Two of four canoes around the house. Why the wheelbarrow?
To the stop the dog from constantly peeing
on my canoe! Sigh!
I hope everyone has been keeping well. I've been MIA for quite some time, and I apologize to all of you that have patiently been waiting. Lots has happened since my last post, but unfortunately not in regards to canoeing. Since we moved into our new house prior to the wedding, we've had lots to do in order to get settled - which meant unpacking, hanging things, fixing stuff, endless cleaning, moving furniture, re-moving furniture, buying things, and returning things. Talking about returning things, I've never returned so much things in my life! Our main bathroom has had half a dozen mirror changes because it didn't look right, and even when we finally found the one, it had to be returned due to a crack in the frame! Go figure!
We've accomplished quite a bit, but there's still more to do. I've yet to unpack all my camping gear, which I confess to having too much of, so that is my winter project. I've already been instructed by my wife to unclutter/dispose of excess gear, which I agreed to do as well - sigh. (Shhhh, I counted 9 tents!) In any case, the important thing is to make sure I have everything arranged so that I am set to get back to tripping this year. I thought for sure I would be suffering a severe case of withdrawal from not paddling, but surprisingly, I've managed okay. I think it was only because there was so much to do, my mind was constantly occupied with what had to get done next. I have to say, it is really nice to have our own place, but it was quickly evident how much time, money and effort that goes towards owning a home. We are finally at a place where we are somewhat comfortable and can relax a bit. There is lots of projects still in the works, but for now they can take a number. I have the rest of the my life to deal with them. (Hopefully Anita misses this post!)
Funny enough, my wife has been on my case about working on the blog. Imagine that! (You can thank her for that.) She wants me to inform all of you that my absence from the blog has nothing to do with her, but rather my preoccupation with domestic things. Well, it's time for me to get back into it. I hear it all the time about how marriage can quite often change things from the status quo, which specifically means your hobbies or favourite past times, such as canoe trips. I can see how that can be to some degree, especially if children come into play. However, Anita was well aware of my inclinations and propensity towards paddling before we tied the knot, and she says, (so far) she doesn't have any intentions in changing that. I can't love her enough for that. (I know some of you are smirking! I'll let you know again in a few years.) In any case, it is great to be back and I look forward to sharing paddling stories with all of you!
Cheers,
David
PS. On a funny note, one of our neighbours made a remark about how many canoes were laying around the house.
Little do they know!
Many of you want to know about our canoe wedding and
how it turned out. That will be my next post!
Photo: Anice Wong
11 comments:
Welcome back we missed you.
Welcome back, and congratulations on the excellent wedding, loved the blog coverage.
AO - Thank you! Good to be back!
Fabian and Maria it wad great to see and talk to u at the sportsmanshow again congrats to u and Anita god bless. P.S. Maria is going back to swimming lessons to try to fight her fear of canoeing and thank for the suggestions.Hope to see u again Fab and Maria
Hey you two! Great to hear from you!
It was good seeing you both as well. I'm thrilled Maria is going to give it another try. I know you can do it! Good luck and let me know how it goes. All the best, David
Great to see some new posts to catch up on!
Thanks for sharing about the gear accumulation challenge. This for me is one of the main things I dread about getting into outdoor activities. I do less than I might otherwise want just to avoid accumulating so much stuff. Stuff that can cost a lot, takes up a lot of space and is used relatively infrequently.
But after reading about your 4 canoes and 9 tents, I feel better having only two tents and one canoe (for now...?) and can maybe use this as leverage to justify to myself and my wife getting more stuff?? It always hurts the most when you have to move.
Hi PV,
Good to hear from you! I was wondering if you were around.
Yeah, gear does pile up, but don't let that stop you. You don't want to regret not participating in an activity just based on that. Although, stuff like canoes, bikes, etc can be expensive. The good thing is, lots of gear can be used for multiple outdoor activities!
Cheers!
Good point. Gear is not really the main obstacle, it is mostly lack of time. I'm working on that though, by focusing on getting out on day trips (mostly hiking and bicycle touring for now) and maybe expand to short overnight trips. It's tough to find the time with a full-time job and kids.
Agree. Besides, having children is like having another full time job. Glad to hear you are juggling that as well as spending time outdoors!
Reading back on my own comments above (and discussing with my wife) I decided to some degree I'm just making excuses. Our kids are old enough that the workload at home is reducing to somewhat manageable levels (no more diaper changes, yay!).
So I've decided to splurge and finally get around to joining the local paddling club. Should be a fun year and hoping to enter winter hibernation next year with some improved paddling skills, and maybe another canoe... :-)
Thanks for hearing me out and taking time to moderate these comments. It's helped me process my thoughts on this.
Hey PV,
One of the main reasons I write this blog is to encourage others to get out, whether canoeing, or any other such outdoor activities. I have the fortunate opportunity to get out often, so the least I can do to give back is inspire others to do the same. If I've helped you in any way to take the next step, then it makes my efforts much more satisfying. It is a pleasure, and more so, I am equally grateful that I could do that.
All the best my friend,
tPP
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