I’m pouting today.
I should have been out paddling today on some beautiful little river in cottage country. Instead I’m stuck in the city in the stinky heat – currently 36C (97F) with the humidity. Yeah, yeah, I know … that’s a mild day for you southerners, but I consider it hell.
The weather guessers have been predicting rain and thunderstorms for days, but we’re still waiting. In fact some rain would be a good thing if it actually fell … but it hasn’t.
The organizer of today’s paddle (with the Seniors’ Club I belong to) decided to cancel due to a risk of thunderstorms. I appreciate he was exercising a great deal of caution but even I could see from the radar that we weren’t going to be seeing any kind of inclement weather until much later this evening. Maybe.
… and so I sit in my air conditioned house, pouting, dreaming about where I’d rather be …
If he was the leader of this week’s paddle, I doubt he would have cancelled. Just saying.
Maybe next week …
My Life Lived Full 
Ugghh…the heat this year has been crazy. Every time you share your paddling photos it makes me really want to get out and kayak!! Many of the paddles around here are pretty long so I’ve needed a less oppressive day of sun for my fair skin! Soon!
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I’ve taken to wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sun sleeves. I’ve never liked the feel of the sun on my skin so the sleeves have been a great find for me. When I feel like I’m getting too hot, I splash water on the sleeves to cool down. They’ve worked wonders!
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We were recently in Toronto (a Celebration of Life) and the oppressive heat is draining. Norm, the 92 year old leader is inspirational. The water looks clear, calm, inviting. I especially like the photo of Norm and the grasses/reeds in the background. Definitely, next week, Joanne!
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Oh yuck! Were you here during that week of horrible heat and humidity?! It is oppressive and just takes all the life out of me. I feel so badly for anyone who has to work in it or doesn’t have AC.
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I don’t know whether it was “the” week, although a reminder how I like a breeze and more temperate climate:)
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Amen to a more temperate climate. This heat and humidity is draining.
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Fingers crossed for next week Joanne. My guess is a seniors group might be a bit more cautious in making these decisions than if everyone is 20? That might be a bit broad sweeping. At any rate fabulous photos of the previous outing. Paddle on girlfriend.
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I found out this week the logic behind the cancellation.
The river we were going to be paddling on apparently doesn’t have a safe shoreline that we could quickly exit to if the weather suddenly turned. If a storm did blow in, we would be stranded on the water. Knowing this, I now appreciate the extreme caution.
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Oh that makes sense Joanne. It would have been good if they could have shared that information straight away.
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It wasn’t the leader who shared the information. It was someone I was cycling with yesterday who had been to this location before and was familiar with the river.
As it turned out, a few people went anyway and had a great time. I wish I had known that. I would have gone too.
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36° is getting up there for me
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I much prefer temperatures quite a bit lower than that – like mid-20s.
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Thunderstorms are extremely unpredictable and so I think your leader was right to cancel but sitting in an air-conditioned house on a hot day can be depressing. Of course, you could be sitting in a house without air-conditioning!
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I talked to someone else today who was supposed to take that trip and now I understand the logic of the decision.
Apparently on this particular river there is no safe place to beach if the weather suddenly turned bad. We would have been sitting ducks on the water. The extreme caution now makes sense.
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Paddling seems to be great fun. Thank You showing these lovely photos.
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I’m new to the sport and I love it!
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Hope the weather clears up for you because that looks like a beautiful way to spend the day.
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My hiking partner once said any day spent outdoors is a good day. I’ve come to realize the wisdom in those words.
However, a day spent on or near water on a hot day is just about perfect 🙂
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It is what I miss most living in such a densly, crowded city. Not much nature here!!
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Getting out in nature is how I keep my sanity 😏
I am lucky because Toronto is actually a very green city. Without even leaving the city, there are many parks and ravines to escape to where it’s easy to feel like you’re far away from the hustle and bustle.
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That’s how it was in Sydney, where I am from. Not only did we have beautiful beaches and parks, it really wasn’t so far to be right out in nature and feel away from it all…. not so much like that in Ho Chi Minh City!
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I can feel your pain; the photos show just what a lovely day you could have had. Sorry about the bummer decision to cancel. Oh, and…. Norm is 92?!?! Wow! I want to be Norm when I grow up!
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I agree with you – maintaining Norm’s level of vitality as I age is definitely a goal I hope to achieve.
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You couldn’t go paddling solo? Or take the other half? 😦 I need a beach when temps top 30C, if not before! That’s what we did today and it was 27 with a beautiful breeze. 🙂 🙂
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Unfortunately I can’t handle getting my boat off and on the car by myself – and within my circle of friends, I don’t have anyone to go with me. I’ve been unable to convince Husband that this is a great way to spend a few hours on a summer’s day. He is stubbornly resisting it 😕
It was Norm who actually planted a potential solution for me. He has a racking system on his car that enables him to handle his kayak solo because it’s on a lift that drops the boat down to waist level.
The system is pretty pricey and I’m trying to figure out a way to buy one.
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Husbands can be a bit of a killjoy at times. Have to love em 😆😆💕
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They most certainly are … although to balance the scales somewhat, I’m confident Gilles would say the same thing about me and my reluctance to go anywhere where there might be large crowds. He loves the hustle, bustle, and noise of crowds while it makes my stress level max out 😏
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We are chalk and cheese so I know the feeling 💕
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Would love to be a member of that club. Paddling is obviously the secret for a long, healthy life!
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It certainly doesn’t hurt!
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When I grow up, I want to be like Norm!
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I’m trying my best – staying active and trying to keep my body flexible.
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What an extraordinary group you have, Joanne! I’m wowed. I probably wouldn’t fit into the canoe, even if I had the nerve to try. Thanks for taking us along on this paddle down memory la– lake. 🙂 Hugs on the wing.
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One of the things I learned while shopping for a kayak is that they aren’t one-size-fits-all, and there are different types depending on the type of water you’ll be on.
Without exception though, the biggest challenge with any kayak is getting out!
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Last week’s paddle looked lovely, but Norm doesn’t look 92!! Wowza, I want to live that long and be as active!
I’m sorry you were stuck indoors this week. I hope the heatwave breaks and the rain falls to cool y’all down.
We’ll be in the low 90’s all week, but in the afternoon we get a nice breeze that helps.
There’s a couple down the street our age that are in a kayaking group that meets on Friday nights to paddle down Carson River. They stop for a wine and picnic dinner break then paddle on. They keep inviting us, but we’ve yet to get He-Man kayak lessons. We have to do that!
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That kayaking group sounds like fun. We stop for a lunch picnic along the shore somewhere but there’s no wine involved. I like that other group’s version better 🙂
I’ve done it with Helen where we’ve carried a couple of cans of beer with an ice pack in our backpacks and stopped for a drink on the trail, but I don’t know how this Club would react if I did that on their outings. Report me to the Board? I’m on the Board 🙂
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LOL! Well, then you could suggest a picnic dinner paddle with wine or not as an option. Karen my neighbor did say she has to limit herself to one wee glass because she’s not a strong paddler and fears being too fuzzy might make her tipsy in more ways than one while kayaking! LOL! Me too! 🍷😀
I brought up the subject again to He-Man and found a tour/class in Tahoe. We’re planning to go next week! Fingers crossed! I’d like to try Paddle boarding while he kayaks…we’ll see.
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I wouldn’t mind trying paddle boarding too someday. It looks like fun but I suspect I’d be doing a lot of swimming 😉
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Me too, no doubt! It’s probably harder than it looks too.
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Let me know how you make out!
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Will do!
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What?!? Norm looks way younger than 92!! Looks like it was so much fun. I don’t blame you for pouting when you were expecting to be on the river. If its any consolation it’s stinking hot here too. Global warming impacting everyone, everywhere.
Peta
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Norm appears to have the lucky combination of good genes and right lifestyle.
I’m over my pout, it’s a new day and finally raining outside … although the weather guessers are saying it will only make things more humid. Yay {she says sarcastically}
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Maybe you should have rung up Norm to see if he was game to paddle today?
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Ha! Yeah 🙂
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That looks like fun. Do you wear mosquito repellent? I can imagine losing about a pint of blood, on those waters.
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Nope – no mosquitos or other biters. I’ve been eaten alive on golf courses (which is why I always carry repellent in my golf bag) but not on the water … yet. hmmm – maybe I should make a point of always carrying repellent with me just in case.
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Hi, Joanne – I don’t blame you for wanting to be on the water. My fingers are crossed for you that there are no further cancellations next week.
Oh, and when you see Norm again, you can let him know that one of your blog fans said he looks 30 years younger than his actual age!
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I’ll have to share the comments with Norm. He’s a very soft-spoken humble man. I can’t predict whether he’d be pleased or embarrassed by the attention. I’m guessing the latter 😏
Like the cold and snow in the winter, the heat and humidity of summer can play havoc with outdoor plans. I’m already looking at the extreme heat alerts for later this week (predicted to be in the mid 40s) and questioning the wisdom of my plans.
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I would have walked around with blown-up cheeks too if I had missed out on so much fun!
Norm must be lying about his age though – he doesn’t look a day over 60!
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I’ve only recently come to know Norm a little. He’s been a fixture at the Club for a great many years and is deeply respected by everyone – for good reason. He has a quiet humble wisdom about him and continues to lead many outings. If ever there was a poster child for an active lifestyle, Norm would be it.
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He’s a wonderful inspiration!
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It might have been a hot paddle, Joanne…predicted to get to 100 degrees F this weekend in NH! Yikes!
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We too are expecting temperatures well north of 100F by the end of the week. I’m already starting to cancel plans. It’s much too hot for me 😕
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I feel your pain!
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I assume your forecast looks the same as ours and it will be unbearably hot by the end of the week 😕
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Yep, we have had a couple of good days – below 100, but mostly it is just HOT! We just heard last night that the green algae blooms are starting up again in the river, so no kayaking for me anytime soon.
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That’s too bad. Why no kayaking though? Is it just nasty or unhealthy?
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97/36 is hot anywhere. It was a frequent temp in Georgia, but no less hot. Here, only maybe 20 days are that hot, but still too hot. I wouldn’t mind paddling today, myself. Mostly rain here though. Went from 87 to 76 though, so that’s a bit better 🙂 I was not in the mood to work today. I would have rather read and napped. Gloomy hot Tuesday, who needs it?!
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Reading and napping sounds like a great way to spend an overly hot day.
This week is only going to get hotter so maybe I should heed your advice!
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Oh yeah, it’s HAWT here now. Gonna get hotter and hotter and *cries* fall is so far! Thank goodness for ac and fruit 😛
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Amen to both!
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Sorry you are stuck indoors. What wonderful fun you had last time. 92? amazing!!
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I think it felt worse because I was all ready to go. If I had known last night, I would have slept in this morning and had a completely different start to the day.
Oh well – there will be a next time 🙂
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I’m sorry for your woes. Pouting seems like the prudent course considering the situation. Of course, a glass of nicely chilled wine could only serve to enhance your pout. Take it to the next level.
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Yes – you read my mind. A nice chilled glass of white was perfect 🙂
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I hope by now you have stopped pouting by now and enjoyed a glass of wine or two in the air conditioning. If not, you should. Add some chocolate and you’re good to go until the next paddling adventure.
Your photos are lovely, looks like a nice, calm, peaceful area. It’s so wonderful to be out in nature with a group of like-minded friends.
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It is the best! … and I consider myself very lucky to be able to do these things.
And yes, there was both chocolate and wine involved today 😆
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Here’s hoping for clear (cooler) skies next week.
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I’ll drink to that! 🙂
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My BFF had a torrential downfall in Burlington around 1, four inches of rain fell. Nothing here in Toronto until 4:15 on Front St. poured for all of maybe five minutes.
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Up here on the east end, north of the 401 the sky got really dark, there was some rumbling and a few sprinkles. That was it. Then it was gone.
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Actually, that is pretty damn hot!!! It’s only 93 in Houston today. It’s not supposed to be that hot up there! Hope things cool off for you soon.
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Actually our summers are pretty hot and humid. This is normal … we just like complaining about it 😉
Our weather is actually quite extreme – from broiling in the summer to deep freeze in the winter.
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There are senior groups, and then there are SENIOR GROUPS. I think I would like this one. Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun, just not today. Hotter than hades here too. 🙂 And, I laughed out loud at your, weather guessers, because that is for sure what they are. it’s almost as funny as the AccuWeather app that tries to tell you how many minutes it is or isn’t going to rain. 🙂 Hope next week is cooler and dryer. 🙂
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We get such extremes of temperatures and I don’t like the extremes at all. Unfortunately it’s only going to get worse as the week progresses 😕
These are a great bunch of people – energetic, enthusiastic, fun to be with. I’m lucky to have found them!
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A paddle club? How cool! (or it would be if you were actually out paddling!) Maybe next week. That oldster is hot. I bet the old biddies are after him!
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He’s married 🙂
The Seniors’ Club I belong to is an outdoor club that does everything from hiking, cycling, paddling in the summer to skiing/snowshoeing, hiking, skating in the winter. There are activities at least twice a week all year round. These people are hard-core! 🙂
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Greetings from the swamp on the Rideau. I’m with you – there’s no better place to be than in a kayak on a hot summer day quietly slicing through the water and enjoying the paddles backsplash.
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Kayaking on the Rideau is on my wish list of things I’d really like to do someday!
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Its raining here, I would send it to you if I could! Sorry you didn’t get to paddle, does look like a fun thing to do! Hopefully soon you can be back at it!
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A short while ago the skies suddenly got very dark, we had a few rumbles and a light little sprinkle … then it was gone.
Someone got it. We didn’t. Sigh.
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🙁🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧 there you go!
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Ahhh – refreshing 🙂
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😊😊
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Holey moley – 92!!! I would have said 62 (only because I know it is a seniors group), looking at the picture. Why don’t I look 30 years younger when you take MY picture…hmmmm?!?!?! Wait, don’t answer that. 🙂
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I know. Even in person he doesn’t look anywhere near 92.
Knowing how much I struggle to get out of a kayak (and let’s not even consider doing it with any kind of grace), I’m in awe of watching him!!
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I would always rather be in my air conditioned house. When we go on an escapade, you go paddling and I’ll make sure nobody steals your barstool. It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.
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That’s mighty generous of you! … because we both know that the barstool is the next stop after a few hours spent outdoors 😉
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92! He looks wonderful.
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Doesn’t he, though! Something to aspire to.
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Yucky and humid up here, too – thankfully, a few degrees cooler, and a good breeze – sorry your plans were cancelled.
Norm is 92? Astonishing. Ask him what his secret is. If he says paddling, I’m going to have to seriously consider breaking my policy of two feet planted firmly on the ground.
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I am so amazed at the energy these seniors have and Norm is exceptional! If you’ve ever tried to get out of a kayak you know it can be humiliating … especially if you end up ass-over-teakettle in the water. I would be so lucky to be able to get in and out of a kayak if I ever reach his age!!!
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I know what you are going through Joanne it’s hot and sticky out here on Long Island also or as we refer to it as swamp ass 🤣🤣🤣
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I’m not a fan of humidity … and yes, swampy is a good way of describing how the air feels!
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Definitely got your happy face on here! 36C and humid is not my ideal either. My only visit to Toronto was in the month of August and I was quite shocked at how sticky it was! Hoping you get the showers out of the way soon and can enjoy mooching around on the river again. 🛶
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It’s all a question of location. If I was on a lake somewhere, I wouldn’t be complaining about the weather 😉
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