Had some fun at the camp dinner last night - we went to Costa's. This is a particularly fun group but they surprisingly packed it in very early. However it was nice to catch up with people I used to coach - Joe from the RT crew and Sue from SOTW.
I'ver moved into the house now with Pete and am very happy to be out of my room at the T.I.
The ladies staying at the house woke up very early this morning; at 5:40am flipping on the lights, making coffee, whispering how they hoped they wouldn't wake me. Since I'm sleeping on the couch, I had anticipated an early morning and was ready with training clothes on the end of the couch and my back pack packed with a change of clothes, towel, garmin, iPod, water and an apple. I quickly changed and was on the road by 6:15. It was still dark so I went to Starbucks and read until the sun rose. I actually have to thank the ladies. I had the best paddle so far.

The park at the bayou was already busy - it's their big art show this weekend. I slipped out on the water with something mellow on the ipod - Rickie Lee Jones I think. Because the Spring Bayou boat ramp was closed for the Art show and it was low tide there were absolutely no boats on the water. And no wind. I paddled on glass with a slight mist rising for 2.5 km before I was even aware of myself.

I did about 17 km. Once I was out on the Gulf though, there was continuous boat traffic from the Hickory Point boat launch and, as the tide rose, the bigger boats from town, like the Two Georges, made their way along the channel. I turned and paddled in with the tide.

When I got back in, the campers had just finished the Kolo Memo - everyone had huge smiles on their faces. I said goodbye to the ones I knew and headed for my car. I cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes so I could wander around the art show. This wasn't like the ones we have at home where the best & brightest of our retired men and church ladies display their watercolours of roses (no offence). There was some truly wonderful and original stuff! I was very tempted to purchase a black & white image of a gulf view (coincidentally the name of the piece) done in a glass process I've never seen before. I decided instead to get a coffee and consider whether I really wanted it or if it would turn out to be a $250 impulse purchase.

Wandering across the park, I had one of those moments of pure, undiluted happiness.

Ultimately, I purchased two pieces from one artist. He uses a router to create the design on wood, then paints with acrylics, finishes with varnish, frames in maple. I love his work and could easily have come home with a half dozen pieces. One I liked (but didn't purchase) bordered on kitzchy - a Haring-like barking dog framed by the words "how come my dog don't bark when you come around?"

Anyway, the pieces I bought are called 'Tucked In' (approx. 12" x 36")

and 'Sea Dreaming' (approx. 36" x 36")

It's weird because that is the second mermaid I've purchased in a week. Mermaids, (unicorns, fairys, etc) have never appealed to me specifially because they're mythical so I don't get what spawned this. Come to think of it, I bought a mermaid fridge magnet when I was in Athens, after our ordeal on the ocean. I suppose it could have something to do with that.

I walked around for a little longer and then left before I spent more money. Grabbed a chicken sandwich at Panera and ate my lunch at the house. I'm so pleased to have this big place and a pool to lie beside that I've opted to stay here while the others go down to the practice site. When I was staying at the motel, I had to continuously come up with things to do, jsut so I wouldn't have to spend any time in that room. Jess & Pete just put all the paddles into the pool. I didn't ask why, maybe because they (the paddles, not Jess &Pete) have been frying in the hot sun in the back of the pick-up. I'm going to lie poolside listening to the carbon paddles klink together - a BRAČA wind chime.


ahhhhh. Life is...