not both females, it has in fact made for an interesting time.  I will say they seemed happy of just doing their own thing before maturity set in .   But, the days when they each ignored the other have disappeared.  Separate food spots, swimming holes or sleeping quarters are now a thing of the past.  They play, chase and anything else you can think of to occupy their time.  :)  As their pursuit of happiness comes to play, I can't help but take pictures while smiling at their journey. :)

Good and Sticky :)

As everything in life, there are those certain things that just makes me smile.  One being, caramel apples!  Gone are the days when giving apples at Halloween were the thing to do.  Now, it's only those certain few that can enjoy this luxury. So with sticky faces, these apples were devoured while more were requested.  Oh, to feel needed because of my caramel apples.  lol   :)

Void

And then there was an afterthought.  Vividly.  As though it mattered in only that split second.  Pouring out to compensate the void.  Only coming to light when shaken.  Vividly.  Clearness that shows self.   Sharing to save face.  Engaging to keep peace.  Vividly.  Lost in the wake.

Did someone say strawberries? :)

  



How I love the sweet smell of strawberries!  In fact my first job at 14 was picking strawberries at a farm called Portmans.  I think it went 1 for them 2 for me!  :) 




 

What is it about this fruit with the zillion seeds attached to it that makes me smile when I see them amongst other fruit?  Could it be the green top hat setting upon it that makes the red stand out as appetizing pleasure?  lol  I will say that I still love eating them.  And for that matter, canning them!  Last week I put up18 jars of jam. Yum and yum again.  :)

Heidelberg

Tucked in the northern mountains of Georgia off the Appalachian Trail, there is a little German town called Helen.  I arrived at this town a couple weeks ago by foot after hiking four miles down the mountain from camp.  To my surprise there was a pub called Old Heidelberg.

Having been raised in a little borough called Heidelberg, I found myself heading towards this place. That very sign brought back thoughts of how I made hard choices long ago to get myself out of that little old Heidelberg town.  I wanted change and challenges and I had definitely found both, sometimes willingly sometimes not.

But as I walked through the door with a smile on my face, I knew some things don't change when a mere name takes you back to the good ole days.  Days and people that I could never forget that left an imprint on my life.

After ordering some red wine and raising my glass to the place, I found my way back to the path and up the mountain.  Of course that smile was still there.  :)

Transmute

lend me your eyes

I will change what you see

What we notice

The perfect egg. Or not?  It looks nice in color, shape, and is photogenic.  It acquired it's color outside amongst the birds chirping in the trees while surrounded by the warmth of spring air.  But looking at the egg at that moment as I grabbed my camera, a chuckle went through my head.  What I saw was the caption on the mug.  It was dug out of the cupboard to be used for this project and hasn't held liquid in quite awhile.  Little does the picture show that those eggs were forgotten on the stove and boiled beyond done.  The egg white showed itself as brown instead of bright white.  Yes, they burned.  Who does that?  Didn't even know you COULD do that! Sure we can still dye them, who would know?!  As the wire rack sat on the table with eggs, spoons and willing participants, I heard the tea pot whistle.  "Waters ready" I exclaimed.  Gingerly going inside, I rummaged through my pantry for vinegar.  No vinegar?!  Ugh  Then I spotted the white wine cooking vinegar.  Could it work I thought?  Who would know!  

It was at that moment the chuckle began rising inside of me as I heard "what's that smell?".  :)