There were 8 paddlers launching from Kiddie Beach in Channel Islands Harbor,
Oxnard this morning. Overcast skies and a breeze out of the NE kept it a bit
chilly. There was only a small bit of sand for launching due to a incoming
+5.6' tide. Bob Glickman and Lance Pillsbury launched first heading to the Pt.
Hueneme power station. Soon Dick Brannin, Bev Waldron, and Maryke Brannin. The
new Tilley Hat guys, Joe Barrett, and Peter O'Sullivan followed. I had trouble
getting a different skirt to stay on the back of my combing, so was delayed in
launching. Once launched, Bev told Peter to keep an eye on my skirt in case I
go over. Only Bev knew or thought that Peter was a skirt chaser.
Bev, on her first paddle with us this year, Chinese or otherwise, and Maryke
headed off for a brisk harbor paddle. The rest of us headed out to experience
the ocean currents, 3 foot swells, and crashing surf. We headed up the coast
toward the Mandalay Bay Resort the rafted up and Joe treated us to Cutie
Oranges. We headed back toward the breakwater, but it looked strange to Dick
and I, until we realized while we had been rafted up eating oranges, we had
drifted out from the coast so we were now looking at the outside of the
breakwater, when we thought we were looking at the inside of the breakwater.
Shortly we met up with Lance and headed back to Kiddie Beach.
That is the way it was, this second day of the Chinese New Year in 2020.
Robert Tongen reporting.
