The Widow Badass Goes to School

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Retirement, Sea Kayaking52 Comments

Kayak school, that is! Last Saturday I partook in Basic Kayak Skills – a Paddle Canada course taught by the talented and friendly instructor Caroline Ross of Crosscurrents Kayak. Although I’ve been using a kayak for almost a decade, I’ve never had formal instruction in how to use one properly. In my former life in Ontario kayaking only in the flat waters of lakes and the Speed River, I could get away with this. But now, with so much ocean coastline to explore (and a brand new sea kayak), I decided it was time to get serious about improving my skills assuming I actually have any and my safety.

We started the day with on-shore instruction about the kayak itself and then it was time to head into our boats to learn and practice basic kayak strokes.

Practicing my reverse stroke. This and all subsequent photos taken by Caroline.
Working on a pivot turn. Notice the laser focus 😁

After lunch came instruction on how to make a controlled wet exit. Caroline led us through each of the actions we’d have to perform upside down and under water in order to let our companions know we were fine and going to free ourselves from our boats using the controlled wet exit process. I declined the profferred goggles and nose plugs, figuring if I capsized one day I wouldn’t be wearing them at the time so best to experience what that would be like.

Practicing the steps I will need to complete underwater in order to exit my boat.
Over I go!

And wouldn’t you know it – I got water up my nose and came up sputtering and coughing, but hey! I came UP!

The next item on the day’s agenda was to learn and practice the Assisted T Rescue. Something strange happened to me while Caroline was teaching this part – I began to panic. All I could see in my mind was a flashback to the Broken Islands Lodge: watching 2 young staff struggling (and failing) to get back into their kayaks from deep water while they practiced. Never mind that they weren’t doing what we were going to attempt – my mind was racing with thoughts like: I’ll never be able to get back in the boat; if those young people couldn’t do it, how could I possible do it?; I’m going to hold up the whole class; how do I get out of this?!?!?! Those of you who know me know I don’t panic easily, if at all. I was free-falling (in my mind) and I didn’t know how to get out of this spiral of negative thinking.

Thankfully, both Caroline and my rescue partner were so supportive and encouraging that I didn’t head back to shore in defeat retreat like I desperately wanted to, and instead successfully completed both parts of the rescue TWICE!

Playing the part of the “swimmer”. Hanging onto Jane’s boat in koala pose, while she empties the water out of my boat.
Attempting (successfully I might add 😊) my first heel hook re-entry, while Jane braces my kayak. This was the part I was most freaked out worried about.
All the way in and getting ready to turn around and re-seat myself.
Putting the spray skirt back on. Jane continues to brace until I am ready to accept my paddle back. What a feeling of relief and empowerment! Woohoo, I DID IT!!!
My turn to rescue Byron. I approach his boat.
I ask Byron if he is OK and let him know I have his boat and can accept his paddle (after which he can flip the boat over for me).
Byron is in koala pose on my boat and I can now empty his boat by raising it over mine and turning it upside down.
In the process of emptying his boat.
Bracing his boat as Byron is using the heel hook to re-enter.

I’m so happy that I was able to successfully complete this course and can’t thank my instructor Caroline and the rest of the participants enough. The instruction and support I received made all the difference and helped me to get past my sudden-onset bout of panic.

Now I’m excited to go for my Paddle Canada Level 1 Certification in 2024!

Have you ever been overcome with panicked thoughts, like I was? What did you do to get past it?

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Sign of Fall

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer33 Comments

Forget falling leaves, misty mornings and pumpkin spice lattes, here is the sure sign of fall around here:

Mommy came home from the store with a new toy for Bowser. It’s Hallowe’en themed!
And it’s delicious, apparently!
Another sign of fall – Bowser is using his doggy bed again.
New toy bliss!

We hope you are enjoying the last blissful days of summer (even though it is acting like fall already around here!).

Rock on,

The WB

What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – It Came From The Garden Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, Dragonfly Cottage Garden 2023, Gardening, What's On Your Plate36 Comments

Joanne and I returned from our fabulous trip to the west coast of the island (read about it here and here) to find this:

How do zucchini grow so fast in such a short time?!?! Rhetorical question – I know it is just their thing, to explode in size when your back is turned.

We decided to make a quick lunch, from this and other bounty from the garden. With the help of these and a can of pizza sauce:

Miracle product! Add a little pizza sauce, a little shredded mozzarella and you’ve got lunch!

I had made some quick refrigerator pickles from my pole bean bounty, before Joanne’s arrival.

And Joanne made a quick little zucchini salad using olive oil, vinegar, garlic…and oregano and chives from my garden.

Joanne’s plate – with an almost basic Margherita pizza (she added some shredded salami) – the basil came from my garden
My plate – basically the same except I added a cremini mushroom to my pizza and decided against the salami.
A quick and delicious al fresco lunch. With the clothes from our recent trip freshly laundered and drying in the background 🤭.

That’s it for me! And Donna is off hiking in Portugal with her husband, so no Link Party this month. She wrote about what was on her plate here before she abandoned me left.

Please let me know in the Comments what was on your plate this past month! As always, I look forward to them.

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – You Old Sea Dog

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer22 Comments

Last weekend Bowser’s daddy wanted to try to snag a salmon at Rocky Point. Of course we all came along for the fun moral support.

Bowser is already scheming how to get to Daddy, once he’s let off the leash.
It wasn’t long before someone was splashing around on the rocks.
Bowser like to run back and forth between Daddy and Mommy (and Oma).
It’s a giant head on a couple of toothpicks! 🤣
Unfortunately the only thing Daddy caught was a sea star, that I forgot to snap a picture of.
Who’s a happy ol’ sea dog?

We hope you have some fun in the sun (and water) on this long Labour Day weekend!

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Clean Rug

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer30 Comments

I have one of those washable Ruggable rugs in my kitchen. Because it’s doing its job (and very well, I might add), I need to throw it into the washing machine from time to time. It always comes out beautiful. So beautiful in fact, that someone needs to claim it before I can completely unroll it onto the grippy undermat.

Thanks, Oma…it’s nice and warm from drying in the sun.
Why are you making those funny faces, Oma?
Is there a problem, Oma? I kinda feel from your face that there is.

And I thought cats were the only ones to pull this kinda shit do this sort of thing…

Rock on,

The WB

Kayaking/Glamping with Blogging Friends – Part 2

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Badassery, Good Times, Retirement, Sea Kayaking, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery47 Comments

As mentioned previously, Joanne and I were invited to partake in a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip by Jude. This happened the first weekend in August and we had a blast! Other than us 3 (who knew each other through blogging and are now fast friends), there were 5 others on the trip – all friends of Jude, who knew her from her academic life. Those folks, and our two fabulous guides made a contingent of 10 kayakers on this adventure.

Our two amazing guides from Majestic Ocean Kayaking: Jeff and the aptly named Marina! Learned so much from them. 💕

Captain Gary dropped us, the kayaks and all of our gear off at Moon Snail Beach on Dodd Island.

Moon snail on its namesake beach.
We each received a laminated map of the area, to carry with us while kayaking. X marks the spot we were dropped off (and later picked up) at Moon Snail Beach on Dodds Island. In the upper right (under Crawford Lake) is the location of the Broken Islands Lodge. Broken line indicates Captain Gary picking us up at the lodge and depositing us on Moon Snail Beach for our last day of kayaking.
Joanne and I in all of our kayaking gear (including spray skirt). I think Jude took this picture of us.
One of our first stops, at the tiniest of the Tiny Islands. That’s Marina (L) and Joanne (R) in the shot.
Joanne in her trusty boat (with Jude in the background).
Eventually we made it to our cozy, comfy lodge for the next 2 nights. Where we were amply fed and watered. Our boats in the foreground, awaiting tomorrow’s adventure.
Apres kayak. View from my Muskoka chair.
A young black bear came to forage at the lodge’s beach every morning.
Our mornings started out calm and foggy.
But soon enough, the fog lifted to reveal stunning views.
We took many breaks, allowing us to explore different islands and their beaches.
Jude and Joanne (and one of Jude’s friends) relaxing during one of our lunch breaks on yet another island.
Guide Jeff made sure we made it to Willis Island, to experience a giant cedar tree growing there. Jude in front of it.
I used panorama mode to try to capture the whole tree (and Joanne) in this shot.
I think I took this shot just before we headed into the roughest waters experienced yet, on this trip. On the last day. Some of our group were quite shook up by this experience (especially the newbies). Guide Jeff had said it was nothing we couldn’t handle, so I felt quite safe and enjoyed being tossed on the waves. Was I too stupid to be scared?
I used my happy-birthday-to-me new GoPro camera to take some video and GoPro made me a short highlight reel. Yay!!!
The clouds and fog started rolling in on the afternoon of the last day, and it was perfect timing to load the kayaks (and ourselves) back on the boat and head “home”: to Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet.

And I wasn’t home too many days before this happened. Many thanks to our guide Jeff for giving me great advice on what type of sea kayak to look into.

Meet “Libelle” (lee bell uh). Dutch word for dragonfly.

I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride on this fabulous adventure of mine (and Joanne’s and Jude’s). It was challenging and thrilling and contemplative and awe-inspiring and, and, and….it was a wonderful experience that I feel so grateful and privileged to have been a part of.

Rock on,

The WB

Kayaking/Glamping with Blogging Friends – Part 1

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Badassery, Good Times, Retirement, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery41 Comments

It all started last January, when Jude casually mentioned in a Zoom call that she was booking a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip in the Broken Islands for August with some friends and would I like to join their party? WOULD I?!? Is the Pope Catholic? Do bears poop in the woods? And most importantly: is it OK if I ask Joanne if she wants to join us?

The answer to all of the above was a resounding YES! (And a resounding HELL YES! came from Joanne as well 🤭.) Who immediately started researching flights to the island.

We had to be at Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet the night before, to get sized for our wetsuits and lifejackets so that meant booking an overnight stay in town.

Actually, we could not find a hotel, resort, AirBnB etc., that would allow us to book only one night so we had no other choice but to book for 3 nights at the Black Rock Resort. As one does.

It was quite the hardship 😉, but we screwed up our courage and made the best of it (including starting our visit with a trip to the Drift Spa, visiting the Ucluelet Aquarium, noshing at the iconic Tacofino, AND enjoying the most delightful restaurant meal I’ve ever experienced at Pluvio). Making lemonade out of lemons, ya know? 😜

Morning view from our balcony
Full moon view from the balcony (right before I scared Joanne to death as she independently decided to ALSO step out on the balcony at 2 am 😂).
We brought provisions to sustain us.
We explored the local trails…
View from the Wild Pacific Trail as the fog was lifting.
Joanne snapped this beauty from the side of the road in Ucluelet.
We visited the beaches.

We made friends with the locals:

And then (in a heartbeat, or so it seemed), our time at the resort was over…and we were departing for the Broken Islands.

All of our group’s gear on the tarp, waiting to be loaded onto the boat.

To be continued…

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Heat Wave

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer29 Comments

This past week brought high temperatures to our usually moderate coastal climate. But it didn’t stop us from heading to the creek for some fun and exploration…we adjusted our schedule to leave the house even earlier, before the sun got too high in the sky.

And I made sure we spent a lot of time cooling off by trudging through what remains of the creek.

Bowser’s mommy sent me this shot of Bowser, post-walk 🤣. Same girl, same 😉

The following day: rinse and repeat!

What a life!

We hope you stay cool, explore and relax this weekend.

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Oma Is Away, Again

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer21 Comments

Bowser here. Oma is away again on another of her vacations. Mommy says she is on the west coast of the island, doing some broken kayaking….no, wait…kayaking around the Broken Islands.

So I am a bit lonely for her. But I have the rest of my pack taking me on adventures (take that, Oma!) so that is helping a lot.

Helping the pack fish and catch crabs at Roberts Memorial Park. I was here before, when I was a young pup – see this post.

I hope you are helping your pack out this weekend.

Rock on,

The Bowz 🐾

p.s. Mommy says Oma probably doesn’t have internet or even cell coverage (whatever those things are) where she is, so she won’t be able to reply to any comments for a couple of days.