Still training…still shopping…days going faster

Yesterday evening we loaded my old kayak on my vehicle in preparation for the trip to the NFCT Freshet Fest in Vermont this weekend.  This past week has been blessed with summery weather and the trees, flowers, and people are all blossoming.  Sunday I had my longest paddle yet, going down to Bristol Mills and back, for a total of 8.5 miles on a windy afternoon, followed by 4.8 miles on an even windier Monday.

The fun of shopping continues, with a growing pile of stuff to show for it.  So, what’s in the pile?

• One pair of wicked-expensive liner socks from REI, great for portaging…they will join the 2 1/2 pairs I already have – the missing sock is somewhere in the South Branch of the Dead River! (cost $0, thanks to my member’s dividend)
• Two tiny dry bags, one red and one blue, different colors to have fun with organizing something.  Color coding and a system is a key to success ($15 LL Bean close out) – couldn’t find these this morning for the photo – this being a great advertisement for my system of organization – you should see my room!
• A 21-serving bag of dehydrated refried beans for burritos which arrived yesterday ($10 from Amazon Prime)
• Lots of camper’s toilet paper.  I always bring this…not sure if it is worth the expense, but it sure is so well packaged, cute and compact ($5 for every 3 rolls).
• My first ever Platypus collapsible water bottle, to replace one of my Nalgenes.  Still holds a quart of water, weighs 0.9 ounces, compared to 6.3, and takes up no room empty.  This will be especially good since there are large stretches where I will be buying, rather than filtering, my water, and containers will just be going along for the ride. ($9 from LL Bean)
• The lightest weight combination cable lock I could find – weighs 4.9 ounces and is 5 ft. long, which is barely long enough ($5 from Walmart) …this was more like a necessity for my peace of mind (if I ever finish my book about Paddle for Hope you can read about the time some fisherman “found and rescued” my boat)
• Three pairs of Ex Officio black quick-drying underwear from LL Bean, with the hope that they can be hand washed as I go (hate to say it – they are $18 a pair)
  

Almost forgot to share this:  my new canoe will ship out from Wenonah on May 11 and arrive 3 to 5 days later.