2014: Post 6 – Two more paddles under the bow

My last paddle for this winter occurred on March 2nd.  I had intended to post pics but just didn't seem to get to it.... Anyway, on that day Tony, Neville, and I paddled from St. Phillips to Topsail Beach.  We had had some cold weather then as you can tell by the pictures.....

After my last paddle I was ill for a couple weeks and then my non-kayaking life kept me off the water last weekend...

But today Tony and I decided to paddle out of St. Philips.  There was supposed to be higher wind and the intent was to just fool around near the cove in anticipated waves, but when we arrived the wind was low and so we pointed our bows toward Topsail Beach, taking our time as we poked along the shore.  

The shoreline was quite a contrast from just three weeks ago... most of the ice was gone and the air temperature made for a pleasant spring paddle...

There was some fun wave action along the shore in places (Tony was side-surfed into some rocks at one place).  Somewhere along the way Tony made a comment that Clyde would be sorry he missed this paddle; Clyde really loves getting in close to the shore when the water is active...

As is typical when we do this paddle, we took out at Topsail Beach for a little stretch before heading back. 

Within minutes of leaving Topsail Beach we could see a paddler coming toward us.  I could see the paddler working a Greenland paddle and went through the list of potentials... Just a little closer and we knew who it was...  Clyde had decided to join us after all, but had left St. Philips about forty-five minutes after we did... 

And so, with the wind picking up on the return leg, three kayaking amigos headed back to the cove...

At the nearby restaurant Clyde treated us to coffee over talk of politics, pensions, and future paddling plans...