More on that Flag Day paddle to the dance.

More photos on Flickr. Click here for the photo trip report!

I don't remember exactly when the idea for this trip first came up. I've been taking Monday night dance classes from Megan Downes, who used to be one of my dance teachers at the Irish Arts Center back when I was doing more set dancing, ever since that fun day last year when I went to the club to go for a stamina-check paddle (I was trying to build back up after reconstruction surgery) and found a hoedown going on out back at the club. I think we may have been talking about that one day after one of the Theater 80 classes (details here, beginners and all ages welcome), and then Megan was recollecting a time when there was an Irish music festival at Pier 63 in Chelsea, where I used to keep my boats; I'd gotten far enough out of the scene that I didn't know it was happening, and I'd gone out for a long paddle and come back to find all my friends from my Irish dance days dancing there, so I jumped out of my boat and into a set, still wearing my wetsuit. Most entertaining! That may have been what reminded Megan that the City Stompers summer schedule of dances in various parks in NYC was shaping up and that one of their locations was going to be at a park near the water in Broad Channel, which is in Jamaica Bay. "Wouldn't it be fun if...", she said.

I'm not sure she seriously thought that a Sebago contingent was going to come paddling up and leap out of our boats and into the dance - but Broad Channel is a quite reasonable 6 miles from Sebago if the most direct route is taken, and I thought that sounded like a lot of fun, and Lori, my Sebago clubmate who takes clogging lessons from Megan and was the one who brought the City Stompers to Sebago last year, thought it sounded like fun too; my only hesitation was that the event was on a work day, but hey, what's the use of summer if you can't take an afternoon to play hooky and go for a really great paddle, right?

OK, technically I took half a vacation day, but somehow it feels like more fun if I say I played hooky. Right?

Anyways, it was a gorgeous day, just about perfect for both paddling and dancing (which was extra nice since we'd had a few days in the 90's leading up to the 14th, the mini early heat wave broke just in time with a cold front coming through on Tuesday night) Lori and I were joined by two other friends, and it was a truly splendid afternoon and evening. The paddle over went almost exactly as I'd planned, except for the part where I second-guessed myself and decided to cut to the left of Ruffle Bar, taking a more direct route to Broad Channel, instead of to the right, following the boat channel -- I had looked at the chart and the tide tables for the day, I knew there was likely to be very little water in the Big Egg and Little Egg Marsh area, and yet somehow I convinced myself that I could see a clear channel between the two marshes that would let us go more directly...

d'oh...(click for entertaining detail)

Fortunately, between the little skim of water that was still there and all the slippery sea lettuce, we were able to slide the heavier boats across the area, while Luis just shouldered his carbon fiber Zegul and carried it, so it wasn't too bad, just kind of embarassing! This was actually a good reminder to replace my NY Harbor and Approaches waterproof chart, which I'd mislaid - mostly I know Jamaica Bay well enough by now that I can mostly paddle just about anywhere without having to look, but it would've come in handy. I went to West Marine after work today and now I'm set again. I also got a new set of Skyblazer flares to replace the expired ones, a 2017 Eldridge, and a float for my camera - now that's my kind of shopping trip!

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Other than that, it was just such a great afternoon and evening on the water, the music and dancing was great, and the sunset that was so breathtaking, it made me feel like the most fortunate person, to be able to do this and be out there on the water in the middle of the work week, surrounded by the sunset colors, with the sky reflected on the water, the way we were, right here in NYC.

There was one other thing that made me very happy about this day. I am pretty sure that at thirteen miles and change, this is the longest paddle that I've done since finishing up with breast cancer last year; I was pretty wiped out when I got back to the dock, did one of those utterly graceless rolls out of my boat and onto the dock, and on Thursday I was SO stiff - but I kept up with my friends, I was even out in front some, I wasn't winded, and my strokes felt like they were getting back to fluid and efficient. I felt good out there in a way that I just hadn't felt much since last year. I talked in the Hawai'i picnic post about being more patient with myself now than I was as a kid, and that's true, but after a certain point earlier this year, I was finding it very frustrating that I still felt so far from the paddler that I'd been before the medical stuff went down. This year's goal is to get more of that lost ground back; work's been crazy and I haven't been able to get out on the water as much as I was hoping to, but evidently I'm getting out enough for improvement to happen. Here's to keeping that going.

Flag Day Paddle

Four of us paddled from Canarsie to the Flag Day festivities in Broad Channel, did some square dancing with the City Stompers, and then paddled back to Canarsie. It was a great day, I didn't get any pictures of the dancing because I danced the whole time, but there will be more paddling pix of course, this is just a teaser. :) 

Annual Hawai'i Picnic, Governor's Island, NYC

Taking a break from my Colorado blogging today to share some photos from wonderful picnic for people who are from or interested in Hawai'i that Halawai, the local organization dedicated to sharing Hawaiian culture here in the "Apala Nui" (OK, I just made that up, nobody really calls the Big Apple the "Apala Nui", but if they did want to say it in Hawaiian, that's what it would be, I think), puts on every June. I've known about this potluck for years but didn't always attend, with this time of year generally being great for boating, I frequently got myself committed to something on the water before I remembered the picnic. However, after having had such a generally amazing time being part of the welcome committee for Hokule'a on the NYC stop of the Malama Honua voyage, and making so many friends among the local Hawaiian community, the picnic is now on my can't-miss list.

It was a horribly hot day on Sunday but the location on Governor's Island was cooled by the breezes off of the still-chilly water of New York Harbor, and the music, the dancing, and the fellowship of da 'aina was beautiful, the plumerias were fragrant, and the food? Onolicious, beyond compare!

My contribution to the table: butter mochi from Hawaiian Electric's Electric Kitchen. So easy, so yummy, was gone in an hour! 

And that's it for the writeup - here are the rest of the pictures from the day, click for a slideshow view. I forgot to take pictures of the food (d'oh!) but here are: a couple of hula halau (I'm bad, I should have gotten the names); the lei-making tent; a couple more halau; adorable little girls who asked to dance Lovely Hula Hands (keiki hula is the cutest!); the lei that I made (smells like home!); graduates of the latest Hawaiian language class through Halau ʻŌlelo; and then all the hula halau joining together in one big wonderful dance. Made me wish I could take hula again and join in - I did dance when I was a kid but I don't remember anything beyond a couple of first lines; I also wasn't very good and I also wasn't very patient with myself as a kid, I'm not sure I would be good now but 50 year old me is somewhat more understanding of the time it takes to do something than 15 year old me ever was. Just not sure where I would find the time, that's all!

Anyways, was good fun, enough wala'au, here's the pix!

Worlds Collide - and it was fun!

OK, this is a bit out of order here, I wanted to get the more photo-heavy events (the sail on the 10th and of course City of Water day last weekend) up, but now I'm bouncing back to July 9th, when my paddling and music hobbies collided in a most delightful and totally surprising way. I spent the morning lazing about at home but in the afternoon, I got motivated to go for a paddle -- I was thinking of being a trip leader for City of Water Day and I wanted to test how my stamina is coming along, and I'd thought that I would do that by repeating the paddle I'd done when I paddled to Dead Horse Bay to see Hokule'a. That's a paddle that under ordinary circumstances I would've knocked off without really thinking twice, but that was my first paddle after my reconstruction surgery.

I'd gone on my own and I'd made a comment on the original post about that maybe not being the brightest thing I'd ever done, but the one good thing about going on my own was that I was absolutely free to paddle at whatever pace I wanted to. I paddled a reasonably good clip going out but then on the way home I kinda ran out of steam - got home under my own power but man, I craaaaawled the last couple of miles.

I figured that doing that again and seeing if I held up a little better would be a good test for whether I was ready to be a trip leader again.

But then I got to the club and a clubmate asked if I was there for the hoedown. Hoedown? OK, I'd seen a few emails with the topic "hoedown" but hadn't looked at them because I'd assumed they were about the annual square dance at the ACA camp at Lake Sebago, and I just don't get up to the lake that much these days.

So I walked out back and there was Megan Downes, one of my set dance instructors from back in the 90's when I was doing Irish music and dance at about the same level of intensity as I now paddle! Another old friend from Irish music was there too, along with a lovely trio of old-timey musicians, and other members of the City Stompers, NYC's premier Appalachian clogging group. One of my clubmates dances with them and I'd actually been meaning to surprise Megan by turning up at a class sometime, but this was even better, we both got to be surprised!

All plans for paddling were scratched and I had an absolutely great time dancing - it was all square dancing, with Megan teaching the moves and calling the sets. Sound like fun? Check out the schedule on the City Stompers page I just linked to, they're doing a number of similar events here and there for the NYC Parks Department. Tons of fun!

And as a bonus, I have now gone to 2 set dance classes with Megan, and it seems that my feet have not forgotten quite everything.

I didn't get to take many pictures because we had just enough dancers for 2 squares if everybody danced every dance, but here were the 2 I did get:

And here's a bit of video with Megan and Kathy (one of the Stompers) doing some clogging!

Te Ori Manea Tahitian School of Dance

Aren't they splendid? Buying a ticket was a little bit of a gamble with work being the way it's been, but I made the gamble, it all worked out, and I'm so glad I was able to attend. Thank you to all the performers, to Halawai for organizing, and to the various sponsors for the wonderful food (the gentlemen from Noreetuh pulled out all the Hawaiian stops for this one, omg SO ono!)& drink. What a fantastic evening in honor of Hokule'a's journey!

December Dancers

VolvoTango dancers enjoy an atmospheric and unseasonably warm day at Pier 45. Really, can you picture a much New Yorky-er scene than this?

Hope everyone's been having a splendid and peaceful holiday season. Posting here has been somewhat interrupted by the delightful semi-surprise of having my sister turn up - we haven't seen each other in ages, and she'd run the idea of an NYC visit past me much earlier in the month, but it was dependent on plane fares dropping. I didn't have any big holiday plans (in fact since I'd had two fabulous tropical vacations this year, and had taken full advantage of my seniority at the office to take the last two weeks of the year off for the last couple of years, I'd volunteered to hold down the fort at work this time around, it's quiet here but at least one finance person needs to be around for emergency reporting and approvals and stuff), so I said it would be great to see her, but when I hadn't heard any updates for a couple of weeks, I'd just assumed it wasn't happening. Well, plane fares dropped late in the week before Christmas and she had to jump fast to get 'em, and I found out that she was on her way when she was literally on her way! She's been having a great visit, she's a good independent traveller, I've been joining her for sightseeing and fabulous meals (Gramercy Tavern! Pearl Oyster Bar! Bubby's! Castello Plan!) when I can and she's been amusing herself quite successfully when I couldn't. Sunday was a bit gloomy but warm, and we went for a walk in the Hudson River Park (among other places).

I was absolutely delighted when I heard the tango music and saw the dancers at the end of the pier, I have a couple of paddling friends who are regular tango dancers and sure enough, although one tango regular wasn't there because she was feeling a bit under the weather, it was great to run into Steve B. (one of the VolvoTango organizers) and Derek O. there! 

Nobody Shakes It Like The Polar Bears Shake It!!!

The rest of you Harlem Shakers, just lay down the funny hats, watch this, and bow to your betters! Let's hear it for the crazy and amazing Polar Bears of Coney Island and The Bronx. Faaaaabulous! Note on the 27th - Oh, and how appropriate that I've got dancing polar bears up on International Polar Bear Day. I'm changing the date of this post from yesterday to today. Happy Polar Bear Day to all!

Dancing Girls and Beauty Queens

One of my most favorite things about the Chinese New Year Parade - dancing, drumming, float-riding grandmas! Aren't they beautiful?

Click on the picture for a slideshow view.

Bring On The Dancing Bunnies

Alright...

It's snowing AGAIN.

Over in the Seals, Snow and Bigelow's comment thread, I'm getting argumentative over cheeseburgers and displaying my total ignorance of child rearing practices.

And I just whined about snow, to a guy in Vermont.

Bring on the dancing bunnies!

I was originally saving them for Lunar New Year (year of the rabbit, don'cha know?) but I think it's time NOW.

oh - PS for anyone coming in through Playak or random searches - this isn't just some random set of dancing bunnies I found on teh intertubes, the video is homemade, I just learned to do these last November & it's turned into something of a new hobby. This was only my second one without supervision, don't expect too much!

click "animation" in the labels at the bottom of this post if you'd like to see my first one & the one I participated in at a fantastic evening workshop run by the New York International Children's Film Festival - those will be the first few posts that come up (the rest are from people who actually know what they're doing). Just something I've been having a little fun with this winter.

Hudson River Pageant & Water Dance Of Boats - Gallery Done!

I had gone to see my friend Laurie performing in the Alice Farley-choreographed "Water Dance of Boats", the grand-finale of the Hudson River Pageant earlier in May - between that (which was extremely photogenic) and the Laser regatta I've just had way too many pictures to sort through & not enough time, but I finally finished the Hudson River Pageant gallery! Got the parade, got the Dance, and lots of backstage after-the-show shots!

From Hudson River Pageant

Thought I was actually going to have a nice little video after I figured out how to stick QuickTime clips together last night - I'd cobbled together six and a half minutes or so of parade & boat-dancing, then set my computer to work uploading my creation to YouTube, feeling ever so clever. Many many hours later, YouTube said "Here you go, Your Cleverness" - and it was only the first clip. Bah. So much for my dreams of becoming a video editor. Oh wait, that was never one of my dreams. Phew, what a relief!

I'm uploading the individual clips now. That should go better. In the meantime, enjoy the pix & have a very happy Memorial Day weekend!

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Manhattan's Chinatown, 1/26/08 - Members of the New York United Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe practice their moves (and keep warm) out on the sidewalk prior to a Lunar New Year performance at the Red Egg Restaurant.

Happy Year of the Ox!

Riverdance...fo' real!

I am really really excited about my paddling plans for next weekend.

I'm going to paddle to an Irish traditional dance, known as a ceili, at a beautiful open-air pavilion in a park at the foot of Palisades, where we'll be dancing the afternoon away to the music of a couple of a couple of really wonderful local Irish traditional musicians...

I've been thinking this would be cool ever since I first discovered that I'd actually gotten strong enough to paddle to Alpine, but since they only hold it twice a year, and I'm so busy during boating season, it's really tough to keep the day clear. But the musicians this year are Brian Conway and Felix Dolan and for set dancing, those two are hard to beat!

I'm so psyched...

OK. Am I a total nerd or what?

but really, if everything works out (which is not a given - just for starters, if I end up breaking all the BCU rules & going solo & there's too much traffic for me to cross safely, I'd give it up), it'll be really really neat. '

praying to weather gods...