There hasn’t been too much to report from the last three days and that in itself is a wonderful thing. Throughout this trip I’ve managed to fill my “rest” days with enough activity to make my time on the water look restful. That finally was NOT the case earlier this week.
On Sunday (day 183) I had made plans to ride into the city with Steve to meet up with a kayak club from Maryland to do a paddle to and around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Of course I had already been there but I was looking forward to sharing the experience with the group. However, by Saturday night (after the club picnic) the weather predictions for Sunday were looking iffy. That, combined with the fact that the three hour outing would involve four hours of driving, was enough to steer us away from the trip. As it turned out by Sunday morning the trip organizers had called off the outing due to the weather.
On Sunday (day 183) I had made plans to ride into the city with Steve to meet up with a kayak club from Maryland to do a paddle to and around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Of course I had already been there but I was looking forward to sharing the experience with the group. However, by Saturday night (after the club picnic) the weather predictions for Sunday were looking iffy. That, combined with the fact that the three hour outing would involve four hours of driving, was enough to steer us away from the trip. As it turned out by Sunday morning the trip organizers had called off the outing due to the weather.
Me working on the slide show at the kitchen table
Most of the rest of the day was spent at the kitchen table (which seems to have become “Jake’s spot”) pouring over maps and guide books planning the next couple weeks on the water. Kristen loaned me an ice pack which I put on my right foot which was still sore from all the walking I’d done in Manhattan wearing nothing but Crocs sandals. Not quite the entire day was spent with my feet up. I did take a break from resting (doesn’t that sound nice) long enough to help Steve install the kayak rack that we fabricated the other day.
Monday (day 184) was spent once again taking it easy around Kristen and Steve’s house. Taking advantage of warm sunshine and a dry breeze, I washed all the salt residue off of my dry bags and stretched everything out on the patio to dry. If left salty things seem to attract moisture out of the air and stay damp indefinitely. Seems how I’ve only got four or five days of salty water travel left on this trip, I think this will be the last time I have to worry about salt on my gear. With everything rinsed and drying, I went to work on my computer revamping my slide presentation that I’ve been developing throughout the trip. It had grown from a few slides in the beginning to well over 200 and I was running the risk of boring people with too many pictures and not enough time to ask questions.
The entire day wasn’t spent at home, I did go for a ride with Kristen and friend Paul in search for a farm stand to pick up some vegetables for dinner. We got a late start and ended up at a small grocery but the outing did give me a chance to see a sampling of some of Long Islands farm country. For such a populated region it’s good to see that so much open space still remains devoted to agriculture and woodland. To me the value of land not occupied by buildings and blacktop can’t be overstated.
The entire day wasn’t spent at home, I did go for a ride with Kristen and friend Paul in search for a farm stand to pick up some vegetables for dinner. We got a late start and ended up at a small grocery but the outing did give me a chance to see a sampling of some of Long Islands farm country. For such a populated region it’s good to see that so much open space still remains devoted to agriculture and woodland. To me the value of land not occupied by buildings and blacktop can’t be overstated.
Tuesday (day 185) was show day which brought the very reason I ended up staying with Steve and Kristen in the first place. Almost two months ago was when Steve first contacted me via e-mail about the prospect of doing a presentation for his kayak club, The Long Island Paddlers. Of course I was interested and after bouncing e-mails back and forth the plan was made for me to do the show in “exchange” for a place to stay while I rest up and have a chance to see the city. During my stay I feel like I’ve gotten to know Steve and Kristen quite well and have marveled at all they do for their kayak club. Once again I feel like I’ve made another friend for life that I can’t wait to come back to visit some day. Of course, after emptying their refrigerator and pantry to feed me over the last week, Steve and Kristen may not feel the same way.
The Ikkuma set up in the auditorium for the presentation
After a day spent putting the finishing touches on the new slide show (which included a sneak preview projected on the wall in the basement) we drove to the local community college and set up the Ikkuma and all my gear in one of their lecture halls. By shortly after 7:00 the auditorium was alive with the chatter and commotion of dozens of people who’d come to see the presentation and I was already fielding dozens of questions from people curious about details about the trip. Soon, after introductions were made, we dimmed the lights and I tried once again to condense what will be a lifetime of stories into an hour and a half presentation.
The group settling in before the show
After the slides were shown and my stories told, we opened it up to questions from the audience. Once again the number one question was “Why are you doing this trip?” and I, once again, stumbled around the answer unsure of what it really is. Weather it’s a compulsion I can’t resist, the satisfaction of a lifetime of curiosity of where rivers go, a unique moment in my life where everything came into line, or a scouting mission for the rest of my life… I’m hoping that some day even I will fully understand what has compelled me to do this trip. One thing that did happen last night (when I looked at the large room full of people so interested and fired up about the trip) was I realized that, to a large extent, it’s them (and you) that are inspiring me to continue on and continue sharing in this adventure… and I thank you for that.
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