A Taste of the Sea - 19/4/2008

The National Kayak School and Tiso's put on a variety of paddlesports courses during the fairer (and I use the "er" loosely) months. Brian and I signed up for a one day sea kayaking taster. The course was set up as a full day on the water preceded by a lot of blah blah blah the night before. I hope they didn't expect us to remember all (or even most) of it.

One of our instructors was Brian's kayak instructor from the month before, John. He had a co-instructor, Carol, since our group was so big (8 paddlers) and a fleet of boats for us to choose from. Because of the wind, we went to a place just along from Rosyth called Limekilns. It was their best guess for the most shelter from easterly and northeasterly force 4 winds, with occasional gusts to force 5.

We tried the boats on the beach first. Brian liked the cheap one, a Dagger Charleston. I had more expensive taste, preferring the smaller of the two glass Nigel Dennis boats.

We paddled around a bit in the harbour and got a good sense for the wind. Aggressive, even in the sheltered parts. Eventually, we parked the boats on a quickly shrinking island and enjoyed a quick stretch and boat swap. I picked one of the mid range plastic boats. It had a rudder which was fun to play with but made steering not much of a challenge. They gave us skills to try, especially lots of wide turns. I don't remember any of the other students names from the course, but the first to go over was the guy who tried the other glass boat. It had plenty of secondary stability, but that doesn't mean a lot to a beginner. The wind got him sideways and he kept going. Another beginner ended up in the water soon after. Similar sequence of events. Without the wind, the swims would have been much less likely.

Lunch stop was followed by boat swap #3. I tried Brian's favourite boat. It was short, fat and stable. For the reasons he liked it, I didn't. It felt sluggish and barge-like. I appreciated sluggish and barge-like as we tried some wide turns into the open channel. The wind helped finish the turns and surprisingly everyone stayed in their boats.

We tried a few turns like that before we paddled with the wind back to our starting beach. I never really found my comfort zone in the open current. The waves would surf me forward and I got used to that. The little and sometimes not so little pulls back were another matter. Didn't like those, didn't get used to them. Fat and barge-like was much appreciated. The woman who was in my favourite boat ended up in the water and was the only deep water rescue demonstration of the day. Not that any of us were close enough to really see what happened. We landed at the starting beach and they pretty much turned us loose to try whatever boats we liked.

Brian never liked the big version of my favourite boat, and I could see why. It felt tippier than the other one, mostly because it just felt too big. I didn't stay in it very long. I tried the other cheap boat, a Perception something or other, and found that one ok to paddle but extremely uncomfortable to sit in. It felt like it was made for the 6' tall 200lb club.

At the end of the course, the instructors demonstrated rescues on land and we were given the opportunity to try them in the water. The response was uniform: thanks but no thanks. Maybe when summer rolls around. I want a warm rock or a warm beach to crawl onto if it all goes wrong.

So, sea kayaking doesn't feel normal just yet, but after a full day in a proper boat, I'm farther along to enjoying it. More practice should do it.

Our instructors tried to find the least windy spot for our course. The sheltered parts were nice, but rare.

The first boat Brian tried was his favourite.

Traffic Jam

Historic Scotland free weekend - 13/4/2008

The day after Kathryn and George got married, Brian and I took a leisurely start to the day and headed north to Stirling Castle. Historic Scotland had their annual free weekend, so we got in for free just in time for a guided tour. The tour lasted about half an hour and told us many things about Stirling's history and importance, most of which I forgot. I do remember that Stirling Castle figures importantly into Scotland's history for centuries and it used to all be a golden colour, not just the Great Hall. We left constructive but not overly positive comments about the cafe on our way out. Next stop was Blackness Castle, since our last visit was less than dry. In terms of running around like a five year old, Blackness Castle was far more fun than Stirling Castle. Brian and I played tag, otherwise known as who can annoy the other one more.

The view Northwest from Stirling Castle.

Brian looks fetching atop Blackness Castle.

George and Kathryn got married - 12/4/2008

George and Kathryn's wedding was my first Scottish wedding as a guest. All sorts of fun ensued, including skirted boyfriend (whose muppetry was corrected by Fraser), wedding ceilidh, lots of hats and too many cameras. Neil's photos are far more vast and entertaining than mine.

George and Kathryn got married.

My boyfriend's skirt was shorter than mine.

Brian rocked the big poofy sombrero.

I swiped a dagger from a nearby sock. Apparently, in days of old, the job of the best man and his entourage (now called "ushers") was to fend off any attacks on the groom, and everybody attended the wedding with weaponry.

Alicia could tell Neil was jealous.

Mind Over Matter: A Return to Glentress - 5/4/2008

Back to the scene of the crime. Months and months ago, I set a goal for myself to go back to Glentress by the time the one year anniversary of my argument with the jumps course rolled around. Saturday, Brian and I went. No big groups or big announcements. I didn't want the fuss and, knowing that it would be a long slog to the top, I didn't want to slow anybody down. There's plenty of time to get faster. I wanted to get the anxiety out of my system.

We took a leisurely morning and as a consequence, the not so nice weather was with us by the time we arrived. We cycled up the hill at the pace I expected. Slow. Steady. I'll get there eventually. Hail one minute, sun the next, more hail the next minute, etc. I cycled past the scene of the crime, and kept cycling. The first little taster trail would give me an idea if I would be up for the rest. Plenty of people cycled past me, but I had the satisfaction of passing someone who had passed me only to walk a few minutes later. I'll get there eventually.

Hail is interesting here. Not always furious pelting of large bits of ice. Periodically throughout the cycle, hail fell like snow and accumulated in the grass beside the trail.

Anxiety and I had our first words on the taster section. I went first but sent Brian past me soon after. His howling brakes were not doing my composure any favours. I didn't have any real problems, physically. Twists and turns did what they were supposed to do. The change from climb to descent gave my back a rest. Then I came to the one interesting hairpin that had a couple of women strewn along the downhill below it. I wasn't ready. I Flintstones stopped and let a couple of guys past me while I figured out how to walk the next few steps. That hairpin really isn't a big deal. It's the falling away beside it that makes it look more serious. In reality, I already ran it by the time I stopped completely. Next time. I rode past the girls eventually and had no real problems the rest of the way. Mind over matter.

More climbing followed. And kept following. My mind played tricks on me, but I argued back. Brian cycled ahead. Sometimes I saw him, sometimes I didn't. I watched him have to walk a few tricky bits and yelled "Ha!" at the trail when I didn't have to. It helped with the anxiety. We reached the top and the same guys we had been passing and being passed by were waiting beside Brian. I have to admit feeling a bit out of place with the shiny bike, no clipless pedals, a fanny pack with water and a boyfriend cycling partner riding a bike with no suspension and a pannier bag attached.

The descent from Spooky Wood was another that helped purge the anxiety from my system. I zoomed ever so slowly past the tabletops and around the bends. It felt good to be back, even though everything made me nervous. Again Brian started behind me and again his squealing brakes made me not want him there. Ahead he went and I plodded along at happily slow pace. I met him at the bottom and we continued to the next track. And the next track. Some point fairly soon into the big descents, Brian burned through his brakes and added another challenge to his day. No suspension, not enough gears, not always functioning gears and now no brakes. I made him go first on each track and told him to not be stupid. If it got too hard to control the bike, there would be ways out. But I hoped we wouldn't have to bail. It felt good getting right with Glentress, even if I wasn't setting any speed records.

At one point, we stopped so Brian could attempt to fix his bike. Sadly, the rock and the stick he used as tools didn't seem to do much. He kept cycling and I kept sending him out front.

The end came sooner than I expected, though my body was tired enough for it to arrive. The wet conditions meant we took some of the trail home with us. I remembered a change of clothes but not clean shoes. Brian forgot clean trousers and clean shoes, so we shopped in Peebles for new trousers for him on our way south to Moffat.

We arrived to Moffat within the timeframe Brian expected. Joy's food was wonderful, the warm indoors was welcome and the alcohol meant when my head hit the pillow, the sleep was good.

Filthy Brian

The last drop just rolled away like I had never left.