Great experience yesterday with the LL Bean instructors, Don and Alex, intro to recreational kayaking.  We met by Lagoon Park side of Kershaw Park, got some instruction before getting in a “Calypso” kayak and trying out our paddling strokes. About a dozen of us headed under the bridge out into the lake.  Busy Sunday on the lake with motorboats, jet skis, etc.  We paddled our way across and around Squaw Island, back across the lake to the country club side. Alex and Don demonstrated how to roll, get back in the kayak with help or alone.  Thankfully we didn’t have to try those techniques but if one is going to be a serious kayaker, one should be able to do this.   I finally figured out how to get the waterproof camera to work and hope I got some shots out on the water of our group. Then back under the bridge and to figure out how to get out of the kayak without falling in the water. More instruction on land about carrying and storing kayaks.  Well done by all!  Learned something new yesterday!

Tried to sculpt head, hands and feet for this year’s Christmas angel card — using paper clay the way the fabulous Nancy Wiley does.  Definitely not getting it the way she can do it.  Thought “I’ve really screwed this up and have to throw it out” — but then a glimmer of hope came to me.  I’ll just try again tomorrow, learn from what I did wrong, make it better.  And instead of tossing out what I did, I’m going to use that to experiment with, maybe it can become some unusual creature like a brownie or pixie, maybe a goblin.  Something good can still come from it.  Not giving up yet.  Also floated some ideas around to further the angel concept I have sort of in my head.  Think the sculpting will help send me in the right direction.  Sorting out my studio space, I found some good fabrics to use.  And that was an accomplishment, too.  So it was a good day to NOT get mad and throw things!

Photographed the Eclipse Male Wood Duck at the city pier this morning.  He seems to be hanging out all alone, and he was close enough to get good photos of before he slipped behind some boats.  Photo edited out the dead fish floating around him in my best shots.  Another improvement made with skills I’ve learned.

So remember, don’t give up without an extra bit of effort sometimes.  (And a chilled glass of Simi chard at the end of the day doesn’t hurt either.)