A Cultural Divide and Playlists

A day of miles and a day of recharging. Day 4 was epic, but smooth. Contradictory I guess, but here's how it went.
The morning started out dark. I woke up at, what I thought was 5:30. Made my coffee and loaded up. On the water fairly quickly I was feeling real good. No vitamin I (Ibuprofen)and I started to paddle downriver in the dark. Hmmm, a little darker than I expected. I looked at the watch and it didn't say 6:00. It said 5:00. Cool! That just means I can make the miles earlier when its cool and get down earlier too. I didn't know at the time I would put in 40 miles and be out for 13 hrs. The morning was great. Plugged the Zune into my ears and quickly headed across Watts Bar Lake. A big, open lake. Hardly a boat, or house to be seen all morning. Listening to Alan Parsons' Eye in the Sky, Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill, and Slowing it down later with some Cowboy Junkies, the morning turned into noon. I had made 20 miles by lunch and was still feeling good.
Forgot to mention food. No moonpies yet..sorry. Instead, 2 packs of Grits with Bacon and 3 strips of Bacon. I didn't need to cook the bacon. It comes pre-cooked and packaged. No refridge needed, and, it tastes awesome. Definte comfort food.
Lunch was PB&J, gorp and a gatorade that some fisherman threw to me. The kindness of people as I go along this journey reinforces what I believe about most people. No matter where, there are always people willing to help and support.
The afternooon heated up with temps in the low to mid 90's. The pace slowed, but I could see the steam rising from the dam at Watts Bar. Made the dam at around 2:30, locked through and was glad to get out of it. It smelled soooobad. In front of gates, there were about 10 dead carp, bloatet in the sun. Auuurrggh.
Below the dam, life was a little better, but there was nothing around, except the smell. This time, it was the smell of cows. A lot of cows and a lot of cow smell. Finally after 4 miles or so, no more cow smell...just fish smell.
Once past Watts Bar, the cultural tide had turned. Tellico Lake was filled with modest to very nice houses and boat houses. Watts Bar had some weekend retreats and huge, huge spreads with huge houses. Now, nothing. Nothing except catfishermen. I defintely crossed a cultural threshhold.
The miles were still going slow, but i wanted to keep going. Still felt alright. Stopped for lunch below the dam and moved on still seeing nothing.
About 8 miles down I met a couple fishermen at a boat ramp. Asking them if there was anything like a marina down river, they looked at me funny. A marina? Heck no,but there is a Fish Camp about 2 miles down. As I paddled away, I asked over my shoulder if they had food. "Yeah, and BEER TOO!" Alright. I could use one of the those. So, I paddled on.
Well, 4 miles later and still nothing on the horizon. So, I paddle on. Another couple miles and still nothing. A big bend ahead so maybe there? I had just about given up and started loooking fora place to camp. I made a couple phone calls and low and behold, a faded sign about a 1/4 mile away. I steered toward it and saw a boat dock with a Gas sign. I was exhausted and very hungry. Turned off the GPS and saw it had just turned 40 miles. I was done.
Went inside to a 60'era campground office, restaraunt and bar. About 8 locals were at the watering trough and in I walk with laptop and smelly clothes. Ordered a hamburger all the way and a cold beer while I sat down to log in. The computer only had 30 minutes left so all I could do is update the Trip Tracker. But, it was a conversation starter. Before I knew it, Kris Berra, grand Niece of Yogi Berra had given me a 10 dollar donation and started asking questions. Before long, all the friendly locals of Cottonport, TN had asked questions about the project with me writing down the blog address. I could tell they were quite proud of ole Cottonport http://cottonportlanding.com/ .
Overall, a full belly, revived spirit and good conversation. Thank you Cottonport.
Crept out of Cottonport and headed about 1/4 mile down river to find a spot top sleep. Comfortable spot over lookiing the river and gorgeous sunset. I slept ok,but was very sore and tired. Too tired and hot to fall asleep quickly. Finally a very small breeze came up and I drifted off.
Today is an easy day. I'm at the Blue Water Marina about 8 miles below Cottonport resting and recharging me and my electronics. Its about 28 miles to Chickmagua Dam where I'll be meeting Joe Jacobi on friday. I'm ahead of schedule and glad for it.
Signing off for now. Thanks for reading this far and following along. I'm enjoying it.

A Great Blue Heron Morning

Ok, I'm heart broken. I typed a great write up for today, but when I went to publish, my connection had been dropped. All my writing gone. But, nothing to do, but redo.
nd I gfe
You get the readers digest version though

Today was a Great Blue Heron day. Literally hundreds all day would pop up in fron of me. Osprey too seemed to be in abundance. Mile this morning came easy and I felt stronger. Lower back was better, but my mid back was talking to me. My lats and triceps as well. The 3rd day is always when the body starts talking back to me. From here it should be easiier and the body getsused to the routine.
I made 12 or so miles before 10 am. Stopped and bought some hamburger buns for my PB&J. Poke my boat into a little cover in the town of Lenoir. Three men in a boat were trying to catch shad...or bait as they would call it. They said to paddle up that little canal and I'd get there in a couple hundred yards. Up I went, right through town, past the ball fields and tennis courts and to the culvert. I got out of the boat the sure enough, the store. Turned around and paddled back and I was on my way.
The afternoon was hot. I was starting to slow down so into the water I went. It was a good swim and gave my body a chance to stretch out and cool down. Refreshed and feeling stronger, I was off. The afternoon had long straights and wide shorelines. I don't like em as much. I like to look and see whats around the bend. With straights, you have to paddle a ways to see whats around the bend. So, I hammer out the first half and then they are only half as long. Works for me anyway.
Interesting math here. If I paddle at about 60 strokes a minute and average 4 miles an hour, how many strokes do I paddle in a day if I paddle 30 miles? First person to tell me gets a free Gold Medal Billy Bar!
Dodged a thunderstorm later in the day while approaching Kingston. Sought refuge in a very nice boat house. It gave me time to recharge a few things and rest some. The house it belonged to was up through the woods just a little ways and I could hear voices every now and then when the rain slowed. Anyway, I was poking around and realized they had a fridge...with beer. Ok, delimna. No, I didn't take the beer. Thought that wouldn't be the right thing to do. I need all the good karma and I don't think the good Lord would be smiling on me if I did that. So, instead, I left a note thanking them for the refuge and told them a little about the trip. Who knows, maybe they're reading this. If so, you might want to lock up that fridge!
After that I had one other storm, but hung out under a bridge till it passed. Passed the town of Kingston which from the river, looked like a golf course, but I did see a couple deer. They were looking at me like they were wondering what the heck I was. Kinda like the Spanish Conquistadors and their horses, but I was in the boat.
Past the town, I stopped for the night. Great campsite and good dinner of Cashew Curry with Couscous. Another wonderful meal by Hawk Vittles. Thank God I found them. My foood is ok, but his is great out here.
If you like the writings and haven't donated yet, I urge you to consider it. Remember, not only is it tax deductible, but it goes directly to students scholarships.
G-nite all...

Day 1 and 2 in my Wake

Ok, first, let me tell everyone that the Trip Tracker feature isn't in real time. I have to update my location and everything. I just put it on so as soon as I get done with this, I'll figure out how to update it. Its a great feature so hopefully I'll be able to figure it out.

Now, Day 1 and 2 are behind me. Right now, I'm sitting in my chair overlooking a deserted stretch of the Tennessee River about 8 miles down from Ft Loudon Dam. Internet works, coffee in hand and I just finished talking to the family. Life is good at the moment.

Launch day was way surreal for me. I'm not a big fan of pomp and circumstance and wouuld prefer to slip away quietly. That being said, I really do appreciate all those that woke up early to see me off. It was a beyond great to see my Mom and brother come up the night before to send e off. Jeff, Eric, Tim, Amy, Scott...all thank you. It was difficult to see Callie shed some tears and feel her arms squeeze me with her hugs. Rye, stoic and pensive, I think wasn't sure what to do. I've talked to them several times and all is good for now.

First day, paddled across Lake Fontana which seemed more like work than adventuring. Mainly because I've paddled it all before and secondly because I needed to be at the end of the lake by 4 pm. Susan needed to pick me up to get me around the dam and didn't want to drive curvy..way curvy roads in the dark. As it was, I made it by around 2 pm, maybe even a little earlier. She and kids helped me load and unload on the otherside. The only downside was Callie throwing up all over inside my car...bright red bug juice and chips I believe. Once around the dam and driven to below Chilhowee, I loaded and set off with a full boat. Handled differently, but once up to speed, the extra 140 lbs wasn't much different. Campsite the first night was farther down than anticipated due to a generator for irrigation was right in the spot I'd planned on. No worries. A few miles down and found a good, grassy spot on the edge of the woods. Camp made, dinner of salmon fettucini alfredo with veggies and a little reading. Sleep by 9:15 or so.

Today I was up around 6:15,made coffee, loaded and took off. Planned on breakfast at Ft Loudon, about 8 miles down. Highlight of the meals were the Hawk Vittles Grits with Bacon, egg and parmesan. Wow, good! Cloudy, muggy day with glass like water and a solid 14 easy miles til lunch.

It was before lunch I met Chris and Grady. Chris was a delightful 50 yr old women and Grady was an obviously well brought up 15 yr old. They were puttering around in a little motor boat with their 2 dogs. They saw the graphics on the side of the boat ( courtesy of Getcha Graphics - Bryson City ) and were curious about the trip. We spent a good 5 or so minutes talking about the where's and whys of it. Great talking with them. They mentioned they may donate so good for them.

After lunch at a marina somewhere on Lake Tellico, I set off again. My back was a little stiff and the day was warmer, hence a little slower. Even still, I made it to the dam which was further than I expected. The afternoon was filled with boat traffic and monstrous houses with more monstrous boat houses. Lots of development and not near as nice of a lake as Fontana. The Ft Loudon dam and locks is the first locks I've ever gone through. The first of many on the trips so I was curious what that would be like. I pulled up to the entrance looking a little silly in my little red boat. After looking around for a sign, or something I hear over the loudspeaker, "Red Kayak, this is the lockmaster, I've got eyes on you. Are you wanting through?" I waved my hand and looked at the gates to the lock which were closed. He said he had a big boat coming through and to hold my position. I waited for about 10 minutes and the gates started opening. A big cruiser slowly made its way past me. I could almost see the smirk of the captain as he passed. I thought it was pretty cool.
I paddled in, the gates closed and tied off the the number 4 cleet. He told me to do that too. Nice guy. Came out to talk a bit and asked about the trip. He seemed like thought it was a pretty cool idea. Unlike most people I tell who seem to open their eyes a little wider and go, "what...all the way to where?"
Anyway, made it through and found some more life and energy on the other side. Paddled another 8 miles or so on the Tennesee River..yee haw. Hardly any boats, great scenery and more like what I enjoy paddliing. Stopped for a coke and moon pie at a little country store on the side where 2 guys were catfishing. Got the coke, no moonpie though. Had to settle for a little debbie oatmeal cake.
Dinner an hour later of chicken and rice with roasted chicken gravy and raisin/nuts. Not bad and more than I could eat.
Camp was more of an issue. I could find many places to camp, but when large cruisers come by, they throw up a huge wake that crashes against the shore. To stop for the night, I need to either pull the boat completely up out of the water, or find a cove to pull into. Tonight, I found a great, grassy and low spot with a concrete warf at waters edge. Typing from it right now as the sun is setting and my coffee in hand. Enjoy the photos, more tomorrow hopefully.

It's a Start

It's 5 am and the family is here to see me off. It's a little surreal to finally be starting on this journey. I began this project in September with no idea what was in store or where it would lead. The paddling trip has been secondary to this point, but now it is here. It's been a fairly successful project no matter the outcome from here. The money raised is modest and my hope is for more people to step up and help. I've said before that we're not curing cancer here, but maybe we're doing something more. Maybe this scholarship money can help fund someone who will go on to great things. Maybe we're investing in someone who will?
Raising scholarship funds has been one part. Telling the story of my father and the legacy he left behind has been the other aspect. Definite success there. How appropriate to be starting the trip on Father's Day weekend. My dad was a modest man, but his story of service through his Air Force and teaching careers has set an example of perseverance and goal accomplishments that set a high standard for others. The project has hopefully conveyed that well. Hearing from those who knew him and those who served in similar positions is an inspiration.
Now it's time to switch gears and start telling another story. 30 days from NC to Alabama is no small feat. At times my body will be tested and other times, my spirit. I'm confident with friends, family and God's support that I'll be successful. Over the next month I look forward to telling this story.
Thank you to all who have supported me and the project. It not only means a lot to me, but to those students who will benefit from your support. I'll be talking a lot about our fair community to all who will listen and gladly tell them of the generousness and warmth of all of you.
I'll post in a couple days, once my internet connection comes back on-line. Thanks for being there.

Connections Established

Shazaam! Connection established. I've been blogging about all the different connections this project has realized since it's start in October. Today, a different kind of connection was realized. My mobile broadband connection was established using Millenicom's USB setup. Amazingly easy to install and setup. I ordered on Friday, it came today and within 10 minutes, I was up and running. I'll now be able to communicate along the trip with photos, email, blogging and twitter. My wife will be happy and hopefully all that are following along with be too. By the way, it's our 13th Anniversary today. We'll do a little celebration on Thursday since she's at work in Atlanta at the moment.

News on preparations. I organized and packed my food last night. I'm carrying all of my food needs for the trip and think that my calorie range of 3,000-3,500 should carry me through. I've planned on a week long menu that I'll repeat. For dinners, I'll be switching between Mac n Cheese with Sausage, Fettuccine with Salmon, Cranberry Chicken and Rice with nuts, Chili, Couscous and Shepard's Pie. I've also interspersed some of Hawk Vittles dishes such as Bison Stew, Hot Italian Sausage and Pasta and North African Stew. Breakfasts include Oatmeal, Cranola, Biscuits and Country Ham as well as some supplemental Hawk Vittles hashbrowns. Lunches are chicken and salmon salads, PB&J, summer sausage/cheese/salami and crackers. I've got a few extra meals to throw a little variation into the mix. In total, my food weighs out at 72 pounds. That's about 2.2 lbs per day which is the range I was looking for.

I put my last reminder and request for support out to all the Swain Co. School staff today. I've received a few donations from fellow teachers and want to say thanks to all who have shown their support through their donations and kind words. Just to say it again, Swain County Schools Foundation was established to provide scholarships to Swain students and grants to teachers in Swain County. As a teacher, I can't think of another organization, or foundation that helps our education community so directly. Please consider this in making your donation decisions.

Lastly, Don Shoopman wrote a great article, actually two articles about the trip and the project. It took up a page and a half in the Daily Iberian, the local paper from New Iberia, LA. New Iberia is the town where I graduated high school and my dad taught. It was also the original destination when I first came up with the idea for this endeavor. Thank you Don for such a great job. Also, thanks to the many friends from New Iberia that contacted me, donated and showed their support. You all don't know how much that means to me, as well as my family and community here.

Launch is Saturday at 7 am from below Wesser Falls at NOC. If anyone wants to join me for some of the first leg, come on down. After that, I'll see you on the water.

Problem or Opportunity - No internet connection solution yet.

Today the plan was to go to AT&T and get the sim card set up for the USB Mercury device I'm planning on using with the netbook on the trip. Plans never go as planned right? I should start from the beginning of the plan. Way back in November I was looking at major carriers and figuring out how to get service during the trip. In looking at the coverage areas needed for the trip, I realized Verizon, my current phone provider, wouldn't have the same coverage as AT&T. ATT had much better for Alabama. So, in researching I went on the web and looked at the page for the Mercury, a cool little USB device that just plugs in and boom...your on the internet. Great, simple, easy and good coverage. Looks like the ticket.
I went to visit my brother and mom in Atlanta and stopped in at the local ATT store to ask about the idea and see what they thought. I spoke with a very nice sale rep who confirmed what the web page seemed to say. Yes, you can get it and pay by the month...$60. Ok..looks like its set and done, no worries.
Today, the plan died. First, I had to find an ATT store near me. About 40 miles away in Waynesville, the google map showed a store. Turns out that store is no longer and the Radio Shack is the only ATT store. Ok, I'll go talk to them. Within 2 minutes, I knew these were not the brightest bulbs in the shack so I quickly asked them where the nearest full size store was. They quickly told me Asheville. Fine, I'll drive another 40 minutes to that store.
Starting to get hungry and already tired, I drive onto Patten Ave where they said it was. Drive that road 3 times before I called my wife and asked for directions cuz I couldn't find it. Getting long winded so I'll shorten it up. More hungry, a little frustrated and hot, I found it.
I told the sales rep what I needed and she almost laughed. Truly, she almost laughed. I could see her lips curl up a little at the corners as if to say, "what do you think we are? We would never sell anything without a 2 year committment..how could you even think that?"
I told her that the website showed options of buying the Mercury device with and without a 2 yr committment. No where does it say a committment is required. No where that I could find. She almost laughed again and told me she had worked there for some number of years and she had never heard of that.
I left....
I was glad I left...
I wasn't happy.

Now I have a problem. Randy Pausch, the professor of the "Last Lecture" who died this past year was the eternal optimist. Before he died I listened to one of his speeches about turning problems into opportunity. Not sure if it was the Last Lecture or not, but here's a clip of one of them. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYv5x6gZTA) At this point, I'm taking that tack. I'm talking with my brother, my hightek gadget geek brother, and will be going to Atlanta to see him this weekend. We'll figure something out. I'm also contacting several smaller companies that may be able to provide even better service. Who knows, maybe one will sponsor the project and turn this liability into a advantage? Who knows what the world holds tomorrow, but I do know that at this point, it will work out in some way. All we got to do is trust and do what we can.
More later.

Ready?

The "Ready?" is something I'm being asked these days so I thought I'd write a little about it, but first I want to talk about some connections made again.
It's been great hearing from New Iberia and the friends of my youth. Don Shoopman, the editor for the Daily Iberian evidently wrote a great story about the trip and project. I haven't seen it, but 3 different people have told me they are sending me a copy. Again, this project has been about connecting people from all over the map who have been touched in some way by the stories being told. Received an email from Craig G, a long time friend from way back in 9th grade. He lived across the coulee from me. For those not from Louisiana, a coulee is a a big ditch with water in it. We use to camp, shoot BB guns and generally do what most 15-16 yr olds like to do. I haven't spoken to him sine I was about 20. Today, I had a phone call from Robert, or Rowbear, if you use the correct cajun french pronunciation. Robert and I raced marathon canoes together from 1976 - 1981. We went everywhere to race and had a blast. He and I spoke for a good half hour and it was like we were just catching up after a few years. We talked about my dad following us during a race on the White River in Arkansas. This race is a 3 day 120 mile relay event usually having 4 people with 2 racing at a time. My dad was there to provide cold drinks and support after each leg. Robert caught a ride with him on a couple legs while my partner and I were paddling. That meant a lot of long, dirt and dusty roads and some fast moving to get the next vantage point. Robert remembers my dad "drifting" around some of the turns on those dirt roads and having a blast. Now, my dad was a former Air Force pilot and liked to see what his machine could do. I'm sure he was having a good time with the boys in the back of the car. Great memory. Here's a picture of Robert and some of our other teacm members...thats me in the Blue and white trucker hat.

And another of us getting our gatorade out of my dad's trunk.


Now, back in Bryson City...am I ready? I'm as ready as I can be. Food needs a little organizing and I'll do a pre-pack check, but I'm pretty much there. The only other bit is to go to the ATT store and get my USB 3G connection set up. Should go smooth, but most of you know how computers can be at times. Please be smooth!
Only thing left to do is to get my brothers tent and make a stop in Atlanta to see Mom. Besides are you ready, I'm also getting the "are you nervous". Not nervous at all. More like anxious to get work/school finished and move on to this project I've been working on since October. I'm curious more than anything. Curious about what I'll see...about how my body will hold up over the course of the trip...curious about the weather. Ready to get on with it!

One more thing to add. Roz Savage has started on the second leg of her Roz Rows the Pacific. She wrote something I read at the beginning of this project that has stuck with me. Sometime, I go back and read it just to reinforce my thinking and purpose. I believe it readily supplies me with clear thoughts on what and why I'm doing this project. I've been a little testy lately and I think it's in part due to the anticipation of launch. Reading this definitely helps settle that part of me down. Here it is again:

I AM WHAT I AM By Roz Savage
http://RozSavage.blogspot.com

As I was rowing across the Atlantic I had plenty of time to think about life, its purpose and meaning, and to figure out what could be learned from my ocean experience that would be useful to me in the future. I jotted down these insights in the back of my logbook. On my return home, the Sunday Times (the top-circulating Sunday broadsheet in the UK) asked me to produce a list of life-learned philosophies to share with their readers. The article appeared on 23 April 2006.

People cut out the article and put it on their refrigerator or in their wallet or on their pinboard. They told me how my words had helped them through tough times or gave them the courage to try something new. They wrote to tell me how I had inspired them. Here is what I wrote.

I Am What I Am
o Don't waste mental energy asking yourself if you CAN do something. Just do it. You'll surprise yourself. I did.

o Be clear about your objectives. Ignore others, stay true to yourself and measure success only against your own criteria. I was last to finish the race - big deal. I went out there to learn about myself, and I did.

o The only constant in life is change. So don't get depressed by the bad times, and don't get over-excited by good ones. Accept that things are exactly as they are, and even bad times have something to teach us.

o Life can be magical, but magic only gets you so far. Then you need discipline, determination and dedication to see it through.

o Hope can hurt. The danger is that you hope for too much and set yourself up for disappointment. Be optimistic but realistic. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you expect it to be.

o Be mindful of the link between present action and desired future outcome. Ask yourself: if I repeat today's actions 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?

o Decision-making: act in faith, not fear, and don't worry about making a 'wrong' decision - the way you implement it is more important than the decision itself.

o Be your own best friend. The more you rely on other people, the less control you have over your destiny.

o Be proud of your own obituary: a few years ago I wrote two versions of my obituary, the one I wanted and the one I was heading for. They were very different. I realized I needed to make some big changes if I was going to look back and be proud of my life. I am making those changes, and now I have a life worth living.

Press Release: Julie @ Willowworks

http://www.prlog.org/10243727-son-to-paddle-1100-miles-in-honor-of-new-iberia-military-and-nish-educator-hero-the-late-kl-hester.html
Son to Paddle 1100 Miles in Honor of New Iberia Military and NISH Educator Hero, the late K.L Hester

A big thanks to Julie Thorner of Willowworks Marketing for the help in writing and sending out the press release. Hopefully the New Iberia, LA paper, the Daily Iberian will pick it up, along with others who find it interesting.
New Iberia is where I grew up and my dad taught high school so my hope is to get some exposure and connect with many of our old friends and colleagues.

On the paddling and prep front, all is going well. Food packing and dehydrating is coming along. Hawk Vittles meals arrived and look like they will be awesome. I've got a few meals and additions still to get ready but I feel a lot better about my food situation. Planning on between 3,000 - 3,500 calories a day. There should be places along the way to supplement with bread and such too. My wife is a bit worried about me eating enough and I try to reassure her. I'm not a big guy...weigh about 145 on a good day so I can't afford to not eat enough. Bought water purification drops and a new filter cartridge for my Sweetwater filter. Lost my new sunglasses..found em. Did manage to get out for a few hours this past weekend with absolutely beautiful weather. Made me hope that the mild weather holds for a bit longer. So, at this point I feel pretty good about the prep. Starting to get antsy about getting the show on the water.
7 am, Saturday, June 13th!
Last thing....DONATE! Its easy and is not only painless, it makes you feel good!

Communities Coming Together

My daughter Callie, smiling behind her paddle while on the Chattooga River a few weeks ago.

I went for a couple hour paddle this afternoon/evening. It was a great afternoon with calm water, little wind and some time for reflecting on the status of the project. I put in on the Tuckaseegee arm of Lake Fontana and was glad to see the lake is filling. Last year it didn't get to this point at all and with recent rains it seems that the Nantahala, the Tuckaseegee and the Little Tennessee have all been pumping it up. Saw a couple students of mine as I was coming back in. A classmate of my son was there with her mom and dad. She was anxiously waiting to try out their new jetskis. Another who is a first grader fishing with his dad and grandpa. Much like my dad and many others, they were helping make their kids dreams come true. For some, catching a fish may not sound like a big dream, but to a first grader..wow, it can be the world. As I was driving away I was thinking these are the kids this project is helping. As I watch them grow up over the coming years and hopefully find success, maybe some of that success will be in part because of the support and donations of people who are supporting this project. My mom and dad gave me the tools and resources to make my dreams come true and for that I am thankful.

A BIG THANKS to a couple people this week...Gold Medalist and Olympic TV and venue commentator Joe Jacobi whose support and encouragement has been constant, appreciated and inspiring to the project. His tech/communication skills have given me a model and formats to talk about this project. Read more about what Joe is up to these days by clicking on the link above.
Also, Matt Delcambre from New Iberia, LA. Matt is a long time friend and former paddling team mate. We used to race marathon canoes way back when I was in high school. Those experiences led me to this life. Successful computer programming guru and married to another good friend, Alexis. Last I saw Matt and Alexis I was leading a Louisiana seakayaking trip for NOC. We were just south of New Iberia and on our last day of paddling the swamps and bayous of south Louisiana. I had just finished preparing lunch for my guests and we were sitting down to enjoy our meal. This big truck stops and out pop Matt and Alexis. They had seen our NOC van and knew it had to be me. Just another small world moment in the world of paddling.
Also, thanks to Bunny Johns. Past president of NOC, current president of Bryson City Rotary and paddling mentor. Bunny gave me my first teaching job of any kind. It was through NOC that I truly learned to teach and Bunny was the first to give me that chance. Her support for this means a lot.
Others have donated and I wish I could expound on all of them and why their support means so much, but I would be writing a book instead of a blog post. The donations from all parts of my life and the communities that surround it are what make this project so interesting to me.

One of the more interesting groups are the veterans that I have connected and learned from. This week I received an email on the status of The National Vietnam War Museum's exhibit that my father's Vietnam film footage is being used for. Here's some of the particulars.

Colette Lemmon's "TRIBUTE: Expressions of Loss and Remembrance by Vietnam Veterans" will be presented at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, TX. (Check http://www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org/news.htm more info on the event.)

Among the exhibits and in the "Bearing Witness" gallery, a 12-minute DVD will present two of Jonathan Myers ballads, "'Willie' Wilbanks' One-Man War" and "A Death in the Dak Na Valley," which describe the last missions of MOH recipient Hilliard A. "Willie" Wilbanks (KIA 24 Feb 67) and fellow-Kontum FAC Arthur J. Abramoff (KIA 20 Jan 67), respectively. Background will include O-1 FAC film footage (per Jim Meade/'65 and Bill Hester, son of K.L. Hester/'68), along with photos and other images.
Performing are Dick Jonas & Irv LeVine. Jonas is known as "America's Foremost Military Aviation Song Writer and Balladeer." He has produced nineteen albums of his kind of music, and published two books — RBAAB: The Red-Blooded, All-American Boy and PTF: Passing the Flame. See http://cdbaby.com/cd/dickjonas1 for more info.

If your in the Fort Worth Area, check it out.

I want to thank all the communities that have come together to support this project. From my neighbors here in Bryson City, my co-workers in the school system to the river community of friends; it's been absolutely great to see these different communities that surround me come together in support of this project. Also, my friends from New Iberia, LA, where I went to high school and where my dad taught. It's been great to reconnect and see your support. It is very much appreciated.

For those who haven't donated, please consider doing so. Remember, your contribution is tax deductible and is an investment in our kids future. Thanks

Hawk Vittles on Board. I bet I won't be complaining about the food

Short post to let everyone know that Mr. William Redhawk, former chef and gourmet trail food business owner of Hawk Vittles is helping out with the project. Menu items like North African Stew, Hot Italian Sausage and Pasta and Bison Stew, I was thrilled to have his support. Check out his offerings and give some a try. I'll be posting my thoughts and reviews along the way. From recommendations and his ingredients, my guess is I'll be looking forward to those Hawk Vittles Days! Thank you Redhawk!

30 Days and another Otter or Two

First, a short video of some paddling earlier this Spring. I thought some of you would like to see what the boat and some of our great lakes look like. Firt part has some footage at Ft Loudon, TN. The second bit has some footage of Lake Fontana taken a couple weeks ago on a late afternoon paddle from Cable Cove to Hazel Creek. After that, there a a few photos from our Spring Break trip to paddle a couple Florida Springs. Callie and Rye paddled their new boats and had a blast and we all realized what a great place Florida is to paddle.

Also, a day spent on the Chattooga Section II. The Chattooga, to both my wife and I, is like our second home. I met Susan there while guiding and helping manage the NOC outpost there. Showing our kids the special beauty and challenges afforded by this National Wild and Scenic river is a priority for us. They had a hoot and kept wanting bigger rapids. Guess that's a good sign.





Busy lately with family time and other obligations such as coaching my daughters soccer team and work, but I've wanted to post an update of where I am in the project. Over the last month I've received some great community support and donations from several friends and co-workers with many more pledges. Thanks to all who have shown their support. In particular, The Bryson City Womens Club, the Zelinkas, Sally B, Trish P, Leann W and the McLeods. Also, Ingles, our local grocery store helped out with a major part of the food needs for the trip. Manager David Raper...thank you.

More than anything, I'm in a bit of a lull, sort of like the calm before the storm. I haven't paddled a lot, but managed to get a couple times. I've been running through things I need before I leave and going over everything else in my mind. My preparations tend to be lists to start with and then a constant flow thoughts about my trip needs, problem solving and anticipation. Mental lists and checklists that provide a running commentary of thoughts. I know that Jeff, my co-teacher probably wonders what I'm doing half the time, but I'm usually going over some mental checklist or strategy of problem solving. Some are about how to pack while others might be going over my menu items and counting calories. From my guiding days, this is the same thing I would do to prepare for one of our Ad Trav trips to Chile, or some other far off place. My approach is similar and in the past, it always worked well so why change it.

Lastly, please consider donating. The money raised is an investment in our students, our community and our teachers. The Swain County Schools Foundation not only provides scholarships, they provide mini-grants to teachers for worthwhile projects. The first students I started teaching in Swain County are due to graduate next year. I would love to help make their path a little easier. Remember, 2 ways to donate. 1) a check to "Swain County Schools Foundations" and send it me. 2) Paypal using the link above.