Tag: Kayak

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Kayak Rose

Marinakayak Miles and I occasionally rent a kayak from the Berkeley Marina and paddle around the bay, to catch a little sun and see what we can see. A few months ago we put together a waterproof geocache in an Otterbox, with the intention of planting it somewhere that would be accessible only by boat. Finally got around to it today. Had our eye on the dilapidated end of an old pier (at left in the image above; circle on right is where we took off from). After working our way through 1.5′ swells and oncoming wind, finally made it out there and started exploring… only to find there was not a single nook or cranny we could stick the cache in (without standing up in the boat, anyway, which wouldn’t be safe for us or for future finders).

Kayakrose Gave up and headed back in. Middle of the bay, something pink floated by, strangely familiar. “Miles, it’s a rose!” I shouted. We turned the boat around and chased after it. Sure enough – a single, lonely red rose on a long thorny stem, bobbing in the waves. Scooped it up and brought it home to Mommy. Amazingly, it seems to be doing OK. But what was it doing out there? A memorial to someone, tossed into the sea? A flower from dinner aboard a yacht, blown from its vase? A conciliatory gesture from a boyfriend, thrown away by an unpacified woman? So strange.

Even when caching days don’t go as planned, seems like there’s always some strange magic.

Music: Cibelle :: Mad Man Song
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Kayak Adventure

Kayak Berkeley Miles and I lucked out today and discovered that the Cal Outdoor Club at the Berkeley Marina had public kayak rentals for the last day of the season. Absolutely perfect weather. Thought he’d get bored, but he was way into it. Spent an hour paddling around the Marina and ventured into SF Bay, then went under a long pier where we got to watch a 3-ft. leopard shark get pulled out of the water right in front of us by a fisherman up on the pier above. Wonderful vantage point to witness nature struggling with man.

After an hour, I asked, “Miles, should we go back to the dock or should I keep paddling?” Miles answered “I’m going to lay down on my back [and he did, gazing up at the sky]. Everything I see in the whole world is blue! You keep paddling, daddy.”

Miles Boathead Afterwards we went to the Adventure Playground, across the street – a park that the kids themselves get to build and paint – all scrap wood and old pianos and boats and bicycle parts, etc. If you’ve never seen a two year old wielding a hacksaw, you ain’t lived. More on adventure playgrounds.

Miles Skronkpiano Check Miles throwing down some way out skronk jazz, doing the Cecil Taylor thing on an abandoned piano. The sign reads “Do not hammer, stand, or paint on the piano!” (other pianos there are hammerable and paintable). Forgot to set the white balance on the camera so these came out all blue. Did my best to correct them, but they’re a bit noisy now. At home he was gazing out the living room window as the sun went down. “Already? I don’t want this day to end!”

Music: Kid Koala :: Nerdball