Hope Your Fourth Was Independent

Rockaway, B138 and the Ocean with Flag
Independence Day, 2008

Kayaking Update, Nan Melville, Photographer

Just an update on the fireworks of July 4th on the East River!

We had professional photograph, Nan Melville, kayak with us at the fireworks. The Long Island City Community Boathouse posted a link to one of the photographs that she took of us while the fireworks were in progress. Amazing! (There's a few more photographs here.)

From the LIC Community Boathouse website, a little more regarding the event:

In addition to the boathouse volunteers, we hosted harbor guests. One was Tim Gamble, a longtime officer at the pioneering Dowtown Boathouse (they really got the free paddling movement going in NYC!) and recent co-founder of the Red Hook Boaters, a great paddling group affiliated through the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club. Another notable was Craig Kandell, who is a volunteer illustrator for the boathouse and a marathon swimmer with the Manhattan Island Foundation.

Some revelers stayed on the highground of the eco-arts and recreation center that John and Erik are assembling with Plaxall's help. After all, that's also where the food was. BBQ for carnivores and vegans alike. Other ventured out onto the East River aboard our kayaks!

It was spectacular. The waters were swept over with washes of color than rarely paused. The skyline began to bow to the fireworks as the flashes outshown lighted towers and smoke blanketed and smothered them. Several paddlers remarked that they'd never felt so near to fireworks this grand.

The LIC Community Boathouse is fortunate to have a launch on Anable Basin, which is literally yards north of the Coast Guard's holiday restricted zone. With lights, marine radios, and close coordination, we safely paddled out to see the show in a wide gap between the anchored pleasure craft. We scurried back before the traditional post-fireworks horn blowing was done. We also kept steady communication with the fireboats, police boats, and Coast Guard runabouts that were amply deployed.

I'm very happy to have found the Boathouse through my friend, John. I expect to be volunteering a lot to not only get the opportunity to ride the waters of New York, but to help the NYC community reconnect to our waterfronts. We are looking for sponsors for boats and if you feel like donating money or time or boats, please feel free.

Oh, and don't forget to come on over and kayak with us, too!

July 4th Kayaking on the East River

On a Kayak, East River Near Queens, Looking Toward Roosevelt Island and Manhattan, July 4, 2006

Lately, I've been doing something that I've dreamed about for the last ten years: kayaking on the rivers of New York City. In over 20 years of being in New York on and off, I'm one of many millions of New Yorkers who have looked longingly toward the water, either with desire to be in it, on it, or far away from it!

I was very lucky indeed to be on the water during the July 4th fireworks. Being out there in a small boat, with many gigantic boats, and watching the works together was a 4th I won't long forget. I'm very happy that I was able to do it and very happy that things are such in my life right now that I can enjoy the rivers of New York. It's good to be alive.

I took a few photos, but a moving boat and fireworks don't really go well... but it's kinda funky... I kinda like it...

On a Kayak, East River, Near Roosevelt Island, July 4, 2006

Do You Think She's Trying to Tell Me Something?

I wish the photograph were better, but I was in a rush trying to catch Paikea Renee Esme sticking her tongue out at me. OK, she's really not sticking her tongue out AT me... she does this all the time. It's the cutest thing ever... though sometimes it reminds me of when Zanzibar died. The meds relaxed her so much that her tongue was hanging out and I had to ask the vet to put it back in. Ack. Believe me, it's much cuter from a cat that's alive!

Anyhoo.... I haven't been posting much as things have been a bit busy with projects I'm not finishing. Ack. I also have been doing some neat stuff such as kayaking, and watching my friends prance around as French MerMaids and Salty Seaman at the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Somewhere along the line I obtained a cold from all the damned rain we've been having, and this weekend I went to Rockaway Beach to celebrate the holidays early.

The Atlantic was lovely! The first day I didn't go in because of my cold, but I stayed overnight and couldn't resist a dip on the second day. It only exacerbated my impending ear infection, and a few hours later I felt as if an elephant were stomping on my eardrum. But I woke up today feeling a bit better.

Well, I wish I had more to say, but the world is still crap, the World Cup is still going on, and there's still a day free from work to be had today.

Have an excellent 4th of July, everyone!