Kayakey Kid's Loch Lomond Adventure

Guest editor this time is the Kayakey Kid himself!

The Kayakey Kid

Leo Kayaking Report

On Wednesday the 14^th of February 2018, I was super excited as I knew I only had one more sleep to go before I got to go to Loch Lomond with my Grandma and Grandad to do some adventuring and my favourite kayaking. I spent ages with my dad getting all of my equipment ready and packed away so that I could leave bright and early on the Thursday morning. That night I went to bed super early so I could get a great nights sleep as I knew I would need all of my energy for what was to come.

On Loch Lomond with Grandad

On the Thursday morning once I got to my Grandma’s house we packed the big car and hit the road. The drive up to Loch Lomond was lovely, I liked looking at all of the scenery that we were driving past, my favourite things to see were the Kelpies. We finally arrived after what felt like hours in the car to a nice Hostel that was just by the Loch. I helped unpack the car and had a quick look around to see if my friends had arrived yet. At this point only 1 of them had arrived and her name is Hannah. Later on Antony and Ellen arrived which was great as there were more of us to play games like Toilet tig while all of the adults were planning what we were all going to get up to on this great trip. I overheard all the adults talking about us going to wallaby island, I was so happy to hear this as I really wanted to go there.

On Thursday we had a nice relaxing time talking and playing games before going to our beds. I loved staying there and I was super excited about what the next day would bring.

 

Searching for Wallabies

Not finding Wallabies!

Out with Grandma

On Friday morning we were up early to get all of our stuff ready and get a good breakfast. We went to a beach, all the adults helped us get ready in our kayaks. They pushed us off of the beach and on to the Loch. Here our adventure really begins. I stayed close to my grandad and spoke to him whilst we paddled down the loch. All of a sudden the winds picked up and I felt like my kayak was about to capsize but I managed to control it with a low brace. Battling against the winds was hard but I knew I could do it. We went over to wallaby island but unfortunately I couldn’t see any wallabys and grandma said she thought they might be on their holidays which made me laugh. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t see any wallabys but decided not to let it ruin my day. We stopped on a beautiful beach on the island so we could have our lunch. After everyone had finished their lunches and let it settle in their stomachs we headed off for part two of our adventure. The adults told us we were to paddle to the green and red buoys that were in the water so we could get an ice cream. This made me paddle even faster than before as I really liked the idea of getting an ice cream. We went to the beach to leave the boats and headed on the hunt for ice cream. The first shop we went in to didn’t sell ice cream so our hunt continued until we finally found a wee shop that had a variety of ice cream flavours for us. I got chocolate and strawberry ice cream. After we had finished our ice creams we headed back to the beach and jumped in to the boats and headed to the hostel but the winds were scarier now and the adults told us we had to cross the loch to get back to the hostel. This was hard to do and my arms and hands were getting sore and tired, I couldn’t wait to get back and relax. When we finally arrived back to the hostel we all got sorted and had dinner. I was super tired and felt like I had used all of the energy in my body.

Trained by Grandma!

Saturday morning the weather was sunny but still chilly, the wind was calmer than the night before which was good for us. This time we paddled past wallaby island and decided we were going to paddle half of the loch. I saw a big bird in the bright blue sky. Everyone was having a awesome time, we stopped for lunch on a bright and beautiful beach .

Once we finished our lunch we set off to the cars, on the way I saw swans and geese in the water. I got a bit chilly because I was in the middle of the loch. We stopped at a yellow buoy so we can have a race. So me, Mandy, grandad, grandma and Hannah stopped at the yellow buoy and 1….2….3 go, go, go, so the race begins. Out of me, grandad and grandma the first person to get back gets an ice – cream. In the lead is Hannah, in second me and third grandma but thanks to my small boat and the waves, I came in first place. I was first on the beach so I got an ice-cream, so did grandma and grandad. Once I got my clothes on I skimmed stones, my high score was 5. Once I finished, I went to the car. I got a chocolate  and strawberry ice- cream. I went to the car and I fell asleep in the car as well. When I got back I had tea then I went to bed.

from Leo xxxx

bye

Me and my Grandad!

Turkey Basher time

Inch Gnome

Waiting to cross the shipping lane

Well after lots of hard work, plastering, papering and painting just about anything that sat still for more than 10 mins, it was time to get some fresh air, so the end of December we headed out for our annual Turkey Basher trip, this time out from Silver Sands, past Inch Gnome and out to Oxcars for a wee play, then back to Inchcolm for lunch before heading back to have a quick dip in the bay. Great for working off excess chocolate!

Oxcars

Inchcolm Abbey

Can only be described as refreshing!


As for the house, it's great having the garage now rebuilt, somewhere cosy for the boats!

2017

Our next  escape from the painting was our New Years Day paddle out from  Pathhead on a beautiful cold, sunny day. Heading east past Dysart and stopping for nosh at West Wemyss before returning.

Passing the old Frances Mine

West Wemyss nosh stop

Big boats, little boats

Now that Christmas and New Year are over, we're back to creating more stoor! Upstairs this time

A tiny bit of space left, just for paddling kit!

Getting used to upheaval.

Time to escape again!
It's Loch Rannoch time again. Weather was a bit chilly, sometimes just too chilly for paddling!

But not too chilly for a swim!
From there we headed up to Thurso where we met up with Andy, Ansgar and Alice for a weekend of paddling. Due to the somewhat breezy conditions, we only had a short, eventful paddle near Dunnet Head

 Chilly put in

Blustery Pentland Firth

Back home, things are still stoory!

We brought in spring with a trip out to Loch Lomond where we were lucky enough to see the Wallaby again.

Group sailing

A lovely sunny trip, then back to a lovely sunny kitchen. It's been alot of work and dust, but the house is eventually beginning to take shape

How to destress my way!

Well, I have to say, it's absolutely ages since I have visited my blog! There have been various reasons for this, mainly, since retiring I have very little time to myself now!
The last few months have been a bit stressfull. Amongst other things we were wanting to do some alterations on our house, so set about getting an architect, well one that would actually do the work! Easier said than done. The plans were eventually drawn up and put in to the council, planning permission wasn't too bad to get, however getting a building warrant was a different ball game. Change of architect (the one that actually wanted the work!) eventually the warrant came through.
To keep sane during all this time, we found that locking the door, packing the car and going off paddling was the best destress we could get and as we seemed to have had more than our fair share of hassle, we have managed to probably have more than our fair share of paddling!
Since Orkney, I've managed to fit in my 4* OC training, not sure I'll ever be up to scratch for the assessment!

OC rescue practise

Next was a special paddle. I took the Kayakey Kid for his first sea "trip" in his own boat. He was delighted to be visited by a seal. 

A very happy Kayakey Kid

We've had a wonderful weekend paddling from Easdale, battling the currents, through the Corryvreckan, battling the wind, through the Cuan sounds, generally a bumpy, refreshing, but great time weekend!

The bridge over the Atlantic

It was an exhausting trip!

A weekend up on Skye doing rescue scenarios ended up with me only having half a set of spare splits - not happy! Tried to contact Celtic paddles to see if I could buy a replacement half, didn't even get a reply!

Me 'n' He having fun

Then there was the Scottish open canoe symposium up at Glenmore - more paddling up at Knockando, great weekend!

More OC rescues

More fun

Next we were up at Ratagan with the Lothian club, out round by Plockton, then a play down at Kylerhea. Another excellent weekend!

After the, we needed a wee warm up off in Florida. We did manage out in the Everglades for some paddling, however, there had been a lot of rain just before we arrived, as a result there were masses of hungry mozzies. We also managed to get a bit of diving down on the Keys with Turtles, Nurse shark, Barracuda, lots more. Fantastic holiday.

A couple of our paddling companions

Coming back from the lovely heat of Florida, we went straight up to be final sweepers for the Tay Descent. I have decided this is about the most soul destroying job of the Descent. We left after everyone, including the racers. We paddle the full course of 23 miles to make sure no one has been left behind or injured and never saw any other paddlers at all.

Glad to have finished!

It didn't seem long before we were now into the New Year which of course meant our New Year's day paddle. It was certainly breezy enough to blow away even the most stubborn of cobwebs, but good to be out again.

Our New Year's day jaunt

Out again on the 2nd, Inchcolm this time.

Still January, up at St Andrews this time where I managed to have a battle with a barnacle covered rock, the rock won!

February was pretty much taken up with our son's wedding, there are certain times even we don't go paddling!

Not a drysuit in sight! With No.3 Grandchild

In March we had a beautiful days paddling on Loch Lomond, stopped for lunch on Inchconnachan, spotted a Wallaby, then on to Luss for what else, but icecream!

Loch Lomond Wallaby

The following weekend was a SSKEG trip up on the Moray coast with Zoe. Big and bumpy conditions meant we couldn't get close in to the shoreline. Day 2 saw us having a great time with a surf session.

Into April with another SSKEG trip, our one this time, out to the May Isle, unfortunately a bit too early for the Puffins to have landed.

Rounding the May

Next weekend we had fun under the Forth Bridge playing in the faster flows with "An introduction to moving water" session.

Even more rescue practise!

The following weekend, we were back up at Ratagan, seeing the Leopard man's bothy, then stopping at Eilean Donan for icecream, where they thoughtfully put up a "wet floor" sign behind us!

Inside the Leopard man's bothy

Eilean Donan for ice cream

Still in April, we were up at Glenmore again for the CVC, this time I took up my river kayak and ended up on the middle Findhorn, then had a fabulous surf session the next day up at Sandend.

Time to warm up again, so off to Tenerife, no paddling, but we did get out diving, lots of Turtles and rays.

Me 'n' he again 

Going up!

So as you can see, we've had an extremely stressful few months! However, now that the building warrant has come through, the real stress begins! House has to be cleared again, quite how we have managed to fill it with so much junk already, I'll never know - we're never at home! At the end of May, the builders were starting. First off, walls were getting knocked down, so what did we do? We went paddling! This time to the Jersey seakayak symposium!