Spring in the air
Sunday, February 10, 2008, 9 comments
Not one single day of winter (in the meteorological sense: a full day and night with average temp below 0° C) and now: spring with blazing sun and no wind. I launched at Salviken today for a little rolling practice and a short trip down the coast and back.
Didn´t join the club today – sometimes we have different preferences on time. I prefer starting at ten and be back to have some hours of afternoon left for other things. Some of them prefer sleeping late and starting at noon, which to me claims the whole day for what is only a couple of hours paddling.
Usually I am alone at sea this time of the year, despite fine weather. Along the waterfront and in the water are hordes of birdwatchers and fishers in waders, hundreds of meters out in the shallow waters. But this time i met another paddler as well – Eva, a novice paddler in a new VKV kayak and Kokatat drysuit – enjoying the first real spring day. We talked a while on weather, equipment, cold water safety, seals, paddle waters and kayak meetings etc.
And Eva! A little later the seal I mentioned turned up in front of my kayak. I tried to get a decent photo, but the seals lack of trust, quick movements under water and the slow shutter on my camera resulted in a number of pics showing empty waters. Just one pic showed the top of the just before disappearing.
Larger pic
During winter the bird protection area at Löddenäs is a nice place for a brake – sand beach where it is easy to land, dry weed absorbing heat from the sun and high wind breaking reed means a warm place where you always can avoid wind. Easy to spend half an hour with a cup of tea and something to eat.
A quick trip to Bjärred and back (a couple of miles) for a little workout, then some rolling practice in the shallow waters of Salviken before lifting the kayak back on the car. Home by one o'clock. First spring tour.
