It’s the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend. I kicked it off with taking Friday off for my birthday.
In the run up to my birthday my colleagues got me a card and this giant donut from Boxcar Donuts.
A donut the size of your head with orange frosting. There are brown, yellow and orange sprinkles on the sides. “Thankful” is written in chocolate frosting. It has a whip cream filling. Delicious!
What does a fit feminist do for her fifty-first birthday? Shake things up!
Usually we would host our kids & their partners for Thanksgiving dinner. This year my youngest and her girlfriend are in British Columbia. My oldest son’s beloved is on deployment.
I thought it might be a bit, well, sad to be home and just the three of us.
So I reached out to good friends and asked if they wanted to chip in on an AirBnB. I found one with a hot tub on a river with kayaks. They agreed!
Michel and I are continuing our Total Strength 2 workouts on Peloton with Andy Speer.
My “heavy” dumbbells are now 15 lbs, up from 10 lbs. The classes are feeling good.
Today is a rest day and I’m putting on a big spread. I like serving up our big celebratory meal early in the weekend so we can enjoy lots of leftovers.
On Sunday Michel and I hit 29 years of marriage. We will be calculating our “years of bliss”. Spoiler, it’s NOT 29. There were tough years but thankfully the balance tips towards bliss.
Here’s to a weekend filled with food, fun and friends. 51 is off to a grand start.
The Ausable River and dock of our weekend stay. The water is light brown due to the sand.
I recently went kayak camping with 6 friends at a remote Ontario provincial park called Killarney. Over 6 days and 5 nights we kayaked on a lake to 3 different camp sites. It was a chance for some holiday rest but also some active challenges.
Each site stop meant packing and unpacking my (borrowed) kayak: sleeping gear, food gear, hygiene gear, camp chair, bug repellants, clothes, and drying line. These were stored in dry sacs that kept stuff dry in inclement weather or if the kayak tips. We also agreed to each pack out our own garbage, which had to be stored every night in our kayaks to avoid attracting animals.
Though I was a girl guide and did family trailercamper trips as a kid, I am newer to camping where you haul your own gear, purify your own water, eat primarily rehydrated food, and eliminate in a “thunderbox”. On every trip I learn more through observing others and asking questions to find what arrangements suit me best (eg, tent vs hammock for sleeping, what vegetarian foods I can take, etc.).
I’m on my own to make sure I can carry what I pack, I pick up after myself, and I keep myself clean, dry, sated, and injury-free. Although this seems like regular adult stuff, in nature with no other amenities than what I carry, I must plan ahead and be self-sufficient. As one of my friends said during the trip, “Doing this as a woman, as a group of women, is empowering.” (Another one said camping is having fun while being mildly uncomfortable.)
What is empowering is not just taking care of yourself but also working together as a group. These women harnessed 7 kayaks in a trailer safely for highway driving, navigated to a remote provincial park, kayaked to multiple camp sites, used fishing gear, arranged in pairs for food prep and clean up, found wood, set up big tarps in case of rain, and shared anything that was needed, from extra salt to insect repellant to tampons to skin bandages.
For nearly a week were on our own but also together: travelling, paddling, swimming, fishing, card playing, pleinair watercolor painting, food and drink imbibing, mosquito repelling, storytelling, and looking out for each other.
I am grateful to have learned so much about the tricks and tools of kayak camping from these women. It’s given me a sense of accomplishment and pride in a hobby that’s fun but not always easy or convenient. I’ve chosen from here this quotation, attributed to Madonna (who may or may not also be a kayak camper), to sum up my thoughts:
“As women, we have to start appreciating our own worth and each other’s worth. Seek out strong women to befriend, to align yourself with, to learn from, to collaborate with, to be inspired by, to support, and enlightened by.” – Madonna
What do you do, on your own but also with others, that gives you a sense of personal autonomy as well as community?
7 kayaks hauled by a truck7 women in kayaks5 women sitting in front of a campfire at duskThe view, of an overturned kayak near the water’s edge, from my tent at dawn
This week I’m exercising my summer right to a last hurrah before school starts: I’m in transit to Ontario, where I’ll be engaging in many fun activities with Samantha, Sarah, their families, and dogs (and cats, although I’m not sure of their commitments). Also, I’ll be dipping into life at Lake Huron with my friend Norah and her family– swimming, biking, and exploring. Yay!
At the end of this last-hurrah-week, I’ll roar back down the New York State Thruway to Boston to begin the school year Sept 3.
A full report on the week’s festivities will be arriving at your inboxes next Sunday.
During yesterday’s almost-7-hour drive, I passed the time listening to a variety of podcasts, which is super fun– I can indulge my idle curiosity about anything from Archery to Zen Buddhism, absolutely free, unfettered by anything other than the need to stay on my side of the road (that went well, by the way).
My favorite podcast of the drive was one by the Washington Post called Field Trip— a five-part series on the complicated past and present of some national parks. Reporter Lillian Cunningham gathers a variety of perspectives from rangers, indigenous residents and scientists, outdoor guides, engineers and politicians. I highly recommend the series, which focuses on five parks: Yosemite, Glacier, Everglades, White Sands, and Gates of the Arctic National Parks.
Yesterday, while driving through the farmland of western New York, passing grazing cows and barns and silos, my attention was drawn to Florida wetlands, saw grasses, and the roseate spoonbill. What’s that, you might ask? No problem– take a look:
The roseate spoonbill in the Everglades.The spoonbill showing off its wildly pink plumage. Take that, Barbie!
I won’t issue any spoilers here, but these birds are a bit squeezed for habitat these days for the obvious reasons: development, very bad decisions 70 years ago by the Army Corps of Engineers, and of course climate change. Listen for all the details and plans to fix the messes we made.
This gets me to the travel planning part. For years, I’ve been wanting to visit natural Florida– the Florida of springs, manatees, marshes, and everglades. Way back in 2005 I spent four days cycling on rail trails in Central Florida, and it was a blast. I hung out in small towns off the tourist circuit, ate at local diners, and even staying at a motel that offered secure, dedicated kayak and bike storage.
This time I want to go back for more aquatic adventures, exploring the Florida springs that host manatees in the winter and invite us to swim, snorkel, dive, and kayak in their clear water (which ranges from 66F/19C to 75F/24C). I can handle that.
Kayaking down a quiet river.The swampy lowlands of Central Florida.Manatees in one of the springs.
So I think I’m gonna do it. Early January is a great time to visit these places. The air temperatures are mild and the waters are invigorating but not super-cold. I’m now thinking about starting in Central Florida near Ocala, which isn’t far from Three Sisters Springs and also Homosassa Springs. There are so many springs (more than 100 in the state), so planning and research is a must. Unless I just want to meander and see what I encounter as I set out each day. We’ll see.
Then there’s Everglades National Park. A little more than a 4-hour drive from Ocala, it offers both biking and kayaking trails. I would love to do some of both.
So, the planning begins. Well, I’ll probably wait until I’m done with this trip to make any hotel or plane reservations. One adventure at a time…
For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is really and truly here, and summer is on its way. Which means many things, but among them: new gear shopping. Yes, lots of folks I know are trying out new or new-to-them bikes, skates, boats, surfboards (one of my students told me he bought a sweet used one last week), and who knows what all.
I have joined in, having declared myself officially on the market for a (hopefully used in nice condition) tandem kayak. But Catherine, you might ask, don’t you already have a kayak?
Yes, I do. So what’s your point? Thanks to Unsplash for the photo.
Seriously, though: I did buy a lovely single kayak two years ago. You can see pictures of it here. It’s lightweight and fast in the water. But, it never quite suited me. Kayaks are like bikes in that they need to feel right. I never felt completely comfortable in it for a bunch of reasons. It’s a great boat, just not for me.
So, why a tandem kayak? Glad you asked. I found, over the last couple of years, that virtually all of the kayaking I want to do will be on flat-ish water, either on rivers or calm coastal waters. I really enjoy just paddling and hanging out, chatting with friends, gliding on the water, enjoying nature and the scenery.
My serious kayaker friends will do this with me occasionally, but it’s not their usual thing. My occasional kayaking friends don’t tend to have their own boats, so we’re limited to places where they can get rentals. This is fine, but I like the freedom and options that come with having your own equipment.
Enter the tandem. Spots for me and a guest of my choosing. Perfect, right? I can load the boat on top of the car, stuff a friend inside the car, and head to a scenic waterway whenever mood and weather are in sync.
What are the downsides, you might wonder? I’ve thought of this. Here are a few:
Tandem kayaks are heavier, longer and more unwieldy than single ones to load and unload
I won’t be able to paddle a tandem by myself, so I’m required to recruit another person when I want to go on the water
Tandems are more expensive than single kayaks
Tandems handle less elegantly than single kayaks
Let me take these obstacles in no particular order. First, there are some perfectly fine used tandems out there (I’ve already got my eye on one); I don’t need a new and expensive boat. Second, it’s true that I may need a friend to help me load and unload the boat, but I accept that challenge. Also, speaking of needing another person: I did not once take my current kayak out to paddle by myself. I don’t think it’s safe, and also it’s not as fun as kayaking with a friend. So the fact that I need another person is actually the whole point of buying a kayak-built-for-two.
Finally, I’ve found that I am not looking for elegance and fancy handling in a kayak. My current kayak is pretty elegant, but that’s not me. What’s me is enjoying being out on the water with others, and this will help me achieve that goal. Well, that’s the plan.
So, I’m selling my current boat to make room for the new-to-me one. I’ll post pictures once these transactions are done.
So, dear readers: do any of you own tandem kayaks? What do you recommend? Any other tips? I’d love to hear any advice you’ve got for me.
Wonder Woman and a boy of about 11 paddled by on light-bedecked standup boards. “He’s never done this before” Wonder Woman shouted proudly. From their also light-bedecked kayaks, Green Lantern, Poison Ivy, and the Joker cheered.
This was a scene from a free event called “Light Up the Night” kayaking in Stratford, Ontario. Folks meet monthly around 8:30pm to paddle together after decorating their non-motorized water craft with lights. There’s also an optional theme for each outing, including Canada Day, Romantic Evening, and (of course) Superheroes.
It was silly fun to transform this daytime activity into a water-based costume parade of about 40-50 “floats.” I should mention our audience: because we were in town, folks watched and took pictures from the banks of the Avon River as they picnicked or waited for their theatre show.
Participants were instructed to put in before dusk, then paddle together at the same time around a tiny island. So while it was a very leisurely pace, we did end up paddling for quite a while as it got dark. Here is part of my friend’s recorded route.
We were to paddle around the island 3 times, but because we dressed as superheroes and supervillains, we had the strength to do a 4th.
A few of our friends supporting this silliness took pictures from atop the island bridge while we paddled underneath. Afterwards, folks shared their snaps on the group’s Facebook page. Alan Hamberg used a drone to capture in video the paddle as well.
Kayaks and other watercraft on the Avon at Stratford as night falls.Screen capture of drone footage of light up the night kayaking. The video is available on the FB group.
Overall, this night kayaking event offered outside activity, happy folks, and lots of pretty lights! Next time, my friends and I will likely picnic again before decorating our kayaks, as doing so made the activity into a whole fun evening. We’ll bring bug spray and headlamps for re-packing kayaks in the dark. I may also buy better quality lights and avoid the dollar store glow sticks that ended up glowing in my garbage the next day.
FIFI bloggers: what silly summer fun will you get up to and share about?!
