It's good to see people coming back to kayaking/CKF. Looks like everyone was
having a good time. Robert is the de facto Commodore and legal counsel of CKF
North.
I set out intending to go to Pt Mugu, paddling my way through hundreds of
jellyfish, but the weather was so beautiful that I stopped multiple times to
lollygag, watch seals and hundreds of little sardine-type fish jump, look at
the coast, passing boats and just savor the surroundings.
It seemed more important to do that today, since only an hour or two before, I
received the bad news that one of my younger brothers in FL, a super
waterman/licensed captain, had a stroke this morning. Please join me in praying
for Mike.
I stopped off by Hueneme Pier along the way and never made it south of the
power plant. The Epic 18X was not really designed for surf launchings and
landings, or rough conditions, but it gets me where I want to go almost as fast
as I could 10-15 years ago.
PERFECT paddling weather and one of the few things (ocean, weather, mountains,
friends) keeping me in this troubled state,.
Regards,
George Millerpublisher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Tongen <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: California Kayak Frineds <ckf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, Nov 3, 2019 5:30 pm
Subject: [ckf] Start and Finish with a Roll
It was a sunny, calm, no swell day at Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard this
morning. Is I drove up Keith Elliott was looking out on the harbor. He has not
paddled for a long time and is due for left shoulder surgery in December. Peter
O'Sullivan soon walked up, and Joe Barrett arrived. We were then surprised to
see Gigi and Ben Lish back to paddle this week. I told Gigi that we used to
refer to paddlers by nicknames. She immediately said she wanted a nickname. I
told her that Peter is known as Pyro because he was a fireman. Joe is Hoboken
because he is from Hoboken, NJ. Lance as Learin' because there is alliteration
in it. Ben is Buyin' because he always shows up with something new. Gigi said
he should be know as Amazon Ben. I am thinking of a name for Gigi.
Keith headed home to nurse his shoulder. Gigi and Ben headed up the harbor. By
the time Joe launched, Peter was hot and rolled his baidarka, twice, to cool
off. Joe, Peter, and I headed to and through the pond. We made a wide circle
around the breakwater and inspected the lobster traps. There was little else to
see and really flat water. Heading back into the harbor Joe and Peter landed
at Kiddie Beach, while I decided to paddle up the harbor a ways. Glad I did,
because I met George Miller heading out on a paddle to Pt. Mugu. He said there
were a large number of Moon Jellyfish all around his wharf. As we visited, Gigi
and Ben arrived and reported their findings of Moon Jellyfish. George headed
off on his paddle and the rest of us called it a day heading for Kiddie Beach.
As we were cleaning up we watched Ben finish with 3 nice rolls.
It was a "Chamber of Commerce Day" for a paddle and great to see George and
Keith.
At lunch at Anaba Sushi our friend, Henry, that was a waiter there, at the drop
of a comment on Peter's birthday last week, launched into a rousing rendition
of Happy Birthday as only he can.
"Gigarious" Gigi would be a good nickname.
That is the way it was, this first sunday in November and standard time 2019.
Robert Tongen reporting.
