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Grit That pit in your stomach...and moving past it. Life's challenges...and coming out the other side a stronger person. A speck of sand in the oyster...luminous pearl. I'm super excited about my next CT adventure!
I'll be kayaking with good friends in the Apalachicola area, well known for their oysters! So stay tuned for my next blog post! In the mean time, enjoy reading something I came across earlier this week, keeping in mind, what happens to that speck of sand. GRIT She is unshakable not because she doesn’t know pain or failure, but because she always pushes through. Because she always shows up and never gives up. Because she believes anything is possible no matter the odds. And perhaps what makes her beautiful has less to do with what lies upon the surface and more to do with what lies within. She isn’t just beautiful because of her appearance. No, she is beautiful because of the way she chooses to live and love. In the way she embraces all of life’s experiences — good or bad. In her willingness to bend but never break, and in her courage to believe that the darkness can’t hold her as long as she continues to create her own light. She is just like a pearl — made from grit but full of grace. She is unstoppable — she knows it's not what happens, but how she chooses to respond, with perseverance in her mind and passion in her heart. There are times when I sit back and reflect, often in amazement, how things have worked out in my life. From my jet fuel days, to this morning…there have been opportunities, that when recognized, become a recipe for something epic…If I chose. The World Is My Oyster.
My friends and kayaking compadres coerced me off the saltwater today. I told you about Brenda and Steve in a previous blog (Six Degrees of Separation), but to refresh your memory; Sense of humor & zeal for adventure like no others I have met before. Add to the recipe Brenda’s friends and cool science gurus Cindy & Charles, as expected, this kayak trip would be like no other.
If you would like some background music while your reading, click here. In Florida, we are now officially in hurricane season. I am retracing trips from last year, so blog post “My First CT Paddle” (5/5/2020) described cancelling the subsequent CT segments due to last years Hurricane Dorian.
Liz wanted to wrap up her work on documenting the Big Bend Paddling Trail, so with no additional hurricanes in sight, we quickly rescheduled our trip for September 27-28th, 2019. The Paddling Trail and CT segments for this trip consisted of Cedar Key to Turtle Creek (17 miles) including primitive camping, then Turtle Creek to Yankeetown (11 miles). #1: Thank you Steve Cournoyer for the awesome art work for the Blogs logo! I turn 60 this month! And I have a birthday wish…more on that after I fill you in on the paddling trail I have been doing and the great organization behind it!
My first official CT paddle was Aug 30, 2019, Shell Mound to Cedar Key, Florida. Visiting Cedar Key had been on my 'To Visit' list, so there was even more anticipation for this trip.
Cedar Key, Florida is a quaint 'Old Florida" town, rich in history, delicious seafood, and proud locals. In the late 1800's, it was a major port, primarily for the cedar logs and pencil industry. Cedar Key was originally located on Atsena Otie, a key (island) roughly a half mile away. In 1896 a major hurricane killed 31 people and destroyed the town. Atsena Otie was abandoned a few years later, with many residents relocating to the mainland, and what we know as Cedar Key today. Kayaking the CT During COVID-19 This blog is intended to share my CT kayaking adventures in chronological order. Considering our current world health situation, I am going to make an exception to my own rule.
What makes kayaking the CT fun is the different challenges it presents; Open water vs. intracoastal, tides, currents, weather/frontal systems...planning, water, food, primitive camping or a modest motel with a hot shower & bed. If that isn't enough, lets add a new ingredient to the existing recipe: COVID-19. |
AuthorDorsey DeMaster embraced kayaking after retiring from 38 years in aviation. She lives near Crystal River, Florida. Archives
August 2021
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