"How It's Done"

 Approaching from two sides facilitates a swift recovery of a trapped victim. These guys were like Coast Gaurd Ice Breakers, that's a good thing.

"Weight Distribution"

 Good to distribute the weight of rescuers on your ice chunk so as not to constantly be saving yourself. Dah!

"Different Drysuits" SAR

 Search and Rescue dry suits are also about a thousand bucks a pop. They are not made of Gore-Tex but some coated nylon material with their own inside liner for warmth. Still must wear thermal underwear or similar underneath for added protection from elements. We were bobbing today during our training ice rescue sessions for about 2-3 hrs, with wind, snow, cold water and ice a plenty and a knowledgeable instructor who himself was once trapped under ice during a teaching session and who can well attest to the fact that if it should happen you try to swim for the dark hole when under ice not the bright one. We luckily didn't test that out today but we could see how easily it could happen in current and strong wind. Though we are not tethered here in a live situation you most certainly would be with an on shore or on ice partner controlling your safety line.

"Team Work"

 It's a given that for a lot of things to succeed you need "team work". Search and Rescue is definitely a teamwork endeavour. It is a reliance on each other's skills to achieve a comon objective. Today it was rescue the victim and get out of the water as quick as possible, even though we were in it for about 2 hours.

"Mall Bay"

 Mall Bay is a small bay just inside St. Mary's Bay on the South Western Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. To get there is a bit of a drive over some interesting dirt road but it is a great put-in for exploring the southern part of St. Mary's Bay. Had a nice paddle here last year from Mall Bay to Admiral's Beach about an 20km paddle for us on that day. Like most smaller bays in Newfoundland there is not much left in the way of habitation. Some of the buildings are showing the signs of weathering and neglect as the life blood, the fishery, recedes.

"Can't Wait....."

 Like a kid getting ready for summer break, I can't wait for the spring and summer surf days. As our weather starts to warm I am falsely misaligned to the true course of winter yet hopeful for the early arrival of something not necessarily better but different....like heat and spring.

"The Cliffs and Waters of Bell Island"

" The Baffin Bay Nudge"

 It looks like the bow of my kayak is giving the The Baffin Bay a bit of a nudge. The nice thing about taking pictures with a waterproof camera is that you can get some different perspectives at water level without fear of wrecking your camera. The trade-off of course is that a lot of times you are limited to automatic point and shoots, no manual settings per se, and an inability to apply different lenses to gain of course various depths of field, mags, etc. You can of course by an expensive camera and then spend the same price on water tight case which will probably fog up when you want to take the most coveted shot of your trip. So it appears most quests are a compromise and obtaining the most desired image no different.

"Winter Paddle"

More of my videos can be seen at YouTube type in "xm64842" that's my YouTube identity where I post some of my "shenanigans".

"Tire Toss"

 Well not actually . I found this tire underwater and reached in with only wool gloves on my hands to fetch it out. Within 3 minutes my hands became pretty much useless not to mention burning. I had enough function to open the truck door and start the engine to warm them up. I purposely done this of course to see how much time I would actually have to make good use of my hands if submerged......not very long at all. Forget about holding a paddle!

"Winter Dip"

Tony doing water exercises practising water angels not the bubbly kind but the ones akin to snow angels.

If I am going to boat in it I figured I might as well get a feel for what it would be like to be actually "In" it. The water is cold make no mistake. I could feel the coldness trying to get through my drysuit but dry it was, and buoyant with the trapped air and of course the PFD. Figured not bad for a February in Newfoundland. A storm just rages outside right now.

"Collier's Put-In"

 Tony lugging his boat over the crusty snow laden shore. I took the day of work to paddle in Collier's today and I must say ........it was worth every stroke.

"Tony At Rest"

 What can I say Tony you are the greatest of paddling companions. Thanks for the float today. Excellent subject matter too. LOL, LOL.

"Hard as Rock"

 Water frozen hard as rock.

"Wood Warmth"

 Nothing like a bit of wood to add a bit of warmth to the paddle. It was cool today but we were nice and toasty inside our drysuits. This retaining wall was lining the entrance to Marysvale, Newfoundland. Went hunting for an iceberg in this area last year. I thought it amazing how a ten story floating chunk of ice could hide but when you paddle in and around these coves you get an idea.

"Old Dock-Retaining Sea Wall"

 Gliding past this old dock into Marysvale you can't help but wonder how those days gone by were spent when this area was busier with the cod fishery. The crumbling docks and homes are all remnants of what once was but now providing a token glance of what one day may be again, maybe just in a different way. Tourismis ripe in Newfoundland and on days like this it makes me wonder where everyone is?

"Marysvale"

Just a neet little spot tucked in a cove and it is so quiet in here you can gear your heart beating as you glide into the shore hoping the pounding doesn't wake the shore people.

"Weathered Eye"

 What can I say, my eyes are looking weathered these days. *lol*

"Vanilla & Chocolate"

 I was getting so hungry at this point all I could think of was food and these frozen falls just tantalized the imagery. It was today and has been when we paddle, very beautiful to see these frozen shore waters as you glide by. There is always it seems something captivating on shore to entertain during your paddle and if you have any imagination well you can play lots of games inside your head.

"My Back Yard"

 Well not really my own back yard but some body's. When you paddle in Newfoundland, especially in small areas like Collier's, you can't help but feel that you are just traipsing through someones yard. Ya gotta love it though.

"A Couple of Baffins"

These trawlers have seen better days for sure but their rusted carcases are all that remains in Burke's Cove in Collier's Bay. The Baffin Run and The Baffin Bay. I guess dry dock would be an understatement.

"Ice Soup"

 Just a little bit of the Salinated Soup to pass through in Colliers on the way to the Take-out.

"Taking Out"

 If you're gonna put-in Tony you might as well take-out. Excellent end to an excellent paddle on Feb.17th, in Colliers, Newfoundland. We paddled about 20km today. The temp was about -5 celsius and no wind. Tony an I seem to get the calms before the storm. Actually we've been planning it that way. Big storm tomorrow with winds reaching 100km. We'll be looking at our pictures!

"From St. John's Bay"

As you approach downtown St. John's Newfoundland from The Bay you will be guided in through the channel by The Lighthouse at Fort Amherst on the south shore. Standing resolutely assisting the wayward boater. A beautiful beacon of security in a bay of turbulence.

Entering through the Narrows past Fort Amherst Light you will pass boats at more on the south side and houses , old salt boxes hugging Signal Hill at it's base on the North Shore. Their colors are bright and striking at first but soon lend a bit of warmth to what can most times be a foggy ,cool and dreary coast.There will be channel markers and lights to guide you through.

Once through The Narrows, and it is Narrow, however the biggest cruise liners in the world can take anchor in St. John's Harbour. Once you enter the harbour you are treated to the downtown core and the city opens up before your eyes and it is hard to believe on first approach that there is even a city tucked inside St. John's Bay past The Narrows that protects it's inner harbour.

"I Like Her Lines"

 Now every now and again I give her praise. I like her inside out and outside in. I love her fine lines and her ability to contrast and stand out. I like how she slides on the cold hard stones and how she rocks when she gets wet. I love crawling in and out of her but I love most how she makes me feel inside. I can't help but feel her smoothness with every stroke as she glides through the water. When she comes to rest it is then and only then that I realize she is mine. Though I like to control her I give her the respect she deserves and allow her to move and respond to my every whim. Sometimes, sometimes when she catches me off guard and flips me over, I love to roll back up on top and take control and once again enjoy her rhythm with mine as we harmonize to a cadence that is one with each other. When I give her the accessories she seems to crave we find balance in our desires and when those times arise when she needs to be tweaked she gets nothing but the best. She never seems to tire and is always available when I need and want her most. When those emotions prevail that can only be spent on her we seem to soak up each others strengths and use them to meld a fluid motion that only she can then push down her sides. That is when I love her lines, that is when she shines.

"The Bell Tolls"

 Unloaded on Bell Isalnd my kayak is ready for a trip around the Northeast side with Tony. It was just a spectacular day for this little jaunt and it is hard to believe that there is very little if any wind to contend with especially for Jan 31st. You can see the Bell Island Ferry plying the tickle in the distance. We took the ferry over today and for six bucks return you can't beat the worth of it.

"Frozen Shore"

 These spectacular frozen falls are typical of some of the frozen pieces of ice we encountered along our paddle around a small part of Bell Island Newfoundland on a Saturday afternoon on Jan.31st, 2009. It is hard to believe that as I type this I have shoveled 4 times already and the storm continues outside unabated. Amazing what one day can bring.