BaffinPaddler - http://baffinpaddler.blogspot.com

The power of the pose. You can strike a powerful yoga pose, or notice it in something else. It can create an opening. It opens a door. You'll have to step through that door to see what's next. This morning, I stepped outside 10 minutes before my yoga practice to have a look at the day and what it might bring. Before we step into a new space we normally look down to see what we might be stepping onto. I saw a toad sitting upright, enjoying a warm, dry spot on the stone patio. He was facing North. When I came back with my camera minutes later to capture his focused, meditative sitting pose, he stood up on all fours and held this fierce, confident pose for a long time. It reminded me of several yoga poses: Table top, Plank, and Up Dog. Then I realized it was his Warrier pose. I was in his space. I've never seen a toad do this before. Usually they just hop away or sit still when they realize you've spotted them. After my own morning yoga practice, I tu...

Here's a little kayak bite from me to contribute to the love of paddling. It's National Paddling Week in Canada from June 6-15 so it makes me think, "Do something with one of your kayaks!" If you can't find any organized paddling events in your area, you can create your own paddling event with the wind. It's often abundant and free! That's what we did at Lower Beverley Lake, from the Village of Delta, Ontario (Canada) when we had a forecast with a  25 km/h north wind blowing us south across the lake towards Lyndhurst Creek. But, it was the 40 km/h wind gusts  blowing behind us that gave us the surfing power. These conditions are my maximum for my smaller girl size, strength, and skills. It's a lot of fun to get a feel for kayak surfing on lakes in moderate conditions if you've got good surf sea kayaks, some decent paddling skills, and the proper gear. If you don't know what stern rudder is yet. . . and have no rescue or rolling skil...

For you kayak campers out there, here's an update on some good news in the 1000 Islands National Park (along the St. Lawrence River, Ontario, Canada). Remember the old days when you couldn't reserve any campsites on the islands and had to paddle out to a few, cross your fingers, and hope for the best? Times are not only changing for us, but improving. The number of campsites that can be reserved in the 1000 Islands National Park of Canada has increased to 36. You can now reserve a campsite on Beau Rivage, Camelot, Cedar, Milton, McDonald, Gordon, Georgina, East Grenadier, Central Grenadier, Aubrey and Mulcaster Islands, with the remaining 25 campsites still available on a first-come, first-serve basis. oTENTik accommodations on McDonald Island, Gordon Island and Mallorytown Landing (on the mainland) are also reservable, so you don't need to pack a tent! Now, let's wish for even more great news that generators will not be allowed on any camping islands! And,...

It wasn't my idea. The wind and the current of the Rivière Rouge (Red River) were pushing us towards this long, white, soft, sandy beach, so I agreed with my kayak,  "Hey, let's stop here." Why resist. There are so many sandy beaches along the shores of the  Rivière Rouge , I have trouble choosing which one to visit.  My kayak picked this one.  Seems my kayak not only has good timing, but also good taste. It picked the nicest stretch of beach along our route that day. A few minutes after landing on the beach, a big wind gust picked up and we had a sudden 5-minute sandstorm . Say what!  Then the wind fell quiet again. Thank you kayak. How did you know? After the surprising wind gust, we continued on our way with a little extra grit in our teeth. We were paddling against the current, launching from La Conception, Quebec heading upriver (NW-N) towards Labelle (about 15 minutes north of Tremblant , Quebec). There's about 20 kilometers (1...