CafeChatNoir

Wildlife sightings:
– Frog (on car windshield)
– Baby Praying Mantis
– Bunnies
– Lizards
– Deer
– Red Fox
– Water Moccasin eating an eel (in the same location where I put in the kayak today… I did well and it wasn’t 100% obvious that all I was doing was looking for snakes as we put in.)

The weather cooperated today and I hooked up w/ North Beach Dave today, went paddling for about an hour w/him out on the sound. Absolutely picture perfect weather for it. He was very happy to get away from managerial duties and play for a while. Decided on the one I want, and they had it in stock, so he could cut me a good deal on it. I am now the very happy owner of an Ocean Kayak Scrambler sit-on-top. It’s the same model I was using last fall, so I am pretty comfortable with it and know it handles well in chop from some of the outings last fall. In glassy water, you can get up some very good speed on it. I’ll be spending a good chunk of the next 5 days out on the sound. :-D

This is it, except mine is red:

I’m still having the same “problem” with North Beach that I have had in the past - it’s pretty much impossible for me to walk in there and not walk out with something… Last week it was a nice pair of North Face shorts - which I did desperately need as I was down to *one* pair of wearable shorts, and at the beach, I tend to wear shorts a lot more than at home, and I am having a hell of a time finding them in my size. (I’ve always been skinny, but now I am a full on freak of nature according to the fashion industry.) Then yesterday I popped in, mistakenly thinking Dave was working. Well, I had to stay a few minutes and look around… I managed to find the ONE pair of Royal Robbins capris they had in size 2, which someone had tried to hide at the back of the rack. Nice try, they’re MINE. Then there was the pretty yellow Columbia tank/cami…in my size. Winner. Then what is easily the softest t-shirt I’ve ever encountered - with all sorts of sports/wicking properties and such - let’s hear it for merino wool. Yes, I wore wool in the middle of summer today.

What can I say, I’m doing my best to keep a good local business afloat. :)

Much seafood has been consumed and will continue to be consumed over the next week.

And what I really love about being down here (among so many things) are the stars. You can see SO MANY of them.