Lots going on!

June has been a busy month, and its not over yet! Getting into my first real teaching assignments with the SKOAC "Basic Strokes and Rescues" class last week was a great experience. I enjoyed the class, the people, the day. Meeting new people, and taking a part in their first learning experiences is rewarding. This weekend is the "Intro to Lake Superior" group. Some of students who took the class earlier will be up on the lake this weekend, we'll do a crossing out to Basswood Island, spend the night, do some navigation clinics, and generally have some fun. But first I will be flying out to Newport Rhode Island on a work related trip, then return late Friday and drive up to the lake. Wish I could spend some time there! Only a mile from the coast, and I'll be in an airplane hanger the whole time!

Anyway .. Just a quick post to say I hadn't forgotten my blogging responsibilities .. the only place I have Internet these days is at work, so I need to get in early to do my computer stuff. Like I said .. lots going on!

Be back Monday.

Apostle Weekend

I'll have to add another "favorite" campsite to the list. Seven of us spent last weekend in the Apostles, both nights were at campsites I hadn't been to yet. I'd been to Stockton Island, but never camped there, and after some exploring through the woods to find the campsite we had originally signed up for, we discovered not only the long trek through the woods, but the mosquito's would be of biblical proportions. A quick phone call to the park service to switch campsites for the beach site was in order. A nice weekend on the islands with some good friends was what I really needed for a battery recharge.

Storm Rolls

Out paddling in the rain last night. It's really a peaceful time to be on the lake, the jet skis and speed boats all seem to disappear, you get the whole lake to play on. I didn't use the whole lake, but I did head out into areas that would normally be "danger zone" to a lone kayaker on a sunny weekend. The lakes are warming up quickly, the dry suit is no longer needed here in the city lakes, even a wet suit is going to be to much for a afternoon paddle. After a short workout paddle I spent some time working on rolls, the "storm roll" has been a hard one for me for a long time, after some coaching by Ron S over the weekend, I was able to hit it a couple times. Then last night it started working real well. Its odd how once you figure it out, it then seems so easy. So many things in life are like that, not just rolling. It's to bad so many of life's lessons aren't as easy to learn as a simple "storm roll".

Messin with the video

On Lake Independence last night, trying out a camera mount. It needs a bit of work yet.

Cool Airplanes

The Nanchang CJ-6 was a military basic and advanced trainer for the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force in China. Many of these were imported a few years ago, this one's owned by a local flyer here at MIC.

White Water Weekend

Surely I could handle one of those little white water boats?!? How hard could it be? The first problem I had was just making it go in a strait line ... on calm water. It soon becomes apparent that the little directional stability problem on calm water becomes its saving grace in the bumpy stuff. Saturday was a day of paddle strokes, and learning some fundamentals that would be essential for paddling the Kettle River from Banning to Sandstone. Jerome, Chris G, and I, the seakaykers in our group of six students, and three instructors, headed for Banning on Sunday morning. A little warm up in the calm waters, and its a go! Through "Blueberry Slide" and catch an eddy to regroup ... one swim ... no harm done. "Teachers Pet" is the next rapid. Kent was behind me yelling "Go left!" When I hit the hole the bow disappeared into a mess of foamy root beer coloured water. Now I'm flipped over .. sideways .. and stuck! A couple futile attempts to roll up, and I'm outa here! Swimming through the rest of the "Pet", Dave catches up with me and I hang on to his boat through "Mothers Delight" and we catch the next eddy. One thing I learned is the "Pet" was a big enough bomb, to bomb my roll. The other is it pays to go with some good paddlers.

Dave is a great instructor, I wish I could've bought him a cold one at the end of the day! A husband and wife teaching team, both in thier day jobs, and on the river, Kent and Sally have many years playing, and teaching white water. They made a great teaching team! The tally for me ... 4 combat rolls, 1 swim, and a good time on the river.

Seal Launch

Jerome getting some air!

I'll try and get some more photos up in the morning.