There’s a call to action that thrills the hearts of skilled canoeists and kayakers. It’s the initially distant but distinctive sound of a Class IV or V rapids.  The one who hears it first may call for silence and a momentary stilling of the paddles. Sshhhhh! – Hear that?? Yes! Rapids ahead!

https://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?67
Essential Boat Control describes 3 important principles for whitewater kayaking: balance, speed control and direction control. These principles are applied to the paddling techniques for entering eddies and exiting eddies. Essential strategies for kayaking in and out of eddies: posture, controlling turns, controlling speed, vision, navigation timing, eddy turn variables, edging, front & back leaning, maintenance strokes, enhancement strokes, linking maneuvers, and boofing.

What was a distant sound begins to dominate the senses and they look intently forward – looking hard – for ripples, patterns, angles, entry points.

• Where are the standing waves?
• Where are the visible rocks and perhaps more importantly, the invisible rocks?
• What route to take? For how long?

The knowledge gathered from experience or scouting takes second place now to the imperatives and choices which will determine the outcome of the run. A refusal to paddle with all their strength will pretty much guarantee capsizing – so they paddle.

The unfamiliar waters move faster. The noise builds. The intensity of effort increases. PADDLES IN! And now they are fully committed – even if they do go over, even if they do make mistakes, they will simply get through the best they can.

In November Sundance described the white water we were facing –

You are going through a journey of profound loss…only one of you will be returning to ‘this old place’ upon completion.  (When you return) it will be different than when you left…. so different, so brutally different, you might not want to return. But return you must.

It’s not safe to drift when you’re in white water. PADDLES IN!

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Was it the publication of the book, simply having that task off my desk? Was it the journey upon which DH and I were launched on the same day the final sign off on the manuscript was in the works? I suppose it’s a combination of things that has made fresh writing a struggle for me over the past many months; in any case, I’m going to be taking a hiatus from the weekly MBOBs.
Sometimes we choose a season of life. sometimes it chooses us, and seasons sometimes come and go with little warning of either their arrival or  their departure.

Do you remember when you were headed west on the Oregon Trail and far off in the distance – finally – you spotted Chimney Rock in the middle of what is now Nebraska? That was proof that progress was being made, proof that you and your parents weren’t totally crazy to have entered the journey.
Then, some weeks after leaving Chimney Rock in your dusty past, there it is….the blurred afternoon shadow of the Rocky Mountains, the longed-for and massive obstacle that must be conquered. It was expected and yet a surprise. Day by day the range grew in significance and detail and finally, the wagon train was in the mountains – climbing toward the sunset at the end of every day. (more…)

Several months ago, we introduced the Puzzle Pieces series, hoping to share what we love about our homes, to bring out more knowledge about various areas of the country we all love. We have fallen behind in the series, so I thought this patriotic weekend would be a good time to get back to it.

I would like to share a little history, a little folklore, a little of my love of my home state, Georgia. (more…)