Long trek ahead

The group Jim is paddling with have two very long days ahead of them.  Tomorrow will be an 18-mile trip, and the next day will be an endurance run of 20 miles.  Now,  some of you intrepid youngsters out there might scoff at those distances, but for some of us older geezers those miles look mighty long!  At least Jim has learned to balance calorie intake with the output required for such efforts.  Last summer he had some days when he was all done in at the end of a run because he hadn't consumed enough carbs. while underway.  We're old dogs trying to learn new tricks, and sometimes those lessons don't come without pain.  It didn't dampen his enthusiasm, though, and he's thoroughly enjoying this trip. A real highlight tonight was a presentation to the group by Doug Alderson.  Doug is the Florida Paddling Trails Coordinator, Office of Greenways and Trails of Florida, Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  Impressive title for an impressive man!  He's a professional writer with many books to his credit, a photographer, and a very enthusiastic paddler.  You can check out more about Doug on his website at:  www.dougalderson.net.  Jim and I were privileged to meet him last summer while doing a camping/paddling trip on the west coast of Florida.  Doug came down to the St. Marks area for a day paddle with Jim, and they spent enjoyable hours together.  We subsequently bought a couple of his books.  Jim spent today doing housekeeping chores and laundering some clothing.  His cell-phone battery was charged in company with 12 others at a single available electrical outlet, by making use of a power strip with a couple of 3-way plugs attached!  Guess it's a good thing cell-phone batteries don't require a lot of energy to recharge!  The group will head off to Sugarloaf Key early tomorrow.  Keep track of their progress via the SPOT link on the right side of this page.  Best Wishes!