Photo Elizabeth Powers.
Today as we were paddling right in front of the DTBH 72nd Street dock we spotted a small seal in the water.It was very curious and followed us popping up, first behind, then in front again. It seemed very interested and was getting closer and closer.So I made the classic keetch keetch noise and held my hand out like I had some food. It always works with dogs, so I figured it might work with a seal too.The seal swam closer and closer, and then put it's paws up on my front hatch. It looked at me once more, then hauled itself up ONTO MY FRONT HATCH COVER.It sat up there for about 30 seconds while I carefully balanced, then it jumped back in the water on the other side of my boat.Really incredible!!!A friend from the DTBH got a picture of it a few hours earlier on the DTBH dock at 72nd St.Truth: It's important to get along with your neighbors.
Released this message while paddling in the Hudson River.Air started just above freezing, but warmed-up into the forties. Very light wind from the NW, bright bright sun. The flood was slightly diminished, from snow-melt, but still significant.It was a cool spring morning, but the sun came out, and it really warmed up. We went North up to the GW Bridge, then back to the Mitswa complex for a Japanese lunch. Lunch was great. We then did a bit of shopping, and I got the idea to finish my weekly shopping at Trader Joe's to the North, and then Fairway on NY side.Trader Joe's was very nice compared to the branch in the city. Wide aisles, fresh produce, and NO CROWDS. I loaded-up with staples, then went over to Fairway for some fresh bread and cheese.
Released this message off the coast of Key Largo Fla. I was kayaking.
It was sunny about 75 degrees with a 10-15kt wind coming from the North East, basically right from offshore to onshore.
I was paddling a large plastic double kayak. I have only been in a double a few times in my kayaking career, I thought it would be difficult, but it wasn't too bad, and it was definitely better for efficiency.
We went along the mangroves and found some crab trap floats.
We stopped for lunch near a really cool raft. It was made of styrofoam that was encased in welded re-rod. It may well have been used to get people from Cuba to shore, it was definitely home made, but a LOT of work was put into building it.
Truth:
Tide doesn't stop.
I released this message in Jamaica Bay. We paddled out from plum beach up into Jamaica Bay, had lunch on a small island adjacent to the police helicopter site, and came back. I'm still trying to get back in paddling shape after my accident. My shoulder was a little stiff, but it was definitely doable, and I tried paddling hard a few times just to see what would happen. It was a very nice day for the winter, sunny, with a high up into the forties. The wind picked up near the end of trip, but we had a strong current that pushed us back through it. I tried a little fishing, but I think it is too cold now. I didn't get any bites, or even see any signs of fish at all.
The water was very high when we arrived, see the picture that shows the trail the boat made being drug into the water.
I paddled an ndk romany.
NYC high @ 11:00
left 11:00 return 15:30
wind west, up to 10kts by end of trip. Truth: Sometimes its good to take time off.
No pictures I hadn't unpacked my camera yet.Low 09:30 High 15:00. Overcast. Wind South shifting to SouthWest 15 kts by the end of the day.Air Temp 45 degrees.This was my first paddle since hurting myself. I went from Pier 96 in the Hudson River down to Port Liberte with some friends.We left about 10:00AM, stopped for a while at Pier 66 to meet some friends, and continued on to Port Liberte around 12:30. We took a nice rest in the warm deli with some hot chocolate, and paddled back up to Pier 96, arriving around 15:00.It got pretty windy by the end of the day and it stayed cold and overcast. The current didn't really give us much of a push on the way back, probably because of all the rain the preceding few days.It felt good to get back on the water, but my arm was very stiff and hurt a bit for most of the day.Truth:Vicodin works better than Ibupropen.
It's not that I don't want to go kayaking or diving, but I hurt myself in a bicycle accident.
I broke my clavical on the left side when the chain came off.
Since it was a bad break I had to have surgery. The two pieces were overlapping for over 1 inch, and would have grown back all lopsided.
For some reason the x-ray pictures can't be uploaded to blogger, it distorts them, so I posted them elsewhere, follow the link to see the carnage...
It will be another month or two before I can paddle.
