One month, a paddling vacation and a "super moon"

We are back a week-long course in "Elements of Coastal Kayaking" at Woodenboat School in Brooklin (Maine).  During the week I realized I had reached the one-month anniversary of my retirement.  It went by fast!  So far, so good.  We were busy and so was the world.   A highlight of that month was the arrival at the end of July of beautiful Maya Eva, first grandchild of our dear friend Helen.  Welcome to the world, Maya Eva.  May you always be happy, healthy and more loved every day, and may you live a long and joyous life!

I think the thing that has surprised me most about this month has been how quickly and painlessly I have "let go" of a "career" and all it entailed.  I miss my regular contact with a few specific individuals, but that's it.    I've been trying to be in touch with one person who has been so furiously busy, she hasn't been able to connect with me until this morning.  Then I hear the stress in her voice, and I wonder ... is that how I used to sound?  Is that how I spent the last 15 years - if not even more - of my life?  Anyway, I was afraid that I would find it hard, emotionally speaking, to "let go" of something that I spent 10-12 hours a day for 15 years being more or less obsessed with.  But it is basically gone.  Except for caring how it continues to affect a very small number of co-workers I consider friends, I'm done with it.  

Our "kayaking" vacation was wonderful.  We had 2-3 hours of paddling every morning and another 2-3 hours of paddling every afternoon for 5 days. We practiced different paddling strokes.  We would generally paddle to a nearby island, land on the island, discuss what came next, get back in the boats, practice turning, backing up, etc. Then we would paddle back to the school for lunch.  Afternoon, paddle to another island, perhaps further away, maybe circle the island, sometimes get out and hike a bit, and so on.

One day we loaded all of the kayaks on a big rack pulled by a school truck and drove to a freshwater lake.  There we practiced "wet exits" - which I think is pretty self-explanatory (flip the kayak over, clamber out underwater, and come up breathing if spluttering!)  Also "self rescues" - which involve - while outside of the kayak in the water - putting a foam flotation device on one end of the paddle, attaching the paddle at right angles to the kayak, throwing a leg over the paddle (!), hoisting yourself up onto the back deck of the kayak, then squiggling and wriggling your feet and legs down into the cockpit of the boat - face down - and flipping over to be right side up, all without falling into the water ....  I actually managed to do this ungainly procedure several times without flipping myself back into the lake, and with only bruises up and down both legs to the worse for the experience.  Still, I'm hoping no one in the class has any photographic evidence of the utter lack of grace involved in my own "self rescues." 

Our instructor - the main reason we took the course - was wonderful and our class mates were interesting and fun.  We plan to stay in touch and perhaps all take the course again in the future.  Another interesting person we met was a man from Buenos Aires, Daniel.  He is an expert kayaker and newer woodworker and was taking a boat building course.  He was great fun to talk to, and at the celebratory dinner on the last evening he asked someone to take a photo of himself, David and me, which he sent to me.  Here it is:

That same evening was the beginning of the "super moon" and I took this photo:

From the sublime.... I haven't posted local "events" listings much lately, and it appears that I've missed quite a number of ... fascinating happenings, including but not limited to:

• Dialogue about Fermentation and Art, 7 p.m., Art Salon at Waterfall Arts, 256 High St., Belfast. Discussion between artists, fermenters, audience. Complements “Fermentation” exhibit, running to Sept. 11, in which artists were paired with fermenters who make bread, beer, sauerkraut, etc. Free; donations welcome.

• Dudley Zopp Hosts Open House at Beech Nut, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport. She’s on hand to discuss her “Stones on the Move” installation.

• Walk with a Geologist at Porter Preserve, 1-3 p.m., Kimballtown Rd., Barter’s Island. Henry Berry points out traces of 470 million years of geologic history. Limited to 15. Registration: thall@bbrlt.org or 633-4818.

• Mediums’ Gallery Demonstration, 5-7 p.m., Temple Heights Spiritual Camp, Northport. With Sandra McFadden and Colin Hall. They put on another demo Sat., Aug. 29, from 5-7 p.m. $15 for either. FMI: TempleHeightsCamp.org, 338-3029.

• Talk on Maine’s Wild Turkeys, noon, Tuesday Talks at Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. By microbiologist Dr. Peter Milligan. $5/members free.

• “The KKK in Maine: A Flame That Flamed Out,” 7:30 p.m., Old Town House, off Union Common. Free talk by author Mark Alan Leslie. Refreshments.

• Silent Worship at 1885 Chapel, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sundays in summer, St. Paul’s Union Chapel, Dutch Neck Rd., Waldoboro. FMI: 832-7001.

It's hard to decide what to do, so many choices.  But now that I'm retired  I have more time, so perhaps I could attend several of these events.  I admit to being intrigued by the concept of a talk on fermentation and art (with free bread, beer and sauerkraut!)  Who knew?  But I think I'll skip that one. I like the name "Dudley Zopp" but is that the artist?  I was thinking that maybe her talk about "stones on the move" would be of interest to the geologist leading the discussion of 470 million years of Maine geologic history.  That would involve rocks, right, i.e. "stones on the move" - but very very slowly.

I include the "Medium's Gallery Demonstration" as a follow up to my recent post about the Temple Heights Spiritual Camp.  David and I have been busy doing "consecutive things" but we might take time out for a demonstration by mediums (grammatically speaking, that should that be "demonstration by media," shouldn't it?).  Just would would be "demonstrated" do you think?

I actually would like to hear the talk on wild turkeys.  David and I passed a flock of 15-20 wild turkeys on the way home from Wooden Boat - beautiful.  However, I fear this event has already taken place.  The KKK flame out talk sounds interesting, but even if the KKK flamed out, racism is alive and well up here in Maine.  

The bottom line seems to be that I am left with the "Silent Worship" event.  Silence is something I'm comfortable with.  I think I'll go there now.

Peace.