Surviving Kayak Adventures and Losing a Cell Limb

Friday started out as a great day!  During the summer we have half-day Friday's so off work at noon then Sam and his friend Jacob picked me up for lunch around 12:30 pm. We ended up at Porky's Public House to break bread then after a quick stop by Walmart they dropped me off at home.

While I was gone, Marie loaded up the kayaks (one inflatable and one a hard shell, both borrowed from neighbors) and all the supplies to my rig so when I arrived home just needed to change my clothes and head out.  For some reason can't find any of my swimsuits so either hid them or gave them away.  Ended up pulling on a pair of black high waist underwear with a tank top and shorts and called it good.  After stopping at the Chevron for a couple of canned fruity beverages, we made our way to the Kalama River.

Many years ago second husband and I would go boat fishing on the same spot we planned to set sail on the kayaks. One evening we were fishing at twilight close to the mouth of the Columbia.  Lights twinkled from the houses nearby and in the moonlight there was salmon upon salmon jumping and slapping the current as we trolled in the boat.  Makes for a picturesque mental memory.

Back to Friday.  We unloaded the kayaks, added air to the inflatable one, then packed in our items.  I had previously used the inflatable kayak but was going to try out the hard shell kayak this trip. We each had an floatable bag into which I placed my wallet and car keys.  My cell phone I placed into a waterproof pouch that was made to hang over my neck, although I set it in the kayak and planned to place the cord around my neck after embarking.  Threw my can of Long Island Ice Tea and jug of water into the kayak, shed my shorts, and climbed in ready to set sail.

Marie was just getting into her kayak as I paddled out into the river.  Started to scoot around some to adjust my seat cushion when the kayak curled over and dumped me right into the river.  Wow, was that cold!  Thankfully, was wearing a life jacket (safety first even though I'm an excellent swimmer) so grabbed the kayak and the oar and swam my way back to the dock.

Time to assess the situation!  Floating bag with wallet and keys - check!  Water bottle - check!  Shorts - check!  Long Island Ice Tea - nope, gone to the bottom of the river.  Cell Phone?  Cell Phone?  Looks like we have a runner!!!  Yep, found out the phone pouch was waterproof but not floatable.  Gone to the bottom of the river.  If you know me, you know my cell phone is like another limb and my lifeline to contacts, movies, trivia, job sites, log-in codes, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, pictures, and this blog.  Standing there drenched in wet underwear and t-shirt, my poor heart sighed as I mourned the drowning death of my cell phone with so many phone numbers, camera, passwords, pictures, and notes gone, gone, gone. 

Being the optimist that I am, took that as a sign that maybe my phone has become just too darn important to me and I need to enjoy my adventures, such as this kayak trip, during the moment rather than through a camera lenses.  Switched back to the inflatable kayak as the hard shell one was cursed, loaded up, and set out on the Kalama River for our excursion on the hot, sunny day.  Stopped at one point early on our ride to share Marie's can of spiked lemonade as a toast to me surviving my kayak dunking.

Paddled East to the Kalama Campground area then retreated and paddled West to the mouth of the Columbia.  Gorgeous scenery, calm waters, and relaxing adventure.  On our way back to the boat loading area, paddled along the banks to look for the phone bag just in case, in the smallest chance, it floated and snagged.  At one point was sitting close to shore when I felt movement beneath my butt like an animal swimming below my kayak.  Holy Cow!  Couldn't paddle fast enough to get away from that area.

Arrived back at the boat dock around 7pm, washed the kayaks, loaded them up, and were on our way home.  By the time we ate dinner then unloaded the kayaks and put away our supplies, it was close to ten. 

This weekend will be investigating how to replace my phone, which is insured.  The idea of donning goggles and diving into the Kalama to find the waterproof bag is tempting but the more feasible idea is to simply replace it.  So, if anyone has been texting me or calling me and have begun to think I'm rude as hell for not responding, therein above lies the reason.  Once my cell limb has been reattached, I'll let everyone know as all of my contact information is lost at sea.

Jordan, Joker, and Jonesin for a Good Blow Out

Received last week a new hair tool I picked up on line from a Canadian company L'ange.  I've used quite a few of their hair products and all have been outstanding.  The hair tool is the called "Le Volume." It's a brush and blow dryer all in one.

Normally to straighten my hair the process is to use the blow dryer in one hand and a brush in the other then follow up with a straightening iron.  Combining the brush and dryer into one is awesome! It gets my hair so straight and smooth I don't need to use the iron!  Have also been using one of their new products, Glass Hair, which is sprayed all over damp hair and it made a big difference.  Normally after blow drying my hair is coarse and rough; Glass leaves it soft and smooth.  Definitely both the Le Volume and Glass were a great purchase!

In my HR days, I always belonged to the national HR association, even serving as President of the local chapter years ago.  These national associations are priceless for getting useful info and legal updates.  Asked my boss for insurance associations and she hooked me up with a Portland chapter.  Tonight I attended their Zoom chapter meeting.  Highlight was they had a yoga teacher leading some stress relief exercises and stretches. Was an enjoyable session which made up for the fact it ran from 6pm to 7pm.

Ran into Jordan and Candy yesterday and we pulled over to chat.  Jordan is rocking the mustache just like his dad so I had to take a few pix!

Sam recently completed a commission picture of the Joker.  A wife had seen one of his drawings on line so got in touch with him to create a Joker pic for her husband for Father's Day.  Picture turned out fantastic!

Tonight decided that my toes needed serious TLC.  Grabbed some polish stickers which had been in the polish basket forever and slapped those on my tosses.  Turned out pretty good and no drying wait time!

Fix It's and Father's Day

Bound and determined to fix the painting disasters, this weekend was dedicated to painting.

After meditating over the first one, decided what I saw was water and the sky. Where there's water there should be a fisherman sitting on a large boulder dangling his bobber into the lake.  Included a tree, gold leaf moon, and even tried to paint a dog but, when it began to resemble a lion, scratched that and covered it with foliage.  Happy with the fix-it job.

This morning tackled the more difficult canvas. When in doubt, go for a mermaid!  Laid out the pattern I created then covered the outside with black paint. Hmm...just didn't have a pop so created a new full mermaid pattern for the middle.

Filled in the gal with black, then painted its tail with a variety of pink and coral. Added a crown covered in multi-colored gold leaf. The leaf is a little zip lock filled with tiny pieces of gold, bronze, and blue pieces of metallic leaf. Involves using tweezers to pluck the bits from the bag and placing them in just the right spot. This process was time-consuming, especially when I decided to leaf the tail.

But it was worth it!  Looks so much better than the before version!

After packing in the painting, cleaned up and ran to the store for a few groceries. Had pico de gallo on the brain so grabbed tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and limes. For some odd reason, have morphed into a spicy eater. Just love jalapeño, hot salsa, and red pepper flakes.

Whipped up the tomato goodness with one hand while preparing pasta salad with the other.  Sunday is almost over so an evening of chillaxin has begun.

Happy Father's Day Dad!!

Vision Vortex

At times it can be so frustrating to have a vision in your mind that just won't come to fruition!

Tonight gathered up my painting tools with the intent to make a duo canvas with pink and gray tones to match my bedroom.  Had a vision to do a Dutch pour on both which means using the blow dryer.  Thinned down the paint, puddled it on and arrrgggg!!! Just did not turn out as it appeared in my head!  Did some swirling, some dabbing, and it continued to fail. Gave up, wiped the paint off and started again with different colors and thinner paint.

And it still didn't happen!  At this point I was hot, sweaty and irritable so gave it up, packed it in, and left the canvas out to dry.  Those canvas can sit outside all night and think about what ithey did.

For me I hear a glass of wine calling my name!!!

Flowers and Filling

With the rain and sunshine fighting to see who will stay on top, the foliage outside has been blooming.

Last week was chewing gum for some odd reason. Actually, had a small container of sugar free chews I discovered when I was changing purses. Not big on gum as it quickly turns into Bessie chewing her cud, quickly evolving into snaps, cracks, and bubbles.  In this case after the snapping but before the bubble blowing, felt a small chunk within the gum itself. Uh oh. Extracted the chunk of chew and saw a piece of filling imbedded within the gooey lump.

Thankfully this occurred on a tooth which was already being scheduled for a new crown.  Into the dentist this morning I went, which meant getting cleaned up for the public as opposed to rolling out of bed in my jammies.

Filling replacement and temporary crown meant one thing - novocaine. Novacaine seems to grab on to my mouth and refuses to let go until bedtime.  Ended up in the dentist chair for almost two hours. Discovered a new benefit of the quarantine mask - it provides superb coverage for a lopsided, drooling mouth numb from nose to neck.

Grand Slam Saturday

Last night Marie had a hankering for a Grand Slam so we made our way to Denny's for dinner. First time being back in a restaurant for sit-down dinner since the onslaught of the pandemic. Restaurant was quiet, booths were double-cleaned, silverware wrapped in paper, and condiments including salt abs pepper were distributed in disposable containers.

Grand Slams hit the spot! Decided to visit Jordan and Candy to check up on their menagerie of arachnids and reptiles or what they refer to as pets.

At this point they have about ten tarantulas and two snakes along with a healthy food supply of mice. Jim and Contessa, the snakes, were friendly, curious, and harmless.  Looked but didn't touch the spiders.  

This morning slept in then after coffee decided it was a laundry and painting day. Changed into my painting overalls (yes, now have acrylic couture to accompany my creative process), and did two 18 x 24 acrylic pours.  The first was to create one focused on the colors of an African violet. The second was to create a new painting on top of a previous wreck of a painting.

Before Wreck

Have to say both turned out acceptable.  Love, love, love the violet picture. The redo is much better than how it started but not perfect.  Then again, what is??  They almost fit together as if one is sunrise and the other is sinset.

After on the left

Romeo aka Romy aka Brute aka Trump was in rare form today, more than likely due to a snackie of  catnip.

Sheets, Squirrels, and Stubbs

Picked up some clearance pink sheets and quilt to lighten up my room for summer.  Stubbs approved.

Here's one of my recent acrylic pours that is so disappointing.  I believe I have figured out the issue so will be attempting a new pour today for which I have high hopes.

There is no shortage of bird and squirrel houses in both the back and front yards. However, this has not stopped the squirrels from scavenging the birdfeed any way they can.  Caught one yogi squirrel performing aerobatics in order to sneak seed the other morning.

The next door neighbor had a truckload of rocks delivered to her driveway with the intent of filling her flower beds. I couldn't resist sneakily snagging a rock and painting it for her as a surprise.  Whipped this up last night and, after sealing, will put it on her porch to discover.

Watching movies this morning and avoiding dying my hair. My poor hairdresser broke her wrist so is out of service for the time being. Definitely need color and a cut!  Did my roots once during quarantine and will color them once again this morning. Found myself in front of the Walmart dye aisle gazing at red gold, burgundy, violet, and blonde. Smart cookie I am, I wisely chose butternut blonde.

Stubbs was posing like the cutie he is this morning. Yep, he definitely likes the new quilt.

Friday Flames

Just finished filling up the rig yesterday at Safeway when I heard someone say "Was 911 called?"  I looked around and saw deep, black smoke billowing from the parking lot. Suddenly flames burst above a vehicle engulfed in fire.  In the background could hear a woman moaning "oh no, oh no." Took a few pictures as I left the gas station - definitely scary.

Found out via Facebook there were five dogs in the car - two perished and three survived. Here's an after pic of the Ford Explorer that was posted online.

There's Something to be Said About Vacation Days

Now that Phase 2 has begun in our county, felt the urge to get out and enjoy the world so took a vacation day last Friday.  Marie and I decided to go fishing.

Thursday night was dedicated to worm hunting.  Had forgotten about this activity until Marie reminded me at 10:30 pm. Ugh. Threw on some shorts under my nightgown and ventured outside to locate the elusive worm.

Sprayed the ground to encourage them but those suckers are fast!  Gave up and let Marie fend for them, which resulted in her staying up til 2am.

Friday morning after grabbing my license and supplies at Walmart, we made it to the South Lewis County Park in Toledo about 9:30.  The park has a large lake which has been stocked with trout.  We were able to snag a dock then set up our chairs, umbrella, poles, plunked our lines into the lake, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Alas the only thing I caught during this fishing venture was a sunburn on my shoulders!  However, did stumble across one score - a Mossy Oak camo jacket someone had left behind so that came home with me.

After packing it in, we stopped at Betty's Place in Toledo for late lunch.  We walked in with our masks in people and the Toledoites stared at us as if we were aliens emerging from the spaceship. Perhaps the Covid news hadn't made it's way to Toledo or maybe the only news to be had is Jimmy Joe's weekly Egg Day Bulletin.

Saturday the clouds opened and it rained. Spent part of the day in the covered back patio creating two acrylic pour pictures.  You know how you keep fiddling, then fiddling more, then fiddling so much you are ready to toss it in the trash? Yeah that's how it went.  Gave up, put the paint away, and tossed a smorgasbord of veggies into the crackpot to enjoy meatless taco soup later in the evening.
 

       

 

Even though it was raining, Marie was eager to cast our poles at Lake Sacajawea. Finally gave in although, being the legendary fisherman's daughter that I am, I knew fish don't bite when it rains. Wrapped up in jeans, hoodie, and puffy vest, stood in the rain determined to get one bite. And we all know the ending to that story.  Packed up the rods, went home, and ate warm soup for dinner.

Sunday the weather improved so that morning my sidekick Stubbs and I visited the usual spot Willow Grove.  Seem to always find a treasure everytime we walk the sandy riverbank. This time found a pair of almost brand new children's sneakers! With light up soles!  Put them on a Facebook community group as lost and found.  No takers so gave them to the neighbors for their boys.  Now I hear their son Luke LOVES the shoes even though they are too big for him.  He even wore them to bed!

Sunday evening we again casted out on the Sacajawea with pno luck, which I attributed to the roving Great Blue Herons poaching the fish. However, the weather was gorgeous and only superseded by the sunset.

Had also taken Monday as a vacation day so that afternoon we went kayaking on the lake. Was my first time - had visions of flipping over and becoming stuck in the boat, flailing in the slough water of the lake with a nutria biting my ass.  Thankfully none of that occurred. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Sun shining,  smooth water, and gliding through the lake. Ran into a kayak guide who took our picture, along with his client. Seriously thinking about buying a kayak now.

Whew!  That was my whole last weekend!  And here we are with Friday upon us!