Goldie and Big Al

Yes, I know I look dorky...

I have a new passion: kayaking. This has been a real blast for me. It's good exercise for the upper body, it's damn beautiful out on the water (I've missed that in my life for years), and it's very relaxing.

My boat is an Emotion Glide in "Golden Gate". For reasons that will be obvious when I post pix, I hve named her "Goldie". She reminds me of a happy goldfish. Her color is for high visibility - can't be too careful when you are only a few inches above the water - yet it's very cheerful too.

My paddle I hand made last spring after considerable research on the Web. It's an eight foot long Aleutian design, laminated western red cedar, so it floats and is almost light as a feather, yet is also quite strong. The best part is how functional it actually is, though it appears to be only a 2x4 to the casual observer - a "stick". And it does turn heads from other kayakers. The paddle is christened "Big Al", partly for its size and Aleut, but also in honor of my good friend, Al, who passed away last year.

Look for pix next. I'll try to get some on the water.