Blue Dragonfly

The following is a post I wrote on Atlas Quest last summer. I was telling a co-worker friend about the post and told her it was here on my blog. Well, until now it was only on Atlas Quest. I hope you folks like it as much as my other friends did. I wrote it in response to some complaints about new letterboxers and the efforts some seasoned letterboxers take to prevent new letterboxers from seeing the clues until they have some finds under their belt.

You give me inspiration. We all need one another.
Many times while kayaking, blue dragonflies have flown to me and rode on me or my kayak. Sometimes it was when I was sitting quietly near a marsh, but other times too when I was making good time paddling out in open water. Over time my friends started talking about how the dragonflies were attracted to me and not to others. It is more common to have blue dragonflies accompanying me than not.
Last year while paddling with Kathryn, I spotted a dragonfly in distress. This dragonfly had gotten too wet to return to flight. It was a long way out in the lake. I doubled back to it and slowly lowered my hand under it and lifted slowly upward. The dragonfly was perched on the tip of one of my fingers. It did not try to fly.
To get the dragonfly to the shore required the use of both hands. So, I gently moved my hand near to the lashing in front of my cockpit. As I rotated my hand, the dragonfly, sort of, hopped onto the lashing. I continued paddling the course I was originally on. When the nose of my kayak slid onto the shore, the dragonfly flew to some rushes. To me, it seemed this creature recognized my good will and made use of it.
I suppose if we could understand dragonfly language, we would hear a lot of discussion about how horrible boats are. Well, this life lesson suggests there is at least one dragonfly voice saying that not all boaters are bad.
And I say, newbie letterboxers and letterboxers that have restrictions are not bad either.

Kayak Bandit '(*!*)'

Still Alive

Well, anyone that is worried why I have not posted for a while, stop! I am fine. I have been busy and my mind has not been able to create the blog. Some days I sit down in front of the computer and the words just appear. Not lately.
I was talking to Dick, Red Lion Man, and he said Barb has mentioned most mornings that I did not post. She was a little worried. Speaking of them, be sure to go to the link and see what they are up to. They are on an extended working vacation that sounds like a lot of fun (and work).
Yesterday I took five newbies out kayaking. I am afraid they have the fever. They were talking about going shopping for kayaks and racks for atop their car. I warn you not to try it if you cannot afford to buy yourself a kayak. Almost everyone really likes kayaking. The day was cool until underway. Once you started paddling, you were just right.
I forgot the storage bags to carry the lunch in the kayaks, so we returned to Doug and Colleen's home to eat her fabulous lunch. The day was a perfect success. It may have been the last kayak outing until the eagles show up in December. I love to go out then and see them swooping down to pick kokanee trout from the water. Last year it was so cold that in quiet water there was a skim of ice. It is toasty inside the kayak. I can hardly wait.
My cabinets are progressing slowly. At times I am completely anal about getting them perfect. Where did that come from? At other times, I am down right lazy and slow. I have decided to take the week after next off to work on the kitchen. I want the kitchen off my back so I can play without feeling guilty.
Boy, that was not hard. I should blog every day.
Kayak Bandit

Deception Pass - - Day One

The last time I posted, I said I was going to Baker Lake to camp and pick berries. I lied. Strike me with a wet noodle for my deception. Ya get it deception - - - Deception Pass! Sometimes I amuse myself.

I did go to Baker Lake and look around. I checked with the locals who assured me that the berries were not ripe yet. I found a few thimble berries and a very few himalayan blackberries that were ripe enough, but that was it. As for the lake itself, it was covered with drift wood so far from shore that there was no place to put a kayak into the water unless you paid money to stay at a campground. The weather was very cool in the mountains, so I came back out of the woods.

I cut some branches from maple trees to make into treking poles. I always have a collection of them for anyone that wants one. I was looking for vine maple, but could not find any the right size and straightness to suit me. The maple tree as opposed to the vine maple are much straighter by nature. The vine maple is much stronger though.

I took several pictures of the lakes in the North Cascades. They are truly magnificent. I stopped and compared my wildflower guide with what I saw beside the road. It is amazing how many prolific species were brought to the Americas from Europe.

So, I arrived at Deception Pass State Park in the afternoon on Tuesday. This is a day earlier than I planned to arrive. As I was checking out my campsite, a couple from Moses Lake engaged in conversation. We enjoyed a conversation filled evening. He is orriginally from Germany and she was born in Spokane.

The noise from the Naval Jets are horrible here. Somehow, I got some sleep. This morning, as I was returning from the restroom, I engaged in conversation with a couple that have the site that Stephanie et al will stay in starting this evening. They are visiting here in the US for four weeks. They are from Germany. He is an attorney and she is a journalist. They are having a wonderful time traveling around the US. Their last stop was at Riverside State Park in Spokane, Washington. As you know, that is my home town.

Steph will arrive here shortly. She called to say she is still a couple hours away, but doing okay. Jenny will arrive tomorrow sometime. Life does not get better than this. I can hardly wait.

Kayak Bandit