It's a conspiracy...

I was all set for a trip with a local canoe and kayaking group (Apalachee Canoe and Kayak Club...no link, they don't have a website) set for 8:30 today from the Wakulla River to St. Marks, stopping at the Riverside Cafe for lunch. I was excited to go since I wasn't able to get out last weekend and it would be cool to see a part of the Wakulla I haven't seen and to meet a group of like minded people. Another reason is I had a closing Friday (I'm a Realtor) and wanted to take a few hours to have fun.
So, Friday morning, even though the weather reports say it is going to be storming with severe thunderstorms by 8am Saturday, I go to The Wilderness Way and rent a Wilderness system Pungo 120 for the trip.

I did this for several reasons. The first is that I really want a one person kayak. I have demoed this one and it was really nice but I wanted to go on a longer trip and see if there was a dramatic difference between this kayak and the Perception Acadia II that I own. If there isn't, I'll stick with the kayak I have and enjoy the extra storage.

The second reason is I didn't want to meet this group and then spend the entire morning flailing around in my kayak like I'm having a seizure while trying to get an aggresive beaver out of my boat. This is otherwise called (by me) paddling my kayak down the river.

However, Friday evening, I got a call from the trip planner, understandably cancelling the trip. This is the forecast for earlier this morning and this evening:


Saturday: Periods of showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Some of the storms could be severe, with damaging winds. High near 82. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to between 15 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Saturday Night: Periods of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Some of the storms could be severe, with damaging winds. Low around 61. West wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Of course, when I woke up, it hadn't rained a drop and the skies were only slightly overcast. But, instead of brushing my teeth, kissing the wife and kids and heading out for a paddle anywhere, I figured the storm was probably only minutes away.

8am: Look at the campmobile with the Pungo strapped to the roof. Glance at the sky, note there is only a faint breeze.

8:10am: My son wakes up. I spend the next few minutes sitting with him, looking out the window at the Pungo, strapped to the roof of the campmobile.

8:30am: Wife and stepdaughter get up. They silently pray for rain so they won't have to listen to me all day complaining about not being able to go out in the boat.

8:40am: Wife makes an excellent breakfast. I'm still glancing out the window at the Pungo strapped onto the Pungo strapped onto the roof of the campmobile. The sky is still cloudy, there is still no breeze to speak of and I'm still expecting torrential downpours at any minute.

9am: The Pungo is still strapped onto the campmobile. There is still no wind or rain. I am getting grumpier.

10:30am: Wife and stepdaughter deicde they really need to go to the store for birdfeed. Birdfeed. Really.

12:30pm: Son finally gets tired of me moping and goes to sleep.

12:45pm: The wife and stepdaughter come home. I am still sitting in the living room, with the Pungo strapped to the roof of the campmobile framed by the bay window. I have now developed a serious dislike of weather forecasters.

1pm: Check on the Paddling.net forums and see trip reports from people in New England and worse, out enjoying the weather and paddling til they die of sheer exhaustion and happiness.

2pm: It starts to sprinkle.

2:30 pm: It finally rains enough that I wouldn't be very comfortable out on the water.

2:35pm: Lightning and thunder start.

Bah!

But, on a brighter note, I called The Wilderness Way and they graciously told me to keep the Pungo (which is still strapped on top of the campmobile) for an extra day. Good shop, there.

Tune in tomorrow.... either for a happy post about paddling in the beautiful Florida Panhandle or a post much like this one.