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!

Reflections

At the beginning of August I should have been starting a new chapter in my life. I was retiring - and looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the day I retired, my Mum was taken in to hospital, very unexpected and sadly did not recover. She always instilled in the family to live life to the full, which she herself had certainly done. She was a very independent lady and was still digging her own garden right up until the day before. I'd just like to say a big thank you to my "Paddling Pals" for putting up with me telling endless stories about adventures we had had as a family, I guess that's just my way of coping!

At the put in

 One of my first paddles afterwards was an evening trip in the open canoe, up to the Kelpies in Falkirk. The problem with this stretch of canal is there are so many locks, which means so many portages, not my favourite past time! Having got through all the football traffic, Rangers was playing Falkirk, we put in at the top of Bankside, further up was where most of the locks were, and had a gentle meander down the canal. After having paddled the Union canal, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and clear the water was on the Forth and Clyde canal. The brambles were just hanging, ready to be scoffed - so we did!

Feathery lock master

The first lock we came to had a feathery guard, a swan. When Hubby dear and I did the Glasgow to Edinburgh canal challenge a few years back, it was always held at nesting time (they must have seen sense and changed it). I can remember quite vividly the sound of a swan chasing us from behind, it's wings filling most of the width of the canal, I've always been a bit wary of them since! I'm glad to say, this one couldn't care less about us.

Approaching the Kelpies

It was only at the next lock, that the water started to get a bit "scummy" from the boats engines. We carried on down to the Kelpies, getting a magnificent view of them, they truly are a wonderful sight. We hauled the canoes out and had a good look around. It was lovely and peaceful (unlike when I took the Kayakey Kid to see them during school holidays). With the sun now going down, the Kelpies were glowing red.

Coffee time

After out coffee stop, we headed back up the canal, now in the dark. Thankfully we had had masses, or at least I had had masses of brambles on the way down. It was now so dark, I couldn't see anything. The A9 bridge we paddled under was all lit up in electric blue. We eventually made it back to the put in at about 10pm.

It was a lovely peaceful paddle, just what I needed.

July jollies

Following on with my montage of paddling, I’m now on July.

This should have been a fairly quiet start to the month paddling wise for me as I had been abandoned. Hubby dear was off for a wee jaunt round St Kilda – without me!!!

So what does an abandoned paddler do? Why go paddling of course! Tuesday evening was a loch session, Wednesday evening a sea session, Thursday was a beginners trip for LSKC out under the bridges, round and back again.

Dried my kit on Friday!

At the put in, Pitlochry

Saturday I had a lovely OC trip down the Lower Tummel from Pitlochry down to Ballinluig with Kirkcaldy Kayaker.  It was great getting 1 to 1 coaching, lots of ferry / reverse ferry gliding, setting and surfing and all in roasting sunshine, finished off with a large ice cream – yum!

Stand up paddle surfing

A St Kilda puffin

Hubby dear came home that evening complete with a puffin for me!

 

CWW waiting for high tide?

Simon going off the wall

Sploosh

CWW's turn

Next morning, we were off to Stanley for a wee play in the river boats. It’s a while since I’ve been out in the river boats, still it was good being out even if I was a bit wary as to whether the old roll was going to act up or not. A wee try at the beginning of the day worked well, whereas a wee try at the bottom of Thistlebrig worked, but not with such “flair!”

Taily time

Bow stalling

  Stanley one day, Bass rock the next!

Later in the month we had a lovely evening trip out past Inchcolm, on to Oxcars, then across to Inchmickery, where we sat drifting and watching the Puffins for a while – I can never get enough of Puffins!

The month was finished off with a lovely evening trip out from Kinghorn - we really have had some cracking weather this summer!

Extreme dressing, Young Trevor looking for a dunking or just being a boil in the bag?

Lots of sea urchins and starfish

Heading back to Kinghorn