4th of July - Camping, Deer Babies, Wake Boarding

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We have had a new resident. Actually there several new residents. A deer decided to have her kids in the back yard. They are here often. I can see them from my Zoom Room, so I apologize if I seem a little distracted sometimes when I am on a video call. We went canoeing and camping in South Carolina. We were exploring without a lot of planning, so you get what you expect- adventure and discovery. We stopped by the Tallulah Gorge lookout. When I rode my motorcycle through the area in the early 80's, I vowed I would come back. And I have come back-- again. I ate my traditional moon pie there as well. The Tesla is a great camper. Charge the battery, run the AC and enjoy the filtered ventilation with a nice entertainment system. Crazy. The paddleing wasn't that good. We found ourselves in Lake Keowee. The campground was good if you speak Spanish, and only enjoy power sports on small boats. I am a bit disturbed by the new trend of wake boarding. Instead of skiing being towed by...
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My kayak trip was awesome! So what happens when three restless boys want to do something exciting in Atlanta over the Thanksgiving holiday? Shoot the Hooch. Traverse the Chattahoochee river in grand style. We did it in a combination of couchsurfer, thrillseeker, and urban explorer (mostly Couchsurfer). We met for the first time last week. The participants, one from France (a recent MBA grad from Georgia Tech), one from California (a 20 something Mechanical Engineer) and me.

We put in at the Buford Dam at Lake Lanier. We put in illegally since the park was closed. (I mean who would want to use a park on a holiday?) We parked illegally at both ends of the run (not sure of the reasons, but an accumulation of a $50 parking ticket). And, we camped illegally for two nights. So, let's add some danger with two beginner kayakers, and very fast water. It is very dangerous, at least one person has died in the Chattahoochee in the last year from swift water. The risks were fully assessed. This wasn't a ride at Disneyland.

I have to admit that in my 28 miles I had a couple good shots of adrenaline, like when my team member got caught in a strainer and he had to bail inverted. Keep in mind, the temps were just above freezing during the evening, the water was cold. I was with two exceptionally cool guys.

It was fun cruising through the sanctum of the backyards of multi-gazillion dollar estates and country clubs. These are the same country clubs I enter the front door. At one point, I was out of my boat on a golf course. The golfers acted like a frogman just climbed out of their swimming pool. They didn't know whether to say hi or get me arrested. The biggest house we saw on the hooch was 32 thousand square feet, with an 18 hole golf course on 60 acres with a ten thousand square foot carriage house. Others were much more modest and I don't think we saw a single house with more than 5 stories.


















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gpc said…
Dang! What a cool trip! Great job!
Lynn K.
1:06 PM
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