Paddlers...start your engines

It is actually warm...warm...outside, and the season of unstable weather is here. It is 68 F and sunny with chances of rain this afternoon (of course we have a 3 pm paddle scheduled...but I digress). It is time to empty the garage and the blazer and organize for the upcoming season. And what a season it promises to be.

First there is Paddle Fest, given on the river downtown by Laacke & Joy, a local shop. I will be doing safety, trying to pull people out of the river before the bacteria eats their flesh or the PCBs change their DNA. I get to do a safety talk (I am on the Milwaukee Harbor Commission's Safety panel...but Digress, again) and a talk on traditional boats (hopefully, Greg will help me out there).

This event is scheduled around the time my grandson has promised to make an appearance, so it is going to be interesting. Perhaps just Greg will end up doing the talk.

June will hopefully be busy with teaching and paddling.

July is a biggy. There is the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium here in Wisconsin Sponsored by Rutabaga of Madison). I love that event and do so look forward to the teaching, time on the water and hanging with a group of excellent people. JB and I will be there and, hopefully, Greg. I know Nydia wants to be there, and I hope she can make it.

Following that, there is the drive to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and, I hope, time to paddle Picture Rocks National Shore with JB and Greg. That get us into Grand Marais, Michigan for the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium the following weekend. Last year the weather took charge of some of that get together, and I am hoping for a better climate this time around.

Then there is local paddling until fall when Mark and Celeste of Superior Kayaks host their annual rendezvous at Peninsula State Park back up in Door County.

Geez, I already feel like I need a nap.

Paddle safe...

DS