My weight loss has been kind of off and on lately, two pounds off, one pound back on . . . Not that I had been really trying all that hard. I talked a lot about it, but my actual efforts were half-hearted. I think boredom had begun to set in and I found myself exercising less and less. I love to hike, but it’s been so hot and humid this summer that I haven’t even done much of that.

That all changed when my son (Cliff) and I tried kayaking. I previously blogged about how much fun we had and how we were looking forward to going again. Well, last Tuesday Cliff, Jeremy (my younger son), Rosa (Jeremy’s girlfriend) and I went kayaking on the very lazy, meandering, Dan River for Cliff’s birthday.

We had fun, kind of, sort of. Okay, it actually went like this. Put kayaks in water, paddle, paddle, paddle. Hit rocks, scoot, scoot, scoot. Give up, step out of kayak, pull across the rocks, get back in kayak, laugh at others still stuck on rocks, paddle, paddle, paddle. Repeat. That was most of the 3.5 hours we were out there. There were a few fun spots where there was actually enough water in the river and enough riffles (very mild) to enjoy it. One spot was enough fun that we would go through it, pull the kayaks back up river and go through it again. We did that several times. Okay, we were desperate! There was also the issue of the kayaks themselves. Cliff described them best as “bathtubs.” They were large and cumbersome, hard to control (even in the extremely calm water), and Jeremy’s was cracked and leaked the entire way so he had to stop about every 30 minutes to drain the water out of it. The oars were very heavy also, but at least my upper body got a great workout just paddling with these weights.


On the banks of the Dan River getting ready to go.


Jeremy after coming out of a small rapid.


Cliff enjoying an area where there was actually some water.

Still we had fun and it was a good trip because I learned two important things. First, never, ever, ever go back kayaking on the Dan River, at least not in the area where we were. There just wasn’t enough water. Second, I really want my own kayak, a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100. This is what I used on the New River and I absolutely loved it. Cliff ordered him a new kayak for his birthday and it is supposed to be delivered next week. I’m sure we’ll be going out very soon afterwards so he can try it out. We’re also planning to go back to the New River again in a couple of weeks.

So, that’s where one of my new goals and an additional motivation to lose weight comes in. I made a deal with myself and Cliff that when I lose twenty pounds I will order my new kayak, hopefully for my birthday in late September. I’ve been getting up early every morning and going out walking, lifting some weights every other day, tracking everything I eat, drinking at least eight glasses of water every day and also riding my exercise bike when watching TV. I’ve already lost 4.6 pounds so I’m almost one-fourth of the way there.


This is the kayak that I want for my birthday. Gotta lose that weight!!


Changing subjects, I took Thor out for a walk this morning and saw this gigantic moth laying eggs on my aloe plant. I had to run inside and get my camera to take pics to share because it was so cool looking.








Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Keep working toward your goals and together we can do this!!