feels like we’re in the local gathering spot for seniors who are doing their best to explain current atmospheric events and THE END.
I keep looking for the bar but haven’t found one.
Old men have been talking about the weather for millenia without a smidgen of the information we have. With about the same effect.
Anyone paddling?
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I’ve been paddling every couple of days.
Weather here has been spectacular: warm sunny days with temps in the high 70s/low 80s and cool nights around 50F. We did have a few hot and steamy days, but minimal.
Perfect weather for outdoor play.
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The 110+ F temps (plus high winds some days) turned me off so I haven’t been out to the local water hole (Lake Mead) since July 11.
Temps were much better the last two days but we had rain and thunderstorms.
However, if the forecast for tomorrow holds, I’ll be on the water by first light and hopefully can get in 3-4 hours on the water. Should be a low of 84 tonight and a high of 107 tomorrow, with light winds and no chance of precipitation.
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Like Rookie, I paddle every few days. Our temperatures here (North Idaho) have been cooling to about 50 degrees overnight and as high as 91 degrees during the day. So I paddle early in the day. The lake water has warmed to the low seventies at the surface, but the lake is deep (1170’ or so), so a high wind can stir things up and cool the surface again.
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Our prevailing westerly winds have been bringing in morning rains for most weekends. By the time it has moved inland it is too hot to paddle.
I also am having a bathroom renovated and that took last weekend up trying to get a stain out of the terrazzo.
Hopefully I will be out soon, I miss it, it is my sanctuary.
I’m thinking I might take a day off from paddling tomorrow. For most of the past ten days I’ve been making runs on the upper new. Today a low water run that involved some boat dragging on the New River Dries.- a very tiring 3 or 4 miles. Followed that up with roll practice at the take out. Last week I crossed state lines and got a personal first descent on Wolf creek in Va. Top gauley (crupperneck bend) was fun as well last week. This sat a memorial paddle celebrating a friend on the upper new.
Canoe is loaded on the truck, and the dog and I are headed out for some relaxing, lazy lake paddling tomorrow. Of course the dog will be paddling, haven’t you guys heard of “dog paddling”?
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Every day, shortly after sunrise, weather (and wildfire smoke) permitting.
THANKS. Good to hear! I’ve had a stomach bug for 3 days that I think is done with me. I’ve got to get out there!
I played to much in forest fire smoke ( i smoke heavy) and “they” were right , it kicked my
@$$. It has been real prevalent in Mn. One day I started coughing on the water and haven’t stopped since.
Still have had some clear days that were super. And the smoke days were sunset afterburners.
Peace J
We have had great weather this week, around 80 clear and sunny with a nice breeze, after some record temps and high humidity last week, and I have been dying to get out on the water.
But, unfortunately ,I have the closing on my old house tomorrow and have had to bust my butt to get the place cleaned out for the past 2 weeks. It would have been done sooner but the buyer’s inspector 3 weeks ago found that the drains were slow, scoped the line and found a break under the basement floor. They added a contingency that I would get it fixed and I had to scramble to find a contractor who could mobilize to get it done quickly. They had to bring a backhoe up my steep back yard and trench 30’ down 3’ to 4’ deep from the basement down the yard to the clean-out plus tear up another 15 feet of the basement floor, install all new line and trap and then patch the concrete. Original 1930 six inch terra cotta drain was broken in one place and somebody in the past had buried the vent over the embedded trap and the line was totally blocked with unspeakable sewage. $12,000 and 2 weeks of work later, I now have less than 1.5 days to get the basement cleaned out of the mud and move out all the remaining stuff down there (tools, building materials, junk) since I could not get anything through the basement door while they had a canyon dug directly outside of it since a week ago Tuesday. Doing this all on my own, since my local friends are all either gimpy at the moment or out of town on vacation. Fortunately, the new house is 5 minutes from the old one in the same neighborhood. Been ferrying loads every day for weeks, except the one day I paddled, two weeks ago Sunday. Was in that house just shy of 20 years during which I had to absorb all the stuff from my mom’s house 13 years ago (and she had even more hobbies than me, like stained glass and furniture restoration and building) as well as a house full of family heirlooms including furniture made by my ancestors. I do have a godawful lot of stuff – probably won’t live long enough to complete all the projects I have backed up. At least all the boats and paddling and camping gear got moved over to the new place months ago.
Looking forward to being free of this burden of maintaining multiple properties (which includes being able to 100% pay off the mortgage on my new place with the proceeds from this last sale – paid down most of it when I sold the rental 2 months ago). I plan to celebrate soon with an all day paddle somewhere local, though the predictions are for daily rain for the next two weeks, albeit sporadic on some days. At least the temps will hover in low 80’s. Saturday looks like the best option (only 8% precip predicted) but I may have to spend the day recovering from the effort this week. Glad I am still as fit as I am at 73, but, whoof, all this packing, hauling, deep cleaning and yard work does take a lot out of you especially in hot weather.
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@willowleaf whew that made me tired just reading it! Glad you’re approaching the end of the process and I hope you can get out for your celebratory paddle soon.
I’ve been paddling every weekend as usual. Hot as Hades here in central FL and the gulf water is a balmy 90F so not much relief. Counting down until I head up to the Kiptopeke Symposium at the end of Sept, and crossing my fingers for a quiet hurricane season.
We had a great time despite a slight sprinkle as we finished. Of course Scout didn’t care about the rain because she was already wet from a bunch of swimming, e.g. dog paddling. If you ever want a medium sized breed that loves the water and swims like a seal get yourself a Boykin Spaniel.
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She does shed, but not nearly as bad as some other dogs we have had. German Shepherds are great dogs, but shedding is a real challenge.
The size of the Boykin was a major draw. It makes her a great canoe dog. I can load up the boat with the dog and a week of stuff, and be comfortable canoeing and camping.
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Went hiking with a friend who had a Boykin. We were on a dirt road also used by horses. There was a fresh, steaming pile of road apples and the Boykin dove in and started rolling in spite of his human loudly objecting.
Luckily there was a creek near and retrieving a few sticks helped. I was glad he wasn’t riding with us.
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I have a good friend who hunted with dogs for years. His favorite dog was a Boykin. It is a dog that has been at the top of my list.
I’m not sure. A Boykin may be smarter than you. Honey regularly outthinks me.
When you get that puppy we’ll be regular visitors.
Great dog, and I don’t think it can be beat for a canoe. Her comfort in the water amazes me. We were in New Hampshire last week and she jumped in a river after a stick, and swam through a small rapid like she’d done it a million times. Her ferrying skills are better than mine. She chased sticks in that cold, moving water for about an hour then finished a 5 mile hike. Did I tell you how much energy this dog has? She keeps me moving that’s for sure.
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One reason I have my dog and Castoff needs one.
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