Too Far Gone

I have been asked ‘what if’ concerning The Sunshine Paddle…we are just under the 66 day point…this trip is about to happen… I have the bulk of the stuff we need bought…

I have been training and studying for this for more than a year…the help from so many souls made my job easier…I have always felt blessed…as you have watched on the Website it has not always been as easy, but with such a good cause as Sunrise of Pasco- it has always been worth it…the side effect is educating parents and children…how can that ever be a bad thing...

I foresee an adventure…one hopes it to be a happy one…13 states, 39 stops in 39 days (the day count depends on weather) via kayak…I am not running for office…It is my hope to bring attention to the amount of women disappearing or hurt or dead and how high those numbers are climbing…not to mention what is happening in front of children…we need to stop the violence…Many people have said they want things to change…so please help me change them

I need help……if you have family or friends along our route, please ask them to check us out if they have time…any help at this point would be great…I am trying to put together food and fuel…this is not easy as prices keep climbing…we are grateful for every penny…if you can manage to help I would be thankful…if you cannot help, maybe you know someone who can and could talk to them for me

At this moment you can mail us a check or money order made out to Sunshine Paddle…you can also donate through PayPal on the Sunshinepaddle.com…as of Tuesday afternoon you will be able to go to any Sun Trust Bank and donate directly to the Sunshine Paddle…all donations are tax deductable…

We appreciate your support in this endeavor:)

Thank you,

Captain D

Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest

Ahoy Mate,

The last week has had me deep in study…I am setting up maps and day bags for each stop along the journey…day bags contain all the information we have for each day (maps, pics, info, charts, etc…)…learning the coast from the land and the water has me feeling like a true Captain…I have also read ‘The CompleteSea Kayakers Handbook’ by Shelley Johnson recommended to me by Terry Brawley, cover to cover…great book, I would recommend for anyone who is thinking of doing any type of kayaking…well worth my time, packed with great information and ideas

I had to write more letters…this time to each Governor in every State along my route…I am not great at writing letters and sometimes it is hard to find the correct words…I have written and rewritten some letters up to 20 times…whether sent via snail mail or e-mail it is important to write some letters properly…in the personal world ‘BRB’ is okay, in a professional medium one must use full words

Walter completed the yak stand, so Yum Yum has her spot too…I was able to send Marilyn Lemay of MA some fabric…she can sew and will be making me some goodies for the trip…I am excited…we got an e-mail from Trish who received the books…Chris has been sending to the BBC and some Kayak/Canoe clubs in the UK…Monique still has a kayak in MA at an incredible price, please message her if interested…I stopped and spoke to the woman who owns ‘Attitudes’ in Wesley Chapel…she will soon be sending a care package to the Sunrise Shelter…she and the ladies who work for her have taken care of me and my twins for 10 years…they stay up to date on all the latest cuts and the pedicure has an awesome foot massage…

I have made it my resolve to call at least 3 school systems a week…some are really quick and some are covered in red tape…I keep reminding myself “the amount of kids who will benefit are worth the amount of crapp I have to wade through.”

The Blue Horizon is with the kayak doctors at Economy Tackle, I left her with Lee yesterday…I know they will be good to her…it is strange, but I seem to be having a slight twinge of separation anxiety…her spot seems so empty…

Walter and I rented a tandem ‘Wilderness’ Yak from ‘Siesta Key Bike andKayak’ and paddled around the ‘Neville Wildlife Reserve’…Lance brought our Yak down to the water with everything (PFD, paddle, map, etc…) and we were off…paddling in and out of mangrove tunnels was just too cool…mullet jump VERY high out of the water and birds everywhere…the water was shallow, clear and cold…we saw some other fish, but I am not sure what they were yet…the soil/sand seems quite fertile here…I saw many clam holes and much sea grass…great workout…We got to meet some people from Minnesota who were just Yakkin around too:)

Right over the sand dune from Lil Sarasota Bay is Turtle Beach on the gulf of Mexico…the last time I was here, we did not have time to stop…this time I made time…Walter and I were greeted by the most beautiful blue/green water and such a clean beach…so many different birds, beautiful shells and calm, clear water…so glad we stopped…

All hands on deck…this trip is being done solely on donations…if you have any boating or camping equipment in the garage or attic that you might could donate please call (813)907-6279…every penny helps, please feel free to donatethrough our website…we are always open to accepting positive thoughts too:)...we are thankful for all help

May your brightwork stay polished and your Bigwigs stay oblivious,

D

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sea-Kayakers-Handbook-ebook/dp/B002KCFICQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321907738&sr=8-2