"I Want Some Signs"

Canoes and bicycles are the same, they just live in different environments.

A bicycle is a small open road vehicle that often shares the road with other larger vehicles. The canoe is the same on the river. One major difference though is that the bicycles get signs that say " Share the Road", "Watch out for bicycles".

What I want to know is...where are the canoe signs?

Today I was paddling way out of the channel and this big cabin bruiser (cruiser) left the channel and passed within 20 feet of me. He was moving fast and created a big wake. I turned my canoe into the wake and rode it out as water splashed over my bow. As soon as they passed me, they dropped the rpm to an idle. "Yeah, it's too late now buddy" I was thinking.

Another time today, one yacht passed me going fast and then I noticed a second yacht coming up behind him coming even faster. They both flew right by me. As the faster second yacht passed by me and began to overtake the first yacht, I heard the overtaking yacht radio say "May I pass on your port? I'll reduce my speed so the wake won't affect you as much"

Now wait a minute. What's up with that? He passes a canoe going 45 and then offers a yacht his same size wake considerations?

I want a sign like the bicycles have..."Watch out for the canoes", "Share the River". I want some signs.

At least I don't have to wear a brain bucket.............yet.

Sorry. No beautiful pictures with this post. I was a little busy.

River Hazzards

There are lots of hazards on this river, but this was one that I was surprised to find. I'm glad I selected aluminum and not inflatable.

I performed better today!

Friday I performed terribly. I averaged only 0.7 mph. Today I did a lot better. A new friend, Fred Wicks, called me to suggest that I remove the outriggers to give me a longer range on my paddle strokes. He was right. I paddled so fast today that I think I contributed to the erosion of the river banks.

Fred is the owner of Kay-Noe, a small canoe accessory manufacturing company. http://kay-noe.com Fred made my outriggers. Thanks Fred.

The mph in my stats are real only because the river was so busy and I had to stop and position my canoe to ride out big waves. My speed is really much better than this stat. I think if I could stick with it, I could do 3 mph. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

When I arrived at this park, I was so tired, I just crashed. I didn't sleep well at all last night. I didn't have the horse power to paddle on.

I'm so tired, I feel now like I did after climbing Mt. Dana in Yosemite. 13,056 feet.

I am so tired right now that I could sit on my couch to watch a NASCAR race or an Atlanta Braves game and take a long nap.

Lunch

I need no words to describe this after 3 days in a stupid canoe eating cold food.......

I pulled up into a small city park. I used an iPhone app called "Where" and I located the closest Dominoes Pizza and had it delivered to my picnic table. Isn't technology kewl?

I have been here so long that the picnic table weathered around my pizza.

I'll eat half of this pizza now and the other half in the morning for breakfast.

The best part of this pizza was the ice cold Sprites I ordered with it.

Watershed Eastern Border

Look off in the distance of this picture. You will see an eastern watershed border for the Tennessee River. The foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Isn't that interesting. I know that you have always wondered about that. Now you know.

Big Houses Everywhere

All along the river since I started, I have been seeing these huge beautiful houses on the water. They are all beautiful and distinctive in their own way, but they share one commonality. After passing by hundreds of these houses I have observed that there are no people to be seen inside or out. Not one.

You would think I might spot someone inside an open window, working in the yard, sitting on the porch waving at the little canoe going by. Nope. No people.

I think these people have built these houses as a monument to themselves but don't really live there. I don't know where they live but it's not here.

I built a large home once. I don't want that much space anymore. It's too much stuff to buy and manage. I would be happy living in the top level of the tower in this house.

Encountered My First Barge

I have had my canoe around barges before on the Tennessee River. You might think they would be a threat to me but they are not.
The larger the boat, the longer and slower the wave frequency. Just like sounds through the air.
A big elephant makes sounds so low that human ears can't always hear it. A chipmunk or a small bass boat makes a short frequency, thus short choppy wakes. It's those mid range boats like cabin cruisers or Lions that play havoc with me. I have to turn my canoe toward the wave. I still have water splashing over the bow sometimes.

Ole Tender Foot

Friday I burned the tops of my feet through the netting of my nautical shoes. They are swollen and blistered. I didn't sleep much last night because of the pain. I have a sharp intense pain for a few seconds then nothing for a minute. It keeps cycling like that. Weird.
I am wearing socks today. I can't get my shoes on.
Some idiot hunters are moving in. I'm gone.

Hot Viddles This Morning

Scrambled Southwestern EggBeaters and sliced vege dogs (Big Franks). Yahoo!
That should get me down the river a few miles.