Flying solo?

Just me, by myself, I'm good with that. I'm not particularly lonely and I don't require someone else to provide me with entertainment. I'm okay with hopping on my bike to go for a long ride, or slipping on my hiking boots to go for a little walk-about. Yeah, I'm good with that. But sometimes, sometimes I want to go for a paddle down a river and it's not very easy to do that by yourself. Something about needing to have a way to get back to your vehicle when it's 10 miles upstream makes the whole solo paddling thing a bit more challenging. So I joined a paddling group and it's working out 'swimmingly'! It's a rather loose group where they throw out the activities and you can join in, or not. No pressure. I've joined them the past few Tuesdays when they float down the Rogue River into Rockford and then we hang out in the backwaters of the dam and listen to the music from our boats. I wrote about it briefly a few days ago, but I just want you to know that it was the perfect solution to my dilemma of not having a paddling partner anymore.

I've been having such a good time with this group and meeting some fascinating people. Who knew such groups existed? I didn't, but I'm happy I found them. Oh, and I met the Mayor of Rockford the other day, really nice guy and he seemed quite pleased that we've made it a weekly event to paddle into town for the concerts. We're quite pleased they have the concerts so it all seems to work out just fine for everyone.

Finally!

Rain. I welcome it. And I've missed it. Have I mentioned that I don't like the heat and humidity? I would take a blizzard over these scorching 100+ degree days in a heartbeat. But the rains came today and now it feels good. The heat broke too and it's back down into the 60s for the moment. Yea!

I paddled Tuesday night. I committed to it and then I had serious doubts because the temps were hovering in the extra high 90s again, but I went and I'm actually happy I did. Even though it was a very short paddle down the Rogue River into Rockford, we hung around in the backwaters of the dam and listened to the Blues Series from our boats. Well, until we were driven off the river as the sky turned dark and the wind whipped up, but alas, it was just a teaser and the storm missed us completely.

The attention we drew was kinda cool though. It isn't often that you see 24 kayaks come floating into town and the people on shore were pointing at us and talking to each other, and some were taking pictures. We gave them our best smiles and waved because we thought they might be wishing they were us. I would have been.

Last night I had to force myself to get on my bike and go for a ride just so I felt like I had done something other than play at being a slug. Again, a short trip, but it felt good to ride in spite of the heat and humidity. I rode by the creek to see if there was any water left in it. There was...

Not nearly as much as normal, but it is still flowing. I'm surprised. I don't know where the headwaters are for this creek, but I'm happy it's not dry. Okay, I just looked it up and I'm an idiot...I'm kidding, but I see the watershed for the creek comes from quite a distance and I've been on many roads that cross this creek without me knowing it. Shoot, I'm actually at the end of the stream and pretty close to where it dumps into the Grand River. Guess I should pay more attention to my surroundings. And now, just for kicks, I'm going to print a map and go on a quest to find the different starting points. You know, just because I can and I'm curious. No, I don't mean I'm going to go now, like, right now, but I am going to make that one of my quests.

That is all for now because I must go enjoy this nice cool weather before my thermometer goes bonkers on me again. Next up, I need to introduce you to a new addition to our family.

Hey, as I was proofing this something occurred to me. I have the windows open (finally) and with the moist, humid air coming in, coupled with the wind in the trees and the different sounds in the distance, it's reminding me of Taiwan again. It's weird, I was only there for 2 weeks four years ago, but so many times I get a 'feeling' of Taiwan. I don't know why that is, but it's kinda nice. I have great memories of my trip there.