Monday, March 17, 2008

When The Asylum Doors
Swung Open

It was a sight that could make grown men cry. Fortunately, there were no grown men around. Just Greg, Doug and myself. South Shore launch site was open, the governor had called, the court had acquitted, our case for habeas corpus had been won, the asylum doors had opened...we could launch our kayaks onto Lake Michigan. Praise the Lord!Having been so long off the water and so excited to be back on it, Greg forgot to wait for his boat. And, when he did......it became clear that he had forgotten a good deal of his technique...such as sitting in the cockpit.
Doug, equally inane with joy, eschewed the boat entirely in his haste to reunite with the liquid form of H2O.Eventually, he calmed down and realized he had to paddle if he was going to make forward progress.And me? I was just glad to feel the ache in my shoulders as invisible chunks of ice slammed against the Romany's hull. There is hope for us all.

Paddle safe...
DS

5 comments:

Kristen said...

Love to see grown men behaving childlike, and having a great time to boot!

DaveO said...

Hallelujah! At least you can get on one of the great lakes. From my eyeballing of Duluth harbor yesterday it would appear that an enterprising soul could hit the water if the wind is right. You guys look like you were having a blast!

Unknown said...

Usually we have ice with scotch, by the way is that a Night Heron Greenland deck in the photo?

Silbs said...

Oh yeah, it was good to be on the water. Actually,Steve, I am not sure which model that is. Greg built it from CLC plans. If he sees this perhaps he will respond.

Greg Fojtik said...

Steve. The kayak in Dick's photo is indeed a Night Heron, designed by Nick Schade of Guillemot Kayaks (not CLC). However, it's not the Greenland deck version. It's the standard deck, but I strayed from the plans by putting in a smaller, more "greenlandic," cockpit in it.