Tag Archives: Kayacking

Craft Fairs, Kayaks, and Unexpected Discounts

13 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Family, Fishing, Kayaking, Life, Uncategorized

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It’s been a busy week, and I’ve finally been able to relax for a little bit. Tomorrow I’ve got a craft fair, and I’ve been working feverishly trying to finish several projects that I’ll be selling.

Back in November, I sold nearly everything I had at my last craft fair, which was great… except for the fact that I’ve been procrastinating ever since. The main reason? My workshop is in the garage, and my garage has been roughly the same temperature as a commercial freezer lately. There’s something about stepping into a cold garage and standing there for hours that makes procrastination seem like a perfectly reasonable life choice.

This will be my second year attending this particular craft event. I actually know the sister of the lady organizing it. Their organization is trying to raise funds to put lights on a Little League baseball field so kids can play at night, which is a pretty great cause.

Last year was their first year holding the event. Attendance was a little light, and I didn’t sell much. This year I’m hoping for a better turnout—especially since I actually have to pay a vendor fee.

Truth be told, the main reason I’m attending is that I went to high school with the organizer’s sister. So really, I’m treating it more like a charitable event. If I sell a lot, that’s great. If not, at least it’s supporting a good cause.

There are two more craft shows in the area that I might sign up for, depending on how tomorrow goes. If I sell a lot, I may skip them because my inventory will be pretty limited. As it stands, I’ve pretty much used up most of the materials I had on hand.

My next big event is on the 11th of next month, and I’ve been told there will be over 150 vendors selling their arts and crafts. That will likely be one of the largest craft fairs I’ll attend all year. I plan to take a couple of days off from making crafts once tomorrow’s event is over, but once my supplies come in, I’ll be back out in the garage working like a one-man production factory.

Next week should be interesting as well. One of my daughters is on Spring Break. She works for a large university and follows the same schedule as the students. Her big idea for the week is to go kayaking.

The only problem is that the places around here that offer river tours aren’t open yet. Most of them don’t start until after Easter or sometime in May.

So my wife and I decided to improvise.

We ordered a kayak from Walmart so the three of us could go kayaking at one of the places where I normally go fishing. I went to pick it up, and they brought the kayak out… but no paddle.

When I asked about it, the associate told me the paddle wasn’t included.

Now I’m not one to argue, but I had a pretty strong feeling that a kayak without a paddle is basically just a brightly colored floating chair. So I pulled up the online ad on my phone.

Not only did it clearly say the kayak came with a paddle, but it also showed that the price had dropped to $32, which was a bit shocking considering I had paid $200 the day before.

When I showed the associate, the first response was that it must be a misprint. After a short conversation with the manager, two things happened.

First, they found me a paddle.

Second, they refunded me the difference in price.

So not only did I leave with a kayak and a paddle, but I also left with a pretty substantial refund that I was not expecting when I walked into the store.

Next week, when we head out to the creek, my wife and daughter will be paddling around, enjoying the scenery. Meanwhile, I’ll be doing what I normally do when I’m near water—doing a little fishing and hoping I might catch a fish or two.

If I’m lucky, I’ll catch something.

If not, at least I’ll still have the story about the $200 kayak that turned into a $32 kayak with a free paddle.

And honestly, that might be the biggest catch of the week.

The One That Got Me (Not the Fish)

25 Saturday Oct 2025

Posted by in Fishing, Kayaking, Uncategorized

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Fishing season for me is quickly coming to an end. What makes it even shorter this year is that my truck is heading into the shop for repairs on the first Monday of November — and it’ll be gone for two or three weeks. That means I’ll have no way of hauling my kayak to the river.

The temperature isn’t doing me any favors either. I have chronic anemia and stay cold all the time. When the temperature drops below seventy degrees, I freeze. So between my truck and the chilly weather, my fishing days are numbered.

Every Saturday morning, I try to attend a one-hour Bible study at a local Methodist church. I hadn’t been for the last three weeks because of craft fairs I participated in, so I was looking forward to seeing some of the friends I’ve made over the years. But I also try to kayak-fish at least once a week — and I was desperate to squeeze in one last trip before the truck goes into the shop.

Yesterday, while waiting at the doctor’s office to have some cancer removed from my left arm, I decided to check the weather forecast and compare it with my schedule. Sunday was out — church and a meeting that afternoon. Here’s how the rest of the week looked:

  • Monday: Rain in the morning, winds 5–10 mph, temps 60/51
  • Tuesday: Cloudy, winds 5–10 mph, temps 63/51
  • Wednesday: Rain 90%, winds 10–15 mph, temps 57/45
  • Thursday: Mostly cloudy, winds 10–15 mph, temps 57/43
  • Friday: Mostly sunny, winds 10–15 mph, temps 61/39
  • Saturday: Partly cloudy, winds 5–10 mph, temps 66/44

If you kayak fish, you know wind speed is everything — your worst enemy on the water. Between the wind and the cold, every day looked rough. Tuesday seemed the best bet, but I had a meeting with my financial advisor that afternoon, and I didn’t want to rush the trip.

So, I made the decision: skip Bible study and hit the creek. The forecast called for a high of 79 by 2 p.m., with a low that morning of 57. Still a little cool for me, but with sunshine, I figured it would warm up nicely.

I met my good friend Rick at 6 a.m. My truck’s temperature gauge read 57 degrees as we pulled out. The creek’s about thirty minutes from my house, and as we got closer, I watched the temperature drop — 54, 50, 47… By the time we reached the boat launch, it was 43 degrees.

Now, I’m wearing shorts, a long-sleeve dry-fit shirt, and a lightweight waterproof jacket. The second I opened the door and stepped outside, I knew I’d made a mistake. But wait — it gets worse.

I unloaded all my gear, parked the truck so Rick could back in, and helped him launch his kayak. Then it was my turn. I positioned mine with the back floating and the front still on land. I straddled the kayak, sat down, and pushed myself into the creek.

My left leg went in fine. On the right side, though, I’ve got a depth finder mounted — something I’ve maneuvered around dozens of times before. But this time, as I tried to swing my right leg in, I felt the kayak start to list heavily to the left.

And over I went.

Cold water, 43 degrees, right at daybreak. I’m sure the fish got a good laugh out of it — I know Rick did.

Rick figured I’d want to pack everything up and go home, but this was my only shot at fishing before the truck went to the shop. Besides, I wasn’t that cold yet. I managed to gather up all my floating gear, climbed back into the kayak (a little more carefully this time), and finally got launched without any more drama.

I fished for about thirty minutes before the shivering started. That’s when I noticed something else — my phone was missing. I knew exactly where it was: sitting at the bottom of the creek in about four feet of water.

As the shivering got worse, Rick talked me into heading back to the launch. I conceded and paddled back to land. Once there, I spotted my phone — right where I thought it was, under four feet of creek water. It had been down there for over thirty minutes.

At first, I figured, “Why bother? It’s not going to work anyway.” But I decided to try. I waded out into the cold water, reached down for the phone… and promptly lost my balance. Down I went — again! The splash muddied up the water so badly I couldn’t even see the phone anymore.

Thankfully, Rick came to the rescue with his paddle and managed to fish it out. I picked it up, dripping wet, and hit the power button. To my surprise, the screen lit right up. The phone still worked!

Kudos to the maker of the phone case — it kept my phone completely dry

So, no fish, two dunks, one lost (and found) phone — and a story I won’t forget anytime soon.

Sometimes, the best days on the water aren’t about the catch. They’re about the laughs, the lessons, and the memories that come when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Life Updates: Weight Loss, Clyde, and Cold Mornings on the River

19 Sunday Oct 2025

Posted by in bariatric-surgery, Cancer, Diabetic, diet, Fishing, Kayaking, Leukemia, Nature, Pets, Weight Loss

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I know—it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything. Honestly, I don’t even remember what I wrote about last time, so forgive me if I repeat myself a bit.

My weight loss journey has finally leveled out—or at least I think it has. My original goal was 190 pounds, but I’ve actually surpassed that by almost 20. I weighed in this morning at 174 pounds and have been hovering there for several weeks now. That’s over a hundred pounds lost in total, which is still hard for me to wrap my head around sometimes. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at.

I don’t regret having the surgery one bit—if anything, I just wish I’d been able to do it sooner. That said, there are a few side effects I could do without. I get these hunger pains unlike anything I’ve ever felt before—sharp, deep aches around my stomach area that only fade after I eat. And since they removed my inflamed gallbladder during surgery, well, let’s just say I have to stay close to a restroom after meals. What goes in tends to come out quickly, and sometimes with little to no warning. Sometimes it’s 30 minutes, sometimes hours later—but when the tummy starts to rumble, it’s a do-or-die situation. I’ll let your imagination fill in the rest.

On a more personal note, my old buddy Clyde is still hanging in there. He’ll be 21 in January if he makes it that long. About a month ago, we found out he has a tumor on his liver. We don’t know if it’s cancerous, but because of his age, surgery isn’t an option. All we can do now is keep him comfortable and make sure his final days are filled with love. The vet couldn’t give us a timeframe, so we’re just taking things day by day. It’s tough to think about, and we’re trying to prepare ourselves mentally—but that’s easier said than done.

I’m still getting out on the river for some kayak fishing about once a week. I love it, but those 4 a.m. wake-up calls are brutal. I usually try to be on the water by sunrise to make the most of the day, and I’m typically done around 2 p.m. That’s a long stretch to be sitting in a kayak, but it’s peaceful out there.

As the temperatures drop, though, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep it up. I’m chronically anemic and stay cold most of the time. Anything below 76 degrees is jacket weather for me. In fact, my thermostat is set at 76, and I still wear a jacket indoors most days. I have a trip planned for this Thursday, but the forecast says 43 degrees in the morning. I can bundle up, but once it warms up, I’ll have to stash my jacket somewhere—and space is limited in a kayak. The front compartment is out of reach when I’m seated, so it’s always a bit of a puzzle.

But hey, that’s life. I’ll enjoy it while I can—cold mornings, creaky joints, and all.

I’m also going to try to stay more active on here, share a bit more often, and hopefully regain some of my old followers—and maybe even find a few new ones along the way.

Feel free to ask me anything about my gastric bypass journey, my buddy Clyde, or my fishing trips. I’d love to share what I’ve learned and experienced. And if you’ve gone through weight loss surgery, have a special pet, or just want to chat about your own hobbies, I’d really enjoy hearing about them too.