Paddle Pilgrim

Credit: author's webpage

Paddle Pilgrim: An Adventure of Learning and Spirit, Kayaking the Mississippi River, by Dr. David R. Ellison (self-published, 2013, 122pp, 85 b&w photos)

If his biographical site is current, Dr. David Ellison is a Professor of Children, Youth, and Family studies at Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, WA.  His trip down the Mississippi River was done as a sabbatical and took place in 2012.  It wasn’t until near the end of the book that I learned that he had written it to supplement the blog he has done during the trip.  That helped to explain the brevity of the book.  At 122 pages, fairly large print, and 85 pictures, making almost one to a page, it is a very, very short book.  So, I had to go searching for the blog.  It may be found at http://paddlepilgrim.blogspot.com/, and has the pictures from the book in color, along with many others that weren’t in the book.  You may find the blog of interest.  Also, here is the link to a video he did about his trip that I found on his Facebook page.  He started the trip in a folding kayak, which did not survive, so you’ll later see the red kayak he replaced it with. https://www.facebook.com/dave.ellingson1/videos/10206207373084673/?pnref=story

It’s unfortunate that the book wasn’t done as a stand-alone project, but it does provide the reader with a flavor of the trip.  In spite of the tougher paddling, he likes the river above Minneapolis much better than the remainder of the river because of the abundance of wildlife and more enjoyable scenery.  Also helpful was having companionship on that first leg.  Jim Lewis, author of Ka-Ka-Ska-Ska, which was reviewed in this blog previously (2/18/15, accessible in blog archives), accompanied Dr. Ellison on that initial section.

Canoeing The Great Plains

Credit: Amazon.com

Canoeing The Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer, by Patrick Dobson (Univ. of Nebraska Press, Lincoln NE, 2015, 193pp.)

This is a very readable and enjoyable book.  It is about the restorative and rehabilitative powers of water and a canoe.  Patrick Dobson reveals he was without direction and pretty much at the end of his rope.  He didn’t know who he was, where he wanted to go in life, or how to meet his responsibilities.  The situation is well explained by the title of the first chapter---  ‘Doomed.’

The story starts in 1995, so he’s had time since then to test how his trip helped him mend and grow.  His journey began as he stepped off his porch in Kansas City and started walking, walking about 1,250 miles to Helena, Montana.  His intention was to return to Kansas City by canoeing down the Missouri River, but as he walked across the plains, the closer he got to Montana, the more apprehensive he became about the fearsomeness and size of the mighty river.   A talk with a fishing guide in Helena didn’t help when she assured him that he would die. 

His canoeing experience amounted to passing out drunk in the bottom of a canoe ten years earlier with no memory of how he got home.  Thinking he might benefit from some paddling instruction, he sought the help of an outfitter, who recommended an instructor.  The instructor took Dobson and his 16-ft. purple canoe to a Helena park lake.  When he tried to teach the author how to J-stroke, Dobson flipped the canoe.  When he tried to teach the author how to sweep, Dobson flipped the canoe.  He finally told his student to always wear his PFD; he was going to need it.  Hoping his instructor would contradict the fishing guide’s doom and gloom, he asked the instructor if he had paddled the river.  The response was basically, “Not me.  Too dangerous.”  Mr. Dobson’s start was as unsteady as his confidence, but the river quickly taught him what he needed to know.  Not only did the author make a go of it, but he became so comfortable with the river life that his apprehension grew about how he would manage when he got ‘home.’  He had learned enough by the time he was within a couple weeks of his destination, that he took another dejected paddler under his wing, who was about to quit, and helped him finish his trip as well.  Along the journey, you will share every emotion and every mosquito between Helena and Kansas City, and by the last page, you also will feel better for the experience.

The Big C

I've been asked whether or not I was going to blog about my predicament, being diagnosed with prostate cancer.   I still have mixed thoughts on that.  The main thought is that everyone has health issues in their lives, so you all may not be interested in hearing about mine.  The only reason I bring it up here now is to explain why you'll be exposed to a lot of book reviews in the next couple months.  I'll have surgery in a couple weeks, and will be inactive until the end of July.  Then it becomes an issue of how long it will be before I feel like sitting up in a canoe for 10-12 hours a day.  In the meanwhile, I'll be doing a lot of reading on canoeing, kayaking, and camping.  At least I can give you some insight into a number of titles and authors.

There is, however, another side of the coin as to why you may be interested in all this.  I found it very difficult to find information on this problem.  Without speculating as to why this may be true, I've learned a lot.  Whether for men, or women wanting to take care of the health of their men, I'll share if asked.  Until I can get back on the water, I hope you enjoy the reviews.

Listening Point

Listening Point, by Sigurd F. Olson (University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1958, in its 5^th printing in 2011,  243 pp, illustrated by Francis Lee Jaques)

Sigurd Olson was one of the greatest conservationists of the 20^th century until his passing in 1982.  He was an award-winning activist, best-selling author of nine books, president of the Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association.  His awards include those from the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation for his works.

The cabin at Listening Point

His understanding of nature came from listening to it, observing it, and acquiring a reverence for it.  He was at home and at peace in the wilderness, but it was hard at any given moment to escape to the true wilderness, so he sought an oasis deep enough in nature to be appreciated, yet close enough to escape to when the notion struck.  While paddling, he found a spot on the south arm of Burntside Lake, adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, near Ely, MN, that fit the bill.  He and his wife, Elizabeth, acquired the original 26 acre tract in 1956, and later added another ten acres.  It included alder and willow along the shore, upland second-growth birch and pine, a cove and beach, and huge boulders that have rested there since the last ice age 10,000 years ago.  It was only ten miles from home, but in another world of its own where only the sights and signs of nature could be perceived.  Loving to listen to nature, he called it Listening Point.

The shore at Listening Point

There are two ways for you to get to this special place, either spiritually or physically.  The first is by reading this book.  As I mentioned when reviewing another book of Olson’s, The Singing Wilderness, his writing is so detailed, articulate, and of such depth that the reader can’t help but find himself there listening to the loons and woodpeckers, watching the seasons color the landscape, smelling the wood smoke, and being entertained and enlightened by the mice, deer, beavers, birds and all other wildlife.  You can also visit the Olsons’ cabin with permission of the Listening Point Foundation, which was created to maintain and preserve the site.  It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2007.

The Foundation just recently acquired the Olsons’ home in Ely.  Behind it is the garage which Sigurd transformed into his writing shack.  Inside are all of his collections of rocks, books, photographs, and personal items still resting where he left them.  His pipes are in an ash tray by his manual typewriter on which he wrote all his books and papers, and still in the typewriter is a sheet of paper with the last words he typed, “A new adventure is coming up, and I’m sure it will be a good one.”

If you visit the home, where nature programs and classes are held during the year, a member of the Foundation will take you out to Listening Point.  Olson’s other books and related items may be purchased there to benefit the Foundation.  A visit would create a memory of a lifetime, and this book and Singing Wilderness are certainly two that should be on your must-read list.

(Photographs used with permission of Alanna Dore, Executive Director, Listening Point Foundation)

Carpe Diem

Credit: Aaron Gray

This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

In other words, no matter how bad things look today, we need to put a smile on our faces, have a good time, or make like we’re having a good time, and get on with it.  This is the best day we have.  The Pollyannas will tell us that things will get better.  They lie.  Whiskey and wine are about the only things that improve with age.  Once we reach maturity, it’s a one-way street, and all downhill.  Tarnish doesn’t get shiny, rot doesn’t become solid wood, rust doesn’t become steel, paint doesn’t unpeel, and we don’t get quicker reflexes, run faster, have greater strength, or more endurance.  Our organs get tired and less inclined to do their jobs, and diseases our bodies sloughed off for years and decades are welcomed in and given a home.  If we want joy in our lives, if we want our lives to have meaning, purpose, or fulfillment, if we want to satisfy a dream, learn something new, get a better job, stand-up for ourselves, or find love or happiness, we need to either accomplish it today, or at least set priorities, ignore naysayers, eliminate distractions, and make a serious step in that direction.  And no, 'planning' to do it some time later when we are more ready is not a serious step.  There may be no tomorrow, and even if there is, we’ll be less capable to take advantage of it.  Time is wasting.   Carpe diem! 

Over the Dam

Credit: naznet.com

Lake Itasca Dam

They haven't wasted any time.  According to Dale's SPOT Track, they crossed the dam from Lake Itasca into the head of the Mississippi River at about 10:30 this morning.  The trip has started.  Be sure to watch Dale's Facebook page and follow his track.  Both links are in the right margin under Favorite Links.  

Anna Goes Down the Mississippi

Credit: Dale Sanders' Facebook page

For any of you that don’t know Dale Sanders’ story, this may be a trip more than worth your while to follow.  First, Dale Sanders is attempting to become the oldest man to solo paddle the full length of the Mississippi River’s 2,340 miles.  He will celebrate his 80^th birthday in just a few days.  Second, he is dedicating the trip to his Grand-Niece, Anna, who has Type I diabetes, so his canoe is also named Anna in her honor.  The goal of the trip is to help raise funds for diabetes research in Anna's name..

I have been watching their SPOT tracker all day as they make their way north to Lake Itasca, MN, for the start from the river’s source.  It looks like they should get to Lake Itasca today.  You can follow the entire trip to the Gulf of Mexico by simply clicking the “Follow Anna’s SPOT Tracker” link in the right margin under Favorite Links.  You will also find Dale Sanders’ Facebook page link there as well. 

If you would like to help Dale and Anna, you will find several links on Dale’s Facebook page for making a contribution to their cause.  Thank you.

Idleness, Water, and a Canoe

Illus. Credit: amazon.com

Idleness, Water, and a Canoe: Reflections on Paddling for Pleasure, by Jamie Benidickson (pub. by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, CA, 1997, 256pp plus test notes)

On seeing the title, I thought the book would be a light, relaxing read.  The title comes from a 1940 quote from the ‘Queen’s Quarterly’ that states that “the ingredients of a holiday in Canada are idleness, water, and a canoe.   Instead of taking the reader on an idyllic drift down a picturesque stream, it launches into a treatise, a quite detailed coverage of paddling from as many perspectives as you can imagine, and probably some you couldn’t have imagined.   The message is that, at least in Canada, canoes and paddling are woven into almost every facet of life, from inclusion in countless forms of advertising and commerce to political cartoons, romance, hunting and fishing, recreation, exploration, youth development, and spiritual, physical and mental health.  We are introduced to the line of personalities that moved the canoe from a tool of survival to a recreational gem, starting with John “Rob Roy” MacGregor in 1859.  This book may tell you more about canoeing than you ever wanted to know, or it may engender a deeper appreciation for this loved and unlikely member of your family.

Canoe Sailing

Credit: youtube.com

 

If the idea appeals to you that canoes can fly, you should enjoy this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9458ZBy1n-E

On Being a Mole

We were glued to the TV and computer yesterday afternoon and evening for storm updates.  Storms were firing up right on top of us and then moving to the northeast and continuing up into Kansas.  The tornado shelter was readied.  Of our two cats, one is a literal scaredy cat and vanishes with the first clap of thunder 25 miles away.  She is impossible to find until she comes out on her own hours later, and even if we could find the hole she was curled up in, it would probably take a crowbar to extract her.  I picked up the other cat, Piper, still napping contentedly on the couch, and put her in a cat carrier.  The decision had already been made to move to the shelter when the tornado siren went off.  We had one tornado here with no damage in the immediate area, but the central part of Oklahoma took the brunt of the damage.

One of the intriquing aspects of these tornadoes was how slowly they moved, and much of the damage was caused not by a high EF-rating, but by them going stationary and just churning in one spot.  The area of I-35 just south of Oklahoma City was hit.  One motel was demolished and condemned, another had the facade removed, other normal severe storm damage was done over the area, like the removal of the metal roof over the Sonic restaurant and downing of utility poles, etc., but an RV park was seriously damaged with RV’s rolled, tossed, and stacked all over the place.  The park had a storm shelter, so residents and campers found cover there. 

No deaths have been reported.  There were 5 critically injured last night, and by this morning three have been upgraded, leaving just the two in need of more trauma treatment.  (Update:  A 42-year-old woman was found drowned in her storm shelter in South Oklahoma City.)

Bridge Creek, southwest of Oklahoma City, took a direct hit.  Between 1,500 and 2,000 buildings have been seriously damaged or destroyed in the small community.  A serious indictment of the leadership there was the total absence of any tornado warning system.  The fire department had to drive around the community warning residents to take cover, while the firehouse itself was damaged and the firemen were put in peril.  Any community in such tornado-prone areas that fail to provide a warning system for their residents and businesses are clearly nonfeasant.

The severe storm and tornado risk is low today, about 25%, but then goes to about 55% tomorrow, and up to 95% Saturday with the arrival of a really ugly looking system.  A lot more Oklahomans will be moving underground in the next few days.

Picture of the Day

Credit: Alex Comb

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry.  We shall get there some day."

  A.A. Milne, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book

Border Crossing

I got a shock this morning.  While returning a book to the library, the librarian informed me that one of the books she had ordered for me had come from Canada.  (The Paddlers’ Reading list is in the right margin under ‘favorite posts.’)  She has been ordering me books through the interlibrary loan exchange program.  It was no surprise that a desired paddling title may be available only from Canada, but the postage was a surprise.  I had paid $2 for an interlibrary loan book, but when she went to return it to the lending library in Canada, she had to pay $10 in postage.  Shocked herself, she called them and asked how much they had had to pay to mail the book to the U.S.---$17.   She said that from now on, if a book was only available in Canada, she would have to check with me to make sure I still wanted it.  The implication that I would have to be responsible for the excessive postage was obvious.  I said, “No need to call me.  If the book is only available in Canada, just scratch it off the list.  For $27 I can probably find a used paperback version on line somewhere."  Postage is almost getting to the point where you can seal the book in a dry bag, throw it in the canoe, and paddle it to its destination yourself.  Another example was the GPS bracket I was prepared to order.  It was $12.  The postage for it, which weighed about an ounce, was $24.  I took a ‘thank you, but no thank you’ stance, and will continue just hanging my GPS from a thwart.