12.16 East Derby.

 Well, I mentioned in the past here two times that I would discuss my marsh trips - and this late November day seems to be the perfect time to do so. The big news is that this past October 26th, which was Monday - both myself and my friend Julia decided to take thing's to the next level - and by virture of a broom wedding - before the clock struck midnight, we were married by the same way the ancients were so many years ago. When you know the love is real, there is no stoping it, denying it, or even a need to discuss it - becuse it is understood - it is absoute, it is there - always and everlasting... Anyway - this now changes thing's a bit - because now my tandem boats are starting to see some action, and this is a good thing.

Earlier this year, I bought from my friends David and Cheryl a Wilderness Pamlico 160T. They have a lovely shop called CT Outdoors that's up in Oakville off of Route 73 - in the old pin factory building. In fact, come to think of it - I really need to visit them soon. Anyhow - I saw this boat a month earlier and immediately recognized the hull lines as being very similar to the Klepper Boat my folks owned back in the mid 1970's (through perhaps 1987) when we still lived in Brooklyn NY. I actually got the Pamlico 160T with the notion that they would get back into kayaking again, which was discussed when we celebrated my father's 70th birthday back in February while having lunch at Knapps Landing...

The notion of having a tandem kayak also brought to mind the notion of the romantic side of kayaing - something which Dennis Stuhaug makes mention of in his great book "Kayaking Made Easy", which is incidently how I discovered Falcon.com... The first trip out with "Magnification" was with a friend named Desiree - who was someone who I thought 'got it' but I quickly realized that she was not a real kayaker - but some one who was only into the social aspects of kayaking - as opposed to actually enjoying being out on a river for an entire afternoon. Paddling with Desiree for 6 hours proved to show that we would never do such a venture ever again, in fact - I never saw her again either - which does not leave me heart broken by any given measure.

But I was not giving up either. One town over in Shelton, Mary Grant is someone else who I had always hoped to entice into tagging along - but because our mutual friend Sean from Derby Feed had moved on, this was not meant to be either.

Then came Julia... I first met Julia at my job, where we both worked on the same shift on the assembly line, just on different programs and discplines... When she asked me to take pictures so she could see what I was seeing, I told her "why don't you just tag along". Our first trip was a trip down the Housatonic River - from Derby to the defense plant, just prior to the Merritt Parkway Bridge. It was a very good trip, the climax being when a huge Golden Eagle flew over us. Because of the tides, we could not really get into the marshes the way I was hoping to, but it was a good introductory trip none the less. Next, me and Julia decided to pay the Charles E Wheeler marsh a visit.  Cold and windy, with a sky which looked like snow was on the way - this trip was more like a religious experience.

12.39

Yesterday, we decided to take "Magnification" out on another trip - which was going to be between 5 and 6 hours in length. A miracle occured, and the weather / tidal conditions were perfect. We left the Birdseye St Dock and headed north up the Housatonic River taking a nice leasurely paddle along the western side. It was good, we got into both marshes just north of the defense plant - and while there was very little signs of life - the autumn scenery was still very beautiful. Plus, there was a calm, a peacefulness which one could feel - even though this time of year signifies a time of death. Amazing how nature dies and is reborn each and every year. I'm talking about plant life here. I'm always impresses watching how the seasons change the way our enviroment looks, and how the ecology responds...

The good thing about a long kayaking trip is it allows one to also 'clear their head'.

In the case of Desiree, it was in the form of asking over a dozen times to anyone within shouting distance if this was where a kayak could be launched. I soon realized that for me and her a tandem kayak would be a very bad thing. But for me and Julia, it's a blessing. Julia spoke about all kinds of thing's which were on her mind - and I was there to listen and offer insightful comments. We got out only one time - just past the bridge at the SE side of the defense plant. The rest of the time we were quite content to be just paddling along. The ride up was easy enough, even with me doing almost all of the paddling (which was fine with me) but the ride back was like an express train with that outgoing tide. As we raced the setting sun back to the Birdseye St dock, I felt a little sad that we both forgot the digital camera we just started using - because as we approached the Charles E Wheeler marsh, the sky was simply amazing - every color in the entire spectrum could be seen. But this just gives us one more reason to get back out in a kayak that much sooner together so we can take some stunning images of what we see...

12.51

If one reads my profile, I mention on my long list of boats about a tandem sea / expedition kayak which I hope to add. For a long time, it was the Northstar by Wilderness Systems - but now I'm seriously thinking going the AIRE route - since one can actually travel with their boats - on mass transit. Now how cool is that - having an 18 ft Sea Tiger in one good sized bag, and a couple of smaller bags for everything else?? You certainly ain't taking a Northstar out of the country to watch whales!! So, Julia is very interested now in kayaking too - and wants to see us get the Sea Tiger early next year, which I have already informed Sheena at AIRE is going to be the ideal plan...

12.55

Today: Take my Walden Sports Tandem out and get in a couple of hours of river clean-up work.

Have a Happy Thankgiving. Go Vegetarian, or better yet - VEGAN. This is the best gift we can give our planet. The poor turkey's and other animals who are living only to die in the most horrific conditions don't deserve to be treated in such inhumane conditions - for what, so we can give thanks?? When one thinks about how entire forests and eco systems are destroyed in the name of factory farming / raising millions of animals for fast food - one realizes just how cruel of a society we have turned into. Actually, one just has to look in front of themselves. Look at all the litter. The sad thing is one does not have to look far either - because in this country - it's everywhere... Give thanks by picking up any garbage you are able to retrieve, whether it's yours or not. By doing so, you will be Giving Love Each Day...

Big George

AIR-TREES-WATER-ANIMALS.

ALL-THE-WAY-ALIVE.