I left
Monday to set camp…I had been having direar for the week before due to nerves…this
does not mention not sleeping or eating very much- again due to nerves and
people plucking my nerves…the whole way across the state the Horizon kept coming
unroped- we even lost a foam block…it was 97 and OMG humid when we arrived in
St Augustine…
AnastasiaState Park is awesome…the rangers and vendors are very polite Mr. Crawford has a wonderful crew…they gave us
a campsite upfront…we saw gofer turtles walking down the street…as we set camp,
I thought Debby was in the truck and I climbed in the camper- she was under it…I
almost popped her little skull like a grape…thankfully, she was only bruised- I
felt like shit…
With camp set,
Debby and I went down to the beach…there was 6- 10 foot breakers…and these
beautiful looking electric blue things…looked kind of jelly like was beautiful
though)...Then it
started to storm…Betty’s camper tent was thin and started to leak…Debby and I
became Queens of the Duck tape mansion very quickly…this was really not how a
Girly Pirate needs to have it…at least the dent it Debby’s head had started to
fill in…It was time for bed…for me sleep was an elusive bitch…the very clean
rest room became my best friend (even though I kept breaking my knees on the
toilet paper holder)…I kept drinking fluid and tried to eat, but felt like
crapp…
Ranger Chris
was cool and took me to the drop…North Peninsula was full of Man of War with
10- 12 foot breakers…it was Chris’s recommendation that I use the Intercoastal
Waterway and he dropped me at Gamble Rodger’s State Park boat launch…I agreed and
he helped me put in the Horizon…one would never guess it connected to the ocean-
it was like glass…
The vibe
here is far different than the west coast- they do not seem used to kayakers…I
saw dolphins, manatee and many different fish…the birds seemed to be everywhere…the
Intercoastal is cut like ditch and The Blue Horizon had no problems…no trees
overhang here, so be sure to have sunblock- even thought of attaching some type
of umbrella as you get pounded by the sun…I was pounding water, but my head was
light- I ate a few nutrigrain bars…I pulled up on the beach and called Ranger
Chris…he told me of a landing and to call when I got there…I got another Lifewater
and climbed back in and began to paddle…I paddled for some distance and did not
see anything, but the occasional houseboat…a few motor boats who though it was
funny to speed up as they passed to leave me in a big wake- I can handle this,
but it is quite irksome…I heard a young man yell to me, so I paddled over (I
must have looked like hell)…he offered to help me off the water...I called
Ranger Chris and the man told him where I was…the man helped me with the
Horizon…I tipped up a Lifewater and chugged it…
Chris offered
to come get me- he was kind of surprised I had made it around 22 miles (I was
cutting 6 miles an hour with taking pics- this was very slow to me and I
wondered if I had kept my normal speed could I have made the 30)…he was telling
me of the garden he and his girlfriend had made…I was angry I had not made it
the 30 miles I had planned…I got to see parts of St Augustine that most do not
get to…hmmmmm…I was having a girly Pirate thought…could I salvage this…If so,
how…we were at the camp
I had an ice
cold outdoor shower awaited me, as this park has no indoor facility…Deb and I had altered
plans due to my being so ill…We had planned to drive to Lake Talbot State Park
and I would paddle the island…Debby felt safer with that idea…That night-
we will just say I was quite ill… the clinic doctor wanted to admit me and I
refused…Walter and Debby wanted me to go to my own doctor…I was exhausted,
dehydrated and hypoglycemic- all very serious…We started
home…I felt quite defeated…yeah, yeah, yeah…I tried…I hear ya…Debby then asked
me when I was going to retry…what retry???What kind of crazy shiz is this…it
was killing me to think of that much hard work down the drain…our altered plan
was quite cool…I just needed to add a few Girly Pirate touches…as the wheels of
my mind started spinning…I just needed to restructure the idea...I got home
and called the doctor…all disasters are the method of the higher power to grab
your attention…my mom is going in surgery for a blockage of her heart to be
removed…my best friend is having liver issues…at the moment I was needed at
home…
(8 foot breakers- taken from my yak)
I will be
going back out on June the 4th…due to health issues, some things
will change though…if you are worried, please understand I do not need to hear
it so I will no longer listen- a Girly Pirate went out the first inlet and
played in the waves…they were big and fun…also full of baby Man of War…I am too
old to camp the old school way…hotel room a must- toilet and shower required…OMG…that
is all I have to say…I will be stopping in 5 areas to Paddle…I will speak at
shelters’ in those areas…Debby will still drive…this way we will not be gone as
long…I have been shown many blueways that I would like to try…I will go to
Virginia Beach, VA…Ma, Me, NC, SC…
Paddling was
not the problem- lack of information was…if you have not noticed this is a
recon mission to obtain information…I will complete this full paddle next May…I
am not a professional paddler- just a woman with a great outlet and passion…I
am not proud- just stubborn…
Your Favorite Captain,
D
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