this was the scene as Moguls of all stripes gathered at John's house for a pool party on August 5th. Since John lives on the Lafayette River, the party was also a good excuse for a paddle.
Only half of the boats that got in the river are in this picture. NINETEEN boats and 21 people in all paddled across the river to explore the backyards of the creeks of Larchmont and the Riverfront neighborhood. It was a record turnout for a paddle, and several new people were introduced to the fun of flatwater paddling.
Oh, and there was this great spread of food, and a pool, and lots of good friends, but since this is a paddling blog...
Monday, August 07, 2006
Schonkathon '06
Checking the Put-in
Jerry and Vonnie take a walk down the pier to identify possible put-in spots. In the end, paddlers descended a ladder and took a few steps over to a small patch of sand in order to get started. it took about 30 minutes to get the whole crew in the water.
It was a beautiful day for a paddle and a party. The heat wave finally broke, giving us a "cool" 86 degree day with lower humidity.
Lovin' it!
Teresa decided to check out the River Mice way of life, and from the smile on her face, you have to say she loves it! She is in a Jazz, a short sit-on-top model that is perfect for checking out the paddling scene. It's a little turny for some mice paddles, but just right for a social paddle like this one.
Hope you can be like Teresa and join us for a paddle soon!
How'm I Doing?
We've seen Ed on the water a couple of times, but this was the first time we got to paddle with Connie. She did great, and seemed to be enjoying herself on Crab Creek.
3 People, Two Boats
Jan and her friends take a photo break halfway through the paddle. Her friends (whose names I can't remember, but will edit in if someone lets me know,) are in a tandem boat, and seem to be getting along fine.
The pool party started at 2pm, and lasted until about 11. Some folks just couldn't get enough of the company and the awesome weather.
George's Big Splash
The highlight of the party, aside from the perfect weather, was George's entry into the water. With years of experience in whitewater, he made it look easy. He also made the fully-clothed back-flop into the pool look easy!
Thanks to John and Jan for putting on an awesome party!
END SCHONKATHON '06
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Heat Wave on the Hague!
August 3rd, 2006 was the hottest day of the year, with temperatures topping out at 102 or 103 degrees. This thermometer reading was at 6:05pm, a few minutes before six mice put in at the Hague for our second evening paddle of the season.
Yes, you can put in at Ghent! We started in front of the Chrysler Museum, close to the footbridge. It was oppressively hot on land, but once we got on the water, things cooled off a bit. It was still hot, but not nearly bad enough to stay home. There was actually a nice breeze that helped alot.
On the Elizabeth River
Our Paddle took us down the Hague, past the PETA building, and into the Elizabeth River, where we turned left. We passed the battleship Wisconsin, Nauticus and the new cruise terminal, Town Point Park and Waterside before stopping just before the Berkeley Bridge. In this picture, the bridge had just closed after opening for a rather tall tug. Jim and Peggy think the opening was for our little group!
Note how relaxed Peggy is.
Sunset Paddling
After we turned around, we were treated to the setting sun and some neat colors in front of Waterside. This view looks towards the Waterside Marina, and just left of center, the Huntington Tugboat Museum. The Portsmouth Naval Hospital is in the distance.
Turning around put is against the wind, making the paddle just a little more pleasant. Despite the haze, the sun did get in our eyes a little, though!
Fun on the Water
Does this look like a group of people who just spent an hour and a half in misery? Of course not! Peggy, Jerry, Jeanine, Chris and Jeff have smiles on their faces after another great paddle. Photographer Jim was smiling too.
After the paddle, everyone gathered at Chris's condo nearby for some delicious snacks and beverages, as well as some great conversation. The flank steak and bean dip were delicious! Thanks for hosting us Chris!
END HAGUE PADDLE
Princess Anne Road Paddle- Dark Skies
Six Mice showed up July 20th at the Princess Anne Road put-in, hoping to get a paddle in before the skies cut loose. They got their wish, paddling down Upper West Neck Creek for about 45 minutes before hearing some distant thunder and deciding to turn back.
This picture actually shows the skies AFTER the paddle. It started to drizzle when the boats were tied back up and we were ready to leave.
Rainy Day Paddlers
Jim, Barb, Brad, Jeanine, and Chris pose for the camera before the group disbanded for the day. Despite the paddle being cut short due to potential bad weather, they enjoyed the paddle.
Princess Anne Road seems to be the River Mice's jinxed paddle. For the second year in a row, the paddle was affected by rain. Hopefully the next time we try will be better- the West Neck Creek is really a beautiful paddle!
END PRINCESS ANNE ROAD
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