some of you might remember that one of Cara's goals for this trip was to learn how to sea-kayak. Unbeknownst to us, the weather intended to to it's best impersonation of winter for the first couple of weeks we were here. Cold weather and cold water don't make for a optimal sea kayak learning environment.
However, we finally got out in some beautiful weather today and on a kayak trip around Sucia Island, just off the north side of Orcas island. It was about a 5 hour trip and we paddled all the way around the island. We saw a couple of bald eagles, some harbor seals, and these wicked cool birds called oyster pickers that have these long beaks for doing just what their name implies... picking (and eating) oysters out of their shells.
Some firsts:
1. Cara and I in a two-person kayak. We had been nervous to try such a thing, but we did awesome.
2. We decided that this doesn't actually count for Cara "learning how to sea kayak" since our "learning" was a brief run-through on how to exit the yak if it tipped. So the goal gets an asterisk, but not a completion.
What we learned:
1. My tall and wide frame does not fit easily into a kayak! It wasn't horrible, but it was enough to learn that while I loved the experience, I can find other ways to enjoy the sea.
2. Ocean tides and currents are amazing things... those of you that live by the sea (rhi/dan - I'm looking at you) are not so taken by tides are we are (strike that... as I am). The daily high tide and low tides can differ by as much as 8 feet (2.44 metres) here. Crazy!
OK, that's all i have.
4 comments:
okay cara.
you are cracking me up with your comment on my blog!
girl.
go get yo'self a dern baby!
seriously.
you almost had me peeing my pants.
(3 kids later---that's not very hard to do!)
small things, herb.
small things.
herb, thanks for the metric conversion. i was totally lost without it. the 2.44 meter fluctuation is quite impressive, even to we happy ignoramuses still too lazy to use the international system.
i'm sad that the kayak wasn't the most comfortable ride. that reduces our chances of doubling up someday. we could have worn matching shirts.
Wow that sounds so cool.
But yeah as for the tides.. I found a local tide cam for you Herb, http://www.gowerlive.co.uk/, exciting stuff. If you are into your tides :)
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